Bananas. Yes there is a hardy one now. No fruit, but a tall colorful plant.
Elephant Ears. There are many kinds. Some, like “Taro”, are black or deep purple. This one you can’ over-water. They have leaves two feet long and wide. They are best grown in a large pot. When the sun shines on them from behind, they are particularly beautiful. Others are deep green and shiny with white veins. They are easy to grown in full sun or part shade.
Another very large plant is Castor Bean; but it is poisonous. It has beans that may be appealing to a child.
There is ornamental rhubarb called “Ace of Hearts” out now in the catalogs. I waited too long to send in my order and it was sold out. So order early! Anything new usually goes fast. I use Miscanthus Grass in the background and then in front of that “Ace of Hearts” and one on either side of the Rhubarb.
I have five Tropicana Canna’s in a row if you have the room, it is an eye-catching display. The best part is that they last all season. The rhubarb may have to be cut back but it will recover fast. Dig a three-foot hole for this one and fill with compost and manure. It is very hardy and will last a long time.
Amaranthus is extremely colorful. Elephant Ears are not hardy here. When the frost knocks them down, dig them up and store them in sawdust or peat in a cool place for the Winter
Another exotic is Brugmansia. It has plenty of huge trumpet shaped flowers almost ten inches long. My shrub has bloomed three times this year and has had over a hundred flowers each time. Again, this is not hardy here. I cut it way back and put it in the cellar for the Winter — stop watering also. It has come through fine for the past three years. In the Spring, take it outside when there is no danger of frost. Water and liquid fertilizer will soon start it off again. This shrub will flood the yard with perfume but only at night. It is pollinated by a moth. It is worth growing just for this beautiful aroma alone. It is easy to take cuttings and give them to your neighbors and gardening friends. Try this one. It is truly a fine shrub.
Don’t be afraid to try something new. The enjoyment comes in trying to grow exotic plants. When you succeed, the excitement is there no matter what your age.
Some gardens don’t need flowers to be interesting. There is no end to the color green — it is a color. Pointed leaves of variegated plants such as “Phormium”, New Zealand Flax, broad leaves of Rhubarb, tall leaves of Iris, the feathery foliage of Bronze Fennel. It is all about “texture.”
Grasses make a good background for gardens like this. “Canna” is another old-fashioned plant that has been re-born. It comes in a myriad of colored leaves –texture– low plants like Ajuga, Algerian Ivy –colors– another old-timer that has re-invented itself. Plenty of color and very distinctive foliage with no flowers. Even in the garden pool there can be a texture. Juncus with its corkscrew foliage or Horsetail, another plant that grows in water. Marginal such as Jack-In-The-pulpit (either the native ones or the really exotic like “Arisaema” which is cobra-like, eye-catching, and easy to grow).
Just looking and waiting to see the results is worth all the effort. To quote Thomas Jefferson, “I am an old man, but a young gardener”. Looking through catalogs, drawing up plans for next year’s gardens — the rewards are endless. Ken Druse has a new book out (that you can borrow from the Taunton Public Library) called “Making More Plants”. It contains all that you could possibly want to know about plants. But the excitement and enthusiasm comes from you. It is a life-long passion you will never regret — I never have!!
