02Feb / 2019

Six on Saturday: Camping Out Indoors

This is one of our favorite Alocasias, often called African Mask. It spends winter in the living room and summer in a shady part of the garden.

We love big and colorful leaves in our summer garden, and we end up growing a pretty good collection of tropical plants each year that can’t make it through our coldest winter nights outdoors. By the end of October, we are deciding which plants will get to camp out inside for the winter, and where (and how) they will overwinter.

This Alocasia, originally from Trader Joe’s, wasn’t labeled. It reminds me of A. ‘Regal Shields,’ but grows a bit larger. It died back to its tuber in the basement last winter. This winter it is still in growth in our sunny garage.

Some plants get to grow on in their pots in our sunny living spaces. They will stay comfortably warm from November through April or May. Aside from living with a little less light than they’d like, they have a good winter of continued growth and minimal disruption. I continue to fertilize many of these plants to encourage winter blooms.

Others come into the garage. It is a good deal chillier, and they get even less light. But they remain active, with very little new growth, and most manage to survive the winter. I water these only as needed to keep their soil barely moist, and don’t apply any fertilizer until the weeks before they move back outdoors.

Begonias live in our garage and living room through the winter. Some may lose their leaves, but often return from their rhizomes in the spring. this one is growing well this winter and is still producing new leaves.

A few sturdier plants, Alocasias, Zantedeschias and Colocasias, are re-potted into much smaller quarters and overwinter in the basement near a window. Most of those that get this treatment have a dormant period built into their annual life cycle and are at least marginally hardy here in Zone 7.

I spare them a real period of freezing temperatures and make sure that they stay barely moist through winter. They lose most, or all of their leaves and may survive as a tuber with a few active roots. The Zantedeschias we are overwintering this way have continued to throw out sturdy new leaves, reaching for the feeble winter light from our basement windows.

Begonias with Caladium ‘Moonlight’. Cane Begonias can be overwintered in vases of water as cuttings. Once the stem has roots, it can be potted up in a much smaller pot, indoors, until time to plant it outside in late April. Cuttings of this Begonia rest on my kitchen counter, waiting for spring.

Finally, most of the Caladiums and some Zantedeschias go fully dormant in November, with all leaves and roots dying back. Once their tubers have dried out, I pack them away in rice hulls, in bags, and put them in an out of the way spot indoors for the winter.

They slumber through winter without any moisture or light, and must be re-awakened each spring by planting them in moist soil. They send out all new growth each spring and are ready to back out doors in May or June.

Caladium ‘Burning Heart’ was a newcomer to our garden this summer. Its tubers are resting, waiting for me to wake them up next month.

The alternative to going to all of this trouble would be to treat our beautiful summer tropical plants like annuals, allowing the frost to kill them each fall and starting over with new plants each spring. Some gardeners may go this route, especially if you don’t have the space indoors to let the plants camp out in comfort for a few months.

It would be an outrageous expense for us, and there isn’t a guarantee that you will even find the plants in spring to replace those lost. We lost our Alocasia ‘Stingray’ last winter, and then didn’t find it in any catalogs for spring. We were delighted to find A. ‘Stingray’ in Brent and Becky Heath’s spring catalog, and have several on order.

So every fall we bring as many as we can indoors, care for them through the winter, and then begin moving them all back outside again in April. They may look a bit worse for the winter in doors, but all soon grow new foliage and perk up in the sunshine to enjoy another summer of beauty and growth.

Zantedeschia, calla lily, blooming last June.

Woodland Gnome 2019

Many thanks to The Propagator for hosting Six on Saturday each week.

24Jul / 2018

Pot Shots: Alocasia

Sometimes good intentions and a little informed effort pay big dividends. Last fall, I wanted to save the two huge Alocasia plants that flanked our front porch through the summer. But we’d planted them in very large pots; pots that hold their positions by the porch season after season. I wanted to re-plant the pots with small variegated holly shrubs for winter, and didn’t have a plan in my back pocket for overwintering these 4’+ beauties indoors.

Our Alocasia last November

After a little research, I learned that they could be stored through the winter, root balls intact, in grocery bags kept in our frost-free basement. All of their leaves had finally died back by early May, when I moved their root balls back outside, temporarily housed in large black plastic nursery pots.

It’s alive! June 26

It has taken several months for these Alocasias to wake up and grow again. One responded weeks before the other, and it is easy to see the difference in their growth. Their differing responses remain a mystery as the two plants have been treated much the same. And so when I came across a huge bargain on a beautiful pot large enough to hold their roots, I was left to choose which plant to move into the roomy new pot.

This is the faster growing Alocasia on July 10.

Which would you have chosen?

The second pot is also showing growth on July 10, but is coming along more slowly. A Zantedeschia shares the pot These are all pups… notice there is no sign of new growth from last year’s stem.

