The Lazy Gardener

Gardening with Brenda Beust Smith

Caladiums: “Those white things …”



(Brenda Beust Smith)



Years ago, when we were having a party, my yard looked rather yukko. Not good for a garden writer. So I lined all the beds with caladiums. They do dress up a landscape. Everyone raved.

From that point on, Husband thought they should be a permanent part of our landscape. What he can’t seem to remember is that:

1. These don’t come back year after year; and

2. They hate our heat and usually disappear by June if not kept constantly watered.

But by April my spring gardening madness has usually abated and from that point on, it’s between the plants and God. They need to be able to survive without me. Husband considers any watering a plot to make him have to mow more often.

This year, with the unusually heavy summer rains, the caladiums thrived. October arrived and they were still beautiful. Amazing.

Then came that dry spell. The caladiums wilted and lay on the ground in overly dramatic death throes. “Those white things need water,” Husband said.

They lasted so long this year, even I felt they deserved a little TLC. So I watered. In October. Giving them a piece of my mind as I did so. The things we do for husbands.

Categories: General
The Lazy Gardener

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