This time of year, you not only see preview reports for 2023, but also predictions for 2024. As a gardener, this is a fun exercise. For example, the Caladium Award of the Year for the Sure Winners 2023 was “Heart to Heart Scarlet Flame”. This distinction has been a revelation to many gardeners.
As you can see, we have caladiums in two basic types or shapes: decorative paper and tapestry. Luxurious leaves are large, heart-shaped or semi-heart-shaped. The striped or lanceolate leaves are narrow, slightly ribbed and usually shorter. Therefore, this dichotomy has led many gardeners to choose a side because the bigger the better.
Scarlet Flame, Caladium of the Year 2023, is an immersive deck and has captured our hearts with its vibrancy, rich notes, and ability to work in synergy or partnerships that most of us don't.
I will never forget the combination of blue mohawk bulrushes and sweet green Caroline Medusa ornamental sweet potatoes. It is also a playground for sunbathing or shade. Anyone who is attentive will never be able to take their eyes off the different wallpapers.
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Heart to Heart Lemon Blush has been voted “Kaladium of the Year” for 2024. Lemon Blush is an award-winning variety with lush foliage that is recommended for shade or partial shade. It offers a new look at the world of peaches with pink centers and veins and wide yellow edges. This means that it is actually seen or noticed in shadowed areas of the landscape.
This opens the door to collections of hydrangeas, remountable azaleas, plants and hostas. Lemon blush looks amazing in a tropical setting with bananas, elephant ears, and sage. Check out Provenance Vines' Caladium page for lots of lemon blush recipes.
Testing for total caladium is still relatively new, but Heart to Heart Lemon Blush has already won high-performance awards from the University of Georgia and the Jesse Raulston Arboretum in North Carolina. He also won the Pennsylvania Directors' Choice Award in two different years.
For the past few years I have been cultivating my playground by planting giant flower bulbs. Heart-to-heart is guessed by choosing a side marked in white. Another tip is to plant the pointed side up. You can imagine that studying each tuber to determine the top would take several days for a novice gardener, but also for professionals to plant. In addition, each tuber is picked, achieving the maximum leaf size.
When planting tubers in the ground, the soil must be warmed to 65 degrees. Therefore, most of the country has enough time to plant caladium bulbs in late spring. The idea of planting a hundred tubers may seem daunting. You think to yourself, I'll plant maybe 20 of them.
He was the “old man in the garden.” I have since learned the value and ease of growing tubers using the Twist 'n' Plant planter included in my seed kit. It will change everything you do in the garden. Plant the tubers so that the tips are at least five centimeters below the surface of the soil.
Many gardeners prefer to purchase caladiums already grown in containers. This is definitely a great method, especially because you can see the color you are purchasing. It is recommended to plant these gladioli in containers with the root ball approximately half an inch below the soil surface, whether you are planting them in beds or in a container.
Caladium care is simple and mainly consists of ensuring adequate humidity. They retain moisture and the papers last longer than you think. It is dangerous to let it dry. All you need is a water-soluble fertilizer diluted by half every three weeks.
The Heart to Heart series, which will begin transplanting Caladium in 2023-24, includes 29 varieties, giving you many options for the garden of your dreams.
Follow Norman Winter on Facebook @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy for more photos and garden inspiration. For more of Norman's columns, visit SavannahNow.com/lifestyle/home-garden/.
This article originally appeared in the Savannah Morning News: Elegant, broad-leafed stages draw attention to Georgia gardens.
