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Transcript
Landscaping for Color By John King Polk County Master Gardener Even with the extreme temperatures of summer this is a great time to look forward to spending a little more time in the yard. Through careful planning and plant selection you can create a kaleidoscope of color with foliage, flowers and fruit throughout the warm season. The three things that every gardener wants are plants that are cold hardy, require low maintenance and provide lots of seasonal color. One way of meeting the goal of color is with foliage. Colorful foliage provides interest and contrast to an otherwise green environment. Bright, Bold Colors at Disney A plant that meets that requirement is variegated Arboricola ‘Trinette’. Its green and yellow leaves make a showy contrast with other darker foliage. This low growing compact plant is a dwarf schefflera arboricola . It is relatively sensitive to cold, so needs to be protected in the winter. Its compact growth lends itself to profile-pruning with hand shears. Profile-pruning refers to adjusting the plant along the lines of its natural shape. Another plant with stunning summer foliage is the Canna x generalis ‘Tropicana’. This beautiful plant, a variety of canna lily, features ovate shaped pointed leaves with green and gold stripes. This plant also showcases stunning masses of yellow-orange flowers during the summer season. Arboricola ‘Trinette’ Flowers can also provide a wide parameter of color, adding highlights to your garden’s palette. Colorful annuals and perennials are an easy way to insure seasonal interest. Trees and vines also exhibit spectacular displays of flowers. Annuals provide a short burst of color lasting for one season. Be sure you chose a variety suited for warm weather. Melampodium , coleus , portulaca and salvia are a few of the ones to choose from. Make sure to deadhead the old flowers to encourage more blooms. Coleus Perennials last for multiple seasons. They’ll attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden. Colorful choices include beach sunflower, blue daze, cat’s whiskers, fuchsia skullcap (purple fountain sage), lantana, milkweed and many other choices. Flowering trees blooming throughout the summer include chaste tree, tabebuia, powder puff, crape myrtle, magnolia, and mimosa. Vines with showy displays are confederate jasmine, passion flower, pandora, mandevillea and others. Plants producing summer fruit that add to the visual display of the garden include shrubs and trees. Shrubs that produce colorful berries in warmer temperatures include blueberry, golden dewdrop and beautyberry. Several trees that produce fruit in the summer are varieties of citrus, the persimmon, and the loquat. A beautiful garden pays dividends all year round, from the satisfaction of a successful effort, to the compliments you’ll receive for having a colorful yard. Think of your gardening activities as an investment opportunity if planned properly.