Ornamental Cabbage and Kale

Home gardeners who wish to have year-round color in their flower beds and borders are faced with a dilemma in attempting to locate appropriate plants for use in late autumn and winter. One group of plants that has been developed to fit in this time slot are the ornamental cabbages and kales. Both are classified as Brassica oleracea (the same as edible cabbages, broccoli, and cauliflower), but the ornamentals are better for coloring the garden than they are for eating. While these plants are listed as flowering cabbage and kale, they are grown for their colorful leaves, not for their flowers.

Growing ornamental cabbage, ornamental kale: Grow in large pots in a soil mix and feed weekly with a water-soluble fertilizer as recommended on the package. Transplant to the garden or display container in September. Before transplanting, remove tatty bottom leaves. Plant into the ground so that the crown of leaves is flush with the soil surface (roots will grow along the buried stem).

Propagating ornamental cabbage, ornamental kale: Start new plants from seeds. Sow 6 weeks in advance of outdoor planting at 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not cover the cabbage seeds since light aids germination, conversely, cover kale seeds with 1/4 inch of soil.

Uses for ornamental cabbage, ornamental kale: Kale or cabbage are best planted in areas where you can peer into the center-on slopes, doorsteps, decks, and patios. They're also successful in ground beds and in large plantings.

Ornamental cabbage, ornamental kale related varieties: Dynasty Series cabbage in link, red, or white have semi-waved leaves. Ornamental kale in red or white include: Chidori Series, Osaka Series, and Nagoya Series, which are all heavily fringed and especially uniform, and the Peacock Series, which is more compact than others.