Florida Friendly Coleus

July 2, 2009 by Rick

Select Coleus varieties for the long haul. Coleus often last as perennials in Florida if the winters are not extreme. One key is to grow varieties that are extremely late to flower. The second key is to find varieties that are not susceptible to leaf diseases. The leaf disease that is a problem is Downy Mildew. Chartreuse or yellow leaved varieties are most susceptible.

We sell varieties at The Home Depot in gallon pots that are late to bloom and disease resistant with vibrant colors. Below are just a few of our best varieties. All our varieties are suited to sun or shade.

Coleus Rustic Orange and Finger Paint in production.

Coleus Finger Paint sports red, yellow and a mosaic of red & yellow. Pinch out the color you desire the least of and customize the color patterns of your Finger Paint. The yellow in Finger Paint is not prone to disease.

Coleus Mariposa is a very large growing big leaved coleus. Pinch Mariposa before it gets too big and falls over in a windstorm. Mariposa becomes variegated in the fall with wide hot pink edges against dark red centers.

Coleus Peter's Wonder is very strong and very popular too.

Defiance is one of the all time best performing mildew resistant gold edged reds.

This is the new Versa Crimson Gold that is also downy mildew resistant. It flowers quicker than the vigorous growers we supply to The Home Depot but pinching the flowers is not much more trouble than pinching non-flowering tips of the vigorous varieties to keep them compact so the windstorms don't topple them. This Versa series upgrades the quick blooming and mildew prone Wizard Coleus series that has been so widely used for many years. We are trialing the other colors of Versa to see if they are mildew resistant too. We sure need a chartreuse that won't get mildew like the one pictured at the top of the page. The Versa implies versatility for use in sun or shade. When pinching you should not remove more than 1/3 the length of any of the stems of the plant. Pinch often and you will enjoy your coleus more. Experiment with staggering where and when you pinch parts of a plant so it always looks full and stays relatively compact and windstorm resistant. Another problem with coleus is that they eventually succumb to nematodes, microscopic parasitic root feeding worms. You can grow coleus in containers and they will remain nematode free. A good deterrent in your flower beds is organic soil. The good bugs (bacteria, fungus and other microorganisms) in organic soils kill nematodes. Consider growing coleus and other annuals in our Pot-in-Pot method and you will be able to keep them longer and lift them to protect from frost or while mulching and getting rid of weeds in the garden. With this method you can better focus the water and fertilizer to the plant and waste much less while saving time.

Growing coleus in containers is very popular. Here is a window box with gallon containers featuring Coleus Peter's Wonder, Sweet Potato Vine, a great Spiller, and the most beautiful and popular grass, Red Fountain Grass which is also commonly called Purple Fountain Grass. Pennesetum setaceum 'Rubrum'. Such a Thriller!

Succulent Success

June 29, 2009 by Rick

Variety is the spice of life they say and with our Classic Creation 9 packs you get a nice variety of succulents with which you can make some very interesting gardens. Succulents are the perfect plant for many folks. The are very forgiving of water and fertilizer deficiency. Succulents grow in sun, part shade and moderate shade and are often used as houseplants. Plant them in a well drained soil.

Classic Creations include 9 different succulents for any container

you might choose.

On a recent visit to the Farm, garden writer, Penny Carnathan from the Tampa Tribune, was very excited when she saw our trials with Maraca. Based on Penny's reaction we will be moving up the time table on production of Maraca. look for it to appear in Florida Home Depots by sometime in October. You can thank Penny for this.

The Dirt on St Bernard's Lily

June 21, 2009 by Rick

Penny Carnathan from the Tampa Tribune posted on her Blog, The Dirt, comments and pictures from her recent visit to our farm to view new and current production items. Here is a picture of St. Bernard's Lily that will give you a good look at why I like this plant so much and promoted it to Penny.

