Orange chosen in honour of indigenous communities
Communities in Bloom (CIB) is a program that many of our Manitoba towns and cities actively promote and most of us are familiar with.
The CIB vision reads as follows:
“To inspire all communities to enhance the quality of life and our environment through people and plants in order to create community pride.”
This program promotes this vision in many ways, including highlighting a new floral colour each year. For 2024, the colour is orange, chosen in honour of indigenous communities.
There are many flowering plants that boast orange flowers, including our local wild tiger lilies that can be added to our gardens to elevate and accent our displays.
Marigolds are a staple in many of our local gardens. They are not only cute and pretty, but they are also very easy to care for.
An orange zinnia plant will bloom all summer adding a beautiful orange burst to your garden or pots.
We are used to seeing white daisies, but they come in a wide array of colours including orange. Daisies are the perfect addition for most spaces and gardens being extremely hardy.
Gerbera come in a variety of colours, but there is something about the orange gerbera that makes them stand apart. These sun lovers with large faces and strong stems sets them apart from more delicate greenery in our gardens.
Chrysanthemums or mums as they are commonly known as, are a common potted Mother’s Day plant. Why not choose an orange blooming chrysanthemum for Mom this year?
There are many other flowering plants that can give your garden a bright punch of orange. Mix and match your displays in a way that makes you want to spend more time outside enjoying the beauty of your space.
One word of warning – if you are planning to invite wildflowers into your garden, do your research before you invite them into your garden to stay. Many can be very aggressive and will take over your entire garden squeezing out all other plants.
Explore and expand, but most of all make it your happy place.
PHOTO CAPTION: For 2024, the colour of flower chosen in honour of indigenous communities is orange. PHOTO BY SUZANNE PADDOCK
