Rethink Coleus - It Could Become This Summer's New Garden Favorite
At one time Coleus was a protected houseplant that was shared with friends by cuttings. We fed them a monthly dose of diluted fish emulsion and pinched off the blue flower heads to preserve their beauty. The plant was found in Java and named by Karl Blume (1796-1862). Similar to the tulip mania, Coleus was the plant to have in the 1800s. Their Latin genus name was changed in 1990 from Coleus Blumei to Solenostemon scutellarioides. Today's gardeners can have Coleus for the sun as well as shade and choose a color range from white and lime green to almost black purple. In our area they are usually treated as annuals. Ray Rogers, author of Coleus: Rainbow Foliage for Containers and Gardens said in a phone interview, that you should not jump into Coleus to try to get fabulous beds the first year. Grow a bunch of them in containers, Rogers said. Group them in several combinations. Then next year you can wow your neighbors with beds of the ones you like. He also said that the Proven Winne...