I chose to give the advantage to the plant which is lagging a bit behind its mate, in hopes of inspiring it to catch up and grow into its potential this year.

The larger plant now rests between a stand of Canna lilies and a mass of Lantana in partial sun. Its nursery pot is less noticeable, tucked among these larger plants, and its leaves are stretching up for their share of the sunlight. A nursery pot isn’t beautiful, but it serves the purpose and the plant is happily growing.

This pot of Alocasia usually rests among the plants in the background, but is pulled forward here to observe its growth. It is doing very well and growing quickly, now that it is finally awake for the summer!

The plant I repotted (out in the pouring rain, mind you) this morning is showing growth around the neck of last year’s growth, but not yet from the neck. I suppose that means that the original plant didn’t fare as well in storage, but is valiantly trying to survive through its pups.

As a bonus, there is a Zantedeschia from last summer’s pot that remained embedded in the Alocasia’s roots over winter. It is awake and growing again, too.

The new pot is resting, for the moment, at the base of our white crape myrtle tree near a grouping of Begonias and Caladiums. I expect that we’ll move the pot to the upper garden next week when things dry out a bit. It’s too heavy to move around on a whim, so I’ll want to make a good decision on where the plants will show to best advantage, and make the move once. Partial sun, with some afternoon shade seems to work best for this Alocasia.

Who knows, maybe this spot will work out for the remainder of the season?

These Colocasias also overwintered in a bag in the basement, and are growing well again. C. ‘Coffee Cups’ divides itself prolifically and sends out runners all season. A. ‘Stingray’ is the only one of these plants I’ve not found growing again this year.

A lot of gardening friends shy away from growing Caladiums, Alocasias and Colocasias because most of these plants aren’t hardy in our area. Overwintering them is more of a challenge than they want to take on each autumn, and the alternative of losing them to the frost isn’t acceptable. I can understand their caution.

This is a single bulb of Caladium. ‘Florida Moonlight’ saved from last year’s garden. It certainly is putting on a beautiful show in an 8″ ceramic pot.

On the upside, these aroids are all easy to grow, require minimal care during the season, and aren’t grazed by rabbits or deer. They divide themselves generously and are very adaptable to varying amounts of light. Overwintering is a fairly easy thing to do and takes very little space.

I think it is a good investment of time and effort that pays a tremendous benefit in stunningly beautiful plants that grow better each year.

A new Zantedeschia leaf emerges from a clump of Caladiums in the large pot by our front porch. Too bad it was already filled with these beauties when the Alocasia came up from the basement this spring….

We were at Trader Joe’s last week when I spied another gorgeous Alocasia in a little quart sized pot, all wrapped up in pretty paper. A good friend had just had her birthday, and I couldn’t resist bringing the sweet little Alocasia to her as a gift. I’ve warned her, mind you, that like a little greyhound puppy, her ‘sweet little Alocasia‘ won’t stay small for long. She is a gifted green handed gardener and I can’t wait to see how the Alocasia grows in her care!

C. ‘Sweet Carolina’ must be stealing all the rays from C. ‘Desert Sunset,’ growing below it. This pot sits in a shady corner of the patio. C. ‘Sweet Carolina’ is in its third season in our garden.

If you want to grow an absolutely stunning potted arrangement that holds its beauty all season, you won’t go wrong by choosing any of these gorgeous aroids. They may look exotic and difficult, but they are quite easy once you understand their needs for steady moisture, nutrition, filtered sun and frequent admiration.

Caladium ‘Burning Heart’ is growing into a spectacular display alongside Zantedeschia. This photo was taken in early July, and all of the plants continue to sprout new leaves weekly.

Woodland Gnome 2018

26Jun / 2018

Pot Shots: Breaking Dormancy

These tiny Alocasias grow from tubers stored in the basement over winter. Could they be A. ‘Stingray?

It was with a fair amount of faith and a tad of skepticism that I pulled up some of my Colocasias and Alocasias last fall and stored them in the basement in paper grocery bags for the winter. Some had been growing in the ground, and others in pots that I wanted to reuse with other plants, for winter.

All were likely to die if frost hit them. So I did the best I could to save them.

How many plants? I didn’t count…. But here are four grocery bags filled with Aroids to sleep through winter in the basement.

Some of the Colocasias, like C. ‘Pink China’ are reliably hardy in our climate. I just leave them be when frost comes, knowing, now, that I can count on their return the following summer.

Colocasia ‘Pink China’ return each summer here in Zone 7.

But most are native in Zones 8, 9, 10 or 11 and so must be moved indoors before the first frost. I searched online for advice on how to overwinter these very tender perennials. Surprisingly, a number of writers suggested simply pulling the entire plant up, roots and soil still intact, and putting the entire root ball in a paper bag, to be stored in a basement or partially heated garage.

