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.

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