I filled the new island bed (created in spring of last year) with all coleus plants this year and even after two or three hail storms and an extremely HOT and dry summer, it still looks good. I love these plants! Next year, this island bed will be much larger and have a small seating area and water feature and probably some different types of flowers, but for now, I’m happy with the thriving coleus plants. Click on photos to view larger versions.
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Island bed with coleus plants and gazebo in background.
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A closer view.
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I grew a lot of these coleus from seed. Some of the fancier varieties
I ordered from Rosy Dawn gardens and Gebhart’s.
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With foliage like this, who needs flowers?
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These plants love this partly shaded area with rich soil.
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Volunteer impatiens come up all throughout my garden.
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A few of the individual plants.
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I didn’t want to see this post! NOt sure what coleus have against me. I must not be in tune to their needs. I didn’t think it was even possible to have a garden of coleus like yours. It’s so stunning it’s [almost] leaving me speechless. Almost!!!! Is it my imagination, or a trick of the eye, or are the ones in the back really TALL?
LoL Jim! Thank you! Some of them are tall, more than 3 feet. At the back though, there is a huge stump that sticks up about a foot, and on that stump I have a big planter which has three coleus plants in that — one that cascades and two that are about two feet tall (plants are visible on the right side of the second photo).
These coleus plants are thriving here I think because they get early sun and then are in shadow from the trees during the hottest part of the day, plus the soil is very rich and damp here.
Thanks for your comments,
Sherry
Those coleus are fantastic! So colorful. I never knew they could grow so tall.
Thanks, Lana. That coleus bed is my favorite area of the garden right now. Yes, some of them do get tall, even more than 3 feet!
-Sherry