I found the two largest Alocasias in little pots at Trader Joes, in February of 2017. By October they had grown huge. Each went into its own Trader Joe’s paper bag for the trip to our basement.

This Alocasia, originally from Trader Joe’s, wasn’t labeled when I bought it last winter. It reminds me of A. ‘Regal Shields,’ but grows a bit larger. I pulled the entire root ball from the pot, and stored it in the basement over winter.

I am happy to report that both of them made it through winter stored in the rough, and have begun to show new growth. I didn’t water them at all from November until moving them back outside in early May. I potted them into plastic nursery pots, watered them well and set them aside to see whether they would live. And now I am thrilled to see evidence of new growth on both plants.

It’s alive!

Aroids grow from tubers, and so can go completely dormant for some part of each year. The size and shape of the tuber differs between the Caladium, Colocasia, Alocasia and Zantedeschia. But all of these plants may be completely dried out and stored for some months, and then re-animated when good conditions for their growth return.

From left: Caladium Burning Heart,’ Alocasia, and Zantedesichia ‘Memories’

I have experimented with various ways of storing all of these tubers. There is a balance to maintain; dormant tubers may rot if kept wet and cool. I brought one of my Alocasias into the living room over winter. It remained in active growth indoors, and I just moved it back outside in early June.

This Alocasia ‘plumbea’ spent the winter indoors, with us and the cat. It is large enough to need some support. C. ‘Moonlight’ overwintered in the same pot.

The Caladiums planted in the same pot went dormant over the winter, but are now in active growth again outside. I watered this plant every week or so and gave it warmth and light.

A third Alocasia went into a dark spot in the garage. I only watered it once or twice during its storage time, and it kept its leaves the entire winter. When I moved it back outside, it didn’t miss a beat and immediately began sprouting new leaves.

Colocasia ‘Black Magic’ came into the garage, dormant, with its Begonia companion. This plant has overwintered outside in 2015 and 2016. I dug this one up and grew it on in the pot last summer. I’ve already transplanted two starts from this pot to other spots in the garden.

I moved six pots of Colocasias into the basement, near a window, and watered them occasionally. Their leaves died back gradually, but many had begun to sprout new ones before I brought the pots back outside last month. All are back in active growth once again.

Colocasia ‘Coffee Cups’ spent winter in the rough in the basement.

Of all the storage methods, I prefer keeping the plants in the house at normal room temperature and in growth. But there is only so much room available for these very large plants.

Bringing the largest pots into the house is impractical. The most radical method, paper bag dry storage, also requires the most recovery time for the plant to send up new growth again. But it works to keep the plant alive. I kept the root balls intact over winter. If I do this again, I may try drying out the Colocasia or Alocasia tuber and storing it dry, just as I do for the Caladiums and Zantedeschias.

Colocasia ‘Mojito’ remained in its pot in the basement, keeping some of its leaves until early spring. A Zantedeschia shares the pot.

Of course, the wild card with all of these methods is the timing. When do you replant and reanimate the tubers?

I started our stored Caladiums in March, but with a cool spring, had to hold them indoors for several weeks longer than I would like. I started the Zantedeschias at about the same time, but they aren’t as tender and could go back outside much earlier. Many of our Zantedeschias stay outside in the garden year round, growing larger and lusher each year.

Zantedeschia ‘Memories’ came in the mail as a tuber in early April.

I bought a dormant Alocasia tuber this spring, potted it indoors, and am happy to show you that it is growing beautifully and bulking up. It was completely dry, rootless, and fit in the palm of my hand in March.

Alocasia grown from a tuber from The Great Big Greenhouse in Richmond … I just don’t remember the cultivar name…

Colocasia ‘Black Coral’ came to the garden as a tiny tissue culture plant from Brent and Becky’s Bulbs. Every new leaf grows on a longer petiole than the one before.

Once they are outside in the heat, tropical Aroids grow very quickly. C. ‘Black Coral’ is rated hardy in Zone 7, so I could probably rely on it surviving our winter outdoors.

The Alocasias that haven’t yet reappeared are the ‘Stingray.’ I am still waiting for them to emerge. . . or for me to identify them again from the still emerging Aroids.

And we will happily welcome them to the summer garden once they finally turn up.

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Alocasia ‘Stingray’ thrive in heat and humidity. These tropical plants help filter the air and trap carbon with their huge leaves. Here in September 2017

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Woodland Gnome 2018

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C. ‘Black Magic’ was transplanted yesterday into its summer pot with Sedum ‘Angelina’.

30May / 2018

Blossom XL: Zantedeschia

The first of our overwintered Zantedeschia opened its first blossom this morning. I might have missed it, had I let the misting rain keep me indoors. This cool, foggy morning coaxed me outside to do a little planting; a little moving of pots from their protective shade into their permanent summer spots.

