The weather pattern going into early July was nothing short of brutal, and I hope that by the time you read this, it will have passed. But I am in Georgia and not counting on it. If you are wondering what plant can exist with such heat and humidity, think Heart to Heart Caladiums. Not only can they exist but they will beautify and lend a touch of the tropics to the landscape.

Caladiums have changed so much in recent years; you will be shocked at the colors and patterns you will find on the foliage. I am a graduate of Texas A&M and spent many years on the staff of Mississippi State University. I say that to help you understand I bleed maroon and white.

While I say that, there is a caladium that defies logic with its beauty, pattern and colors of burnt orange, white and green. It is called Heart to Heart Dawn to Dusk. It is a fancy-leafed caladium reaching 20 inches tall with an equal spread. It is also considered a shade caladium regarding light intensity. But believe me: When the sun hits the leaves either from low angles or perhaps penetrates through branches of the tree canopy above, you will see nature’s painting come to fruition in your landscape.

I recently visited my neighbors, Dave and Cynthia, to see how their plants were handling this summer’s weather of extremes. I saw the most beautiful combination featuring Heart to Heart Dawn to Dusk. They created the partnership using Golden Delicious pineapple sage as the background for the burnt orange, white and green.

Over the years I have grown Heart to Heart Dawn to Dusk with Soprano impatiens in orange, red and salmon and they too were beautiful. Some of my favorite companions have been the Let’s Dance hydrangeas that tend to bloom in shades of blue at my house. The orange and blue pair up in a delightful contrast

This year I am using Heart to Heart Dawn to Dusk at one end of my River of Caladiums, where they will be partnered with conifers that have chartreuse-colored foliage. If you have never planted caladium bulbs, or if it has been a few years since your last endeavor, two things have happened to make your task oh-so-easy. The first thing is the development of the Twist 'n Plant auger that attaches to a cordless drill. Proven Winners recommend to plant Heart to Heart caladiums about 2 inches deep. With the auger, digging is easy. Using an 8- to 12-inch spacing, it will take no time to get the bed planted.

But the second modification to the caladium bulb planting process involves deciding what goes down, or in this case up. I kid you not, there have been many frustrating moments as bulbs were rotated in gardeners’ hands trying to make this decision. Each Heart to Heart caladium bulb has been painted white on the side that goes up. When you see the white paint looking at you from the hole, you have achieved the "green thumb."

Caladiums are easy to grow from a maintenance standpoint. Give your caladiums fertile well-drained soil with consistent moisture. Boggy soil, droughty soil or too much fertilizer are issues most often seen. Heart to Heart Dawn to Dusk is a fancy-leaf type that becomes a showstopping display whether in raised beds or containers.

If planting caladiums at this point in the season means you most likely will be shopping transplants, that is no problem if you find a color and variety you like. But next year, plan on ordering Heart to Heart caladium bulbs to make sure you get the colors you want.

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(Norman Winter, horticulturist, garden speaker and author of “Tough-as-Nails Flowers for the South” and “Captivating Combinations: Color and Style in the Garden.” Follow him on Facebook @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy.)

(NOTE TO EDITORS: Norman Winter receives complimentary plants to review from the companies he covers.)

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