Welcome back to my garden!

Have you ever seen flowering anthuriums and said, “Wow!” What a beauty! Well, I am here to tell you that you can plant and grow your own anthuriums by starting with one plant (which sends out a lot of suckers that you can easily propagate), and using best practices coupled with my experience in growing anthuriums over the years. Believe me, it’s not rocket science. But you have to be committed and consistent in their maintenance.

The anthurium andraenum, commonly called anthurium (aka flamingo flower, painter’s pallet or lace leaf) is an exotic-looking ornamental perennial plant with glossy, heart-shape leaves and shiny flowers in a range of colours — red, pink, white, green, yellow, orange, burgundy, as well as variegated. Its name is derived from two Greek words, Anthos (flowers) and Oura (tail). The flower is the central “spadix” (similar to that of the peace lily (Spathyphyllum) made up of lots of tiny blooms. The showy part of what is generally referred to as the bloom is the spathe. What is commonly referred to as the bloom is a combination of the spadix and the spathe, actually an adapted leaf. These blooms appear intermittently throughout the year and will last for six to eight weeks on the plant. The anthurium is native to tropical rainforests and therefore thrives in a warm, well-lit (no direct sunlight) area with high humidity and in a well-draining (porous) soil. However, commercially, planting is generally done in a non-soil medium. In Jamaica, a coconut husk is the medium of choice.

Please join me in my courtyard where I house my collection of anthuriums, which have been exhibited at the annual Jamaica Horticultural Society’s Flower Show and copped several ribbons, trophies and cups over the years. As you can see, the courtyard is covered with a 50 per cent shade mesh which provides bright indirect light, one of the main criteria mentioned before. The walls are tastefully decorated with Mexican and Talavera art and vases, gifted to me by my daughters. Again, I encourage you to make your garden your own with things that are whimsical or have sentimental value, to pique interest.

The anthuriums are strategically mounted on stands with larger ones at the back and in the corners to maximise space, while the others are layered on tiered wrought-iron stands. Because there are so many plants in the courtyard, I have captured some of the jaw-dropping blooms individually and they are highlighted throughout this article.

The following tips will help you to grow and care for your anthuriums:

Grow

• Soil: Use a porous (well-draining soil) soil mixture of perlite, compost, osmocote slow-release fertiliser, potting mix (no dirt too heavy), bone meal (if available) and coir chips/cutting to place on top of soil after potting to retain moisture (when you buy jelly coconut, dry the husk and cut into small squares — DIY costs less!).

• Soil Ph: Acidic – 5.5-6.5

• Light: Bright indirect light will promote robust plants and larger blooms. Low light will retard growth and result in pale, smaller and fewer blooms. Direct light or full sun will scorch leaves and flowers.

Care

• Mist plants regularly and/or place on top of pebbles in a saucer with water (remember to change water in saucer often to prevent mosquito larvae).

• Place blooming plants inside near a sunny window or in a brightly lit area and rotate every two weeks.

• Do not overwater (use the finger test — when the top few centimetres feel dry, water; if moist, don’t water).

• Spray with neem oil (organically) or chemically with a systemic insecticide/fungicide/mitecide — three-in-one every two weeks at the roots and on foliage.

• Don’t forget the slugs and snails — they thrive in this environment. Chemically use any brand containing metaldehyde for general control of slugs and snails. Organically, setting beer in a container, or as I do from time to time — have a slug party at nights, armed with a pair of surgical gloves, newspaper, salt, a flashlight or light from your cellphone and a container and party on! Go pull those slugs/snails from your beautiful precious plants.

• Fertilise “weak weekly” with a chemical fertiliser 20-20-20 and blossom booster using the right proportions according to instructions.

• Propagate by removing suckers and plant in a small pot and graduate to a larger pot as plant grows. Do not plant suckers in a larger pot as it will retain too much water and use too much soil.

• Do cut your flowers and place in a vase and put inside your house, cut stems every two days and change water and add a little of the cut flowers’ plant food — use any commercial flower food available as per instructions.

Remember, plant something and watch it grow! Happy gardening!