Now that the weather has finally warmed up a bit, I hereby decree summer is officially on the horizon. Of course if it is not, please do not blame me, but perhaps this year it will start before the July 4th holiday…? With the temperatures rising, it means annual flower power time has commenced. In May and June, hordes of local gardeners flock to their favorite garden centers looking for annuals, those botanical treasures that bloom until frost but do not last through the winter. We all solve that summer “fix” for flowers by purchasing some cool annuals to adorn our pots, hanging baskets, and garden borders. We all crave color in the garden, and nothing provides more options than annuals. To me, this also encompasses bold tropical foliage plants, as some can really provide that “pop” in our summer landscapes.
Season after season new flavors of traditional annual flowers are introduced to gardeners – new colors, improved habits, and longer blooming season just to name a few of the typical improvements. Proven Winners leads the way on this, as folks will find their fancy annual colors in the bright white logo pots everywhere this time of year. Supertunias anyone? Or how about one of my many plant weaknesses, a few of their bazillion cool varieties of Million Bells (Callibrachoa)? Nemesia, Verbena, Bidens, Sanvitallia, Evolvulus… the list of worthy annuals never ends, and excellent options are out there for both sunny or shady locations.
If you are looking to up your annual game a bit, perhaps step out of your gardening comfort zone and do something fun, like trying some tropical plants. There are some outstanding foliage specimens (and blooms on many) that can be found at local garden centers. I often promote “the thriller, filler and spiller” method with container garden design. This to me is no different than a highly visible landscape bed, perhaps the one right by your front door or near your patio or deck. A specimen thrills us, some complimentary plants contrast and fill up some space, then other lower border plants spill out along the edges. You need to do you by picking the flowers and foliage that catch your eye, not mine. Just try to keep in mind that going bold with tropical treasures is the way to go, both for foliage and flower. Here are a few ideas to ponder which will provide optimal seasonal interest…
Try some Cannas or Callas. Both of these offer nice tropical foliage and a number of flower color options. We can often get the white version of the Calla Lily (Zantedeschia) to live in our area as a perennial, but I would invite you to up your Calla game and try some annual color versions – from yellow to orange to pink to red to even black, you can find one that is sure to please. These colored flavors have nicely speckled leaves as well. With Cannas, bold large foliage (green, red, or variegated depending on the variety) combined with their bright flowers (varies depending on the variety) simply oozes tropical vibes. A new one that caught my eye is ‘Gold Leopard’, part of the Cannova series, has bright green foliage and wonderful speckled yellow flowers with orange spots. There are a number of great Cannas to try, both old and new, so investigate your options with these beauties.
Utilize Flowering Maples. Now, I am a maple guy as many of you know, but these are by no means true maples. These are in the genus Abutilon and sport lovely maple-like foliage and striking flowers throughout the warm summer months. These are an ultimate thriller and easy to overwinter indoors, although many local gardeners have luck with some flavors planted outdoors living through our winters. You can choose a color you like, for me it is always the orange one, and even some with lovely golden speckled leaves (look for Thompson’s variety) to add even more pop for the summer. These would have peachy-orange nodding flowers, and I have even seen a yellow flowering version around now. ‘Tiger Eye’ is another useful variety that produces striped orangey flowers with crisp green foliage and is very popular with local gardeners.
One Banana, Two Banana, Three Banana, Four… There are some very cool bananas to use for foliage. Red Abyssinian Banana (Ensete maurelii) is tropical with huge leaves of deep burgundy color, and if brought in over winter can attain large size indoors. There are also some fun hardier bananas which can be used in pots or planted in the ground. Most belong to the genus Musa, and are called Japanese Fiber Bananas. If we were warmer year around they would actually produce fruit, but here they often die to the ground and then emerge the next spring as perennials off their root systems. One very cool new one is called ‘Ever Red’, a hardy banana option with lovely red accents in the foliage for added interest.
Think Hawaii for a moment. Ahhhhh… I can almost smell that sweet fragrance of the islands if I close my eyes! Two plants that always makes me think of Hawaii are Colocasia and Alocasia. We often refer to both of these as elephant ears – big bold foliage on either – but they are slightly different. Often Colocasia gives us big solid color leaves, more in the greens and purple tones. Alocasia is much glossier, and often cultivars have prominent variegation or contrasting veins in the leaves. Both make wonderful specimens, or thrillers, and will thrive in part sun to full sun in our region. They can also make houseplant specimens over our colder winter months if you wish to salvage them before frost outdoors.
Everyone has different tastes, styles and cravings for this color or that one for sure. Having said that, I don’t think any gardener says “No!” to flowers, period. Getting your annual color dialed in early is always best, as we are warm enough now that anything and everything can be done outdoors. Visit your local garden center and gaze upon the glorious flowers, as you are sure to see options for seasonal color everywhere. Ask for help if need with designing your containers or simply selecting the right annuals and tropical plants for your needs. Show some style, go bold, and make a statement. Your new goodies are sure to impress your garden visitors, keep the bees buzzing busily and make you smile all summer long.