Feet damp, and camera covered in raindrops, I was taking a quick turn around the upper garden when the pure white elegance of it caught my eye.

Zantedeschia albomaculata is named for the white spots on its leaves. Spotted leaf calla lilies want wetter soil than those without spots. Both want full sun, and reward good care with elegant flowers.

Zantedeschia looks so tropical. And yet, they survive our winters, here in the northern reaches of their hardiness zone (Zones 7-10). Their elegant leaves never fail to surprise me when they finally emerge each spring. The leaves would be enough, some would say. That is, until their blossoms begin to appear.

Zantedeschia ‘Memories’ will have deep purple flowers when it blooms.

Although we have Zantedeschia blooming in shades of purple, pink, rose, peach and white in the garden; the pure white flowers remain our favorites.

Many people call these flowers ‘calla lily,’ especially when ordering stems from the florist. There is actually a North American Calla palustris, which grows in bogs, swamps and ponds. A near relative, it looks very similar, but is not as refined.

The newest Zantedeschias in our collection are called Z. aethiopica ‘White Giant,’ and may eventually grow to 5′ to 6′ tall in good soil and consistent moisture.

Z. ‘White Giant’ is still a very young plant in our garden. We expect the leaves to grow larger as the weeks go by, and hope it will bloom this first year. Here, it grows with Caladium ‘Burning Heart.’

Like this beautiful blossom in form and color, they will grow more like the tremendous clumps of white Zantedeschia aethiopica I’ve admired in front gardens in coastal Oregon, where the hardy clumps expand a bit each year. Mature clumps grow 3′-4′ tall there, already blooming by early April.

We have our new Z. ‘White Giant’ all in pots at the moment, but I plan to plant most of them from their pots into the garden this fall, and expect them to grow a bit better each year..

Like other Aroids, Zantedeschia is a good plant choice in areas grazed by deer. They have tiny calcium oxalate crystals in their leaves which will irritate the mouth and upset the stomach of any who try to eat its leaves. Zantedeschia belong to the same family and subfamily, Aroideae, as Caladiums, Colocasia, and our beautiful Arum italicum.

Do you see the family resemblance to this Arum italicum, which is preparing to go dormant for the summer? As the leaves die back, the green berries will grow bright reddish orange, when ripe. Its flower is also the simple spadix and spathe form, in a creamy green.

Their leaves are large and beautiful. Their flowers are the simple ‘spathe and spadix’ form, which in many genera turn into green, berry covered stalks after fertilization. Other than calla lilies, most of the plants in this family are grown for their leaves or for their edible tubers.

This Caladium flower isn’t nearly as sturdy or long lasting as a calla flower. Most gardeners cut Caladium flowers away so all the plant’s energy goes into leaf production.

Natives of southern Africa, these elegant callas enjoy full sun and consistently moist soil. Buy them as dry tubers in the early spring, or as potted plants at many nurseries and grocery stores. Plant tubers near the soil’s surface in good potting mix, and keep just moist until growth begins.

If growing callas in pots, make sure to add fertilizer to the soil to keep them at their best.

I’m not sure where these peachy orange calla lilies came from…. I was expecting them to be purple when I planted their tubers earlier this spring…. Is this Z. ‘Mango’? At any rate, we will enjoy them and appreciate their generous blooms.

Zantedeschia are often grown commercially for their flowers, much loved by florists world-wide. Calla stems are long-lasting in a vase, perhaps for several weeks if one changes the water and re-cuts the stem every few days.

If you love their flowers, why not grow them yourself, and enjoy the beauty of the entire plant? This is an easy plant if you give it the sun and moisture it craves. Whether you grow it in a pot or in a bed, it will reward your efforts with many years of gorgeous foliage and elegant blossoms.

Woodland Gnome 2018

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30May / 2017

Blossom XXV: Elegance

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The Calla lily always feels elegant and exotic. Its long slender leaves, slender stem, and simple form might have been designed by Coco Chanel for all of their tres chic simplicity. Until a trip to Oregon two years ago, I assumed they were best found at a high end florist. But no. Calla may be grown in any temperate garden as simple perennials.

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The Calla growing in every other front garden in the beach communities I visited along the Oregon coast, grew in thick clumps, about 4′ high. They were already blooming in April of 2015. I was mesmerized, and determined to find something similar for our own garden.

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Zantedeschia aethiopica blooming at the Connie Hanson Garden in Lincoln City, Oregon in late April 2015.

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My search took me first to Plant Delights, which offers two selections of ‘Giant’ Zantedeschia, both hardy in Zones 7-10. By ‘Giant,’ we mean plants topping out at perhaps 6′ tall. Like other aroids, Zantedeschia, called Calla lily, grow from a tuber. And each year the tubers grow larger as the clump spreads. The clumps I saw in Oregon had clearly been growing for many years.

