Are you a gardener looking to add some color to the landscape around your house? Caladiums are a very good choice.

“They’ll give color in your garden all summer long,” said Wayne Childers, owner of New Hope Greenhouses.

“They are excellent to do with mixed containers in the shade. I wish they were used more in the landscape than what they are. The foliage is what’s so striking.”

Interested in planting them around your house and yard? Here is important information you need to know about them.

1. What type of flower are caladiums?

Caladiums are a bulb flower that blooms in the summer.

2. When is the best time to set them out?

When the danger of frost is over. The month of May is a really good time. Anytime that the ground is warm would be good.

3. Where should I plant them?

 In a good shady area. Don’t plant in full sun because they tend to burn. And they do real well in mixed containers and pots with different combination of planting. That really brings out the color.

4. How do I prepare the soil for planting?

You need to do a bed prep. Make sure you have some good soil in there that will hold the moisture and don’t put them directly into the red clay. Put in about one third red clay with two thirds soil conditioner, like mushroom compost or some type of organic matter. They don’t require a lot of fertilizer. Just keep them relatively moist. You don’t want to keep them too, too wet.

5. How many varieties are there to choose from?

There’s hundreds to choose from. You have the solid whites, the reds, the speckled. You different ones with different sizes. You have miniature ones and tall ones.

Some of your pinks, reds, and whites are the most popular ones.