Have you tried Trusty Rusty…yet?

- Joel Heffner

I like red coleus plants the best. Red is my favorite color. While looking through a garden center in New Jersey (Brock’s on Route 1) I came across these Trusty Rusty coleus plants.

Trusty Rusty Coleus

Mainly red with a yellow/green border these coleus plants will be great. They will grow to be about 18″-24″ tall and 16″-24″ wide. The tag says they should be in partial shade and will be fine from sprint to first frost.

Be careful when it gets hot, coleus can dry out quickly. Once watered they usually make a dramatic recovery.

Enjoy your coleus!

Gardening Photo Tip (i.e. How to take a portrait of a coleus…)

- Joel Heffner

The most important tip for shooting a coleus, or any other plant, is to move in closer! The closer you get the more detail you’ll see. All that was needed to take this coleus portrait was an iPhone and some shade.

It’s January in Home Depot…

- Joel Heffner

The calendar says January. The temperature says it’s cold. It’s cloudy.

We were in the local Home Depot and stopped by the gardening department. Here’s what I found! 🙂

This Rainbow Mix is a great way to start with Coleus growing in the spring. For $1.37 you can’t go wrong.

Looking for an intro to coleus plants?

- Joel Heffner

If you’ve never tried to grow a coleus, you might want to try the Wizard Mix available at Park Seed. You get 40 seeds for just $1.50 (plus shipping). They will grow to about 10 to 12 inches in height. Get the seeds early so you’ll have them in time to grow the coleus in the spring.

Don’t sneeze near coleus seeds!

- Joel Heffner

Be very careful. Try not to sneeze near an open pack of coleus seeds. Coleus seeds are extremely tiny. They can blow away in a second. They are also difficult to find once you put them on soil. However, some seeds are available that are pelleted. Much easier to work with. I’ve got my eye on Chocolate Covered Cherry available at Burpee.

Can a pineapple get a prize at a flower show? Yep.

- Joel Heffner

A few years ago, my wife entered a Pineapple Splash coleus at a local flower show and did very well. This is one of our favorite coleus plants. We took a cutting in at the end of the season, put it in water, watched the roots grow, and planted it again in the spring. Coleus make great cuttings.