One morning, a little over a month ago, a very interesting box appeared at my door.
Oh look! It's from Happiness Farms. It must be the order I placed using the gift certificate I won from the drawing held by Central Florida Gardener.
I love the warning on the box. I don't think "keep from cold" will be a problem.
My church has a school for grades K-12 associated with it. Both church and school share the same campus which means some of the open areas are quite well-worn from the foot traffic of exuberant youngsters.
In an effort to spruce things up a bit, I planted the caladium bulbs I got from Happiness Farms beneath the ligustrum hedges. There they add lots of color to the area without being in danger of being trampled underfoot. (I'm still considering just what to do with these old ligustrums. Maybe trimming them into trees...)
Even the downspouts look better with these colorful leaves. The area is not irrigated (other than by me and my trusty hose) so using the rain is an important component of success.
I went with the mixed colors because I was able to get more bulbs for the money that way. I think it turned out to be a good decision. I can't pick a favorite though. These leaves are just beginning to unfurl, in fact, some are just beginning to poke their way through the soil. The best is yet to come.
It's really amazing what large, colorful leaves, some mulch, mowing and weeding can do to transform a spot that was not very inviting into a place with potential. There's already talk of putting some picnic benches in this area for the school children to use on nice days.
These caladiums have drawn a lot of attention to this area and show how just a little care can make a big difference in the overall appearance of our church property. Different groups within the church and school have been inspired to adopt areas all over the campus to care for and landscape.
Thanks Happiness Farms and Central Florida Gardener for giving me the material I needed to have so much fun and share so much beauty.
