Carnivorous Garden: Fabulous Foliage

In the carnivorous garden we mostly have carnivorous plants (hence the clever name"Carnivorous Garden"), but since they are all in containers due to their soil and water needs, we have other plants around them.  Right now the big star of the show is this unknown Canna.

unknown Canna

Really the plants around the carnivorous containers are there due to their fabulous foliage.  For example, we have a variety of coleus planted in the beds around the perimeter of the space.

Another interesting plant we have is Jatropha gossypifolia.  It has red glossy foliage  with long petioles covered with yellow-green hairs.  It is an annual here, but self sows all over the garden.  We pull whatever is in the wrong spot and keep a few that end up where we want them.

The plants in these beds also have different shapes, sizes and textures that add a lot of interest.  Below you can see one of the Jatrophas mixed with Castor Bean, Elephant Ears and a Canna.     

This garden is really filling in and should look really lush in a few more weeks.  Here's a few photos to show how much it has changed already.  The first photo was taken in April, the second in May and the third in June.

Unfortunately, Texas summers are hard on the carnivorous plants themselves.  The summer heat doesn't seem to kill the plants, just kind of toast them, making the edges brown and dulling their colors.  It's a work in progress and hopefully we will eventually figure out how to give them the full sun they need while preserving their beauty.