It's time to put some chaos in your garden
The word chaos is about to have a new meaning to your landscape.
Webster says it is extreme confusion or disorder. Your first thought may be your garden. In my case chaos best describes my office and for sure the garage.
Pink Chaos however changes the definition, as this hot vibrant coleus will bring order and pleasure to the garden.
Over the years I have written a lot about coleuses because they are just foolproof plants that are a joy to grow. When you think coleus, probably the large leafed selections are the first to come to mind, and rightfully so. But there are some new selections that have long weeping leaves that will literally thrill you.
Pink Chaos is one such selection. It will reach around 18 inches tall and is an iridescent pink, mint green and cream. It can take quite a bit of sun although I prefer a morning sun and afternoon shade location.
Another very impressive coleus is The Flume. The one is slightly larger, reaching 24 inches, and is also sun tolerant. The leaves are a little longer and some catalogue descriptions call it saber shaped. The colors are the psychedelic pink and burgundy with green margins.
Both of these are so exotic and tropical looking they scream to be in a Caribbean style garden partnered other foliage plants like bananas or elephant ears. On the other hand you could not go wrong combining them with flowers like the mandevilla or periwinkles. In shadier locations use these coleus with ferns, or hostas like Sum and Substance.
Similarly impressive with its vibrant colors is Oompah coleus. One catalogue lists it as tall-statured, but much branched with leaves of citron green with purpled centers highlighted with violet flames and bleached rye petioles. You have to love that description, which you would not disagree with. Yet if you were writing it you might tweak the adjectives based on the thrill you'll get growing it.
For those of you who have not tried coleus in any quantity to amount to anything and don't know much about the plant; they are from Tropical Africa and Asia. We once knew them scientifically as Coleus blumei. Now the tongue has to try and master the words Solenostemon scutellarioides. Obviously it has now also become a challenge to spell.
As tough and as a great a plant the coleus is, planting in tight compacted clay will yield less than a satisfactory result. Your coleus will thrive, and your thumb will turn an even brighter shade green if you prepare the soil.
What I mean by soil preparation is to loosen it up with organic matter like compost, humus or peat. Work the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. After planting be sure and apply a good layer of mulch to conserve moisture.
About a month after transplanting, feed with a light application of a slow released fertilizer and again in mid-summer. We are growing coleus for the fabulous foliage so once flowers buds start to form pinch them off.
