After looking at all of your lovely containers and searching high and low for the perfect combinations, I finally just sat down and got one put together. I'm fairly happy with it, although I'm sure I'll get better the more I do. This will look better when it's filled out, I think, too.
I've got Gingerland Caladium (plus some unknown caladium bulbs in there just starting to sprout - can't even see 'em yet), double impatiens Burgundy Rose and some Marguerite sweet potato vine.
Didigirl,
You've done a wonderful job on your container. The color combination is great!
Good for you taking photos. Put that photo some place so you'll be able to find it next year when you're wondering which pots the caladiums were in. I was so glad that I'd taken photos last year. I knew I'd planted several different caladiums but couldn't remember which pots they were in. They're just now peeking their little heads up out of the soil. :-) They will come back! They take a bit more time than others, but they WILL come back. :-)
Janet
That is gorgeous. Will definitely be a bright spot in a shady spot. I love impatiens. Never tried caladiums in pots before.
Thanks for the compliments. It's not as polished as some of the ones I've seen y'all do on this thread, but I figure for a first try it's not bad. I really want to see it when the impatiens bloom (they've got lots of buds) because the flowers should pick up the dark pink in the caladium.
I love the color choices. I'm new at containers myself and might "borrow" your recipe if you don't mind. Great job!
Joanne
digigirl...That is a great combination! I love the Gingerland Caladiums. When everything fills out, I think it's going to be spectacular! Great choice of colors and plants! You just have to post a photo in another couple of weeks!
Kat
Thanks Kat. You've been a big inspiration for me - your pictures are always so incredible! I'll certainly post another picture in a while after it's filled out some.
That's a VERY nice pot!
Digigirl--
I love your creation....the Caladiums are just gorgeous, and when everything grows and blooms, it will be stunning. The ability to "see" that when you choose plants is the talent behind making beautiful containers, in my opinion,.......and you've got it girlfriend!
And Kat--You were my inspiration too.....after coming across an old thread of yours, I spent an afternoon enjoying all your creations for your "Lizard Lounge". After that, I started stuffing plants together and haven't stopped. Thank you.
Pam
Ahhhhhh...Thank-you so much guys for the compliments.
Morgan..You've got it my Dear! Don't stop! Stuff those plants together!
What can go wrong?
That's what I love about container gardening...if it doesn't work out, you can always change it.
Kat
Digi...I'm a Caladium Nut! I just love them. I haven't planted too many in pots but this is probably my favorite one, "Thai Beauty"..
Today I just received an order of 8 of the newest varieties of Thai Caladiums...I think they're going to be incredible!
I grow nearly all my caladiums in containers. Here is a tier of them from last year.
DP
DP...They're gorgeous! How many bulbs did you put in that pot?
How nice of you to ask! There are about 7 pots, all hidden by the plants. They are tiered by putting the rear pots on risers- mostly stacks of bricks- with the height decreasing toward the front. I am going to try to duplicate it again this year, except mix in a few red near the center. I have the pots in place ready to plant. Would you like a photo of "before"?
DP
Kat - wow! That one is a stunner. I can see why you love it.
DP - I'm glad you explained the tiering - I was wondering what you did to make your caladium so incredibly prolific!! It's gorgeous!
Oh My! DP...That is an absolutely fantastic idea!!! I would never have thought of it, as I'm still planting "FLAT"...hahaha! I would love to see a before photo! It's just gorgeous and I think if you mixed the Caladiums it would really be stunning!
I've only been growing Caladiums for my second year now but I'm totally addicted! I haven't grown a lot in pots except for the Thai's and I just ordered 8 new Thai variety bulbs that I'm thinking are going to be unreal when they mature. I will put them in pots and am re-thinking things about my others. About 5 weeks ago, I planted about 175 in the front shaded beds of my front entrance and they are coming up like crazy. When I was planting them, I poked a few in these 2 big pots of impatiens I have out there...I think they go with everything! hehe
They're so dependable and they look beautiful!
One of my front plantings - This is last week, it's amazing what comes up everyday! Can you believe that all this comes out of one little Caladium Bulb??? I have to say that one of my favorites are the "Miss Muffets".
Hey Digi...Is it too early for an update?
KatG,
Oops, I apologize for sending the previous post accidentally without a message. Anyway, KatG, here's my tier for the caladium bulbs which I only planted a couple of days ago. Once they fill out, none of the supports or pots will show (refer back to my post May 16.) I did mix in some red with the white this year. I have to garden in pots because of where I live, and all the pots sit on aggregate concrete, and everything faces southwest, so you can imagine the challenge poor plants face. So I'm limited to "asbestos" plants, including a few caladiums, mostly lance-leaf. Pentas are the all-time champs for heat and sun tolerance for me. Scaevola, tacoma stans and shrub allamanda perform well too.
I love your idea of putting a coleus bulb or two in containers with mixed plantings.
I almost forgot sun coleus. I don't know what I'd do if it weren't for them. Coleus and caladiums are the workhorses of my "container landscape." Please keep us posted on the Thais.
