Can I grow canna lilies outside in my garden?
They look like they should grow in Hawaii, not Seattle. A: If you have sun and moist soil, you can grow these exotic-looking yet hardy perennials outdoors. You can even set their pots right into a pond, where their paddle-shaped leaves look natural emerging from the water. Cannas turn black at the first frost, when you should cut down the foliage and protect them during the winter with mulch. Don’t expect them to rebound quickly in our cold springs, but by late May the leaves emerge from the ground and grow quickly into statuesque, showy plants with vivid flowers ranging from yellow through orange to scarlet. Deadhead as the flowers wither, and your cannas will reward you by blooming until frost. Especially showy are Canna glauca with blue-green leaves and nectarine colored blooms and Canna ‘Bengal Tiger’ with intensely orange flowers set off by yellow-striped leaves. Valerie Easton also writes about Plant Life in Sunday’s Pacific Northwest Magazine. Call 206-464-8470 or e-mail plantta
