I lost so many of my coleus this fall to an unexpected frost. Before breaking down and mail ordering, I am hoping I can trade for some. I am especially interested in trailing varieties, unusual-leafed ones and round-leafed coleus (like Tilt-a-whirl, Diane’s Gold, Kaleidoscope). But I’m open to trading for most named coleuses.
I hope I find some coleus lovers here.
It occurred to me that someone (a true coleus addict, like me) might be willing to order some of the new varieties with me. We could split the order and send each other the first rootings of the new plants. Anyone?
I was able to find a professional grower nearby and got beautiful, very well colored, large plants of Fusion, Alabama Sunset (the richest colors I’ve ever seen in this one), Dark Frills (like India Frills, but solid burgundy with yellow-green edge), Palisandra, Rustic Orange and Atlas. I’d be happy to root cuttings of these to trade. I am nursing some of my survivors: The Line, Purple Emperor and some micro-cuttings of Burgundy Duckfoot. I also have a (to my knowledge) unique sport that is yellow with sparse red dots (a few to each leaf) that was already in the GH when the deadly frost came.
The rest of my trading list at http://members.gardenweb.com/members/exch/planterric
[Sorry I have to put a link to my lists -- I have been too lazy to fill in the DG database format.]
Desperate for Coleus: Trailing, Novelty-leafed, Round-leafed
Rik, you know that if you find a really great price I would go in with you. I'm nursing all of mine as we speak and you probably have these. I lost some I didn't want to lose too.
Rik,
Green Mountain transplants has a pretty good variety of coleus. There was a co-op going on for them. If that co-op is closed maybe you could find someone to split a flat with you. You have to order full flats but you can mix and match. www.gmtransplants.com
I've been trying to find some nice coleus this year to go with my fuchsias and tuberous begonias. Haven't had any since college, but feel a new addiction returning. Planted seeds of a mix (nothing special, Parks Seeds) and have 37 seedlings with a few leaves under lights. Would happily trade some of these, but of course, they are not named varieties. Would love to get in on a co-op or whatever if the price is right. Don't ask me how much an unemployed aerospace engineer makes. Plant brighten every day.
tiG -- I doubt I'll find the ones I want at a great price, but I can probably find most of them for $3-5. If we did the ‘split, root and exchange’ thing, that would cut the cost in half, and it would be even less if another person or two wanted to try this experimental form of mini co-op. We could make it more worthwhile for each other by adding rootings of the ones each of us still has. Would you want to try that? Do you think anyone else would?
michelleR -- Thanks for the tip about Green Mountain. I saw the co-op and was tempted by many of their perennials, but I just had too much going on in the co-op department at the time; so I missed out. Did you end up with more than you need, by chance?
I did just look to see what coleuses Green Mountain has. They had Black Dragon (which is available in seed this year) and "Poncho Scarlet" (which is actually India Frills). The others, Jade Wizard, Striped Rainbow Mix and Old Lace Mix, are readily available in seed packets. I would do a coleus co-op if I could find a good wholesale source with a wide range of named coleuses. Maybe I'll call the main coleus sellers and see if any of them will sell bulk or wholesale.
I was thinking about a ‘named coleus seed co-op,’ but I can only find Black Dragon and Park's Exhibition Giant Collection -- Scarlet II, Limelight, Tartan, Copper Queen and Palisandra. I wrote to their horticulturist who was able to get the name of one more of the additional six varieties they include in their Exh. Giant seed mix. I'm going to buy those seeds (though I have Palisandra and am going to see a grower tomorrow that has Tartan), but I don't think it's enough to offer a co-op.
Does anyone know of sources for any other named coleus seeds? One of the problems is that the more desirable coleuses are bred not to flower (since pinching back the flowers is a chore) and are propagated only by cuttings.
FuchsiaFan -- 'Interested in any of the irregular co-op ideas presented above? (Wanna trade rooted cuttings of your fuchsias for starts of my current coleuses?)
Rik,
The Green Mountain website is not current but I recd a catalog this year. They sell in 2 sizes- 32 per flat and 72 per flat. Here's a listing of what they have:
32 size: (all from cuttings) amora, copper, dark heart, dark star, dipt in wine, freckles, kingswood torch, molten lava, pat martin, peter wonder, pineapple, pink splash, rustic orange, red ruffles, saturn, tabasco, tilt-a-whirl, wild lime. From the 72 size: black dragon, poncho scarlet, jade wizard, striped rainbow, old lace fringed mix, palisandra.
I did a co-op order through my garden club so I don't need anything else and I didn't order extras so I can't help you there, sorry. Maybe someone that lives close to you could split a flat.
PlanterRik, I bought the Park's Exhibition Giant Collection. That's the 37 seedlings I have going. Are you telling me that I will get Scarlet II, Limelight, Tartan, Copper Queen and Palisandra? Did you find out what the others are? I guess when they get a little bigger I could ID them if I had the list of possible varieties and somewhere to go look to compare. Sure we can trade, but my fuchsia starts won't be ready for about 6 weeks.
I am curious about the coleus bred NOT to flower... wonder how that is accomplished? Maybe they are day light sensitive, and would not bloom until the time of year when frost cuts them down... A triploid (cross of a diploid and tetraploid) would mean no seeds (generally) but there would still be blooms. Any further information on this, Rik?
You might try this lady, she says she does try to help with group orders. Her name is Karen very nice!
www.variationsgreenhouse.com
Glasshouse Works in Ohio has quite an extensive list of Coleus plants. You might want to take a look at their website, if you can get past their "busy look".
Thanks, Shirley -- I've had GHW's catalog memorized for some time. It's too bad they have a spotty reputation, but they have the highest number of each of the kinds of coleus that I collect, so I'll doubtless be patronizing them. Of the round-leafed, I think they carry all but one, which only Hatchett Creek has.
I was especially eager to get an early start on trailing coleuses this year, since I spent the winter sketching Escher-esque models for topiaries.
I've discovered a couple of new semi-local sources, most of which don't know what they have, and have been able to recuperate India Frills and Dark Frills