More Beautiful Foliage

I made a large entry two days ago and with the Blogger trouble, it got wiped out.  Anyway, here is some more plants that look good precisely because of their striking foliage.  Aren't the leopard spotted leaves of this calla attractive?  The flowers it makes are just an added bonus.

Here is a better picture of the glamorous Bengal Tiger canna leaf. You can clearly see the red outline around the perimeter of the leaf and the striking stripes.  This plant makes a terrific statement in a tropicalesque bed.

I'm not overly fond of the ubiquitous elephant ear - at least the common ones you see everywhere down here.  They will easily take over an area and start looking "ratty."  However, there are some cultivars of colocasia that are fabulous.  This one is called Black Ruffles.  The leaves get to be a deep purple color as they age.  Another great specimen for the tropical bed.

And if the above plants don't make a big enough statement, I present to you the Thailand Giant colocasia.  This plant will make leaves over five feet long and over 3 feet wide!  You must keep it well watered and fertilized for that type of performance though.

If you want something a little less bold and demanding, then nothing beats a good old-fashioned fern.  This is one I recently planted in a shady area on the foundation of my house.  Doesn't it look lush?  Foliage plants add so much to flower beds if you need to have a more full look.  Don't neglect to add some of these beauties to your gardens.

Callas, petunias, and roses

Here's a picture of my lush calla lily. These things do great here. This one is growing between my azaleas on the north side of my house with virtually full shade.

Here's my Belinda's Dream bloom coming out more. Notice the whole plant shot!

These are my Easy Wave Mystic Pink petunias in a hanging pot. They look nice today.

Snapshots from March 24, '09

Above is my best Red Ruffles azalea bush. This must be the peak for it this year. It's so covered in bloom that you can hardly see the leaves. I have several of these bushes, but most are in full shade and so don't bloom as prolifically as this one that gets partial sun. I've heard that these can bloom more than once in the year, but mine bloom one good time and may put on some spotty blooms at other times of the year. I wouldn't call this a true re-bloomer. It sure puts on a show in March though. Gets about 3' high.

Next up is a bloom from my Abraham Darby rose bush. This time of year the blooms are a deeper shade of peach/apricot/pink than they are later in the year. The blooms on this rose are everything you can dream of in a rose: huge, full, and amazingly fragrant. In the late summer I always contemplate chopping this bush down because it gets blackspot badly and the leaves look ratty. However, when it comes into full bloom again, I forget all about that! The bush gets huge here in Louisiana and mine is growing on a chain link fence where I'm trying to make it into a climber. If you plant this rose plan on it getting blackspot, but it's worth the hassle because of the glorious blooms. Maybe later I'll post pics of the whole bush in full bloom.

Another shot of my Red Ruffle with some calla lilies. This one is just to give some context for the other photo.