Friday, September 24, 2010

An Alternative to Fall Mums: Beautiful Ornamental Cabbages and Kale


I happen to like fall mums, but not everyone does. Lets face it, mums are so overused that are kind of common. If you are searching for an alternative to fill your fall planters, may I recommend ornamental cabbages and kale. You can grow your own or like me, you can head to the local nursery to find them.


This beauty makes me think of an ocean wave, as they are sometimes rendered in Japanese art.


Ornamental cabbages are the same species as edible varieties of cabbage, but they are not as tasty as their cousins. 


One of the best things about ornamental cabbages and kale is that their remarkable foliage becomes even more vivid after the first few hard frosts.

6 comments:

  1. Jennifer, I am not a big fan of fall mums, they always seem a bit stiff to me, but the cabbage are great. We actually get tiny ones on longish stems to use in bouquets at the flower shop.

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  2. I agree, I have switches to mostly cabbages, kale and chard, some mums.

    Eileen

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  3. They're beautiful! I've been using them for years along with Mums (which I personally love) and fountain grass, which I grow in my backyard in containers then place them around the garden in the Fall. The cabbage & kale are catching on and they are readily available at a garden centre near you. Love this season!

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  4. I just LOVE ornamental kale! I had it in my first garden.

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  5. Those cabbages look great!
    Here in tokyo they usually have a lot of ornamental cabbages and kale in the public planters on the street at some city districts, they look great growing on early winter

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  6. What a wonderful idea. I didn't realize they would survive a frost. Perhaps next year I might try these.

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