Slow springs are painful. The winter months are spent waiting for warm breezes, pollen and a slow spring.
It is awful that we have to cough and sneeze to announce spring.
It’s cold and rainy weather. The weather seems to be dampening the spirit without a noticeable difference.
Pollen counts are reduced.
There are still compensations. There are compensations.
The fragile pansies that I have in front of my home are actually quite robust.
They have survived a snowstorm in late spring, strong winds and cold rain. Daffodils have lasted longer because of the cold, overcast weather. Chickweed is a plant that can withstand anything but volcanic eruptions.
My backyard is engulfed in an eruption. The flower seedlings that I have been hardening on my back porch, and recently planted.
The front border may be shaking a little, but the hordes are holding on. They can, even if they are only wearing their secondary leaves.
too.
As the rain pours down, I think of big brassy
Tropical plants. It is a brand new line
It’s a good idea for me to think about it, since I know very few people who grow elephants or cannas.
ears (Colocasia esculenta) or even fancy-leafed Caladiums. These were not part of my childhood. If my mother had known, she would have thought them disgusting.
gaudy. I would have
Planting something you will have to take up in winter and store is not a good idea.
As psychologists point out, it is important to move on from childhood.
sometime. It is time for me.
now. Now.
Some cannas. It is too early to tell.
Elephant ears are not my favorite, but they will end up in a planter on my porch.
This is quite surprising, but it fits in with my personality.
“old-fashioned” garden. The garden.
Victorians loved the cannas because of their beautiful flowers and leaves. In the past
When people were able to hire more help, or had more time in the garden, they did not hesitate.
Lifting and storing large quantities of heavy rhizomes during the winter. Cannas are still found in parts of California and the Deep South.
Naturalized on old home sites
On the Internet, you can find all sorts of sellers. These vendors also offer a great deal of information about cannas. The venerable Hortus is one of the most reliable sources.
Mention that the canna plant originated in subtropical and tropical regions. According to one source, indiginous hunters in some parts of
The roots of the canna plant were eaten by those peoples. One more credible source refers to the canna plant as “the
Birthplant of the Month” for September. Birthplant of the Month” for September.
I suspect there’s more manure in some websites than my own backyard.
garden.
Cannas can grow up to 8 feet tall. You can also find dwarf cultivars that are only 2′ tall. What I’m looking for is a plant with flowers that have a predominant yellow color or
I don’t want to have to stand up every time.
To see my flowers, I will use a ladder. You could also add variegated leaves.
When I flip through a catalog, I see ‘Princess Di,’ named by as many
Plants are named after Princess Diana, who died in 1997. Princess Di is between 2 and 3 feet tall with grayish leaves.
Cream petals with a pink center. It’s
A possibility. Similar cultivars,
Richard Wallace is taller and has yellow flowers that look like gladioli. The hybridization took place in 1902 which is appealing to my historian side. When I feel a bit wild, I might even choose ‘Striped
The Beauty has “red buds, white budded” and green leaves with yellow stripes.
“Striped yellow flowers” “Even
Although it is only 2′-3″ high, “Striped Beauty” sounds as if it could rise higher.
Have a big impact.
We may have to wait a little longer for the rainy days of spring before I feel desperate.
Buy all the above plus an elephant’s ear. Colocasia Esculenta is an odd-sounding variety of this latter.
The ‘Illustris,’ with its grayish-black leaves and lime green veins.
edging. If it continues to rain, I will continue my edging.
I can plant it with a few Cannas and place them around an Adirondack Chair.
Back and pretend that I’m in the Rain Forest. You can’t.
It’s better than watching my roses turn black.