Subtropical Garden in Carmel Valley

This is the time the ornamental kale at its peak. I have a few ornamental kale started from a six-pack in the spring of 2005. Now they are about 4 feet tall. The colorful leaves are a kaleidoscope of purple, pink, and green or green yellow and white. They look like huge rose blossoms, but last a lot longer. They are also easy to propagate. Just cut a branch off from the plant and stick it to the ground when it is warm and it will root and grow right away. They also last a long time as cut flowers since they are actually colored leaves. Sometimes, the stem will even sprout roots in the vase. The rooted stem can then be planted in the ground. Ornamental kale is a perennial here in San Diego . It will flower in the early spring. The flowers are actually quite attractive. They are typical Brassia flowers, however, the color is a bright yellow and flower shoot is quite long with numerous 4-petal flowers. I have seen gardens beds with flower ornamental kales that w