Believe it or not, the spring planting season is just around the corner (this is definitely harder for some of us to believe than others!). In order to help turn all of our thoughts ahead to the days when the snow will disappear and the ground will thaw — yes, it WILL happen! — I will be featuring another one of my favorite spring planted bulbs or perennials each week. This garden selection will then become Holland Bulb Farm’s Bulb Bargain for that one day ONLY. They’ll also be featuring a unique shipping deal each week with the bargain which will also last for that one day only — it’s a great chance to try something new or stock up on one of your faves! Check back each week or sign up for their newsletter to be notified each time I feature something different!
This majestic, towering master of the tropical-looking garden has so many magnificent qualities, it’s hard to find something not to love about Cannas!
Impressive and eye-catching: This tall canna is among one of the best-loved of them all. It’s fiery, red-orange petals are beautifully curved, giving it an appearance of almost a cluster of loose tulip-shaped blooms. Perhaps the attribute which is most sought after, however, is the lush foliage of the President Canna which emerges green and then slowly turns to a dark, bronzey color as they age — a great contrast for the spirited blooms! Just like its relatives, the more sun and warmth the better for this guy!
Versatile for application and use: The large, stately structure of this tropical wonder is not only excellent for backdrops in good-sized, open gardens but also for along building foundations, in street and parking lot medians, and in the center of large containers. While the rhizomes are only hardy in warmer zones (8 to 11), then can easily be overwintered indoors if grown cooler areas or simply treated as an annual. The President Canna looks great when grown alone, behind dwarf cannas, or among other brightly-colored summer bloomers such as dahilas. Need another reason to grow these beauties? Hummingbirds love them!
(Source: mslehv user – Dave’s Garden)
Bridget’s Garden Tip: One of the biggest mistakes in planting cannas which I found through my years of providing gardening guidance to others is planting the rhizomes too deeply. Cannas really only need just a slight layer (maybe 1/2″ or 1″ at most!) of soil cover — planting any deeper will most surely lead to the “drowning” of the rhizome, resulting in a rotted rhizome of mush. Also, be sure to plant them with any visible nodes pointing upwards which will encourage the sprouts to emerge faster.
