The Nature of Yellow Merchandisers and manufacterers say that products in yellow packages sell better than in any other colour. Yellow is apparently the colour of friendship, as in giving yellow roses or yellow carnations. Yellow is also a primary colour, along with blue and red. The complimentary colour of yellow is purple, which is opposite on the colour wheel. Yellow and purple flowers look wonderful together, but yellow flowers don't really look 'bad' with anything at all.
Yellow Fumitory Corydalis lutea is a great low-growing plant for partial or full shade. Its delicate leaves mingle nicely with all kinds of shade plants, including bleeding hearts and grey-leaved hostas. They bloom prolifically from May to September, and are very trouble-free, even in the slug manna of the Pacific coast. If there is one plant I highly recommend for shaded beds, this is it.
Above is a picture of the flowers. Perhaps a picture from this French site is worth more words than I am allowed to write in one article. I fear I have already gone over my 800 words.
Corydalis are well-known for their ability to self-seed, and Corydalis lutea is no exception. Plant one small plant where you would like many. After the mother plant flowers, do not disturb the soil except to remove weeds. The next year, your dream will come true. Transplant the seedlings to other parts of the garden. They will all flower in their second year.
Tickseed Coreopsis verticillata is a very hardy perennial, surviving winters as cold as -25 degrees celcius ( degrees farenheit). It grows naturally in open woods and clearings in dry soil, flowering from June to August. It's flowers are golden yellow, and held on top of stems to 120 cm (4 feet) tall. The variety pictured at the left is 'Moonbeam', which is slightly shorter, and bears flowers in a cool pale yellow, with darker foliage.
Plant in full sun or a little shade. Coreopsis can be invasive if left alone, but is perfect for those who have a large space to fill, or like to take lots of divisions and give them away. This one is great for container gardeners - plant one small Coreopsis plant in a 5 gallon container for beautiful blooms year after year.
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