Transform a sunny border with apricot Dahlia 'David Howard', deep purple Salvia 'Amistad', rusty-red Salvia confertiflora, and spectacular striped Canna 'Phasion'. These flowering perennials and tropical rhizomatous plants combine bold foliage, contrasting textures, and vibrant blooms from summer into autumn, creating a lush, dramatic garden that attracts hummingbirds.
Imagine stepping into a garden glowing with apricot-orange dahlias, deep purple flowers, and spectacular bronze-striped foliage. Tall salvias weave between the flowers, while the broad, colorful leaves of tropical cannas rise above the planting. Richly layered yet wonderfully natural, this striking combination brings warmth, movement, and a touch of the exotic to a sunny summer border.
Four plants create the display: Dahlia ‘David Howard’, Salvia ‘Amistad’, Salvia confertiflora (Red Velvet Sage), and Canna ‘Phasion’ (Tropicanna Canna). Their contrasting flowers, architectural foliage, and overlapping seasons create a vibrant garden that remains attractive from summer into autumn.
Main plants used: Dahlia ‘David Howard’, Salvia ‘Amistad’, Salvia confertiflora, and Canna ‘Phasion’.
The rich contrast between warm flowers and dark foliage gives this planting its personality. Dahlia ‘David Howard’ produces generous apricot-orange blooms, approximately 4 inches (10 cm) across, above dark bronze-green leaves. Its compact, bushy habit creates a beautiful foreground to the taller plants.
Salvia ‘Amistad’ introduces a completely different flower shape. Its long, tubular, deep purple flowers emerge from nearly black calyces, creating dramatic spikes among the dahlias. Flowering from early summer into autumn in favorable conditions, it is particularly attractive to hummingbirds and other nectar-feeding visitors.
Behind them, Salvia confertiflora adds slender spikes packed with small, velvety scarlet-orange flowers and reddish calyces. Blooming mainly from late summer into autumn, it brings subtle warmth and an airy, upright texture that contrasts with the fuller Dahlia flowers.
Canna ‘Phasion’ completes the display with magnificent paddle-shaped leaves striped in bronze, green, gold, pink, and copper. Reaching approximately 5-6 feet (1.5-1.8 m) in favorable conditions, it creates a dramatic backdrop even when its orange flowers are absent.
The combination works because no two plants contribute the same shape. Rounded Dahlias anchor the foreground, Salvias add vertical movement, and the enormous Canna leaves provide architectural contrast.
Create a colorful summer border combining apricot dahlias, rich purple and rust-red salvias, and spectacular striped Canna foliage for a warm, tropical-inspired display.
Approximate visual proportions, not exact plant quantities. A few Cannas provide substantial visual impact.
Position Canna ‘Phasion’ toward the rear, where its enormous striped leaves can form a colorful backdrop without hiding the other plants. Place Salvia confertiflora nearby for tall, airy flower spikes, then repeat Salvia ‘Amistad’ in generous groups through the middle of the border. Bring Dahlia ‘David Howard’ toward the foreground, where its apricot flowers and dark foliage can be fully appreciated. Leave space between plants for air circulation and their mature spread.
Early summer brings fresh Canna foliage and the first purple Salvia ‘Amistad’ flowers. By midsummer, Dahlia ‘David Howard’ adds generous apricot blooms, while the Cannas develop their spectacular striped leaves and may produce orange flowers. Late summer and autumn bring the slender rusty-red spikes of Salvia confertiflora, extending the display as Dahlias and Amistad continue flowering until frost.
| Hardiness |
9 - 11 |
|---|---|
| Exposure | Full Sun |
| Season of Interest | Summer (Mid, Late), Fall |
| Maintenance | Average |
| Water Needs | Average |
| Soil Type | Loam, Sand |
| Soil pH | Acid, Neutral, Alkaline |
| Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Cut Flowers, Showy, Plant of Merit |
| Attracts | Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Birds |
| Landscaping Ideas | Beds And Borders |
| Garden Styles | Butterfly Garden, Informal and Cottage, Pollinator Garden |
| Hardiness |
9 - 11 |
|---|---|
| Exposure | Full Sun |
| Season of Interest | Summer (Mid, Late), Fall |
| Maintenance | Average |
| Water Needs | Average |
| Soil Type | Loam, Sand |
| Soil pH | Acid, Neutral, Alkaline |
| Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Cut Flowers, Showy, Plant of Merit |
| Attracts | Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Birds |
| Landscaping Ideas | Beds And Borders |
| Garden Styles | Butterfly Garden, Informal and Cottage, Pollinator Garden |
Recreate this garden. Specify the percentages you would like to have of each plant and input the dimensions of your garden space.We'll give you a shopping list so you know how many plants you need.
| Plant | Quantity | |
|---|---|---|
| Dahlia 'David Howard' | N/A | Buy Plants |
| Canna 'Phasion' (Canna Lily) | N/A | Buy Plants |
| Salvia 'Amistad' (Friendship Sage) | N/A | Buy Plants |
| Salvia confertiflora (Sabra Spike Sage) | N/A | Buy Plants |
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