Combining Colors

Creative colors

Tinkering around with different color combinations helps us get a handle on which plants to pair up in a landscape bed. Let’s take a look at some of the creative displays we put together in 2016.

Heart of Jesus caladium

In one of our beds we planted a classic combination—black and white: black setcreasea with white caladium. Back in the day setcreasea was considered a type of wandering jew but now there’s a distinct family for it. This variety grows much like a wandering jew and produces a little pink bloom, but the plant is not noted for the flower, it’s noted for the foliage.

Eventually this bed filled out nice and dense; setcreasea has a mounding, spreading habit. You’ll notice that this white caladium has red staining; it’s also called heart of Jesus, because of the shape the red takes on the leaf.

Black setcreasea with white caladium

Linaria Fantasy Spring Mix

A few years ago unique crops weren’t in very high demand for early spring but times have changed. Customers are looking for more cold color options; they want varieties that manage to provide color while toughing out the chilly temps of the early spring months. Unsung linaria is just such a plant, and Fantasy Spring Mix delivers the goods.

This dwarf variety is covered with tiny snapdragon-like flowers all summer long, in a cheery mix of blue, yellow, white, magenta, rose, and speckled pink. It reaches about 10–12 inches tall and is particularly effective when planted en masse, though it works equally well as a bright accent in containers and hanging baskets. You’ll find that it can withstand the frosts and light freezes of early spring without any injury to the plant—and as a bonus it has a light, pleasant fragrance.

Fantasy Spring Mix, or butter and eggs as it is commonly known, is available in the 6-inch pot.