Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: When flowers fade, the foliage flashes
A gardener can hardly help themselves to love flowers but foliage really lends color and texture that is capable of showing off flowers then becoming the show itself.
And sometimes, in the case of coleus in a container, clearly it’s kickin’ it from the get-go.
Other amazing foliage plants include caladiums, perfect for part shade.
They are annuals for us, but worth every penny. I told you about the ‘Heart to Heart’ series last year. This year, 2021, ‘White Wonder’ was named the National Caladium of the year!
Coralbells or, heuchera, which are perennials, have also exceeded expectations with some fine looking work by breeders as well.
They dig part shade too. One of my favorites is called ‘Midnight Rose’. I used it in a container and then planted it in the ground for this year.
Caveat to heuchera, Divide coral bells, aka heuchera, every three to five years to keep them from dying out in the center. If the leaves get a bit ragged looking, especially after winter, cut them back and new growth should fill in quickly.
Oh and the hosta… they are not ho-hum! With so many options, I’ve started to look for only those that slugs aren’t interested in… as much. They have thicker leaves and/or a rippled texture.
Other hostas that are slug resistant include:
- Age of Gold
- Ann Kulpa
- Ben Vernooij
- Blue Lettuce
- Broadway
- Christmas Tree
- Cutting Edge
- Diamond Lake
- Fandango
- Frances Williams
- Goodness Gracious
- Joyride
- Komodo Dragon
- Lakeside Banana
- Lakeside Lolipop
- Moody Blues
- Neptune
- Piedmont Gold
- School Mouse (6 inch tall by 1 ft. wide)
- Seducer
- Smoke Signals
- Titanium Hosta
- Tootie Mae
And there’s more! Look for the tag to say slug resistant! But this list can get ya started.
