“Disney Ginger”, a copyrighted post, was written for my WordPress blog called Always Growing by Jan in Covington, Louisiana
Just like other parts of the country, we are suffering with the heat. Yesterday, I didn’t even go outside. Of course, I had watered the garden very well Saturday, or I would have had to go out in the blistering sun to water my poor, hot plants. Right now, at 11:40 AM the heat index is 116 degrees. I just finished watering all the garden plants, and I am dripping (and it is not from the hose). So far, everything seems to be doing okay and not succumbing to this heat.
Even with the heat, a new plant has started blooming. It is a new ginger I bought about a year ago at the New Orleans Botanical Garden Show. It is Disney ginger.
Hedychium coccineum ‘Disney’ or orange brush ginger is the newest ginger in my garden. Living in a mild climate allows me the luxury of growing many of these lovely, tropical-looking plants. This particular ginger is only about five feet tall and has only two stalks but, I am sure, that as it gets older, it will spread and get bigger. The flowers open all at once and are fragrant attracting butterflies and bees.
One more thing I like about this new flower is its color. I never used to like orange flowers, but lately they have really grown on me. I don’t know if it is just me or what, but it does seem that lately orange is becoming a popular color in more gardens. I never thought I’d say this, but bring on more orange.
Always Growing 
nancybond said,
August 2, 2010 at 1:57 pm
Beautiful! Orange is about my favourite colour in the garden and this is a wonderful shade.
Jan said,
August 3, 2010 at 5:50 am
I like the flower shape, too. Very different and makes a good contrast to the surrounding plants.
Carol Flower Hill Farm said,
August 3, 2010 at 3:42 am
Ouch! Sorry you are having such heat to deal with. What a fun and beautiful ginger… I guess one has to suffer hot temps to have those beauties. HOpe it cools down for you soon.
Jan said,
August 3, 2010 at 5:53 am
We are supposed to “cool” down to about 93 in a few days. Our low last night was only 84 degrees. I don’t even want to know what the heat index is right now at 6:50 AM. Hot temps is one thing, but this is ridiculous.
Curbstone Valley Farm said,
August 3, 2010 at 6:57 pm
I agree, bring on more orange! I think I’ve been leaning more in that color direction lately as it goes well with so many of our native flowers. Fields of California poppies and blue lupine are just lovely in the spring. This ginger is very handsome, almost with more of a salmon hue.
Jan said,
August 4, 2010 at 7:00 am
Orange does seem to “go” with other colors especially blue and purple. I guess we never thought of those combinations before because we were concentrating on pinks, whites, and reds for our gardens. Being open to another color is good.
catherine jones said,
August 5, 2010 at 6:46 pm
Beautiful! I’m in Austin and a friend has one growing in pretty dense shade. I loved the plant when I first saw it but today was the first I saw of it in full bloom. Is yours in shade too?
Jan said,
August 6, 2010 at 4:13 am
Mine gets a little morning sun, Catherine, and the rest of the day it is in bright shade.