I began searching out Zanteschia tubers later that year, and have added a few to our collection each spring since. I’ve learned these are hardy for us and may be left alone year to year to simply grow to their own rhythm. They are fairly heavy feeders and appreciate good soil, plenty of moisture, abundant sunshine, and a little support. Their leaves are spectacular, even before and after the blossoms.

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Z. ‘Hot Chocolate’ with its first bloom of the season.

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We’ve not yet grown any Zantedeschia that reached more than perhaps 3′ tall. But I have noticed our clumps, left in the garden last fall, bulking up this year. In fact, I dug up several clumps which grew in pots last summer, and moved them out into the garden in late October. What a welcome sight when they broke ground this spring!

These South African natives adapt well to our climate. They aren’t invasive, so far as I know.

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Zantedeschia albomaculata, with white spots on its dark leaves, prefers moist soil and will even grow in a pot partially submerged in a bog garden or shallow pond. It will grow to about 24″. Zantedeschia aethiopica, with solid green leaves, grows a little taller. And it also enjoys moist soil. Although we normally think of Calla lily as a white flower, there are many named hybrids with flowers of various colors, including some of very dark maroon or purple.

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Zantedeschia emerging in early May. The first leaf tips emerged in late March.

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Zantedeschia grow well in pots or planted directly in the ground. If you live north of Zone 7, you can bring the pots in when your weather turns, and keep them going indoors as house plants. In fact, our local Trader Joe’s has proven a reliable source of potted Callas with bright flowers, ready for your patio or to be gifted to a friend on a special occasion.

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If you are looking for something elegant, simple, and different for your garden this year, you might try growing Calla lilies. Deer leave these leaves alone. Callas have crystals in their leaves, like other Aroids, which cause them to irritate an animal’s mouth. Given sufficient moisture and sun, these elegant, yet easy perennials will happily fill your garden with beauty.

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Woodland Gnome 2017

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“I won’t regret,

because you can grow flowers

where dirt used to be.”

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Kate Nash

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Like other Aroids, the Zantedeschia ‘blossom’ consists of a spadix, surrounded by a modified leaf called a spathe. Seeds form in tiny berries along the spadix after the spathe falls away. This plant is very much like the Arum italicum, and the two plants may be grown side by side to give a full year’s worth of foliage and a longer season of flowers.

29May / 2017

Slow to Grow: Elephant Ears

Colocasia esculenta

It has been agonizingly slow this spring, watching and waiting for our elephant ears to grow. I blame the weather. Wouldn’t you?

After all, we enjoyed 80F days in February, and then retreated back to wintery grey days through most of March. We’ve been on a climatic roller-coaster since.

Gardeners, and our plants, appreciate a smooth transition from one season to another. Let it be cold in winter, then warm gradually through early, mid and late spring until we enjoy a few weeks of perfect summer in late May and early June. We know to expect heat in June, July and August, with moderating temperatures and humidity by mid-September.

I started working on this new bed in March, bringing the still potted Colocasias in doors and back out with the weather. Although I planted them weeks ago, they are still sulking a bit in our cool, rainy weather this month.

But lately, our seasons feel rather muddled. That smooth crescendo from season to season has gone all rag-time on us. We’ve already lost a potted Hydrangea Macrophylla teased into leaf too early, and then frozen a time too many. Those early leaves dissolved in mush, but new growth started again from the crown.

I’ve watched the poor shrub try at least 3 times to grow this spring, and now it sits, bare, in its pot while I hold out hope for either a horticultural miracle, or a clone on sale; whichever comes first.

Colocasia ‘Pink China’ loves our climate and spreads a bit each year. Its pink spot and pink stem inspired its name. This is the Colocasia I happily dig up to share with gardening friends. These will be a little more than 5′ tall by late summer.

I hedged my bets last fall with the elephant ears. I left some in situ in the garden, some in their pots, but pulled up close to the house on the patio, and I brought a few pots of Alocasia and Colocasia into our basement or garage.

I dug most of our Caladiums and dried them for several weeks in the garage, and then boxed and bagged them with rice hulls before storing them in a closet through the winter. I left a few special ones in their pots and kept the pots in our sunny garage.

Caladium ‘Florida Sweetheart’ overwintered for us dried and stored in a box with rice hulls. I planted the tuber again in early April.

And I waited until April before trying to rouse any of them. But by early April, while I was organizing a Caladium order for 2017, I also planted all of those stored Caladium tubers in fresh potting soil and set them in our guest room to grow. Eventually, after our last frost date in mid-April, I also retrieved the pots from the basement and brought them out to the warmth of our patio. They all got a drink of Neptune’s Harvest and a chance to awaken for summer.

