Tropicanna® Canna and Bluestorm™ Agapanthus featured at Chelsea Flower Show

Submitted by Lisa on Mon, 2010-05-24 14:55
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On my Bucket List (things to do before I die): Visit the world-renowned Chelsea Flower Show, being held this week May 25-29 at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, London (image below courtesy a BBC story on the Chelsea Flower Show 2010).

  

Chelsea Flower Show, courtesy BBC, from Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog (www.youreasygarden.com)

  

My reasons for wanting to see the show are twofold: Of course, the first is the opportunity to see the world's top garden and flower show. Presented by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) for 21 years now, the Chelsea Flower Show is known not only for its cutting-edge gardens designed by leading names but also for its showcasing of some of the newest, most exciting garden plants on the planet - kind of like the gardening world's equivalent of the Olympics.

According to the BBC article, this year's show has an optimistic, extravagant feel that's a stark contrast to last year's recession-inspired display with recycled exhibits and a lack of larger garden sponsors.

But second of all, I've been tracking down my family history and FINALLY tracked down my great-grandfather, Ernest Hutchurson, and the street – and even HOUSE – where he lived in West Ham, London (7 Addington Road - I Google Mapped it). So I desperately want to travel to London to see it and anything else relating to my family history.

Sadly, I won't be going this year. Tickets are sold out (unless I want to pick up one of the black-market tickets left selling for five times its original value). But I will be ordering the official Chelsea Flower Show DVD. If I did go to the show, however, I'd especially like to see the Chelsea gardens already in line for the gold, according British garden guru Matt Biggs. 

Of course, I'd also want to see the Tesselaar Plants in this year's show – Bluestorm Agapanthus and Tropicanna Canna (in a garden designed by Homebase – kind of like the British version of Home Depot). I just planted both on my deck out back (pics below, Bluestorm at top). But mine are just babies, with the Tropicanna canna shoots just starting to break out of the soil. So I'd love to see them at their peak, of course, in a professionally-designed garden at Chelsea! Unfortunately, I don't have any pics of the Homebase garden at Chelsea. But I'm working on finding some after the show opens, and when I do, I'll be sure to post 'em!

Bluestorm Agapanthus

Bluestorm Agapanthus in container on deck in northern, cold-climate garden, from Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden (www.youreasygarden.com)

  

Original Tropicanna Canna (tangerine bloom, rainbow-striped leaves)

Tropicanna canna shoot (original, with rainbow-striped leaves and tangerine flower), in container, from Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden (www.youreasygarden.com)

  

Tropicanna Canna Gold (left) and Tropicanna Canna Black (right)

Shoots of Tropicanna Gold (left) and Tropicanna Black (right) from Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog (www.youreasygarden.com)

  

Can't wait for the day when my Bluestorm agapanthus looks more like this:

bluestorm agapanthus, from Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden (www.youreasygarden.com)

  

And my Tropicanna cannas look more like this!

Tropicanna canna (left) Tropicanna Gold (middle) and Tropicanna Black (right), from Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog (www.youreasygarden.com)

  

Until then, I'll just wait for my Chelsea Flower Show DVD to arrive – and try not to check on my cannas every five minutes!

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Random acts of violence: Gardening on borrowed time

Submitted by Lisa on Fri, 2010-05-21 19:50
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spraypainting dead grass green, from Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog (www.youreasygarden.com)

  

OK folks…your eyes are not deceiving you. This is my husband actually spray painting the grass green after going hog-wild with Roundup® the other day trying to kill some weeds. Of course, he plans to reseed, but the house next door is up for sale and they were about to have a showing. So, he reasoned, green spray paint looks better than dead grass.

I think that's debatable. But hey, real life is messy. I can laugh at my husband all I want, but I'm my own whirlwind of destruction when it comes to gardening with little time.

