Full Sun 'White Wonder' Caladiums

Other than the edible garden the front southern-most half of the front lawn qualifies as the sunniest location in my garden. West-facing it receives a good portion of mid-afternoon sun although my neighbor's large oak trees do filter the light in the latest part of the day.

Caladiums are commonly known to perform best in shade and partial sun situations.

Good news for sunny gardens.

Recent breeding by Dr. Bob Hartman of Classic Caladiums has introduced some fabulous new caladium hybrids that are sun tolerant.

***The photo above was taken randomly with my camera by my 12yo grandson. He loves to walk around my garden and see what he can see through the lens. I LOVED this photo of White Wonder! A boy after my heart!

'White Wonder' is a fancy leaf with a short to intermediate habit which makes it a nice fit for the front or middle of the border. In my front garden it is paired with foundational plants of white yarrow, bulbine, blue-eyed grass, and flax lily.

In keeping with the asymmetrical feel of the front lawn renovation I chose to 'clump' (5 or 7 bulbs) pockets of 'White Wonder' along the street side of my front garden.

'White Delight', 'White Marble', 'Mt. Everest', 'White Pearl', 'White Diamond', and 'White Star' are other white varieties that are also sun tolerant and offered through Classic Caladiums.

I like the size and shape of 'White Wonder'. The deep magenta center veining and deep green edging is a highlight for me as it adds a spark of color while blending easily with neighboring plants.

It's really nice to have more options with caladiums in the sunny parts of the garden!

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Disclosure ***Dr. Bob Hartman and Mike Woods of Classic Caladiums generously gave me (50) White Wonder bulbs during my tour (which you can read about here) of their facility in February. They did not require anything in return. I believe in what they are doing to improve the caladium industry and I LOVE caladiums so much I am honored if I have any small part in promoting the industry and specifically Classic Caladiums. It isn't too late to plant caladium bulbs. If you want to place an order Classic Caladiums still has a few specials being offered at great values and prices.

The Edible Garden Has Bones Too

In my ornamental garden it is the placement of trees and foundational plants that we call the 'bones' of the garden. They are those elements that remain. No matter the season or the hardships encountered it is the 'bones' of the garden that give it structure and form. If chosen correctly these fundamental players of the garden are what we work around to create places of interest with forms, textures, colors, and size variances that please our senses.

When I initially created my edible garden by removing lawn and starting with two framed boxes it felt as though it was completely "separate" from the rest of the garden. A lone corner all by itself.

As I expanded it, the next season, I purposed to carry out the same principle of good 'bones' in the edible garden. Even the thought of it just 'felt' better. Like it was a more natural way to garden.

Here's how that works for me.

This is the edible garden today taking up the entire side yard with no turf grass remaining. It is completely enclosed by a chain-linked fence. Yes, it's ugly. But it does serve to keep out some of the critters like armadillos and pea fowl roaming the neighborhood. The fence is covered entirely by confederate jasmine vine. This further serves as a wind-break on bad weather days.

Surrounding the perimeter of the garden are perennials and ornamentals. Some of them are in containers and are placed to further the draw of pollinators and to just look pretty. These are the bones ~ because they remain. Not necessarily all at the same time but no matter the season there are plants appealing to the senses.

The entire length of the exterior edging is bordered with bulbine, society garlic, or variegated aztec grass. Each of these blooms and at different times/seasons and each of them is cold hardy/drought resistant which means they are always there even when the vegetable beds are empty and resting. The edging is the bones.

Mid-late summer is when my edible garden rests. Most of it anyway. There are only herbs of oregano, parsley, fennel, chives, mint, rosemary, and basil (barely hanging on) growing. Two (indeterminate- black cherry) tomato plants are defying the odds of summer in an Earthbox (in partial shade).

Gone are the weeds. Finally. With a bit of effort.

A fresh layer of organics including mushroom compost, my compost, and new potting soil have been added to each bed. Mixed in with that is bone meal, blood meal and alfalfa pellets.

I do this in July when the spring garden is spent which gives it about 6 weeks for all this to "cook" before my fall garden is planted.

