The Garden At Rock Cottage

Springing to Actionby Lance Brilliantine

By the end of January, I am “itching” for spring. The warm weather this year has made my “addiction to gardening” stronger than ever and despite the recent flurries, I am already rummaging through the flowerbeds to look for signs of spring. Perhaps I am just reacting, as flowers do, to the increase in daylight!

The enticement of spring makes me, inevitably, place all sorts of plant and seed orders that align with my vision for the next gardening season. (I already know where I will move and discard some plants and lay in others.) And, I am always on the lookout for the new and unusual.

Despite my ordering frenzy, I always seem to include caladiums in my garden design. These wonderful plants fill shady spots with beautiful, multi-colored leaves. They provide a wonderful, textured accent throughout the garden each season.

Caladiums are a genus of plant in the order known as Alismatales. They are in the family of plants known as Aracaea. Cousin to the large, elephant ears that have grown in popularity recently, caladiums produce large-sized colorful leaves. The plants have been widely cultivated in Europe since the late 1700s.

The genus Caladium includes seven species most of which are indigenous to South and Central America. Many of the most beautiful flowers come from Brazil. In their natural habitats, they grow freely in open, forested areas and on the banks of creeks. Wild plants typically grow to a maximum of 18 inches tall, with leaves that range to about six inches long and wide. Cultivated varieties can be slightly larger, though there are also a number of dwarf varieties in cultivation.

These plants are only hardy to Zone 10 – which means they can be cultivated once garden soil has warmed to about 65 degrees. They prefer partial-to-full shade. While referred to as bulbs, caladiums are actually tubers. The leaves can be single- or multi-colored, with color combinations of green and pure white, cream, pink, rose, and red. Colors may vary by veining or in varying intensely colored blotches in the leaves.

On the East End, caladiums are a summer bulb (tuber) that should be planted when all danger of frost is over and the soil temperature is warm. They will thrive in a hot summer and paint the garden with color until the first cold nights of autumn.

Caladiums are easy to plant and are beautiful as a ground cover or border, or in pots, hanging baskets and planters on the deck. They are equally good inside the home. Mix several varieties in the landscape to produce a colorful contrast.

Caladiums need warm weather to sprout. Once the ground temperature reaches about 65 degrees, plant the tubers with the eyes up. Tubers should be planted only about 2 inches beneath the soil. The tubers can be planted anywhere from eight inches apart for the smaller tubers and up to 14 inches apart for the largest varieties. Planting more densely increases the heights of stems. Planting in cooler weather delays sprouting.

Well-drained, high-peat content soil is best. Keep the soil damp once the tubers are planted and lightly fertilize every six weeks throughout the growing season (use a 6-6-6 slow release fertilizer). Keep the soil damp, but never wet, as the tubers do tend to rot when the soil is overly wet. Dry soil tends to send the tubers into dormancy.

In the fall, let the leaves die back normally and lift the bulbs before the first freeze. Let the bulbs dry out for a week or so and store in a mesh bag at about 65 degrees. When digging, be careful not to damage the tubers, as any nicks may make the tubers susceptible to disease. Keep the tubers completely dry throughout winter until they are planted again the next spring.

You will find that caladiums attract enormous attention in the garden landscape, whether just a few plants are grown or if they are displayed in a massive planting. They are a true solution to the gardener’s problem of “what to do in shady areas.” Their bright colors and lovely color patterns are simply fascinating! Few plants can rival the beauty of caladiums.

Because many of the most unusual and desirable varieties sell out quickly, now is an ideal time to order. There are a number of wholesalers that provide the tubers at extremely low costs. No garden should be without some examples of this lovely plant!

You can contact Lance Brilliantine with any questions or comments at GardenLance@yahoo.com.