Holy Coleus

Does anyone need coleus? Every year, I survey the containers I have on the deck to determine what annuals I need to purchase. Some of the plants from prior years may survive the winter, eliminating a need to purchase an annual of two for this year. Sweet potato vines tend to do this.

This year, I was surprised to find among the maple seedlings from a neighbor's tree, 78 (I counted them all) coleus growing in a pot that I (obviously) had coleus occupying last summer. They were all images of their mama, with maroon centers and green leaf edges. Of the handful of coleus I have grown, this one was the least favorite - not unattractive - just not on top of my favorites list.

One of the other containers had several petunia seedlings pop up, which I am allowing to continue. I heard these are difficult for gardeners to start from seed, (go figure) so they have earned the right to continue after surviving the winter outdoors.

After pinching off the unattractive flowers of the coleus, I probably just threw them into the pot. Some of the flower spikes may have had mature seeds that sprung to life this spring. The petunias may have had some seed pods formed that I missed in the deadheading, but there was only one petunia I can remember needing to deadhead. The others were cultivars that self-deadheaded, (if that is a word.)

I am saving four or five of the largest coleus seedlings to plant in the garden. Since I take cuttings of some plants (including coleus), in the fall to overwinter, I do not need any of these for containers. An overwintered version has already been transplanted into a different container. However, there is a 'Black Pearl' ornamental pepper plant in this container that sprung from the previous plant's seed, and two other dark red coleus plants growing among the horde, too.

I left the petunias to their own too, and will later report on them after seeing what type of flower comes from a store-bought cultivar self-seeder (if that is a word, too.)