Do you order from Happiness Farms there in Lake Placid? They are absolutely wonderful people to deal with, and their bulbs are large with lots of pups, and if you order 50 you're likely to get 60 or 65. I've sent them lots of customers. People who buy sprouted caladiums at the box stores don't know what they're missing by not planting bulbs instead- for a variety of reasons.
DP
Kat, actually I was just looking at the pots yesterday and thinking about an update, but it really looks pretty much the same still. It hasn't filled in that much. It is in a pretty deeply shaded spot, so I expect it will grow fairly slowly. I've got a couple of other containers (that didn't turn out quite as nice), that I will rotate in and out of that spot so that they all get more light and will hopefully thrive.
I've been struggling to find something that will survive in a pot and brighten up my dark entryway. So far, the caladium is doing better than anything else, but I'm hoping by rotating, they will all do better.
dp72...That's really good! Please keep the pics coming. Is it the same number of pots you used last year? I think it's going to be amazing with different varieties planted. Can't wait to see your photo's!
I buy my Caladiums from Bill at Caladiums4less on this site. He's also in Lake Placid (the Caladium capital of the world! haha). Right now, I just love the "Miss Muffets", they're just so cute! He's got some great stock!
Kat
Ahhh Digi...don't get discouraged. You're impatiens should do well in the shade. The Unknown Caladiums are probably just a variety that just takes more time. (I've got Pink Symphony that are weeks later that the others...plus, the shadier it is, the longer they take to sprout). Your sweet potato vine is growing...right?
It's going to be a gorgeous Container when it finds it's right temperature!
Kat
Kat, I wanted you to know that I went out this evening and buried some caladium bulbs in some of my mixed containers. What a fantastic idea!!! Now to wait the 5 days or so before they sprout. This is going to be great fun.
DP
dp I have GOT to copy your idea....it's gorgeous! But I need a little more detail which is generally the case with me, LOL. I need to know 2 things. One how many bulbs to a pot? (Just one I'm hoping.) And two how big are your pots? I just bought some bulbs from the co-op and would love to make a display like yours, but I like the monochromatic (sp) look and only have 10 of each variety.
Hi. Lala-Jane, that arrangement happened out of necessity- the plants were getting too much sun and I needed to move them up against the house, and the ones in the back didn't show up, so I did the stairsteps so they would be more visible- but most people who saw them liked the idea. Tks. for your comment. Last year the pots were not all the same, but they averaged probably 7 or 8 in., and this you're not going to like, but there were probably 4 number 2 bulbs in each pot. So they were THICK. If your bulbs are #1 or even jumbo, you might just try and see what happens. By monochromatic, do you mean all the same color or shades of the same color? I asked various people about putting some red randomly sort of in the middle, so that's what I'm going to try this year. In Texas we've had cool nights up until last week, so altho I planted them 9 days ago only a few are peeking up. I go out about every 15 m. to look and see. Here we can plant up until the middle of June and still get the full season's worth. You know, caladiums have a "timer" and after a set number of days they begin to go into dormancy no matter how much you water them, etc. So there's no need to try to get them up and going until the nights are warm. They won't cooperate anyway. Plants are funny like that. Good luck, and please let me know what you decide to do.
DP, in a sweat after potting up a bunch of cuttings
Here's one of my mixed plantings. I just love it!
That looks great! I can see why you love it!
DP, those caladiums are really pretty stacked that way. If I ever get that many, I may try that too.
Janet
WOW! Everybody's plantings look beautiful!
dp7...I'm a thief from my own garden...Why wait when I have them growing in the front of my house? hehe! Poked a bulb into replace the missing, but I'm sure it won't be mixed!
This Pot I did today - Miss Muffet Caladiums, Oxaliis, Coleus,Josephs coat and Diamond Frost...It's looking kind of sick right now, but hopefully when all takes root...it will be a winner!
Can you see the missing ones? hahaha.
I's amazing what a weeks growth does! Those Rosebuds are so Cute! I just want to go and lay down in my Sea of Caladiums! They're just so cute and cuddly!
This message was edited May 26, 2008 12:24 AM
Kat - I love, love, love that pot! The colors are awesome! If I can find some of those plants around here, I am so stealing that combination!
revclaus very pretty. Are those torenia mixed in there?
Kat, gorgeous caladiums! Love that mass planting!
staceysmom, yes those are Moon Yellow torenia. I love the leaves and the color.
I have never seen that color of torenia before. Looks perfect with the Creeping Jenny.
Well, here's an update on my container. As you can see, the unknown Caladium bulbs I put in there have sprung up, with a vengeance. Fortunately, they had more of that red color in them, because the double impatiens I used as a filler haven't done anything at all. I think maybe they don't get enough sun to bloom, even though they are supposedly shade plants.
Digi, I've never been able to grow impatiens. I've tried and tried and I just don't have good luck with them. I've come to the conclusion that I'd best be leaving them wherever they are so I don't murder any more of them.
Your pot has turned out beautiful! I love caladiums and you've got a lovely selection of them in there. The mix of colors is very pretty and the chartreuse sweet potato just jumps out at ya!
Janet
The plant's are so lovely and the idea's are interesting. I am so glad I joined the group.
I hope each one of you have a great week.
