If one wants to bring color to any landscape, then consider purchasing plants with colored leaves. This colorful foliage can be as attractive as flowers and offer change if wanted throughout the growing season.

Before bringing colored leaves into the landscape be sure to consider the existing flowers so unwanted combinations do not hinder the desired effect.

Today, there are many options of color which include vines that are yellow, lime green, or dark purple. Then, there are the variegated leaves with yellow, white or pink borders.

One can add a trellis, pot, or arbor to accent any area with colorful leaves. A purple-leaved 'Blackie' sweet potato will compliment any container. The lime green color of the 'Margarita' sweet potato will give notice to a background of evergreens. The purple-leaved 'Purpurea' grape will deepen to a dark red-purple color in fall.

How about some light yellow accents of Buttercup English Ivy on the bark of a Scarlet maple tree in the fall. One might like the dark red leaves of Boston Ivy in the fall growing along a dark fence background.

If color is on your landscape list, then consider the beauty of colorful leaves. The diversity these plants can bring will excite any gardener. So, start making a list of new additions; spring will soon be here!

XXX

Peach Leaf Curl and Plum Pocket

These two fungal diseases are not noticed until spring, but at that time there are no cures. Home

gardeners can mix a lime-sulfur mixture and apply now during the dormant season.

A Bordeaux mixture can be made by mixing four ounces of hydrated lime into 1 ½ gallons of water. In another container, mix four ounces of copper sulfate into 1 ½ gallons of water. After thoroughly mixing each separately, add them both to a sprayer and apply immediately. This spray will leave a bluish-whitish deposit on the branches. Be sure to cover the entire tree with the spray. This spray application, if applied properly, should protect the tree from these diseases. Each year during the dormant season, plum and peach trees should be sprayed.

Leaf symptoms of these diseases are sever puckering, distortion, and thickened textured leaves. The diseased leaves will appear purplish or red. The infected leaves do drop and the trees are forced to re-leaf.

These diseases do weaken trees because of the severe defoliation. Plan to get these trees sprayed now to protect the trees and keep them healthy.