Finally, for colorful foliage and flowers, there are many garden stand-bys that suit our purposes admirably. Lobelia cardinalis with its brilliant red flowers is a must. And if you get a burgundy-foliaged variety such as 'Queen Victoria' or 'Dark Crusader' so much the better. Black foliaged dahlias, including 'Bishop of Llandaff' are go-with plants, with similar foliage and flowers, and are total knockouts when planted with burgundy-foliaged cannas and castor beans.
And don't forget the new Ipomoeas - sweet potato vines such as Blackie, in a deep black purple, and Margarita in stunning chartreuse. Anything with chartreuse foliage is a wonderful pick-me-up if you're using lots of burgundy in your composition. There is also a tri-colored version with ivy-like leaves in pink, green and white. These are hardy to zone. Those of us in colder climates can either dig them up yearly or substitute Humulus lupulus - golden hops vine, and Actinidia kolomita - the male arctic kiwi plant that develops pink, green and white leaf colors as it matures. The latter is hardy in Siberia, so it ought to grow for us.
Easy Annuals for Authenticity
Many popular annuals, easily available in places as convenient as the grocery store, can lend an authentic touch to your faux-paradise. Some are a cinch to start from seed.
One that is a must if you don't have small children to worry about is Ricinus communis, the castor bean. 'Carmencita,' with its burgundy foliage and bright red fuzzy flowers, is a knockout with cannas and dahlias, and can grow as high as six feet from seed in a single year.
Other good choices for starting from seed are nicotianas, tricolor amaranthus and zea gracillima - a striped maize that looks a bit like bamboo.
Easy-to-find coleus is perfect for adding color to the mix - and it does seem to come in every imaginable color but blue. Dusty miller, especially the lacy Senecio cineraria, is perfect for cooling down any too-hot combinations with its silvery foliage.
Geraniums, the common bright red pelargonium and its sisters with colored foliage, are not only widely available, but quite authentic. Nasturtiums will also look quite at home in this setting - and if you don't already have too much variegation in the foliage, try 'Alaska,' which has leaves marbled in green and white.
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