Download Landscaping for Color - UF/IFAS Extension Polk County

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.