The blushing bride and her eye-catching straps put on quite the show last year. It’s so true, and I can imagine editors everywhere having palpitations as The Garden Guy goes rogue with seductive humor. Now that I have your attention, I am talking about Heart to Heart, Blushing Bride, Proven Winners "Caladium of the Year" for 2025. It is a strap-leaf variety hence the reference to "her straps."

The last few years I have been growing more caladiums than anytime in my life. One thing is certain, they are tough as nails and will perform in the garden until a killing frost. We basically think of caladiums as two types: fancy, which are heart-shaped, and strap, which are elongated and narrow but normally producing more leaves.

Heart to Heart Blushing Bride is a variety for sun or shade. I still find gardeners who haven’t tried sun-tolerant caladiums in the sun, refusing to believe. In other words, the gardener believes they will fry in the sun and thus plant in the shade. Nothing is wrong with planting in the shade; they are just missing out on an incredible opportunity if they indeed have sun available.

I had the opportunity to visit with Chad Harrison at the Young’s Plant Farm Annual Garden Tour last June in Auburn, Alabama. Chad is the East Coast regional sales manager for Abbott-Ipco, the parent company for Classic Caladiums. Chad excitedly took me around pointing out the dazzling selections growing in full sun. Among those showing out was Heart to Heart Blushing Bride.

The color was a saturated deep pink, even looking red with green margins. It reached about 21 inches tall. All of the varieties growing in full sun were worthy of a magazine cover. But be sure to know if your caladiums can take full sun before you plant.

Caladiums are native to Central and South America where temperatures and humidity are high. That sounds like a perfect match for my west Georgia climate. I love caladiums, both in containers and in beds. I usually plant jumbo bulbs using a Twist 'n Plant auger on the end of a cordless drill. You can plant dozens in very little time.

Heart to Heart Blushing Bride is an award-winning caladium from the get-go. You will want to plant your bulbs using an 8- to 10-inch spacing. Wait until the soil has warmed before planting. But now is a great time to start sourcing.

As a young horticulturist, I found myself satisfied growing caladiums in partnerships with impatiens, but now I seek out those opportunities with hydrangeas, reblooming azaleas, hostas, garden phlox and coleus.

So last year I planted Heart to Heart Blushing Bride with Shadowland Miss America, the Proven Winners "Host of the Year" for 2025. Perfecto Mundo Double Red azaleas and Tuff Stuff Ah-Ha hydrangeas were close by.

Jumbo caladium bulbs really represent some of the best value for your garden dollar. The garden becomes an oasis while your gazebo or tiki hut is transformed to a tropical paradise, all by adding caladium bulbs.

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(Norman Winter, horticulturist, garden speaker and author of “Tough-as-Nails Flowers for the South” and “Captivating Combinations: Color and Style in the Garden.” Follow him on Facebook @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy.)

(NOTE TO EDITORS: Norman Winter receives complimentary plants to review from the companies he covers.)

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