  

Exhibit A:

Broken birdhouse, thrown in time-starved gardening session, from Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog (www.youreasygarden.com)

This is my husband's Miami Dolphins birdhouse … after I threw it across the yard yesterday. I'd just smashed my head into it for the fourth time while trying to dig up some hostas and irises in the 45 minutes or so I had to myself while my husband and 3-year-old daughter ran to Target for "together time." The sweet little welcome sign that used to hang over the front door is now ripped off and flung across the stones. As of this writing, I still haven't told my husband…

  

  

And this….

Irises and hosta dug up by busy gardener Lisa Hutchurson in Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog (www.youreasygarden.com)

  

 … is the carnage I left behind … I was trying make room for new easy-care gardening plants in the only full-sun spot left in our yard. It was frustrating work, since I only had leverage with the shovel from one side. I just kept flinging clumps of greenery and clods of earth onto the nice landscaping stones surrounding the pool (my husband, incidentally, was none too pleased about that – or the about the fact that I ripped up beautiful, full, mature landscaping around the deck of our new home. But the Mad Plant Collector in me must have more!) 

I've only planted irises before, never dug them up, and I have to say, I felt like a deranged killer hacking away at them in their prime. A pang of guilt ran through me as my shovel cut through each rhizome, leaving behind a pink, fleshy cross section looking not unlike a piece of raw meat. And as I pulled on the carcass to drag it to the stones, its clear, gooey juices ran like blood across my hands. I ran to the pool to wash off the guilt … 

Since, according to this GardenWeb post on irises, I CAN transplant irises after the last frost date in my area (which is now), I'll have to do this soon. But they won't be all nicely clumped together and may not bloom for another year after being moved… Plus, I have limited direct sun and these guys need at least six hours of it (according to the same post, above). They may have to go in the front yard, which my husband would like left alone, since it was professionally landscaped and I've already torn apart the back yard.

  

Meanwhile …

spaghetti factory of hose after reel broke off housing unit, with face-down Dora doll from Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog (www.youreasygarden.com)

  

Here sits the spaghetti factory of bajillion-foot hose my husband ran out to get for me the other day, after I planted Flower Carpet® roses in the back 40 of our lot and then realized I had no way to bring water to them. Notice the nice housing unit with reel that he got and fastidiously set up, winding the hose perfectly around the reel. (The face-down Dora the Explorer doll is also a nice touch, I think). Of course, as soon as I tried to use the hose to water the roses yesterday, the connector in the housing unit came apart and all that hose was too heavy for me to unreel with the little hand crank on the side. So, the bull-in-a-China-shop that I am, I just tore back the lid and started yanking out hose like a clown pulling scarves out of a hat.

Also note the nice, red sprayer attachment my husband dutifully attached to the end of the hose. Well, with the connector piece (black and white, connected to the black section of hose in the foreground) disconnected, water started coming out of that end, instead of the sprayer end. So I figured, just twist off the sprayer attachment and put it on the connector thingy. Which I did, turned on the hose and the water pressure blew the sprayer right off, along with a nut that makes the trigger work. "Darn it all," I said (not actually saying "Darn it all" but something much more offensive). After searching in vain for this one little part, I ended up throwing the sprayer next to the bird house and using the connector end (and the short run of hose with actual water running through it) to drizzle a few sploshes over my newly transplanted lettuce. 

  

And that was it…Bzzzzzz! Time up! My husband and daughter came strolling across the lawn. Another gardening session done on Mom Time. But hey, that's life. You gotta do what you can do in the time that you have. And today, I'll do it all over again – as soon as I glue my husband's birdhouse back together.

  

  

  

  

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5 easy ideas for gardening with kids, grandkids

Submitted by Lisa on Tue, 2010-05-18 07:50
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Gardening with kids illustration, from Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog (www.youreasygarden.com)

  

Today I'd like to talk about some easy ways to garden with kids. I've been doing a lot of gardening with my 3-year-old daughter, Maya, and she and I have been having loads of fun! So far, we've started seeds indoors and out, tried out some of the new, fun grow kits for kids and even planted some Flower Carpet® roses together (below).