Caladium ‘Desert Sunset,’ didn’t survive winter in our garage. (This photo from summer 2016) I left them in their pot, but it must have gotten too cold for them. Happily, I ordered new tubers this spring.

Around this time I gingerly began to feel around in those Caladium pots kept in the garage, for signs of life. I thought I’d divide and replant the tubers and get them going again. But, to my great disappointment, not a single tuber survived. The Caladiums succumbed to the chill of our garage sometime during the winter, and I had three generous sized, empty pots to recycle with fresh plantings.

C. ‘Desert Sunset’ didn’t make it through the winter, so I’ve recycled the pot for other plants. Calla lily has a form similar to some Alocasia, and is more tolerant of cold weather. These are hardy in Zone 7.

By the time our new Caladium order arrived in mid- April, the tubers I’d dried, stored, and replanted were in growth. I moved them to the garage to get more light and actually planted the first batch of Caladiums outside by the first week of May.

I planted most of the new Caladiums into potting soil filled boxes and sent them off to the guest room to awaken, but chanced planting a few bare tubers into pots outside. Mistake.

These saved Caladiums, started indoors in April, moved outside to their permanent bed in early May. Still a little slow to grow, they have weathered a few cool nights this month.

Because for all the promising balmy days we’ve had this spring, we’ve had our share of dreary cool ones, too. We even had a few nights in the 40s earlier this month! It’s generally safe here to plant out tomatoes, Basil and Caladiums by mid-May. Sadly, this year, these heat lovers have been left stunted by the late cool weather.

The new Caladium tubers planted indoors are still mostly sulking, too, with little to show for themselves. The ones I planted directly outside in pots remain invisible. I just hope they didn’t rot in our cool, rainy weather.

Colocasia ‘Black Coral,’ started in a greenhouse this spring, has been growing outdoors for nearly a month now. This one can get to more than 4′ tall in full sun to part shade.

Of the saved Colocasias and Alocasias, C. ‘Mohito’ has done the best. I brought a large pot of them into the basement last fall, and knocked the plant out of its pot when I brought it back outdoors in April. I divided the tubers and ended up with several plants. They are all growing nicely, though they are still rather small.

Colocasia ‘Mojito’ has been in the family a few years now. It overwinters, dormant in its pot, in our basement. This is one of 5 divisions I made at re-potting time this spring.

I dug up our large C. ‘Tea Cups’ in October and brought it indoors in a pot, leaving behind its runners. The main plant began vigorous growth again by late April, but none of the runners seem to have made it through the winter outdoors.

Colocasia ‘Tea Cups’ also overwintered in the basement. New last year, this plant has really taken off in the last few weeks and is many times larger than our new C. ‘Tea Cups’ plants. It catches rain in its concave leaves, thus its name.

I brought one of our Alocasia ‘Stingray’ into the garage in its pot, where it continued to grow until after Christmas. By then the last leaf withered, and it remained dormant until we brought it back out in April. It has made tiny new leaves ever so slowly, and those new leaves remain less than 6″ tall.

Alocasia ‘Sting Ray’ spent winter in our garage. It has been very slow to grow this spring, but already has many more leaves than last year. It will eventually grow to about 6′. Zone 8-11

But that is better than the potted A. ‘Stingray‘ that overwintered on the patio. We’ve been watching and waiting all spring, and I finally gave up and dug through the potting soil last week looking for any sign of the tuber. I found nothing.

But, fearing the worst, we already bought two new A. ‘Stingray’ from the bulb shop in Gloucester in early May, and those are growing vigorously. They enjoyed the greenhouse treatment through our sulky spring, of course.

Our new A. ‘Stingray’ grows in the blue pot in front of where another A. ‘Stingray’ grew last year. I left the black pot out on the patio over winter, and the Alocasia hasn’t returned. I finally planted some of our new Caladiums in the empty pot last week.

I have two more pots of Alocasia in que: A. ‘Plumbea’ has shown two tiny leaves thus far, so I know it is alive. A. ‘Sarian’ has slept in the sun for weeks now, its tuber still visible and firm. Finally, just over this weekend, the first tiny leaf has appeared. I expect it to grow into an even more beautiful plant than last summer since. It came to us in a tiny 4″ pot, and ended summer at around 5′ tall. I can’t wait to see how large it grows by August!

Alocasia ‘Plumbea’ isn’t’ available for order from Brent and Becky’s bulbs this year. I am very happy this one survived winter, because it is a beautiful plant. Hardy in zones 3-10, this will grow to 5′.

But the pot of Colocasia ‘Blue Hawaii,’ that overwintered on the patio, has shown nothing so far, either. Hardy to Zone 8, I hoped the shelter of our patio might allow this two year old plant to survive. Now, I’m about ready to refresh the soil and fill that pot with some of the Caladiums still growing in our garage.

