Colour analysis is an art form.
Some people know exactly which colours flatter their hair or eye colour or describe their personality. Personally, I fail that test every time, but each spring I include plenty of colourful plant combinations in my garden containers and, most of the time, I'm pleased with the result.
Given the huge range of annuals, successfully mixing and matching complementary or contrasting colours for an overall visually appealing container design should be more enjoyable than intimidating. Limiting plant choices to a specific colour palette may make it easier to create a harmonious colour scheme but, at the first sight of rows and rows of greenhouse plants, it becomes only too easy for gardeners to lose all sense of colour proportion.
The immense variability of colour provided by a foliage plant such as coleus can be used to distinct advantage in a container display either for vivid contrast or to tie in bold or bright colours.
For example, Dipt in Wine coleus, part of the Proven Winners Colour Blaze series, features rich maroon colour punctuated by lime green edges and a glowing yellow centre. An eye-catching composition can be created by repeating or echoing colours and texture.
Some of the more wildly patterned coleus varieties such as Pink Chaos or the Stained Glassworks series may work better on their own or paired with a monochromatic grouping of plants.
Coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides) stands out among many annuals for having some of the deepest or brightest shades as well as some of the most complex patterns or mottling. Coleus has become increasingly popular in the past 20 years with multitudes of new varieties to choose from annually.
Originating in southeast Asia and tropical Africa where it traditionally grows in the shady understory of tropical forests, coleus was used primarily as a houseplant in North America until 40 years ago when plant breeders began to recognize the plant's enormous possibilities.
Today's exciting breeding advances are creating some of the most unique varieties imaginable, including ones that are sun-tolerant.
Bob Bors, head of the fruit program at the University of Saskatchewan, decided to experiment with coleus breeding when funding cuts to the fruit program created a dire need for an additional source of revenue. His early efforts, described in the 2010 edition of The Prairie Garden, attracted company officials from Japan, California and Florida who visited the university to evaluate his distinctive coleus.
Hort Couture, based in Michigan, requested a large number of cuttings which they sent to C. Raker & Sons, the leading wholesaler of custom-grown plugs and liners in North America. Following a series of trials, Hort Couture selected a number of Bors' unique coleus varieties and created a new line called Under the Sea, named for the hallmark lobster-shaped leaves.
Bors' efforts have resulted in a wonderful success story.
"We get money for our program and it keeps things going," he said. "It also helps to connect the university's breeding programs to contacts around the world."
This year, despite more funding cuts, the fruit program will continue thanks to the increase in royalties from coleus breeding on the side.
Visitors to the Assiniboine Park Conservatory's Under the Sea display, which ends this weekend, can see some of these unique varieties of coleus, and garden centres such as the Salad Bowl Greenhouses on Rebeck Road are trying to bring in the new line of coleus.
Glenlea Greenhouses in Glenlea and Patmore Nursery in Brandon will both be carrying the coleus. Kerri Van Mackelbergh, grower and greenhouse manager at Patmore, said they will have five varieties this year: Bone Fish, Electric Coral, Lime Shrimp, Langostino and King Crab.
"Last year we had only two varieties, Electric Coral and King Crab," she said. "They met with a very good reception."
While Van Mackelbergh doubts customers were aware of the Prairie connection, she said "the glamorous way in which the series is presented and the way that the unique leaf shape stands out make it exclusive and it sells out pretty quickly."
Highly textured, deeply lobed leaves and exotic patterns might make it difficult to partner this coleus with another plant, so Van Mackelbergh suggests planting it on its own as a focal point or adding a grass such as Juncus Corkscrew Rush or Unicorn whose cylindrical, twisted leaves would provide a nice backdrop without taking away from the bold shapes and colours.
What else is new in coleus (and easier to find)? Vanstone Nurseries, a wholesale grower, is producing a much broader line of coleus this year that will find its way into local garden centres.
"The popularity of foliage plants is definitely on the rise," said sales manager Owen Vanstone.
"In the world of annuals, it's mainly about the blooms, but coleus adds really neat colour and texture."
Vanstone is growing a number of solid-colour varieties such as Redhead, as well as the Main Street Collection, from the Dummen Red Fox collection.
"The Main Street collection brings a very different bi-colour and tri-colour range to coleus with a good upright form," said Vanstone, who is growing all of the coleus for Lacoste Garden Centre. Varieties include Oxford Street, which has cherry red serrated leaves edged in lime green; Wall Street, suitable for sun or shade, in a solid bronze colour; and 5th Avenue, in a rosy pink with milk-chocolate-coloured margins.
Wasabi coleus, a bright fluorescent-green coleus, debuted three years ago and performs well in both sun and shade.
"That's the thing about this generation of coleus," Vanstone said. "Many more varieties are now going to do well in the sun."
That's something that Gail Braun, an Altona-area gardener, can attest to. Braun's spacious porch, adorned in Victorian gingerbread reclaimed from the home of her husband's grandparents, is filled capacity with massive displays of sun-loving coleus, including Henna, Trusty Rusty and Wasabi.
What's the secret to such lush displays?
"I pinch the coleus from the start and add a slow-release fertilizer to the potting medium, as well as a 9-45-15 root establisher," Braun said.
"After six to eight weeks, I top up the slow-release fertilizer with a 20-20-20 liquid soluble fertilizer."
When wind is the enemy, Braun ensures minimum stem breakage by adding tomato cages to her containers at the time of planting. She generally adds an ornamental grass to the back of the display for added support and waters daily.
"Another thing to be aware of with coleus," Braun added, "is to never ever put coleus outside until night temperatures stay well above freezing."
Coleus is adverse to cold temperatures and wet feet. Best to leave them in the greenhouse until the soil is warm. Braun snaps up her favourite selections in early May and keeps them under grow-lights in her basement until planting them in her containers in early June.
Other favourites include Bronze Age, Pineapple, Peters Wonder, Alabama Sunset, Freckles, Keystone Kopper and my favourite, Religious Radish. Braun has already placed her order at Patmore Nursery for all five varieties of Under the Sea coleus but will also make her annual trek to Our Farm Greenhouse near Newton Siding, just outside Portage la Prairie.
Stewart McLeod, greenhouse manager at Lacoste, plans to stock many of this year's new coleus varieties. The trend toward smaller, more compact plants is reflected in the new mini-Kong series, he added.
"These are a shorter version of the previous Kong varieties which grew as tall as 18 inches," McLeod said. "Kong coleus will take over a pot. If you put them by themselves, they look gorgeous. The miniature Kongs, though, won't compete with the other plants in the container."
This year's lineup of coleus will make it easy to co-ordinate colour and texture for beautiful container designs suitable for both sun and shade. Some of the more irresistible sun or shade varieties include Vino, Chocolate Covered Cherry, Honeycrisp, and Sultana. Sometimes the degree of sun tolerance can vary. The versatility of container planting will allow you to place your coleus in exactly the right location.