Saint Bernard's Lily - Anthericum saundersiae. This grass-like plant has long, narrow leaves that are dark green forming a clump with upright arching leaves. Showy white flowers with yellow stamens are produced throughout the year. Give it well drained soil and it grows to 3 feet. We have found that if you cut it to the ground every other year it sprouts back rejuvenated and to a similar size quickly. Use it as a 'THRILLER' in the center of a large combination planter for a long lived and trouble free focal plant. Mass plantings are very attractive especially when they are flowering heavily. You can check out a beautiful mass planting at The Bette S. Walker Discovery Garden that has been in place since the garden was first planted.

The Orange for Every Garden

May 31, 2009 by Rick

Crossandra 'Orange Marmalade' - Crossandra infundibuliformis is one of the best Florida Friendly Plants to be developed in the last 3 years. It is a reliable perennial in sunny or partially-shaded Florida gardens. It is moderately drought tolerant once established and is insect and disease free. It blooms heavily in all the warm months of the year and a little less in the winter. Protect from hard frost and freeze for best year-to-year performance of these long-lived plants. Orange Marmalade is a sterile hybrid that holds its flower petals for several days longer than the older types or seed produced varieties that have exploding seed pods. Older varieties are also very tender to moderately chilly weather and often show damage when temperatures dip into the 40's. You will easily notice the major performance difference once you try Orange Marmalade. Use it as a 'FILLER' component in a complimentary container design with flowers that are in the blue shades. Go Gators! You should readily find this at The Home Depot stores in the Warm Season.

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Orange Marmalade has been on the market 3 years now and I am begining to see more of this perennial in home gardens as I travel around the state. Tell me if you think it is as great a plant as I do. I would like to share any photos of Orange Marmalade you have. Please leave a comment and I will contact you about posting them.

Perennial Mania at The Home Depot - Day 5 - Memorial Day

May 24, 2009 by Rick

The WOW price on perennials in the green Florida Friendly Plants containers continues through today Memorial Day, Monday May 25 while supplies last. Tell a friend. Click the Pass it on Florida link at the top of the page. (See store for limits and details). Lantana camara is the most popular flowering perennial in the Deep South. Lantana New Gold is the most popular variety as it blooms heavily and continuously and requires little care after it is properly established. Butterflies frequent these nectar rich flowers which come in a variety of new colors.

Lantana montevedensis - Purple Spreading Lantana

Perennial Mania at The Home Depot - Day 4

May 23, 2009 by Rick

The WOW price on perennials in the green Florida Friendly Plants containers continues until Memorial Day, Monday May 25 while supplies last. Tell a friend. Click the Pass it on Florida link at the top of the page. (See store for limits and details). Purslane - Portulaca oleracea are a favorite warm season tender perennial that are very popular throughout Florida. The new Pazazz series significantly upgrades the flower power. Find them this spring at most of your Florida Home Depots and you will have more flowers that stay open all day. Pazazz Purslane will make a great long lived 'SPILLER' item in combination planters for hot sunny spots. Pazazz Purslane is very forgiving so go on vacation and water it when you return and it will be just fine. Pazazz will be available in the convenient Classic Selection 9 count trays and gallon containers in a variety of colors.

Perennial Mania at The Home Depot - Day 2

May 21, 2009 by Rick

The WOW price on perennials in the green Florida Friendly Plants containers continues until Memorial Day, Monday May 25 while supplies last. Tell a friend. Click the Pass it on Florida link at the top of the page. (See store for limits and details). Included in this event are Pentas lanceolata, one of the most popular Florida Friendly perennials. It blooms continuously and is one of the best Butterfly attractors. The tall varieties should be pruned several times a year to shorten and strengthen their structure. Soil enriched with 50% organic matter (compost, leaf mold, cow manure, peat) supports beneficial bacteria and microbes that combat microscopic nematodes, a pest that can cause the eventual decline of Pentas. Pentas is adaptable to full sun and partial shade and repeating several groupings across the length of your garden alternating with another tough and colorful plant like Variegated Flax Lily adds harmony, texture and formal appeal to a design.

