Today, being the first day of March, is GOOPS day at joene's garden. GOOPS stands for gardening OOPs. I fess up one of the many gardening mistakes I've made over the years, hoping that my admission will help prevent other gardeners from doing the same. Then I encourage you to share a GOOPs as well.
Coleus, dressed in orangey reds, or deep maroons and bright greens, or solid limey green; any way you look at this group of plants you must admit they are foliage fashionistas There are varieties for sun, shade, and anything in between. Some are tall, others short, and the amazing range of colors from the ever increasing varieties allows just about anyone to use them in gardens and containers – I do both. Coleus are easy to start from cuttings or seed – I do both. Plus, they make good houseplants for all the northern gardeners – like me – who crave color during winter months. Coleus adorn my kitchen windowsill (bright light but no direct sun) most of the year. In late summer, I load fresh cuttings into vases of water and wait for them to root. From rooted cuttings they become small potted plants. Some years they adorn window sills all around the house, other years I manage to save just a few – usually depending on how I'm able to control aphids – but most often you will find my sills holding a coleus collection.
Here's a meme that's new to me. The houseplant census started by Mr. McGregor's Daughter. The idea is to list the houseplants you currently have, including the plants you are overwintering. You can list them as a post on your own blog with a link at MMD, or as a comment there. Obviously I've opted for the former.
Winter months present northern gardeners with ample opportunities to slow down and reflect, and in doing so I began to wonder how a quote I live by has guided my gardening path.
December 9, 2009. Does your brain fog over like San Francisco Bay every time you try to decipher what approach might best handle a plant's attack from pests or disease? Are you overwhelmed by the organic and synthetic chemicals found on garden center shelves touting to be the «best» at eliminating what ever? Do yourself a favor then and read The Truth About Organic Gardening, by Jeff Gillman, a professor at the department of horticultural science at the University of Minnesota.
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