Colocasia

Lessons from a Dead Ear

| Flower Roberts

I keep seeing the empty spot where it should have been. (Under the left window)

I need to fill it in with something so I will quit chastising myself.

Frydek belongs there, but it is gone because of me.

Yes, I cried when it died. It was my fault, you see.

I am overprotective of everything, including my plants.

It is exhausting.

I used to dig up my ears and bring them all in to overwinter.

I thought they needed protection from freezing. Protection from rotting…

I do not do that anymore because of Frydek.

I brought them all in the fall of 2018. To keep them safe.

Frydek was dug first and put in the bottom of the barrel.

Layers of peat and paper were piled up in the barrel.

Ear, peat, paper, ear, peat, paper

Somehow water got in the barrel. Frydek was in the bottom.

Frydek rotted. Frydek died being protected.

I left all the ears out last fall. They all survived.

Frydek is gone. Its space is still here. All the other ears are here.

Reminding me that I need to quit over-mothering everything.

I will try to remember that because of Frydek.

Flow

https://floweralley.org/2018/08/04/a-new-leaf/

 

 

Ear Combo

| Flower Roberts

I planted Black Beauty Elephant Ear with Mojito Elephant Ear this year.

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I think the combination brings out the black patches in the Mojito’s leaves.

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These are planted beside one of the ponds and can be viewed from the deck above.

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I like this combo of ears.

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Flow

Cover Your Ears

| Flower Roberts

Well actually, by now it is really cover your tubers.

Elephant ear leaves got bitten off by the first freeze.

Now, it is time to protect the mama tuber and her baby sidekicks(pups).

I sometimes dig some up to store inside my workshop, but since it is all ready full I am risking losing some of my Colocasia collection.

I did bring in some baby Coffee Cup /Colocasia escuelenta shoots earlier.

I only have one bunch of Mojitos now, so I covered them really well.

Be sure to not only mulch around the stems, but also between the stems.

There have been years when I did not mulch at all.

What usually happens is the big mama turns to pink mush, but some of the deeper baby tubers survive. These take years to get as big as they were previously.

Don’t forget your bananas. They should be in a ring of mulch also.

Cover your ears. Here comes winter.

FLOWER

 

Art on Every Leaf

| Flower Roberts

I love all Elephant Ears/ Colocasias.

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I have many varieties.

 

My favorite is Mojito.

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Every leaf is a different mosaic of blacks and greens.

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No two leaves are alike.

 

 

Even the tiny leaves have beautiful patterns.

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They thrive in shade or partial sun. They love water.

So lovely. So easy.

Mix it up with a Mojito.

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FLOWER