The Coleus Project

The Coleus Project... sounds like some top secret spy movie! I kinda got this idea from Martha. I am planning on putting some Coleus in the planter that runs along the front of the porch next spring. It's about fifteen feet long and that means a LOT of plants. Martha has a cool "Lava Rose" Coleus and is going to give me cuttings from it to grow over the winter in the house and then I'll be able to plant them outside in the spring.

This got me thinking... Culver's Garden Center is ten minutes from my house and I'll bet they are getting rid of their annuals pretty cheap... This required a little shopping trip Friday afternoon. I had a moment of panic when the area that is normally filled with Coleus was EMPTY of everything! Day late and a dollar short... story of my life. Oh well... I thought I would look around while I was there... and (cue angel trumpets and "Hallelujah" music here) there they sat on a table in the next building!! I have this great little built in planter in the new house (south facing windows!) and here are the little darlings:

This is Mississippi Summer:

Pineapple:
Moon Glow:

Aren't they cute? Culver's is usually pretty expensive - these guys would normally be about five bucks apiece, but in October? A dollar and seven cents each! Total bargain of the century!!! Now if I can just keep them alive over the winter, I'll take cuttings from these plants in early spring and plant those cuttings in front of the house and in the fall, I'll repeat the process for keeping them over winter. You know what they say about best laid plans? I'd better go water these guys...