How to Design a Canna Flower Bed

The dramatic foliage and blooms of cannas (Canna spp.) aren't suited to every flower bed. Lush canna leaves in shades of green, copper, purple and gold frame tropical, lilylike flowers in fiery colors, and this combination makes a powerful statement. A flower bed design with cannas requires equally strong plants to provide balance. Despite their exotic appeal, however, no hard-and-fast rules govern canna flower bed design. Keep a few design tips in mind, however, to maximize the cannas' impact in the garden.

Graph paper
Colored pencils

Instructions

- 1
  Sketch the outline of your potential garden bed on graph paper. Size the bed to accommodate at least 10 canna plants for the best effect. Pay particular attention to the bed's background; cannas have intensely colored, complex flower heads and variegated leaves that clash with busy backgrounds. Adjust the location as necessary.
- 2
  
  The warm colors of yellow marigolds and red cannas blend.
  
  Mark existing plants in the bed and note the bloom or foliage colors. Choose canna varieties that complement existing plant colors and grow to the appropriate height for your garden bed. Cannas range from 1-foot-tall dwarf varieties to giants over 5 feet tall.
- 3
  Mass the cannas in a central point rather than in a thin row or scattered throughout the garden bed. Shade the areas on your sketch with the appropriate colored pencils and review the plan to ensure the colors complement each other.
- 4
  Edge the garden bed with shorter plants in unobtrusive or complementary colors. Avoid pastel colors -- the variation in hue against the bold cannas is too abrupt for most gardens. Instead, find plants with finely textured foliage, such as ornamental grasses or vinca, to add contrast. Choose plants tall enough to hide the cannas' lower stalks that don't obscure their colorful foliage.
- 5
  
  Spring annuals add color until cannas appear.
  
  Set container-grown plants in the prepared bed according to your sketch. Space canna rhizomes according to their mature size. Adjust the plants to your satisfaction before planting.

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