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.
We are having an Indian summer day, today. It's hot and humid, with actual temperature at 86˚F but feels like mid-90˚Fs. Tomorrow the season is supposed to switch back to fall, or even jump to winter (low at hi 40˚F?). Anyway, after the whole summer not showing its true dark purplish shade, this Elephant's Ear "Illustris" is finally having one leaf with its true color. I believe it has something to do with the more comfortable weather.