  

Kid helping to water the garden, from post on easy ideas for gardening with kids post fromTesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog (www.youreasygarden.com)

At first, I thought she'd more interested in her usual dismembering of Barbies than in gardening. But she actually loves it! I think for her, it's about feeling and being treated like an equal. For instance, she got to bring a few dollars in her purse to the garden store, where she got to pick out her own seed packets and a few colorful plants. Then she got to mush the dirt and water with her hands in a mixing bowl, then pour on the seeds - no coercion needed there. After that, she was given special maintenance responsibilities like watering and fertilizing. Plus, there's the feeling of ownership, accomplishment and success that helps to build self-esteem. Maya loves checking on her kid-height windowsill herb garden or going out to the deck to visit her strawberry grow pot or Daisy princess planter.

Gardening is also a great way to teach kids how to nurture and take responsibility for something without having to preach at them. And, of course, it's a wonderful way to build and celebrate your child's strengths or work on something that may be a challenge. Your little budding artist may love picking out colors and putting them together, while your little scientist might enjoy learning all the plants' names, smells and particular requirements.

So here are five easy ideas to try with your kids, grandkids or your own inner kid! For more ideas and resources on kids' gardening, check out Lucy Gardens and PlantIdeas.com.

  

1) Have fun with grow kits

 Buzzy "My First Tomato Grow Kit" and "My First Sunflower Grow Kit" for kids' gardening, from Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog (www.youreasygarden.com)

  

Grow kits, especially those specially designed for kids, are everywhere these days, from big-box retailers to mom-and-pop garden stores. I've personally seen them in CVS, Home Depot, Wegmans supermarkets and Target and am quite sure you'll find them just about anywhere you look. I'm guessing they're so popular because you've got everything you need with just one purchase. No extra trip out for potting soil, seeds or just the right-sized pot. It's the perfect all-in-one product for a short, focused activity for kids. Pictured above are the Buzzy Brand "My First Tomato Grow Kit" and "My First Sunflower Kit." I found them at CVS for $4.99 each. And here's the YouTube video I made of Maya and I (just Maya, really) using her strawberry grow kit ($9.99, Home Depot).

  

2) Create a sensory garden

Hand touching ornamental grass, from sensory garden created by Zaretsky and Associates, from easy kids' gardening ideas story on Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog (www.youreasygarden.com)

  

Kids love anything that engages the senses. Help them explore with some of the following plants or ideas (many of them from Lucy Gardens). Just make sure the kids know that not all plants are safe to touch or eat.

Hearing: Rattlesnake grass, greater quaking grass, love in a mist (rattling seedheads), miscanthus oligostachys 'Nanus Variegatus,' Bamboo phyllostachys, animated oats.  You can also find plenty of inexpensive water fountain kits. Or windchimes or Zen raincatchers. Or install a bird feeder to attract songbirds.

Seeing: Balloon flowers, red hot pokers, Jacob's ladder, chameleon plant (invasive! grow in pot!) gigantic grasses, colorful heucheras, Chinese lanterns, poppies, wildflower meadowmix, cornflower, purple carrots, Super bright colors can be found in marigolds, cannas, roses, phormiums, dahlias, Russian sage, purple sage, lady's mantle, colorful ribbons hanging from trees to catch in the wind, weather vanes, tile mosaics, zinnias and swiss chard 'Bright Lights'. Also try large flowers and veggies that grow quickly, like sunflowers and pumpkins.

