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The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 21, 2008

There's something about pink. It connotes innocence, encourages romance and embodies joy. Put it in the garden, and who knows what

the birds and the bees will do!

Pink is said to have a calming effect, writes Kendra Van Wagner on About.com: Psychology, adding a shade called "drunk-tank pink" is sometimes used in prisons to calm inmates.

The color has transformative powers in the garden, too. Pastel pink under a big shade tree can make the area appear brighter. In sunny spaces, pastels will look washed out, so go for hot pink or another bold shade. Plant pinks alongside yellows, oranges or purples for a bright summer splash.

Rob and Fran Gamester of Town 'N Country have a shaded backyard and sunny front yard, where they also have pink impatiens and (they hope) pink plumeria. Fran, president of the Town 'N Country Garden Circle, is a big fan of pink.

Hydrangea macrophylla

Their stunning, ball-shaped clusters of flowers make hydrangeas popular but, in Florida, you won't find them on any list of super-easy plants. They like warmth, and bloom in the summer, but will wilt in the sun. Plant in shade or dappled shade. The flowers are pH-sensitive: they'll be purple or blue in acidic soil, white or dull green in neutral dirt, pink in alkaline soil.

Jacobinia

Justicia

Jacobinia is a Southern perennial that loves the shade. Its big pompom blossoms light up dark areas like disco balls. The shrub varieties can grow up to 7 feet tall. The Gamesters have had theirs for several years. They easily propagate by rooting

cuttings.

Jacobinia also does well as

a container plant.

Mandevilla

With big, bright trumpet-shaped blossoms, the fast-growing mandevilla vine quickly creates drama in the garden. It blooms profusely through the summer, sporadically the rest of the year and loves the sun. Watch out for fuzzy orange oleander caterpillars, which will chew up the leaves. (You can pick them off by hand.) Mandevilla cultivars produce yellow, white or red flowers.

Portulaca

grandiflora

(Moss rose)

A sun-loving, summer-blooming annual, moss rose comes in bright yellow, red, white and orange. It grows about 6 inches tall with trailing branches. Drought-tolerant, it does well in poor, sandy or gravelly soils.

Camellia

They require the right spot and the right soil, but make a camellia happy and you'll be glad you made the effort. Different varieties produce vivid shades of pink blossoms, red or white in the fall and winter. Plant en masse for a striking hedge, or alone for a specimen plant.

Soil should be fertile, slightly acidic and well drained, in an area that gets light shade and protection from icy winds.

Penny Carnathan

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