Delicious Autumn

A November view through the back circle garden from the patio 

Delicious autumn!  
My very soul is wedded to it, 
and if I were a bird
I would fly about the earth
seeking the successive autumns. 
 ~George Eliot

'Postman Joyner' Caladium in foreground and 'White Queen' in background.

Vibrant caladiums are not necessarily what we expect to see in November. With careful planning, the central perennial garden at Hoe and Shovel is alive with colorful foliage from coleus, ornamental bananas and caladium this autumn.

Caladium 'Postman Joyner' shooting out of the ground this month.

This year I tried something new. I planted caladium bulbs each month since June. The outcome has been delightful. As the colorful foliage leaves from those planted in June and July have faded, new splashes of bright colorful foliage replace them.

'Highlighter' Caladium sprouting this week. Planted in a brand new planting bed created in October.

'Red Ruffles' Caladium for autumn replaced  'Roseglow' Caladium growing in this container through the summer.

'Red Flash' and 'Freida Hemple' Caladium combined in a perennial bed with native coontie and red firespike close by.
Var. aztec grass holds them in as the border.

Autumn is a glorious season in Florida even though we don't offer moutainsides with leaves of trees turning to brilliant oranges, reds and yellows. Our gardens are a place of respite after an endless summer. We finally revel in cooler temperatures and mild evenings. I hope you are getting outside wherever you are to breathe in the beauty around you! Happy gardening, Meems


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Meems