Neeli Reamer is The Roanoke Times' gardening columnist. Her column appears twice monthly in Extra.

Neeli Reamer

Recent columns

• Have a gardener on your list? You have an easy task
• Beauty in a bottle
• Bottle trees bring a little color into your garden

About Neeli

Neeli Reamer is a Master Gardener who has a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication and a master's degree in counseling, where she focused heavily on horticultural therapy techniques.

She believes gardening isn't about being perfect, it's about having fun.

My husband, Kevin, and I moved to Blacksburg a few years ago. Right away I noticed an unfamiliar but distinctive color scheme everywhere. Maroon and orange were splashed across buildings, buses, sweat shirts and signs. Even roadside plantings and medians sported this color combination.

I was in Hokie country, home of Virginia Tech.

Kevin, a graduate of the University of Chicago, informed me that the colors I saw were technically Chicago maroon and burnt orange.

Gardening Hokie style

In 1896, the school's name was changed from Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College to Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute. Then, a committee chose new school colors, Chicago maroon and burnt orange, because no one else was using them together at the time. The football team debuted the colors on Oct. 26, 1896, in a game against Roanoke College.

I'm a Tar Heel born and bred, so I've never been partial to orange or maroon. But somehow, someway, these colors have seeped into my subconscious. And, for a Carolina grad, I sure do have a lot of orange and maroon flowers blooming in my garden.

The Hokie fans I know always seem eager to find fresh methods to display their Hokie pride. What better way to root for Virginia Tech than to garden Hokie style?

Step one is simply featuring orange and maroon plants in your yard, or in containers on your porch.

Here are a few surefire suggestions for your Hokie garden:

n Pansies are low-growing, fragrant, cool season annuals that are available in various shades of orange and maroon. Plant pansies during fall, in full sun, and in well-drained soil. They will overwinter and perk up just in time for March Madness. Pansies grow well in pots. Underplant your pansies with orange or maroon flowering tulip bulbs for a bonus burst of spring color.

n Marigolds are easy-care annuals that you can plant in spring, and they look wonderful until the first frost. This year I grew Durango Flame French marigolds. The blossoms are a blend of orange and maroon. Pinch off faded flowers for maximum blooms. Put marigolds in your sunny kitchen garden beside nasturtiums, ornamental peppers, orange tomatoes, red leaf lettuce and Swiss chard for a winning combination of Hokie colors.

n Tithonia or Mexican Sunflower is an annual that is simple to start from seed. It is great for the back of a sunny border and supplies brilliant orange color from late summer through frost. I grow "Torch" and it really lights up my garden. Butterflies, bees and hummingbirds are attracted to the daisylike blooms. But, best of all, the deer in my neighborhood leave Tithonia alone.

n Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea) is a popular, deciduous broadleaf shrub. Chicago maroon is a hard hue to match perfectly in the plant world, but this plant's foliage comes close. Japanese barberries are low maintenance, drought tolerant and look best in full sun. "Crimson Pygmy" is a dwarf form of the species.

Be aware that Japanese barberries have sharp thorns and have been ranked as a "moderately invasive species" in Virginia.

n Japanese maples (Acer palmatum var. atropurpureum) are slow growing, specimen trees that can be real showstoppers in a Hokie garden. I've had success with "Bloodgood," which has deep reddish purple leaves in spring and summer, and a bright red fall color. It gets 15-20 feet tall.

Each time you visit the garden center, look for new orange or maroon plants to add to your collection. Hokie colored mums, dahlias and purple fountain grass look particularly pretty in fall.

You can also go wild in your Hokie garden. Native plant options include butterfly weed, trumpet vine and Turk's-cap lily. Many native trees and shrubs like blackgum, dogwood, sassafras and Virginia sweetspire have beautiful orange or maroon fall leaf colors.

Finally, complete your Hokie garden with yard art. I recently checked out the inventory at the Virginia Tech bookstore. They carry all things Hokie, from garden flags, gnomes and banners to 8-foot inflatable Hokie Birds.

Or, make your own Hokie decorations and let the whole family join in the fun. Paint birdhouses, benches, signs, steppingstones, wind chimes or flowerpots with weatherproof Hokie colors. Use old footballs or helmets as planters, and cover the soil with orange or maroon marbles. Plant flowers in the shape of the VT logo. Fashion a scarecrow in Hokie attire for the pumpkin patch.

Get creative! The sky (which is, incidentally, Carolina blue) is the limit.

For the non-Hokie fan: Put your favorite school or sports team's colors to work in your garden. My Grandmother Reamer grows Duke blue and white pansies on her balcony.

Hahn Horticulture Garden celebrates its 25th

If you have never visited the Hahn Horticulture Garden at Virginia Tech, you should put it on the top of your list. It is one of the prettiest places on campus.

In 1984, horticulture faculty members, including Robert Lyons and Robert McDuffie, broke ground off Washington Street. Now, there are almost 6 acres in this teaching and display garden.

It features water gardens, perennial borders, gazebos, flowering trees, the Peggy Lee Hahn Garden Pavilion, a new meadow garden and a hillside amphitheater made of Hokie Stone. You'll also see unusual examples of orange and maroon plants.

Every spring, the garden holds a huge plant sale. And each summer, there is a fabulous fundraising Garden Gala.

For more information about the Hahn Horticulture Garden or upcoming seminars and special events, or to join the Friends of the Garden Membership Program, go to www.hort.vt.edu/hhg or call (540) 231-5970.

The garden is open from dawn until dusk and is free of charge.

Garden tip of the week

Dottie Woods of Brush Mountain writes, "My only tip at the moment is to collect pine cones and store them for the spring. I then will use them for filler at the bottom of very deep pots, in order to take up some unneeded space and to make the pots lighter to move around."

Do you have a fall garden tip? Please e-mail me.