My Troy-Bilt chipper shredder comes in so handy all year long. Last week when the edible garden was all cleaned up I made some nice fine-mulch to cover all the beds while it sleeps.

Collected sticks and limbs and some bags of oak leaves all processed for use in the edible garden and elsewhere.

The two cedar framed/raised beds remain in the back corner of the garden. I've chosen to hill-up the other 4 beds into a rectangular/oval-ish shape. The center is a swale of sorts allowing for irrigation/rain to seep into the root system of the edibles.

It's a beautiful thing. The interiors (swale) of the beds are mulched with pine needles while the 'hills' are mulched with the finely shredded leaves and limbs.

No matter the season the edible garden is never "just an edible garden". The low-maintenance bones keep it alive and active.

Side notes for my Florida friends:

• Tomato seeds have been sown this week in 4" pots and placed in a partially shaded location to germinate. They will be transplanted to the ground in September.


• Newly planted (direct sown)okra seeds have emerged and eggplant seeds are sown but not emerged.


• Heirloom rattlesnake pole beans are hanging on the vine to dry. This will provide next season's pole beans.


• September will be the month I get my tomato seedlings in the ground and seeds of squash, bush beans, collards, and carrots and brassicas.


• October follows with seeds of lettuces, spinach, radish, kale, and snap peas.


• November is for succession planting.

The fall edible garden can be tricky ~~ according to weather. Last year October was as hot (but dry with NO rain) as August and I had to re-seed everything. Then we had early freezes in December which made the whole schedule upside down. You never know. But the point is to keep trying. We keep learning from our successes and our failures.

What are you growing?

Cinderella Dressed in Caladium

There are a few new faces in my garden this summer.

As caladium varieties show up, newly emerged from planted bulbs in June, I'm getting to know them a little better.

Meet Cinderella. She is a fancy leaf variety that does well in the shade. She is tucked into the shady tropical pathway as part of the edging in between flax lily and spathiphylum with irises and ground orchids behind her.

And oh, has she made some heads turn! Not since Miss Muffett have I been struck so positively by the pleasing characteristics of a favorite caladium.

So very stunning in her perfectly matched blushing pink with deep green edging and white veins.

Dr. Bob Hartman of Classic Caladiums recently introduced Cinderella into caladium production. I think I've said in an earlier post how I like everything about her. She truly is lovely and her tightly clumping habit and medium height are added attractions.

I will plant more of her next year.

Enjoy your weekend.
Meems

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Disclosure ***Dr. Bob Hartman and Mike Woods of Classic Caladiums generously gave me Cinderella bulbs during my tour (which you can read about here) of their facility in February. They did not require anything in return. I believe in what they are doing to improve the caladium industry and I LOVE caladiums so much I am honored if I have any small part in promoting the industry and specifically Classic Caladiums. It isn't too late to plant caladium bulbs. If you want to place an order Classic Caladiums still has a few specials being offered at great values and prices.

Coffee in the Circle Garden

Strangely enough Florida has had better temperatures than most of the mid and northwest this week. Summertime in Florida is normally hot and humid like a sauna.It has actually been unseasonably less humid for any day in July! So unusual that it has been bearable to enjoy morning coffee in the circle garden.
From this seating area in the central hub of the back gardens looking to the right is the perennial gardens. There are narrow pathways running throughout but not visible from the seated position. Without moving from the chairs here are a few views from that vantage point.









It's still quite hot and humid but noticeably less. SO... I've been out in the garden taking advantage of the reprieve this week. We've been warned the weather is quickly making a switcheroo to high humidity by weeks' end.

I hope you are enjoying your gardens.
Meems

Please Don't 'Walk' on the Impatiens

Impatiens are a hardy and colorful plant for shady to partial-shady areas of the garden. Considered an annual yet they are very prolific in returning after being frosted back in winter. None have been purposely planted in this garden in many years.

They readily seed themselves into container gardens, in between perennials, they pop up in convenenient locations and some not-so-convenient places. Just like weeds. Albeit pretty weeds.

Frequent readers might recall when I posted this entry a little over a month ago. A month ago it appeared as if the chairs were growing out of the flowers. That's when I belabored my lack of diligence from the spring for pulling out starter seedlings as they sprouted in my tropical pathway.