Tasting: Don't forget to plant some edibles! Berries, cherry tomatoes, melons and pumpkins are usually a hit with little ones. So are theme edibles, for salad, salsa, pizza and more! Of course, there's also a whole garden of vegetables to choose from (they might not eat them, but might enjoy growing them) stevia (sweet like sugar), salad burnet (tastes like cucumber), mints (invasive! grow only in pots!) anise, fennel, oregano or curry plant. You can also grow some peppery nasturtium for salads, some violas for garnishing a lemonade. Other off-the-beaten-path edibles include rose petals, zucchini blooms, lavender and even daylily petals! There are a number of games you can play with kids, getting them to guess which taste goes with which plant and so on. 

Feeling: asparagus fern, lamb's ear, silver sage, Scotch broom, Jerusalem sage, prickly bull thistle, globe thistle, teasel, hedge woundwort, conifers, hops, yarrow, gayfeather, coneflowers, play bark, sempervivums
(hens and chicks), African sundew, ornamental grasses (as seen above in this sensory garden by Zaretsky and Associates), astilbe, smooth and rough stones, small ponds or fountains, soft lichens and mosses, stepping stones, statues (especially characters or animals), latticework or bamboo fencing.

Smelling: scented geraniums, roses, sages (there are all kinds that have cool smells like pineapple, mint chocolate and lemon), lemongrass, lemon verbena, lavender, rosemary, thyme, basil, marjoram, bronze fennel (also good for feeling), dill, chives and garlic chives. 

3) Start a windowsill garden

Windowsill garden, courtesy FamilyFun.com, from easy kids' gardening ideas on Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog (www.youreasygarden.com)

  

You can take the child out shopping, so they can pick out the seeds themselves. Or, FamilyFun.com has some great ideas for themed windowsill gardens using succulents and corn.

  

4) Build a garden teepee

garden teepee, courtesy Growing Great Kids blog, part of easy kids' gardening ideas post on Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden (www.youreasygarden.com)

Some plants prefer to climb up teepees or trellises (photo above courtesy of the blog Growing Great Kids. So plant some scarlet runner beans, peas or morning glories and watch them grow up, up, up. Teepees also make great hiding and play spots for kids. eHow.com has some wonderful directions for building a garden teepee. Not handy? Check out the garden store or online sites for ready-made teepees you can buy, like the Obelisk Grow 'em Up Garden Teepee ($15).

  

5) Plant their name in marigolds

Marigold, courtesy Margaret's Garden blog, part of easy kids' gardening ideas on Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog (www.youreasygarden.com)

  

I saw this in a magazine - forget which one. Sorry I couldn't find a picture of it. Marigolds (picture above courtesy the blog Margaret's Garden), are ideal because they're short, brightly colored, fast-growing and compact. You can either plant the seeds or buy the plants from a garden center.

  

  

So tell me, what kind of gardening activities have you tried with kids? Post a comment, and let me know! And check out more easy-care gardening ideas next time, on Your Easy Garden by Tesselaar!

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Grow kits a fast and easy way to garden on the run

Submitted by Lisa on Mon, 2010-05-10 00:20
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Want to grow some flowers or veggies this summer, or beautify your deck or patio for the season, but don't have the time to get out to the garden center to buy plants? Here's the easy-care gardening way to do it: Just pick up gardening grow kits at chain or independent stores while you're shopping for other things. At least that's what I've taken to doing lately. At CVS a few weeks ago, while I was waiting for a prescription, my 3-year-old daughter and I ended up with a Disney princess-themed daisy grow kit. A week later, while shopping for door hooks at Home Depot, I remembered I wanted to grow strawberries out on our deck, so I picked up a ready-to-go planter (also below).

Why grow kits? They're relatively inexpensive, usually costing somewhere from a few bucks to about $20. And they almost always contain everything you need, from potting soil to seeds to fertilizer to the pot itself (that means it doesn't take up space on your dining room table until you get around to buying the extra bag of potting soil or the right-size pot). Plus, the places you typically put them in are either in the house (like on the windowsill) or close by, like the porch, patio or deck. So watering just requires a pitcher fill-up in the house, not a trip to the hose spigot (at least for me this is a pain, because I have to walk out the side door of my house, around the pool and deck, to get to the spigot on the other side). 

