We're being budget conscious this year, so decided to plant coleus in nearly all our flower pots. Coleus has been one of our favorite plants each year, regardless of price. A planting like this:
turns into pots like this in a matter of weeks.
Coleus are extremely easy care (just pinch back every couple of weeks and they stay thick and full) and they seem to thrive in sun or shade. There are dozens of varieties in a rainbow of gorgeous colors, and once they are established, cuttings can be rooted and planted in new pots. Coleus don't have as long an outdoor life in Kansas since they do not tolerate the cold at all, but they can be brought inside to brighten up the house for most of the winter. I had a few pots that made it through the winter inside without getting too leggy or pale. Here are some more of our coleus plantings this year (and again, these pots will be thick and full in a few weeks.)
The great coleus caper
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5 comments :
I have never tried coleus before, but I have about spent my budget on shrubs and bushes, and need to fill a few containers. I reclaimed an old open washing machine with a wringer on it that was probably one of the first electric ones. I am wondering what to put in it. Think I might try this, would give me perfect height too. Thanks for the idea. Will post a picture sometime when I am complete! Have a great one.
Coleus would look awesome in an old washing machine! And it would cost you a little bit of nothing! If you can find mixed flats, you could fill a tub with only 8-10 tiny plants. Give them plenty of room because they crowd each other out before you know it. The first year, we bought big plants and planted them close together and learned our lesson! I'd LOVE to see a photo when they're planted. Be sure and take a "before" shot so you can post an amazing "after" one! :) The care tag will likely say part sun or shade, but we had our pots on the back deck on the west side of the house and they didn't seem to mind the sun.
Oh your coleus is beautiful. I think I may have to go get some.
Elizabeth
There were coleus growing outside the art building every year and I loved them! But the real question is Aunt Debbie.....are the native to Kansas? :)
Alas, Sam, coleus are TROPICAL--not native to North America, let alone Kansas. But they're so beautiful (and cheap) that we decided to allow them...at least in pots. : ) Actually there are a number of plants in our garden that aren't really Kansas natives. Most everything that grows along the entire length of the fence is exactly what you'd find out in any Kansas cow pasture, but the closer you get to the house the more likely you'll find a few interlopers. In the pots, anything goes. African daisies filled one of my favorite pots last year. : )
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