Wow! talk about a man with a plan and tenacity to make it real! I love your construction. I'm assuming azaleas and caladiums mean you are looking for fairly low growing color in shade or part shade. That's my challenge too. If you are willing to start from seed and make annuals you might look at torena. Some begonias are easy to propagate from one hanging basket and would look great here and there. They might be hardy for you...I don't know. They are pretty tough. I have one variety in my greenhouse where other plants froze all around it and it is still covered with its fuzzy green leaves that have burgundy brown undersides. It bloomed all summer for me haning from the branches of a big old pecan tree. Persian Shield is one of my favorites, but it can get about 2 ft tall. I did mine up and haul it in for winter. Inevitably my greenhouse gets too cold and I am transplanting what looks like dormant roots in spring. They come back beautifully. Soooo, it may be happy to live in your landscape year round. I love the lollipop or shrimp plants. Again I have to haul them in and out...but they come out looking like sticks and come back to life. Again, they aren't really low growing but they may have relatives that are. pink polka dot plant is in the same category for me...might be hardy for you. I plant anemones and pansies and tulips in the fall where I had caladiums in summer. They need sun but I have sun until the trees leaf out. Don't forget amaryllis! They aren't just for Christmas anymore and they make a great show in spring while the soil warms for the caladiums. Certain daffodils and crocus return for me too. ranunculus are tubers and you can lift them when they are done blooming, allow them to dry and replant. Same with anemones. Some return on their own if unlike me you aren't always digging. I plant Sun coleus in part sun. It stays smaller an less color, but they root easily and one plant makes many if you're willing to take the time. I also plant pentas in several hours of sun. of course there is turk's cap, a returning staple for me is salvia black and blue and argentine skies. (I want to say that are gargantua...or something like that). Yes, you get more flowers in more sun but they are lovely with the tall red turks cap behind them and yellow lollipops in front. All this for a few hours of sun. what else...purple peppers are less purple in less sun but are surprisingly interesting with black to red ornamental peppers. Easy to save seeds or allow to reseed. Again a little sun goes a long way. rambling on as usual. If you've never seen Persian Shield search for it online. It loves the shade. will you promise you will keep posting pictures as your passion evolves???? Oh check out the Texas Garden forum if you haven't already.

I was surprised to see the map says June 1st. I've been told the last frost around here is early May. I know that might seem a bit late, but even though June 1st is well after your last frost date, the soil needs to warm. Caladiums do not like cool wet soil. Here is an interesting readStarting Caladiums Indoors. Members claim that those planting directly in the soil soon caught up with those that had been stated early. Here is another good read...How to Grow Caladium Plants My one growing experience with Caladiums was a bad one. I planted them too early, and then did not keep them watered properly later in the season, after the soil had dried out from the spring rains. Sue

I agree, they will not be any good if they are stored for an entire year. You do know that the ones you plant this year, can be dug this fall, and stored for the winter and then grown again next year, don't you? I guess if you did not want to dig them, you could plant them in a big pot, and then just overwinter the whole pot in an area between 60 and 75 degrees. Sue...chemocurl Here is a link that might be useful: Digging and storing caladiums...at the bottom.

you should not wait until the frost to dig out caladiums. the frost can damage the corms. besides when it's wet and cool - the corms might rot very easily or mildew. the leaves will start declining anyway when temps go below 65F. they need soil at min 75F (higher is better) to sprout. if you put them in shallow plastic grocery tubs with lids on south window and dampen the peat slightly, keeping them somewhat covered with the lid and slightly damp - they will sprout in about a month. but if the night temps drop below 65F - it will take much longer. bottom heat from radiator/heading pad helps a lot to speed things up. when caladium tubers are very small (less then half inch) - it's better to keep them in a pot overwinter , dry. when the leaves have declined (lost color completely and wilted) but still attached, trim the stalk to 2-3 " and then dig them up soon after - you'll know exactly where the tubers are when stems are still showing. let them dry up for a few days in shade or in the garage - free of rain. then you can gently brush them with a brush from soil (toothbrush serves well) and pull the dry stems off and dried up roots. then you can put them in shallow pots with peat/starter soil and keep them cool - 50F ok, but 60F is fine too. do not put them in the fridge. check them in march for growing tips. you can start sprouting them in mar or in april or even in may. depending on how large the shoots are.