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Day 5: Colors of Christmas
Wasn't it good timing for this extra large bromeliad (sorry don't know its name) to bloom its grand profusion of red prettiness just in time for December's garden!
Stromanthe sanguinea 'Tricolor' I am dividing this plant like mad to increase its presence in some borders in the shadiest places in my garden. The smooth blend of three colors in one foliage plant makes a nice addition in the filtered light.
Do you love the rich, deep colors that say Christmas is here as much as I do? Trends come and go with combinations of colors we use for holiday decorating. Today, though, we stick to traditional Christmas hues of plants found in the garden.
Container plantings allow for pieces of this and that pulled from other places in the garden for a mix of whatever colors a gardener's heart has a whim to plant. The one above combines Talinum paniculatum 'Variegatum', Variegated Jewels of Opar with Begonia 'dragon wing' (or maybe it's angel wing) and Iresine herbstii bloodleaf (so bright and super red), a caladium leaf straggler left over from summer and a Cordyline red sister towering above them all (not visible-sorry).
The Hibiscus sabdariffa maple leaf hibiscus continues putting out her wave of repeated blooms each day. The weight of all the rain has her bowing down a bit today. When once the sunshine reappears all her 7' limbs will reach for the sky again.
One of my favorites this autumn season is the Clerodendrum thomsoniae bleeding heart vine with its brilliant reds and deep lavenders combining into bursts of outstanding color. Planted in the spring it has covered one end of the fence that surrounds the veggie garden.
Hopefully I'll still be as thrilled next year when it might decide it wants to take over the garden. They can be aggressive when sited in a good location. Oh well, we'll deal with that when we get there. For now I just keep redirecting its tendrils to wind through the fence. Merry Day 5, dear readers.
"At Christmas, all roads lead home."
Marjorie Holmes, American writer.
