Crocosmia and Canna

Instead of roses I fell in love with Crocosmia and Canna in my garden this summer

Crocosmia 'Lucifer' A favourite of Christopher Lloyd's with it's wide strappy leaves and large open flowers

Crocosmia 'Solfatare' Notice the lovely bronze strappy leaves which tone so well with it's yellow flowers

​Probably because their flowers are so yellow and orange, and orange is the most summery colour when the sun don't shine!   And it hasn't this summer, and still isn't!   We already seem to be heading for an early autumn, so where was summer?   However if you have sunny orange and yellow  in the garden you can pretend the sun  is shining.   
I seem to be building up a collection of Crocosmia - and a new interest in them, thanks to garden friend, Alan Trott, who has kindly sent me some different varieties.  Amongst these are 'Solfatare' and 'Severn Sunrise'  which has larger than usual open bright orange flowers.  The named varieties do seem to be variable, as when I google them, they vary from site to site, so please do not take my identification of named varieties as gospel.  It's all a bit hit n'miss!
All I know is that Crocosmias have been a newly discovered joy in the summer garden which I had not been aware of before!  
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But not so Cannas! Everybody knows about them and the way they scream 'summer' in the garden when they flower!   And who can resist the these exotic looking blooms!  Sadly, I can't tell you the name of this variety above, as it was given to me as an unnamed variety from a North Island garden friend - all I know is that it's a stunner - especially the colour.  I forget about it from season to season - but in high summer there it is again wowing me!  

And not only the flowers but the foliage too,  which can be so dramatic.  Especially the yellow and green stripey foliage of this Canna variety, sometimes called 'Bengal Tiger' - and you can see why - all those yellow stripes!  The flowers are a pale orange - nothing special - yet the pale orange does look right with the yellow stripey foliage. 
​And thank goodness for that dramatic foliage as there has been no sign of a flower yet, in this cool summer.  But wait - is that a flower stem I see rising up from that handsome foliage?  Better late than never!  It might make it into flower just before the frosts.