Repeat After Me

Today Southern Gardening is visiting our friend Catherine in her pleasant and pretty landscape.  The focal point of her front landscape is the lace-leaf Japanese maple, known botanically as Acer palmatum dissectum. This is a special tree for Catherine, because it was moved from Atlanta when Catherine moved to the Mississippi coast. The newly emerging fine textured foliage is a gorgeous reddish maroon and displayed on highly decorative contorted branches.  Catherine is also uses a powerful and easy landscape technique, repetition, utilizing only three plants: supertunia, coleus, and caladium. Vista Bubblegum Supertunia is perhaps my favorite petunia to grow. It was selected as both a Mississippi Medallion winner and Louisiana Super Plant. This petunia produces loads of bright pink flowers. This is one of the most vigorous selections, growing greater than 3 foot by 3 foot. A fully-grown Vista Bubblegum Supertunia can be truly stunning! Gays Delight coleus are lime-green with striking maroon veins. The lime-green is a unique accent color that gets my attention. This sun or shade selection will eventually grow to 24 inches tall and 16 inches wide.  White Wonder caladium is part shade to full sun tolerant. These have white lance-shaped leaves with a distinctive green edge. The deep magenta center veins add a spark of color.  Repeating colors and plants can have your landscape looking pretty as a picture. I’m horticulturist Gary Bachman and I’ll see you next time on Southern Gardening.