Colors of Christmas in the Garden

As 2011 is about to end I am looking forward to another 2012 gardening year. Since I began to appreciate gardening I’ve learned that it’s not enough to enjoy and cultivate the plants we grow in our homes. For me, it’s about discovering techniques that apply to a certain situation, understanding ways of nature, planting combinations and it’s about bringing out the person’s creativity as well.

Decorating our homes sometimes reflects our own tastes and personality. When I was still a little girl, green and red used to be the main colors of Christmas. Gold, silver, white and blue were added only to keep the color combinations alive. Today, pink, orange, purple and other colors are widely used and accepted as the manner of decorating our homes continues to evolve in time.

Mayana (Coleus)

I like the combination of deep red to purple and green foliage of mayana (Coleus). I once thought I had uprooted all of them because they tend to grow fast and too tall for my little garden so as result, it looked a bit messy and disorganized. I was surprised to find out one morning tiny sprouts of mayana growing in an orderly manner beside the champagne tree that looked okay for me. I guess they liked the shade the champagne tree is giving them.

Christmas Ti Plant

I used to place these Ti plants in shaded areas but their leaves became dull. I got the result I wanted when I moved them where they could get at least 4-6 hours of sun a day. Ti plants are also known as good luck plant. I was told it would bloom but with that colorful, bright foliage, I think it is better without flowers.

Picara

I had two sun loving picara plants but I was only left with one. I love the drama of variegated light green and white combination on top of the leaves with deep red underneath. It makes the plant attractive whenever the deep red underneath the leaves is exposed when flipped.

This red-tipped bromeliad (Neoregelia Fireball) is low maintenance, easy to propagate, requires little care and one of my first acquired bromeliads. In spite of the shiny and glossy, bright red leaves, they leave tiny scratches in my arms from the spiny edges of thick leaves whenever I get to touch them.

Weekend Delight

After a week's hardwork, I always make sure to visit and tend my garden no matter how small it is in our yard. Best time to get dirty without feeling guilty is to feel the soil, planting and propagating my ornamental plants, enjoying the scent of anything that grow in the soil. Desirable time to plant is this rainy season. There are some things to consider if and when excessive rain becomes a problem.  Some plants tend to rot easily when drainage is not sufficient and the soil gets too soggy. If this is the case, I make sure I don't over supply them with water. Water requirement in plants vary in many ways. If the weather is too hot, I water them twice a day. Some plants do not require water that much as long as they are not directly exposed to the sun. In some cases, there are also plants that need sunlight to enhance their colors. I am not that well-versed when it comes to naming ornamental and garden plants but I do enjoy them growing in my garden.

A variety of Mayanas

Brohmeliad

Fern

To make my little garden not too boring, accessorizing it helped in some ways. Sticking these colorful designs with propellers can be bought in any garden shops.

           

Putting a hammock and a swing in the yard seem to create a friendly ambiance. That little red thing with black spots is another design of the mini-propeller.