Although I am writing this article during a stretch of weather in the Nation’s Capital that hasn’t seen much sun you know that the warmth it generates isn’t far away.  Fast forward to the present and it’s August and “the heat is on”! Yellow is a more than appropriate color for this time of year as it represents not just heat and warmth but it can also signify fatigue which is what many of us might feel after a long, hot summer. There is no disputing that as a color yellow is the brightest and boldest of them all and it is a color that you are drawn too and can’t ignore!

During the summer yellow flowers, fruits, and foliage are at their apex in most areas of the country. Early in the season, we’re treated to Daylilies, Heliopsis, and Coreopsis while during the high water mark of the summer Black-Eyed Susans, Sunflowers and Yarrow exert their landscaping dominance. Even the vegetable garden won’t escape the impact of the color yellow as Summer Squash and rows of ripening Corn will attest too. Finally, as the summer draws to a close Solidago, also known as Goldenrod and Helenium fill in the void that can be left by other perennials which have finished their flowering cycle. 

When fall finally rolls around the drop in temperatures won’t be able to cool down the impact of the color yellow. Zinnias and Marigolds continue to flower prolifically if you remove their spent flowers and prevent them from going to seed. Re-blooming bearded Iris will give you a second chance to admire their beauty and Chrysanthemums are a mainstay of any fall flower display. Yellow is a popular color in many varieties of pansy, and even as this season comes to an end the falling leaves of Beech, Birch, and Poplar trees give fall a dramatic “yellow” send off!

During the winter you may be tempted to think that the only yellow you’ll see is the sun itself or perhaps in the variegated leaves of the indoor Pothos Vine but you can chase away the winter blues by adding a yellow flowering Witch Hazel shrub to your yard. Witch Hazel blooms in January through March in many areas of the country and if you plant Yellow Twig Dogwoods in those damp areas of your yard it will stand out beautifully after a winter snowfall. If you live in the Southern areas of the country you are probably familiar with the intoxicating perfume of Yellow Jasmine vines and before winter is finished your Daffodils and Crocuses will bloom and their yellow color will signal that spring is on its way.

Finally, spring arrives and the color yellow begins its march toward summer dominance. Forsythia shrubs seem able to increase air temperatures with only their bright yellow flowers and the aforementioned Daffodils and Crocuses are now joined by majestic Tulips. As the spring flowering bulbs fade Stella D’oro Daylilies and Yellow Knockout Roses take center stage supported by those Pansies you planted last fall. Columbine, Japanese Iris, and Sedum join the parade and once again you are reminded why yellow is the color that just can’t be ignored!