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.
Coleus
Looking for an intro to coleus plants?
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!
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.
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.
No need to cry when you see this alligator…
If you want a relatively large, green and white, alligator in your yard next summer…try an Alligator Tears coleus. They grow about 20 to 30 inches in height. Very nice in the garden, especially if you plant something with other colors near it.
THE book about Coleus plants…
Anyone who wants to know just about everything about Coleus plants should read Coleus: Rainbow Foliage For Containers and Gardens by Ray Rogers.
Have you ever seen a Religious Radish?
Coleus plants often get unusual names. One that stands out is the Religious Radish. Here’s an example…
Can a green plant stand out in your garden? Yep.
Your garden is predominately green. True. But, you can have something stand out…something like Electric Lime.
It’s almost Coleus time!
It’s cold outside. It snowed last week. Nothing is growing. So…it’s almost coleus time! The catalogs are coming in. New coleus plants are listed! It wasn’t so long ago that you would find a handful of varieties of coleus plants. On one site I visited recently there were about a hundred! Now is the time to look for the plants you want for the spring. Happy Coleus Planting!