C. ‘Blue Hawaii’ is marginal here. A few have survived past winters planted in the ground; but thus far, I’m not recognizing any coming back in the garden this year.

I’ve planted a few C. ‘Mojito’ in the ground this spring, and plan to leave them in the fall to see whether they return next year. But I will also hedge my bet and bring a potted C. ‘Mojito’ inside again so I’ll have plants to begin with next spring.

C. ‘Mojito’ in our bog garden will soon get potted up to a larger container. I planted a few of the smaller divisions of this plant directly into the ground to see if they will survive the winter coming. (Zone 8)

Every year I learn a little more about growing elephant ears. I know now that Colocasia ‘China Pink’ is vigorous and dependable in our garden. There is no worry about them making it through winter, and I dig and spread those a bit each year.

The huge Colocasia esculenta I planted a few years ago with our Cannas dependably return. These are the species, not a fancy cultivar. But they seem to manage fine with nothing more than some fallen leaves for mulch.

These gorgeous tropical elephant ears put on a great show for four to six months each year in our zone. Deer and rabbits don’t touch them, and they rarely have any problem with insects or disease. Our muggy, hot summers suit them fine. They love, and need, heat to thrive.

Any temperate zone gardener who wants to grow them, needs to also plan for their winter dormancy. And each plant’s needs are unique. Some Colocasia might be hardy north to Zone 6. A few Alocasia cultivars are hardy to zone 7b or 8, but most require zone 9 to remain outdoors in the winter. Caladiums want a lot more warmth, and prefer Zone 10. Caladiums can rot in wet soil below 60F.

Hardy Begonias are naturalizing in this lively bed transitioning to summer. I planted the Caladiums about a month ago, and they have slowly begun to grow. See also fading daffodil leaves, Japanese painted ferns, Arum Italicum, and creeping Jenny.

If you don’t have space to store elephant ears over winter, you can still grow them as annuals, of course. That requires a bit of an investment if you like them a lot, and want to fill your garden!

My favorite source for Colocasia and Alocasia elephant ears, Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, has put all of their summer bulbs, including Caladium tubers, on clearance now through Monday, June 5. This is a good time to try something new, if you’re curious about how these beautiful plants would perform in your own garden, because all these plants are half off their usual price. The Colocasia and Alocasia plants they’re selling now come straight to you from their greenhouses.

Alocasia ‘Sarian’ emerged over the weekend. This is a very welcome sight!

I order our Caladiums direct from the grower at Classic Caladiums in Avon Park, Florida (see below). There is still plenty of time for you to grow these from tubers this summer, as long as your summer nights will be mostly above 60F for a couple of months. Potted Caladiums make nice houseplants, too, when autumn chills return. (Brent and Becky’s Bulbs buy their Caladiums from Classic Caladiums, too. You will find a much larger selection when you buy direct from the grower. Classic Caladiums sells to both wholesale and retail customers.)

Slow to grow, this year, but so worth the wait. We are always fascinated while watching our elephant ears grow each year, filling our garden with their huge, luscious leaves. Once they get growing, they grow so fast you can see the difference sometimes from morning to afternoon!

Our summer officially begins today. Now we can settle in to watch the annual spectacle unfold.

Woodland Gnome 2017

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Is your region too cool for tropical Elephant Ears? Get a similar effect with rhubarb. This rhubarb ‘Victoria,’ in its second year, emerges in early spring. Leaves have the same basic size and shape as Alocasia leaves without the shiny texture. There are a number of ornamental rhubarbs available, some of them quite large. These are easy to grow, perennial north into Canada, and grow into a beautiful focal point in the garden.

03Jul / 2016

Sunday Dinner: Liberty

~

“The moment you say that any idea system is sacred,

whether it’s a religious belief system or a secular ideology,

the moment you declare a set of ideas

to be immune from criticism, satire,

derision, or contempt,

freedom of thought becomes impossible.”

.

Salman Rushdie

~

“If there be time to expose through discussion

the falsehood and fallacies,

to avert the evil

by the processes of education,

the remedy to be applied is more speech,

not enforced silence.”

.

Louis D. Brandeis

~

“They who can give up essential liberty

to obtain a little temporary safety

deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

.

Benjamin Franklin

~

Photos by Woodland Gnome 2016

~

July 3, 2016 wet garden 004

~

“We are all like the bright moon,

we still have our darker side.”

.

Kahlil Gibran

~

July 3, 2016 wet garden 054

19Jun / 2016

Sunday Dinner: Gratitude

Eastern Swallowtail on Verbena 'Lollipop' at the Heath family's garden in Gloucester.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on Verbena ‘Lollipop’ at the Heath family’s garden in Gloucester.

