Oak Garden SOS

The garden under the oak tree is supposed to be filled by caladiums by now. Caladium bulbs have been planted there since spring. Elephant's Ear have not been growing either. The garden looks so bare and bleak. I need to do something about it fast, I still have time.

In the past (CLICK OAK GARDEN HERE), this garden would be covered with caladiums, cana lily, elephant's ear, coleus, and some other flowery plants by August. We had a plethora of coleus one year (CLICK COLEUS HERE) and since then I got my eyes set on varieties of coleus wherever I travel (CLICK TRAVEL HERE).

I realized I haven't bought or sown any coleus this year at all. I also realize how dry the soil under that oak tree is, although the surface always looks moist, and that could be the cause why those bulbs never grow. So I decided to take action: Save the oak tree garden! Bruce Miller, at the same time, has that crazy sale, coleus included. I got 2 flats of coleus mixed with some dusty miller for $2 a flat! And I water them good, too, make sure all has enough to drink.

Although it still looks sparse after coleus being planted,

I am hoping in a month or so

they will fill up the gaps and look just fine.

Coleus and dusty miller.

I moved this sweet potato vine

from a spot to oak tree garden.

I sow 4-o'clock seeds around

the tree and it started to come up.

Oak Tree Garden in the Past

The garden under the oak tree has not been doing well so far compared to the past two years. We always have caladiums and elephant's ear in this garden. Sometimes elephant's ear would come back the next year, but we always have to replant caladiums from bulbs. Cana lily has been growing there for ages, we have to thin them in spring, other wise nothing would have space to grow. Mint also grown here and needs thining every year.

August 2007.

This is the Oak Tree Garden in August 2007, filled with lavish caladiums and coleus, periwinkles here and there, and elephant's ear and cana lily anchored it.

Cana lily, caladiums, coleus, and elephant's ear

made the Oak Tree Garden.

Periwinkles, flowers among prodigal foliage.

White-dominated caladium

surrounded by yellow and bronze coleus.

Elephant's ear with its giant leaves

grows tall among others

with its leaves in perfect condition.

Summer 2007 seemed to be mild.

Daylily, onion flower, stripey coleus

hugged by periwinkles.

Another white and green

variety of caladium the we had

with flowering periwinkle

and gerbera daisy's foliage.

I saw this variety of caladium

in Dallas Arboretum (2007)

and fell in love with it;

so I got it to enrich my collection.

~0~

August 2008.

This year, although not as lush as the previous year, still caladium, coleus, and periwinkle dominated the garden. We tried to grow other plants too like hostas, strobilanthus, oxalis, larkspur, lantana, and few other seedlings, but only the best prevails. Soaker hose was installed too, to make sure it's watered when we were away.

The sloping Oak Tree Garden.

Cana lily has multiplied from the previous year

despite some thinning in spring.

Elephant's ear's leaves tore up by the heat of summer.

Periwinkles edged this side of the garden.

Unlike the previous year,

this year we planted the caladium bulbs

in -sort of- random order,

not grouped by variety.

Strobilanthus was one of the highlighted plant.

This year I was into more-complex coleus pattern.

I even grew some from seeds.

Larkspur on the feet of caladium.

I also started it from seeds.