I too love the Bauhinia galpinii and have tried to grow the orange coloured Ixora - without success, not enough heat. I have a plant of the orange Leonotis which I hope will thrive. I love a garden which tastefully blends all colours together. Orange is so striking, one of my favourites.

Thanks, Gillian - glad you like orange! Also interesting to hear that Ixora doesn't do that well - it may be out of its climate zone here in Sydney. I love Leonotis and plan to put an orange one in soon! Deirdre

love orange in the garden, too, it is so bright and cheerful, especially the orange/bronze tones. The gloriosa you gave me has flowered magnificently, wandering amongst the fuchsias. The orange dahlia - not a cactus, but waterlily type - is also flowering, a lovely addition to the garden.

Thanks, Margaret - glad others also like this colour in the garden!

I know marigolds are considered a yellow flower but they are almost orange & I love them in my herb garden! Is now a good time to plant them? How long should they last?

They are annuals which generally flower for a long period in summer and autumn, so the best time to put them in is in spring. Deadhead regularly and that will help tp prolong flowering. They like a sunny well-drained spot - there are different sizes and some are quite small and dainty - and there are orange marigold varieties! Deirdre

My bauhinia galapinii is stunning at the moment. I cut it back hard after flowering and it never fails to give glorious colour spilling over my fence all summer. I hope your espaliered one is doing well. I have planted one in the verge which I hope will grow into an interesting shape. Unfortunately I do not have the plant anymore. I had planted it in the wrong place -- not enough room and not enough sun (shrubs I planted nearby grew very tall, very quickly! -- but I would like to put another one in. I do love the colour. Deirdre

I am interested to hear about progress with the Bauhinia galpinii as an espalier. It grows much larger here in a warmer climate but I do love the colour and it seems trouble free. Sadly I do not have the plant any more as I put it in the wrong spot. It had been going OK as an espalier but I had not allowed enough room and the area became too shady. I will try another one some day. Deirdre

Self-seeding Cosmos sulphureus is starring as a very welcome orange note in the sunshine just now. Yes, a lovely plant. Deirdre

I have had very little luck with Gloriosa superba. The tuber always sends up shoots but they dont get very high and have never flowered. Perhaps not enough water, or perhaps insufficient sun? My Campsis radicans (orange trumpet flower) is still flowering; spectacular but verging on the invasive. I think glorious does need sun. Sometimes mine doesn't flower so it could be seasonal variations. The campsis is magnificent but unruly! Deirdre

We were taught at school that Gloriosa superba, native to my home province was terribly poisonous. Might be a myth? The tubers are poisonous if eaten so should be handled with caution. Deirdre

I love a really bright coloured garden. They're so cheerful! There's a lovely orange Bougainvillea & I have the orange Lion's Tail. Another gorgeous orange is Brugmansia Winter Flame. I've also got Gloriosa Rothschildia growing in a pot & it's one of my absolute favourites. Lovely to have the orange bougainvillea and the lion's tail, which just doesn't seem to like my garden. That brugmansia sounds fab! Deirdre

Unfortunately, I lost my Gloriosa lily, some time ago, but still have number of orange flowered plants, the daylily 'August Flame', orange dahlia, vivid orange and pale orange flowered cane begonias and a dark orange and peach coloured canna, one with green, the other with bronze foliage. All these coloured plants look fabulous with purple coloured flowers. All those you mention look fab in your garden, Margaret! Deirdre

Orange coloured flowers are exactly how you describe them. I'm encouraging a burnt orange Hibiscus with purple Tradescantia and a few magenta coloured bromeliads hiding in the shady parts. The Hibiscus was a purchase from Woolworths and it has survived, so far. The colour offset is the lime leaf geranium here and there plus Phyllis Fancy Salvia which breaks up the purple a bit. Unfortunately chicken wire has to unattractively protect the border from the you-know-whos. I love the sound of it all. Yes the turkeys are omnipresent and I have to cage anything new. Deirdre

Planter boxes in Sydney's George St. look fabulous at the moment with masses of orange Impatiens - can anyone enlighten me as to the variety? I'd love to plant some! Jane - 2094 (Warm Temperate).