~

“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy;

they are the charming gardeners

who make our souls blossom.”

.

Marcel Proust

~

“Beauty is not who you are on the outside,

it is the wisdom and time you gave away

to save another struggling soul, like you.”

.

Shannon L. Alder

~

Alliums with Iris, Gloucester, VA

~

“I believe that what we become

depends on what our fathers teach us

at odd moments, when they aren’t trying to teach us.

We are formed by little scraps of wisdom.”

.

Umberto Eco

~

Allium in our Forest Garden

~

“In the end, though, maybe we must all give up

trying to pay back the people in this world

who sustain our lives.

In the end, maybe it’s wiser to surrender

before the miraculous scope of human generosity

and to just keep saying thank you,

forever and sincerely,

for as long as we have voices.”

.

Elizabeth Gilbert

~

The rare daylily left ungrazed to bloom in our garden; for which we are most grateful!

~

Photos by Woodland Gnome 2016

With love and appreciation to all of those Fathers

who give of themselves so generously

to make this a more beautiful and more loving world for all.

~

Zantedeschia aethiopica in our Forest Garden

~

“You pray in your distress and in your need;

would that you might pray also

in the fullness of your joy

and in your days of abundance.”

.

Kahlil Gibran

~

June 17, 2016 Hibiscus 039

12Jun / 2016

Sunday Dinner: Focus

~

“Simplicity is ultimately a matter of focus.”

.

Ann Voskamp

~

“Instead of focusing on how much you can accomplish,

focus on how much you can

absolutely love what you’re doing.”

.

Leo Babauta

~

“When you connect to the silence within you,

that is when you can make sense

of the disturbance going on around you.”

.

Stephen Richards

~

“The battle you are going through

is not fueled by the words or actions of others;

it is fueled by the mind that gives it importance.”

.

Shannon L. Alder

~

Photos by Woodland Gnome 2016

~

“Whatever your passion is, keep doing it.

Don’t waste time chasing after success

or comparing yourself to others.

Every flower blooms at a different pace.

Excel at doing what your passion is

and only focus on perfecting it.”

.

Suzy Kassem

~

“Focusing is the great secret of power.

If you want to use your full amount of focus,

you must close down all other thought

and direct your power of generating mental steam

toward one outcome.”

.

Stephen Richards

~

June 12, 2016 pots 004

03Jun / 2016

Looking Good on Friday

June 3, 2016 Jamestown 027

This pot has been going continuously for three years now. We make minor changes season to season, adding plants, moving things around, and removing spent annuals. Last summer it held a seedling Japanese Maple, which has since been moved out into the garden to grow in its permanent spot!

June 3, 2016 Jamestown 028 ~

The fern is in its second season now. Daffodil leaves are ready to die back for summer, and a newly planted Colocasia ‘Coffee Cups’ stands poised to take off in the coming summer heat.

A few Zantedeschia tubers will send up leaves any time now. The first batch I planted in late March fizzled, we think. Perhaps our long spring was too cool. But new ones should show growth soon, and will fill this planter with elegant flowers by July.

Zantedeschia offer deliciously elegant flowers and foliage.

Warm days make all the difference with tropical heat loving plants. Our Cannas and Colocasias have all begun to really grow, filling our garden with vibrant color and movement.

June 3, 2016 Jamestown 030 ~

Finally, the garden is looking good again!

Rhubarb commands attention in this large pot on our ‘pedestal’ in the ‘stump garden.’

Woodland Gnome 2016

Autumn fern harmonizes with Creeping Jenny and Ajuga. We planted this combo last fall while re-doing a bed beneath our Camellia.

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Tag Archives: Zantedeschia

Woodland Gnome 2019

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Woodland Gnome 2017

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“I won’t regret,

because you can grow flowers

where dirt used to be.”

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Kate Nash

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Woodland Gnome 2017

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~

“The moment you say that any idea system is sacred,

whether it’s a religious belief system or a secular ideology,

the moment you declare a set of ideas

to be immune from criticism, satire,

derision, or contempt,

freedom of thought becomes impossible.”

.

Salman Rushdie

~

~

“If there be time to expose through discussion

the falsehood and fallacies,

to avert the evil

by the processes of education,

the remedy to be applied is more speech,

not enforced silence.”

.

Louis D. Brandeis

~

~

“They who can give up essential liberty

to obtain a little temporary safety

deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

.

Benjamin Franklin

~

~

Photos by Woodland Gnome 2016

~

~

“We are all like the bright moon,

we still have our darker side.”

.

Kahlil Gibran

~

~

“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy;

they are the charming gardeners

who make our souls blossom.”

.

Marcel Proust

~

~

“Beauty is not who you are on the outside,

it is the wisdom and time you gave away

to save another struggling soul, like you.”