“Young Kelly’s mom doesn’t understand about red. Sure, the brown mittens are warmer, but the red mitts make better snowballs. And the red boots aren’t just for rain; they take bigger steps in any weather. And, yes! a green cup does make a difference … juice tastes better in the red cup. No doubt about it, red is best.”
Kathy Stinson’s storybook ‘Red is Best’ was my youngest son’s favourite bedtime story for quite a while when he was little. I must have read it at least 100 times. And who can blame him. After all, red adds intensity and energy wherever it appears. So on this, Valentine’s Day, our tribute will naturally be to the colour red because after all ‘Red is Best’.
My favourite daylily in the garden this deep red velvety daylily was a castoff from the breeder at ‘The Potting Shed’. I guess that proves the adage that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Red tulips against the red spring growth of barberry ‘Crimson Pygmy’
Similarly, purple sandcherry foliage looks almost red when backlit by sunlight.
The truest red peony I have – ‘Red Charm’
Hummingbirds love the bright red trumpets of Weigela ‘Red Prince’, as do I.
And how could we have a Valentine’s Day without a red rose. Here is rosa ‘Lilli Marleen’.
One of two ‘Bloodgood’ Japanese Maple’s in our yard.
You have to be up close to enjoy the dainty, cinnamon red, colour of Carolina Allspice flowers. And while some say they are fragrant, I have yet to notice.
Our harvest of Red Kidney beans was small this year as the deer liked them too.
An ode to red would not be complete without some red fall colour. Here is a young Euonymus alatus ‘burning’ in the front yard.
Plants can surprise you. Our kolkwitzia provided some beautiful deep red fall colours this past year.
Red berries of Aronia briliantissima chokeberry
And finally, the deep red foliage of Bergenia.