Here we are just a few weeks later, with some good rainfall on the record books, and the passageway is barely useable. Barely.
I'm sure I've mentioned this tiny little fact already but this area is one of my favorite places in the back yard gardens.

It is the coolness of the shade and the quiet sense of surrounding nature that brings peace and calm as I traverse these paths daily.

It is also the main route to the compost piles and the way-back parts of the garden. So when I initially created it I was sure to leave it WIDE enough for my wheelbarrow.
That's not to say I can't still scoot past the burgeoning impatiens on foot. And when pushing the wheelbarrow there ARE alternate routes to the compost piles. But taking the long way around is the not-so-convenient element about where the impatiens have decided to thrive.

Now that I've taken you the length of the tropical pathway (click here to see how to create) let's turn around and go back out together.

On the way back we should pause together to pay attention to a new Caladium planted this summer. 'Cinderella' is a delicate-looking, almost translucent leaf that is happy in the shade. She's going on my "must-purchase-more-of-these list" for next year. I love everything about her.

Above and behind her there's 'Moonlight' glowing so brightly in the daylight that draws my attention as well. It is good for the soul to pause. In the midst of sweaty tasks of summer pausing to admire inspires me onward.

The return trip back towards the circle garden better portrays how the footpath narrows to nearly impassable due to the growth of those volunteer impatiens.

My question for you ... The impatiens are easily plucked as their root system is shallow. What would you do?
Should they stay or should they go?

Moonlight in the Daylight

Nothing in the summer garden excites me more than when the Caladiums begin to emerge from the ground. Slowly at first and then day by day clumps of them appear fuller and fuller.

Maybe you'd like to join me for a look at some along the tropical pathway. We'll start in the circle garden and round this corner between the potted containers overflowing with coleus, rojo congos, and macho ferns.

Moonlight caladiums are tucked back into a deeply shaded nook of the tropical pathway. The all-white foliage of this variety brightens the background layers behind the Queen Emma Crinum.

Single file past the narrowing passage where volunteer impatiens growing wildly are progressively inching out the foot path.

There are so many neighboring plants crammed into this tropical garden we'll have to squat down underneath those ginormous leaves of the Queen Emma and between the blackberry lilies to get a better view of these beauties.

A look from the other side gives a better view of how they are tightly planted in two tiers. One behind the retaining wall and another at ground level in front of the wall. Both layers curving around to merge with either White Queen caladiums or Miss Muffet caladiums.

Featuring Moonlight this week in celebration of the full moon seems appropriate. These lovely large, fancy leaf variety grow from 18" - 24" in height and are well-suited for shady or filtered morning-light areas in the garden.

Since my garden has plenty of locations with those specific conditions I've planted Moonlight in several places in the back and in the front. Here they are blended in with other mixed-whites with White Queen in a sweep behind them.

One of the questions I am asked often is what to do about the bare ground caladiums leave after they finish their growing season. My answer to that is: I don't necessarily use bare ground to plant the bulbs. I typically plant them layered underneath shell gingers, saw palmetto, coonties, oakleaf hydrangeas, and pentas and between existing plants. In almost every situation they are squeezed in between rows of aztec grasses, irises, flax lilies, and xanadu that serve as supports for holding them as the season wanes.

Moonlight is a 2004 introduction from the University of Florida produced by Classic Caladiums. The thin, dark green veins and edges are a perfect contrast to the clear white of the leaf in Moonlight. I am really pleased with the habit and appeal of Moonlight as this is the first summer they have shined brightly in the daylight of my garden.

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Disclosure ***Dr. Bob Hartman and Mike Woods of Classic Caladiums generously gave me Moonlight bulbs during my tour (which you can read about here) of their facility in February. They did not require anything in return. I believe in what they are doing to improve the caladium industry and I LOVE caladiums so much I am honored if I have any small part in promoting the industry and specifically Classic Caladiums. It isn't too late to plant caladium bulbs. If you want to place an order Classic Caladiums still has a few specials being offered at great values and prices.