vivid and variegated by Betty Morrell

BY BETTY MORRELL

As the cooler months approach and our landscapes have fewer colorful blossoms, add interest to your garden with variegated foliage, like the evergreen Phormium Blondie.

We are quickly entering into the holiday season! It is a wonderful time of year, and also the best time to plant bulbs for spring blooming, as well as any plants that you want in your garden for the next season.

Variegated foliage can make your garden come alive and that is just what Phormium Blondie does. This evergreen has year-round interest. It grows from 1 to 2 feet in height and 3 to 4 feet in width. Blondie has bright, variegated cream-and-green foliage, with a unique weeping habit.

Blondie is a PP plant that is perfect for the tropical gardens, container plantings, accents, and borders. It makes an awesome splash when used in mass plantings. Plant in full sun to part-shade and fertilize in spring. This plant may not be ready until 2022. When available, Liberty Landscape should have them.

In October, I wrote about the “It’s A Breeze” red ground cover rose. A new one that should be introduced soon is the “It’s a Breeze” white ground cover rose. Th is PP evergreen rose is an easy care, disease- and pest-resistant gem. White Breeze has profuse blooms in the spring and continues to rebloom through the fall.

Plant “It’s a Breeze” in full sun, It grows 2 to 3 feet high and spreads 3 to 4 feet in width. It not only provides year round interest, it also attracts the birds and butterflies. Great in containers, as accent plants, or in mass plantings. Enjoy this one.

Now, let’s get back to my Tropical Wonderland. A Blue Ginger that calls your name when you walk by is Dichorisandra Thyrsiflora. It has a very vivid blue (blue-violet) bloom. Th is striking Blue Ginger puts out 10-inch tall spikes of the rich purplishblue flowers. They look great in the garden, but they can also be used in cut flower arrangements.

According to the University of Florida, this Blue Ginger is not really a ginger; it is in the same family as Spiderwort and Wandering Jew. It is a clumping perennial that can grow 5 to 8 feet tall and 3 feet wide. Th is plant thrives in the shade. It likes moist but welldrained soil and is generally pest-free.

Blue Ginger is typically evergreen, but with a hard freeze it could die back. It will return in the spring, however. Th e foliage on this Blue Ginger is blue-green, and it is striking. I would like this one in my garden. We will get into the perennials and some more awesome plants, shrubs and trees in coming editions.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Remember to give thanks to those who have helped you get where you are today, and to heroes in all walks of life. If you have any questions, email me at bamorrell33@gmail.com.

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Check out bulbs in your local nursery, as some daffodils will bloom in our area, and Japanese Iris and Day Lilies are always reliable for color. Current wisdom says it’s best to mulch your plants with leaves, as they decompose through the winter and feed the plants. If you haven’t cleaned out your garden beds yet, do it now. Pots of color will bring you through to spring.