So here are some other grow kits I found at a few stores – for me, they ended up being chains where I end up doing errands, but you can find them virtually everywhere you go this season. This is only a handful of what I found, but there's so much more. So the next time you're waiting for a prescription at the pharmacy, picking up a greeting card at Target or waiting for your paint to get mixed at the Home Depot, scoot over to the gardening or seasonal aisle and treat yourself to a gardening grow kit! Chances are, you might not get around to it later …

  

  

 
Garden grow kits, lavender and windowsill herbs, from Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog (www.youreasygarden.com)
 

Herbs are great, especially for kids, since they involve so many of the senses. Here are three I found at CVS:

Buzzy® brand lavender grow kit (purple pail). $5.99. Includes painted pail, potting soil, seeds and instructions.

Buzzy Herb Grow Kit with Miracle-Gro® Watering Can Singles water-soluble plant food (bottom, front). $7.99. Also includes seeds for sweet basil, chives and parsley, plus instructions and galvenized metal growing trough with.

Buzzy Kitchen Herb Kit (in back). $14.99. Includes three ceramic, kiwi-green mini pots on a matching ceramic tray. Also includes starter soil pellets, instructions and seeds for sweet basil, thyme and sage.

  

 
Topsy Turvy upside-down tomato planter, from Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog (www.youreasygarden.com)
 

Topsy Turvy® upside down tomato planter. $9.99, Walgreens. OK, so it isn't technically a grow kit (it doesn't contain soil or seeds), but you have to admit, it makes for pretty easy-care gardening and is deal for the porch, deck or patio. Plus, it's sold next to all the gardening kits. “World’s easiest way to grow tomatoes” says the package. Hangs on deck, balcony or patio. Eliminates weeding, caging and staking. "Grow organic too!" Easy to use … three simple steps … 1) Put plant in the bottom. 2) Put soil in the bag (at top). 3) Water in the top. Grows all varieties of tomatoes, including beefsteak, yellow and cherry. Also grows other veggies, including green bell peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, eggplant and more.

How it works: Uses gravity as a vertical growing advantage. Vertical grow bag heats the plant like a greenhouse so the root system explodes. Gravity pulls the water and nutrients directly to the roots.

Features: Swivel top for easy turning. Simple to set up and maintain. Uses ordinary potting soil. UV-resistant, durable materials to last for years.

 
 
 
Smith & Hawken strawberry grow pot kit, from Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog (www.youreasygarden.com)
 

Target always sells grow kits you know will be stylish. Here's a Smith & Hawken® Strawberry Grow Kit that has a nice contemporary design and a white color (so it'll go with everything). The ceramic pot has an opening at the top and four on the sides where strawberries can grow. Includes seeds, potting soil, pot and instructions. $19.99.

  

 
 
 
Strawberry grow kit, from Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog (www.youreasygarden.com)
 

Strawberry Grow Kit. $9.99. Home Depot. Even though I like the style of the Target one better, I chose this one from Home Depot because it has a strawberry on the outside, and I thought that would be better for my 3-year-old, who I knew would be planting the strawberries with me. The porcelain pot also has opening at the top and four openings on the sides for growing strawberries. Includes seeds, potting soil and instructions.

  

 
 
 
disney princess daisy grow pail kit for kids, from Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden (www.youreasygarden.com)
 

Here's the Buzzy brand Disney princess grow pot I got for $6.99 at CVS. Kids love characters … I've also seen Veggie Tales grow kits and Munakupi grass or curly basil grow kits at Wegmans supermarkets and CVS, respectively. Includes daisy seeds, potting soil, pail and instructions.

  

 
Small garden grow kits for kids, from Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog (www.youreasygarden.com)

Small kits are great for little hands. Here are four I found at CVS:

1) Crayola "My First Garden" sunflower kit in crayon planter. $2.99. 

