Mixing Textures

This vignette welcomes me home every afternoon. When this Royal Poinciana, Delonix regia, branch began to hang low in front of the Firebush, Hamelia patens, I finally got "mix your textures"! What the photo doesn't show well, are Live Oak branches in the top right corner. They are small and a dark green. The contrasts in texture and in color make for an appealing vignette!

Crotons - Tropical Beauties

Crotons, Codiaeum variegatum, always remind me of Autumn! That's a little ironic since Crotons are tropical plants. Originating in Australia and the South Seas, they are grown as houseplants in most of the United States.

Its usually in the Fall when I purchase Crotons - I think they look as Autumnal (is that a word?) as mums do. Mix potted ones in with a few pumpkins and mums and you have a great welcome at your front door. After the season, use them, either potted or in the ground, for a tropical punch.

If you are lucky to live in a temperate climate (or if you don't mind using them as annuals), plant your Crotons in part sun. The sunlight will bring out their vibrant, varied colors. But it's been my experience that too much direct sun tends to burn them. Actually they can handle it if they've been "seasoned" a bit. When I plant one in full sun in the winter, it can usually handle the summer's full sun.


Crotons come with a variety of leaves. The first photos shows the most common broad leaf variety.

The plant on the left is a spiral leaf croton. My favorite (and the one I have the hardest time finding) is the oak leaf croton.

You can propagate Crotons from green stem cuttings or air layering. Personally I have only had success with air layering.

I'm still trying to decide exactly how I'm going to use these - but that's the fun, isn't it?