Sunny and Warm in January by Janet Shangraw

Today is a spectacular day; one of the rare pleasures of January.  The temperature is in the upper 60’s, the sky is blue and I heard birds singing outside the window.  Welcome to Colorado!  Next week the temperature will plummet to the 20’s or below for most of the week. 

So today, I’m going to sit in the sun and contemplate how to make my front porch inviting when spring is here to stay.  For the past several years I have been experimenting with a white flower and foliage theme for potted plants that frame my entryway. 

By varying plant heights, foliage color, texture, and leaf shape the small, protected (shady) area of my porch becomes a peaceful sanctuary. A little water feature and white flowers to highlight the beautiful textures and colors of the foliage and you are done!

During the winter, look at magazines and seed catalogs to identify interesting textures and colors for plants.  I try to find as many colors of green in the foliage that I pick as possible. Here are two interesting plants that worked well last summer:

·       "Colorblaze Lifelime" coleus  has beautiful lime green foliage (part shade to shade) that grows 20 to 36 inches tall. 

coleus is behind the ornamental cabbage

·        Begnoia maculata var. Wightii is a shade-loving begonia with dark green leaves with white polka dots (yes, you read that right!).  The underside of the leaf is a deep red.  It has clusters of white flowers and grows 20 to 30 inches tall.  Mine is blooming still this winter (indoors, of course).  

Planting annual grasses in pots also gives nice texture and height.  A few large pots of white impatiens that fill in beautifully over the summer add a little spot of color, but don’t distract from the varieties of foliage.

Once spring is here and the nighttime temperatures are reliably above freezing, I bring my houseplants outside for a summer vacation.  Plant Talk article 1332 (click here to view article 1332) gives practical advice about caring for houseplants outdoors in the summer.  I bring my spider plants, peace lilies, and ferns outside.  They thrive in the summer and form the backdrop for the other plants that I purchase in the spring. 

Planting annual grasses in pots also gives nice texture and height.  I throw in a few pots of white impatiens that fill in beautifully over the summer and I’m done!

So enjoy the beautiful days when they come and do some planning.  Spring is on the way!