2) Buzzy brand echinacea (coneflower) grow kit. $4.99. 

3 and 4) Buzzy bachelor’s button and marigold grow kits. Includes tiny terra cotta pots, soil pellets, seeds, soil. $1.99 each.

  

  

So, has anyone tried any grow kits they particularly liked? If so, post a comment and tell me where I can find them!

  

  

See you next time on Your Easy Garden by Tesselaar! I'm off to buy me a Topsy Turvy planter!

 

  

  

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Maui trip spurs ideas for using tropicals in garden

Submitted by Lisa on Sun, 2010-05-02 16:15
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 I just returned home from a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Maui! My husband (with me, below, on a sunset cruise we took there) won the trip as part of some work performance award. Nice, huh?

lisa hutchurson and hubby on vacation in maui, from tropical plants post on Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog (www.youreasygarden.com)

Well, anyway, of course I had to whip out the camera and snap a pic of every tropical garden and plant I came across. And with such a colorful buffet of tropical foliage and fantastic flowers in front of me, it got me to thinking, "Why can't I have some of that in my Zone 6a garden?" OK, maybe I can't line a whole walkway with it, since it'll die over winter. But on the other hand, why not just put a few of these stunners in a container on the patio, or feature them as colorful, exotic specimen plants? After all, my home is my personal retreat … why can't I have some vacation there, too?

The best way to go about using tropicals in your garden or landscape, I've since learned, is to buy them for use as indoor houseplants during the cold season and then move the container to your landscape or patio in the summer (you can even bury the plant in the pot, to fake the look of an established tropical plant in your garden). And while you're at it, heck — bring all your houseplants outside for the summer for a tropical flair in your beds, borders and containers. Just make sure to look up each plant's particular requirements or ask a local garden center that sells tropicals for advice on how to grow these beauties inside and out in your area. Some tropicals, for instance, will survive in lower light levels indoors during the cold season (perhaps without blooms or as vivid colors, but will nonethless survive), but they need misting and higher temperatures to thrive. Conversely, when taken outdoors, tropicals that grow as understory plants in the rainforest might not be able to handle constant, direct sunlight. Still others are so heat-loving that the chill of cold water direct from the garden hose will make their leaves drop.

Also check out this WONDERFUL  St. Louis Dispatch article on using tropicals in your garden.

 So moving right along, here are some of my tropical plant pics from Maui — along with some ideas on how to use them in your landscape. If you live in a warmer climate and can grow these tropicals year round, take note of where, how and with what other plants the landscape designers have used them. If you're like me and live in a colder climate, you might have to resign yourself to using them as colorful, dramatic accents or treat them as annuals and ditch them at the end of the season.

First, here's some spiky, swordlike phormium (New Zealand flax) in purple-brown, complemented by a green spike of dracena and a ti plant's burgundy and pink tropical foliage. Of course, I think this container combo would look even more dramatic with Tesselaar's darker, glossier, burgundy-black Black Adder™ Phormium, with its elegantly nodding, pendulous tips. 

Phormium (New Zealand flax) in container with dracena and ti plant, from maui tropical plants post at Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden (www.youreasygarden.com)

  

  

  

  

Another beautiful  tropical plant I saw a lot of was bromeliads. The top image here, of the purple-blue bloom atop lemon-lime, waxy foliage, is aechmea. Below that is a giant, yellowish-orange bromeliad nestled in a bed of tropical fern (I believe it's Phymatosorus grossus, or laua'e (maile-scented fern). Third down is a red-centered bromeliad accented by a green, wavy-leaved tropical fern. Below that is what I like to think of as the 'lollypop planter' of red, orange and yellow flowered bromeliads. Fifth down is that orange-yellow bromeliad as a tall, architectural backdrop for an otherwise common bed of impatiens. Below that you'll see the same bromeliad atop a purple-black groundcover (what a stunning contrast, especially with the companion planting of yellow-green bromeliads. Seventh down shows the view of a bromeliad from above, with its tell-tale pool of water in the center. The bottom shot shows how a mass planting of bromeliads, in different colors, makes a strong, tropical statement.

