Why I Oughta...

A few days ago, I posted a couple of photos showing how I was using some frost covers to try to extend the dahlia-growing season just a little bit after the first 'hard frost' had arrived in our Zone.   I only have a couple of frost covers, so I wasn't covering *everything* in the garden, which lead to some things suffering from the cold.  The most-prominent plants that took the biggest hit from the frost is the coleus that I've planted as bedding plants.  In front and back.  Below are a few photos showing the 'morning after' - where the frost worked FAST to kill the Sun King coleus in the front yard island bed.   And, the large colony of Inferno Coleus in the backyard, near the patio died back, too: I'll leave this stand for a while and I assume the next time the frost arrives will be permanent for the Winter.  And, this will decline even more without the need to cut-back.  Most of the rest of the perennials weren't affected as significantl...

This year, I planted three small Inferno Coleus annuals in the newly (this year) expanded bed at the corner of our back patio .  This was the second year of growing this red foliage plant as a bedding annual.  Last year, I put them in the front yard island bed.  By August, I was declaring them a big success as they grew into big mounds of bright color that contrasted with everything green back there.  #6 on my 2026 to-do list was to grow 'more coleus as bedding plants' , so this was in service of that goal.  Last Fall, I wrote this "In Praise of Coleus As A Bedding Plant" post and this year, I've become even more of a fan.   Below is a look at the current state of this coleus.  I let it flower and 'go to seed' late in the season after pinching off the blooms for months earlier this Summer.  The color is striking: For Fall 2025 and the 2026 season, I'd like to remember to do a few things: 1.  Expand this bed this Fall using the 'lazy b...

Earlier this season, I planted three small Inferno Coleus plants in the small bed that sits at the corner of our back patio .  I had grown Inferno in the front yard last year and wanted to grow it again.  Have a look at the photo below - showing the late-Summer view of what started as three small plants.  I wanted to grow more coleus as bedding annuals in the beds , so I'd call this a success.  (#6 on my 2025 to-do list this year .) I'll grow Inferno again next year.  Maybe in multiple spots - as a form of 'repetition' to help improve 'legibility' with some colorful annuals.   Last Fall, I expanded this bed a bit.  I'll look to grow it even more this Fall with my 'lazy bed' method using cardboard, compost and municipal biosolids.  

A little over a month ago, I planted a pair of small quart-sized containers of a dark-red coleus named Flame Thrower in a patio container .  I had not grown this variety previously, but I liked the the shape of the foliage and having planted some Inferno coleus in the corner patio bed, I thought this would help with a little bit of 'garden legibility' via repetition.  Of colors and plants.   This container sits on our back stoop and gets full afternoon sun.  Being close to the house, it isn't until about mid-day when the sun arrives, but it sticks around here for just about as long as anywhere else in our backyard.   How is the coleus doing?  Very well, I'd say.  Below is a photo showing the current state of the pot.  A lesson learned for me:  coleus as a monoculture works well in a container like this. See that bright green next to the coleus?  I'll post about that tomorrow. 

Six-weeks-or-so ago, I planted twelve (12) Versa Gold coleus in the front yard Island bed.  They came in six-packs as small little plugs .  Fast-forward to this week, below is a photo showing the current state of the coleus (as bedding plants).  They've filled-in, puffed-up and branched-out.  I pinched the buds off of these about a week ago to help them continue to bush-out a little bit.   I have come at really like coleus as bedding plants in this bed - as this is my second year with them.  

  I've used coleus in a few spots in the garden as bedding annuals.  And, over the years, I've planted coleus as part of a mixed container.  But, this year, I'm trying something new (to me):  Using Coleus as a monoculture in a container on our back stoop.   I found this Flame Thrower Habanero Coleus at Menards and bought two quart-sized containers.   I've grown to really like the Inferno Coleus and have used it for a few years in a row.  This Flame Thrower Habanero coleus has a different leaf-shape, but is close in color.  From Ball Seed : Compact-to-medium coleus is perfect for quarts and mixed containers. Bold foliage colors in a compact habit make this striking coleus ideal for small pots and mixed containers. Its uniquely colored and shaped leaves add texture in the garden and containers. Features fiery orange leaves with a touch of purple at the center and edges. Container is where these are headed.  Below is a look at the...

Number 6 on my 2025 to-do list this year was to 'use more coleus as bedding plants'.  That idea was based on the success that I had with some Inferno coleus that I planted in our front yard island bed last season.    Earlier this year, I planted a dozen Crimson Gold Versa coleus (full sun coleus) in the front island bed.  And, a trio of Inferno Coleus that I bought at The Growing Place in the backyard corner patio bed.  I figured I'd try at least one more this year as a bedding plant.  So....when I've been on the look-out for a unique one to try.  I came across a placed called Patyk's Farm up near Richmond .  It is on the south side of Route 173, a few miles out of Richmond as you head towards Woodstock.  It is a medium-sized family farm operation with four-or-five greenhouses and TONS of plants.  I arrived right when they were closing, so I didn't spend too much time there.   I did, however, find this unique coleus and bough...