Pentas is a versatile ever blooming perennial that is useful as a combination component.

Mixed with Euphorbia Diamond Frost, another ever blooming perennial, Pentas makes an appealing arrangement or mass planting in a flower bed or border.

Perennial Mania at The Home Depot

May 20, 2009 by Rick

The WOW price on perennials in the green Florida Friendly Plants containers continues until Memorial Day, Monday May 25 while supplies last. Tell a friend. Click the Pass it on Florida link at the top of the page.(See store for limits and details). Among the top performing and top selling Florida Friendly Plants on sale today is Persian Shield - Strobilanthus dyerianus, a striking silver and purple plant, grows 4 feet tall and wide in the landscape. It highlights the shaded/partially shaded garden and is a great contrast to green foliage as well as bright colors in the perennial border. Prune the tips once or twice between May and August to make the plant sturdier and bushier. Protect it from frost and severe freeze and salt air. Use Persian Shield as a 'THRILLER' in combination with shade tolerant plants like Jewels of Opar, Red Flame Ivy, Impatiens and Begonias.

Pot-in-Pot for Container Gardens - Buried in the Ground

May 18, 2009 by Rick

If you liked the Pot-in-Pot concept http://floridafriendlyplants.com/Blog/post/2009/03/03/Pot-in-Pot.aspx and benefits we described for garden planting try Container Gardens planted to be buried in the ground. Use this time-tested method:

where you find it difficult to work in ground beds on your knees
where you want to swap container gardens to have the best looking plants in place
where you have difficulty digging because tree roots or rocks
where tree or shrub roots will encroach into your rich organic flower beds
where nematodes (microscopic root feeding worms) are a problem on certain plants
where you need to save the cost of incorporating organic matter to build a rich flower bed
where all you have is sand in your garden
where all you have is coral rock in your garden
where you need to save money on water by focusing the water in the container
where you need to keep fertilizer contained and available for the plant with less leaching
where you need the ability to rotate the best bloomers to the front of the bed
where you need the ability to experiment with color in the design
where you want to plant before the last frost free date and have the option to lift and protect it
where you want to experiment with a plants suitability to your light levels
where you might need to rotate the containers to face the sun when it comes from 1 direction
where you can change your landscape in the dead of night while your neighbors sleep

Drop in a container of the same size and shape that nest together neatly.

Change of season....Change your mind...Change your planter

When its time for a little maintenence or weeding, lift the planter out of it's home in the ground, spray

some roundup on the weeds and let it dry. Replace your planter.

Why not a Pot-in-Pot in a Pot and then into a Pot buried in the ground? Presto chango!

Cora Vinca Headlines Huge Annual Sale at Home Depot

May 13, 2009 by Rick

Large, beautiful gallon annuals regularly $2.97 are on sale through Sunday at your Florida Home Depot for $1.67 while supplies last. See store for details and limits.

Vinca used to be one of the most popular bedding plants around. However, its popularity has suffered due to its susceptibility in the home garden and landscape to aerial Phytophthora. Realizing this weakness in the plant, Goldsmith Seeds set out on a twenty year breeding program to come up with a series of seed vinca that would be resistant to this devastating disease. The result of this effort was the introduction of Cora™ vinca, the only vinca series from seed with patented disease resistance to aerial Phytophthora. (NIRVANA vinca is a vegetative Phytophthora resistant variety, also bred by Goldsmith and with even larger blooms is available as a Premium Flowering plant)

This breeding breakthrough will benefit gardeners who have planted beautiful vinca plants only to see them perish in the garden during adverse weather conditions.

Benefits of Cora vinca include:

• Patented disease resistance to aerial Phytophthora

• F1 hybrid vigor

• A real heat lover that thrives under humid or dry conditions

• Large flowers

• A variety of beautiful colors are available

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