Want to add colour to your garden in an unexpected way? If you’ve never considered kalanchoe, you’re not alone. These plants are often depicted as houseplants – and don’t get me wrong, ‘Kalanchoe Garden’ make wonderful, easy-care plants for the home – but in the summer months, with the last frost behind you, they make a fantastic outdoor plant, too!
Planting kalanchoe outdoors
That’s right – you can plant kalanchoe in the garden. Kalanchoe is a succulent plant that is native to Madagascar, which means it’s used to warm weather (zones 10 to 12, for most varieties), so wait until after the last frost before planting outside. This plant is known for its colourful flowers, which are available in almost every hue of the rainbow. Stick to one colour if you’re running with a theme, or mix it up with a variety!
Kalanchoe Garden can be grown indoors or outdoors, and it is a popular choice for rock gardens and xeriscapes. If you are planning to plant kalanchoe in your garden, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. First, kalanchoe needs full sun to very light shade. It also needs well-drained soil. If your soil is not well-drained, you can add sand or perlite to improve drainage.
A relatively low-maintenance plant, kalanchoe does not need to be watered often, and it is not susceptible to many pests or diseases. However, you can fertilise kalanchoe every few months during the growing season to stimulate growth and encourage better blooms.
Kalanchoes will flower for 100 days – which means plenty of colour for your garden!
Colour of the year: Viva Magenta
We’re well into 2023, and already we’ve seen plenty of use of Pantone’s Colour of the Year – and if you didn’t already know, it’s a bold and vibrant shade of magenta called Viva Magenta. This vivacious hue is a powerful and empowering colour that encourages self-expression and experimentation. It’s a bold statement that is sure to make an impact in your outdoor space!
While magenta is the colour of the moment, it’s important not to forget those complementary shades that go with it: blush, dark pink and red. Luckily, Kalanchoe Garden are available in all of these hues, which means that you can have the chicest garden on the block – if you so wish!
No matter how you choose to use kalanchoe, it will undoubtedly add colour and cheer to your space. So go ahead and embrace these bold plants!
Kalanchoe Garden are great value and widely available from garden centres in module packs. For Kalanchoe care information and style inspiration, visit kalanchoe.nl/en or follow on Instagram @kalanchoe.nl
Michael has been involved with gardening and plants since he was just five years old. He is a self-professed Plant Geek, and was listed in the Sunday Times top 20 most influential people in the gardening world, thanks to his plant hunter role at Thompson & Morgan.
Michael was responsible for new plant introductions such as the Egg and Chips plant and the FuchsiaBerry and keeps busy travelling the world in search of new plants as well as lecturing worldwide, including stints in Japan. He is very active on social media – so why not give him a follow at @mr_plantgeek or Facebook. You can also listen to The Plant Based Podcast with Michael and co-host Ellen-Mary on iTunes, Spotify and Google.
Leave a Reply