Last year, I planted three Inferno coleus in the island bed in our front yard after seeing them on a garden tour video and I wasn't disappointed.  By October of last year, I wrote a post praising sun-tolerant coleus as bedding plants and pledged to plant more this year.  I even included 'planting coleus as bedding plants' as one of my 2025 to-do items .   With the larger-scale planting of Crimson Gold Coleus in the (newly expanded) Island Bed in front, I decided to not walk-away-from Inferno coleus.  I bought three quart-sized pots of the red/brown annual and planned to put them into the expanded back patio corner bed.    Last Fall, I used the 'lazy bed extension' method to expand the corner bed adjacent to our back patio .  That created some new planting space that I can fill this season.   That spot gets decent sun - for our backyard at least.  It gets the MOST sun, I suppose, of anywhere in our backyard.  Thus, it seemed l...

Last year, I planted three Inferno Coleus in the Island Bed in our front yard - the first time I've used Coleus as a bedding plant.  By the end of the season, I wrote this post praising coleus in mid-October .   I learned to like them so much that I included "use more coleus" as my #6 item on my 2025 to-do list .  My plan for the island bed was to extend the bed (done) and plant it full this year .  Part of that planting is to use a sun-tolerant coleus in front of the trees (Ginkgo and Korean Maple) and behind the (planned) perennials.   I found these striking "sun coleus" at the nursery and decided to buy two six-packs of them:   The tag says they're named Crimson Gold Versa Coleus: Here is what Ball Seed has to say about Crimson Gold Coleus : Versatile coleus variety thrives in sun and shade. Long-lasting, deep red leaves with golden-green edges pop as landscape or garden component. Well-branched, vigorous habit. With twelve (12) plugs in-h...

This Summer, I planted three small Inferno Coleus plants in the (then brand new) Island Bed in our front yard as bedding plants .  These were (for me) the first Coleus that I'd planted directly in the ground versus using them in containers.   My journey to that moment started in Spring when I was watching a garden tour on YouTube from Justin at S&K Greenhouse .  Over the years, Justin ( who's channel is great and you should subscribe ) has visited the garden of Bruce Duncan .  Justin and Bruce have a history together (I think Bruce spent some time at the Nursery/Greenhouse), but they also have great on-screen chemistry.  Bruce also has a spectacular garden .   In that video, Bruce shows off a few different coleus that he has planted in colonies.  I went and learned a little bit about veined vs edged-leaf coleus and which one can tolerate full sun vs which ones prefer shade. I also included planting coleus as a bedding plant (among other a...

Earlier this season, I planted a dwarf Spring Grove Ginkgo tree , a Korean Maple ( Northern Glow Maple ) and a clump of Inferno Coleus in a new island bed in the middle of our front yard.  I used shade cloth to protect all of these from the hot Summer sun, but with the calendar turning to late-August (and Nat saying that it was looking a little 'Sanford & Son'), I recently took the shade cloth down.  And, here, below is how everything is faring this Summer.  The photo shows the Ginkgo, Maple and Coleus all doing well.  I say 'well' because they're not dying.   The top of the Maple saw some damage, but I'm pretty sure that's due to the shade cloth.  The Ginkgo is putting on tiny, curled leaves.  And the coleus is thriving.   Here's what this spot looked like BEFORE I created this new island bed .   My plan for [Fall 2024] is to connect this bed to the driveway and sidewalk and cover it in mulch.  Guess I need to start ...

#8 on my 2024 to-do list was to plant more annuals - including coleus - as bedding plants.   I posted a link to a garden tour video earlier this year where I fell in love with Inferno Coleus and talked about how that felt like an entry-point for me.    While I probably should have BOUGHT MORE, I ended up with three.  Decent start, right?  Below, is a look at the three Inferno Coleus planted in full sun - in my new Island Bed in the front yard.   These three are planted in between the Korean Maple (Northern Glow) and the Spring Grove (dwarf) Ginkgo tree in our front yard .   My immediate reaction is that three is NOT enough.  But, I'll watch these grow this season and then come up with a plan for 2025. As it relates to the 2024 to-do list, I think these three Inferno Coleus check that box.

Resist the lure of the big box nursery store.  That's something that I'm trying to live-by this Spring.  And, something I'll need to remind myself when it comes to containers.  The past few years, I've picked up some bedding annuals from the orange big box store.  Same with some of the plants that go into our various containers.  One of those has been coleus.  I've used it in containers - but not as a bedding plant where I've installed it as an annual in mass.   Here's a post about our large, rectangular front porch container from the 2021 season that includes some two-toned coleus .   Over the years, I've admired coleus as a bedding plant in some municipal applications (like in large, island beds in Downtown Downers Grove) where they've planted one variety in mass.   I also have come back a few times to this garden tour on the S&K Greenhouse YouTube Channel where Justin (the S&K Nursery guy) visits the home garden of B...

 I don't think I've posted photos of our front porch container in the past here on the blog.  We've done a mix over the years of DIY and even one year Nat had a pro fill our container.  This year, I went to the big box nursery and picked out some shade-loving plants to use including a big, dramatic fern on the left.  Along with some coleus, a purple sweet potato vine and (although they're hard to see, they're there) a few peach-colored Rex Begonias.    The Coleus is putting on a nice show and the vine is beginning to spill out a bit as the container hits its stride in the end of July.   I don't seem to have taken a photo of the tag for the fern, but I think it is a Cinnamon Fern.    Here's a look at the flowers before we planted them below.  The watermelon-striped plant and the Rex Begonias - which were the stunners pre-planting that you see below have been somewhat swallowed-up by everything else. Our front porch gets some early mo...