It wasn’t long ago I drove through historic Madison, Ga., and I dug out my cell phone calling my wife to tell her I had found the place I wanted to live. I had not met the first person but
It wasn’t long ago I drove through historic Madison, Ga., and I dug out my cell phone calling my wife to tell her I had found the place I wanted to live. I had not met the first person but the square was so picturesque with sidewalk cafes and planters everywhere I looked. Isn’t it funny how flowers can literally transform a city?
That same idea holds true for your home whether we are talking landscape, porch or patio. Flowers will change your mood dramatically. If you are trying to sell your home, you will find the addition of flowers will most likely see it selling faster and commanding a higher price.
But that day in Madison everything seemed special. It looked as though Norman Rockwell would have surely placed it on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post. The decked out planters that had me digging out the camera all had one thing in common: The combinations included coleus plants.
Whenever I give garden seminars I show somewhere close to 80 images of my favorite plants and combinations. With tongue in cheek, I warn participants that should they get confused seeing so many plants just remember to plant coleus. Plant coleus with coleus and plant coleus with flowers and the bed or planters will surely be dazzling. This day Madison, Ga., proved it.
It seems like it was only yesterday that I was participating in a trial with Texas A & M University trying to identify sun-tolerant coleus. The good selections could be counted on one hand. Things have changed dramatically over the last decade, making coleuses must-have plants for sun, shade, home or city beautification.
Coleuses are low-maintenance plants that are easy to grow. They are almost foolproof when grown in well-drained soil and watered through drought periods. They are also excellent for large planters, especially when grown in combination with trailing or cascading plants. Madison had some with ornamental sweet potatoes, some with Dragon Wing begonias and others with spreading petunias. In all cases, they were photo perfect.
Coleus can be planted now for months of enjoyment, through the long, hot growing season ahead. Organic matter always can improve bedding soil and this is one of the keys to success with coleus. If you have heavy clay soil, organic matter will improve drainage and aeration thus allowing for better root development. Liberal amounts of organic matter help sandy soil hold water and nutrients.
Organic matter, which improves soil and serves as a food source for soil fungi and bacteria, comes in the form of peat moss, composted grass clippings, barnyard fertilizer, shredded bark, leaves or even shredded newspapers. Add enough organic matter to physically change the soil structure. Ideally, at least one-third of the final soil mix should be some type of organic material. If you are going to use containers, choose a good light-weight planting mix. Buying a brand that also contains slow-release fertilizer will pay dividends, getting your combinations off to a flying start.
About a month after transplanting and again in midsummer, feed plants again with a light application of a slow-released fertilizer. We grow coleus for its fabulous foliage, so once flower buds start to form, pinch them off and don’t forget coleuses are among the easiest plants to propagate by cutting.
Whether you garden in the landscape or in large containers, your combinations will look more riveting if you add coleus to the mix. Talk to your certified nursery professional about the best selections for sun and shade.
Norman Winter is executive director of The National Butterfly Center in Mission, Texas, and author of “Tough-as-Nails Flowers for the South” and “Captivating Combinations: Color and Style in the Garden.” Contact him at winternaba.org.