 Bromeliads, by the way, make some of the best houseplants on earth. For more information on growing bromeliads indoors and out, check out this great eHow article on bromeliad care.

  

Bromeliad with lime green foliage and purple-blue flower, in Maui tropical plants post at Your Easy Garden blog (www.youreasygarden.com)

Large orange bromeliad with tropical fern, from Maui tropical plants post at Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog (www.youreasygarden.com)

 Dark green bromeliads with red centers and tropical ferns, from Maui tropical plants post at Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog (www.youreasygarden.com)

Red, orange and yellow bromeliads from Maui tropical plants post at Your Easy Garden blog (www.youreasygarden.com)

Large orange bromeliad behind bed of impatiens, from Maui tropical plants post at Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog by Lisa Hutchurson (www.youreasygarden.com)

Large orange bromeliad with dark purple-black ground cover and lime bromeliad, in Maui tropical plants post at Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog by Lisa Hutchurson (www.youreasygarden.com)

Top view of an orange bromeliad, from Maui tropical plants post at Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog by Lisa Hutchurson (www.youreasygarden.com)

 Lime green and purple bromeliads, from Maui tropical plant post at Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog by Lisa Hutchurson (www.youreasygarden.com)

  

Here's a raised bed with more aechmea, rainbow-leaved croton, and what looks to be either a variegated dracena or carex (could be Tesselaar's own Everest™) and one of my favorite new plants ever — tradescantia (the purple-pink spiky plant down in front). And below that is a close-up shot of the same plants backlit by the morning sun. Awesome!

Yellow-green bromeliads, crotons, white-and-green ornamental grass and purple tradescantia (wandering Jew) in Maui tropical plants post at Tesslaar's Your Easy Garden blog by Lisa Hutchurson (www.youreasygarden.com)

Rainbow-hured croton, white-and-green variegated ornamental grass and purple tradescantia in Maui tropical plants post at Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog by Lisa Hutchurson (www.youreasygarden.com)

  

  

Here are other images of croton … virtually unmatched in its brilliant colors and many leaf forms (this is one of those plants, however, that can't take chilly water. For more information, check out this great article on croton.

Or, of course, if it's rainbow-colored foliage you crave, and you're not sure how well croton will do in your yard, you can also plant Tesselaar's Tropicanna® Canna (the bottom picture in this set shows it used along with coleus, Mexican sunflower and caladium in the winning design of Garden Gate magazine's 2009 "Container Challenge" design contest.)

Croton foliage, from Maui tropical plants post at Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog by Lisa Hutchurson (www.youreasygarden.com)

Rainbow-hued croton (below) and rhapis palm (above) in Maui tropical plants post at Tessleaar's Your Easy Garden blog by Lisa Hutchurson (www.youreasygarden.com)

Close-up view of fringelike croton (below) and rhapis palm (above), from Maui tropical plants post at Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog by Lisa Hutchurson (www.youreasygarden.com)

Fantastic foliage of rainbow colored croton backlit by the sun, from Maui tropical plants post at Tesselaar's Your Easy Garden blog by Lisa Hutchurson (www.youreasygarden.com)

,Tropicanna canna with plant companions coleus, caladium and Mexican sunflower, Garden Gate magazine's Container Challenge 2009 winner, part of Maui tropical plants post at Tesslelaar's Your Easy Garden blog by Lisa Hutchurson (www.youreasygarden.com)

  

Well, that's all I could stuff in one post for now. But stay tuned for more tropical plant photos — and videos! — from my trip to Maui. In the meantime, if you want to see more pics from my trip (including the set where Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston and Dave Matthews were shooting their next movie!) check out my Flickr site.

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