Week of April 8

This is the weekend of the COLEUS sale at the UF Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS).  The sale benefits students in their plant-breeding program and is a great way to purchase some leafy plants to jazz up those  drab spots in the Florida garden.  Better yet, the chief of the Program, Dave Clark, and his wife, Laura, moved in two doors from us a couple of years ago.  Many of the coleus breeds are Dave’s creations, and they are generous with giving us some specimens.  Coleus now has an amazing array of colors, including some varieties with several colors, as well as leaf shape, size of plant, etc.  Dave also is very creative with the variety names, such as Redhead (for Laura), Coleosaurus(a vigorous variety), etc.  I always thought coleus were a shade plant, but Laura plants hers in the full sun and likely gets even more color than I do.  My coleus this year will spice up my shade bed by the driveway and the end of my Palm Row along the side of the house.  Coleus are frost sensitive and often don’t winter over here in North Florida, providing the opportunity to try some new colors each year!