Crazy about Coleus

 I love flowers, whether annuals that keep on giving or a perennial that shares its beauty once a year. But for the last 5 years I have gone gaga over sweet leafy Coleus. They are a garden treat that keeps on giving. For starters, they are of the lowest maintenance, only requiring watering. They can thrive in almost any condition. They remain hearty into mid Fall while other plants are withering in the early frosts. But what used to be varying shades of green, has now exploded into wild colors of the rainbow.

Inferno

There are plenty of options available at all Garden Centers. Each year I try something new. But I am aware that I keep seeing the same 20+ options out there and wanted to dig a bit deeper this season. So, I found a handful of seed options online and narrowed it down to one called Swallowtail Seeds. I liked the name; the price was good, and it was hard to narrow my choices down to a mere 4-5 options.

I also found a great blog post from another vendor Seeds Needs that approaches this particular species with a hilarious take on them called Shasay! Shantay! Growing Coleus from Seed. (Their spelling is off, but I'm not going to scold them.) The tone of the post is endearing and should be read. I applaud them for their audacity. It calls Coleus "the Divine Drag Queen of the Garden" to which I heartedly agree. "If your cat got into RuPaul's makeup bag, then chirped all over your yard." Yessss Grl. That image is exactly on point. The article is downright "cheeky."

Kong Rose

Coleus was first noted in 1853 in the mountains of Java by botanist Karl Blume. Their name was originally Coleus Blumei after him. The blog post then goes on to state that there are now more identities of the genus than identities of any female impersonator! I ordered types with names like Volcano, Superfine Rainbow, Fairway Orange and Giant Magma. I would say these qualify.

Now onto my seeds themselves. I don't think I have ever seen something so small. I thought Poppies and Rudbeckia were tiny.... these are microscopic. Each packet contained 50 seeds (I am sure they were not hand counted.) They so fragile, you are not to press them into the ground, just gently scatter them on the surface of the dirt and then allow water and light to permeate the seeds. I started with tweezers, then quickly realized the one-at-a-time method was futile. So, I scattered them into pods and the 50 seeds went quickly. They supposedly germinate in a matter of 15-21 days. I am about halfway through and waiting patiently. They do need both warmth and sunlight which has been a hard commodity in our MN April. The blog notes they are NOT easy germinators and may have stage fright if not exactly the right temperature or UV light. I may also be behind in that they ask for a good 8-week incubation before putting plants outside. But since 70℉ is ideal for the soil, I assume that bench mark is going to be a wait for us this season also. But I'm hoping this next stretch will bring them out in the open.

Special Effects

 Even if you do not go the route of seeds and pick up your own 4 or 6 pack, here are my tips from experience. Put them along borders or edges of your planters - they go for width and not height. Don't get matchy matchy with color tones. They are meant to hold their own and the shades should pop next to the other plants. I am also surprised at how much they grow - build that into the space. This year I plan to feature them on their own, so I am giving them plenty of room. Their stems are fleshy like an aloe or cactus. I often pinch them back as they sprawl into other flowers of your basket or pot, but as mentioned, I am going to let mine thrive into their own this year. At some point around July, they will start to revert to flowers so they can reproduce. The flower is hardly as big a bang as their showy leaves - so snip those tops off and encourage as much growth during a season as possible. I also tried to bring a few inside at the end of last season. But again, like a true Drag Queen Diva - they are tropical in nature and don't thrive outside of their natural spotlight in the full sun. Keep them near a sunny windowsill where they may survive, but at some point, they will retreat as wallflowers until the next tropical Summer.

All this just goes to say, if you are not a Fan or Follower of Coleus - you should be! Please read the Seeds Needs blogpost and check back for a summer update to see how I fared with my Giant Magma.

Shasy! Shantay! Growing Coleus from Seed:

 

Fuzzy Feathers

Trees of Life

Minneapolis and our Park Board has always been a symbol of civic pride. We also have a relatively new entity called the Green Project which looks at urban renewal and how all things "green" contribute to our livability. The two started a joint project back in 2019 that if I am reading correct, will span 25 years devoted to an urban tree program. 

I had first caught wind of it a year back via a newsletter. It makes Minneapolis the first city in Minnesota to participate in a National credit program. It is very detailed, but from what I can comprehend, it sounds as if a rebate type undertaking. Almost like a Forest version of Monopoly! Each tree planted in the city has a value; mainly based on their carbon footprint. In addition, each tree generates other perk points from stormwater interception, air pollution deflection and heat/ cooling energy. There are also "bonus points" for oxygen production, climate change reduction, benefitting wildlife and a handful of other smaller identified factors. If I understand this Carbon Offset Registry, individuals, organizations or corporations can "purchase" carbon credits to expand the green canopy in the city. Trees are reported and added to our total Minneapolis registry. I am not able to quantify what this means, but a carbon credit = one metric ton of CO2. This provides a pathway for companies who are aware they are making a carbon footprint but are willing to invest in a way to combat that footprint by purchasing trees which give back to the environment. I do also know our Downtown Minneapolis Council has qualifying language that every major project in the Downtown corridor has to incorporate some element of green space - whether it be a courtyard, fountains or atrium to steer our skyline away from pure steel and concrete.

There is some boiler plate language that alludes to not being able to "buy" your way out of polluting your own community. It is not a Get Out of Jail card, since these companies need to continue to reduce their own carbon footprint in addition to contributing to the general well-being of each city.

The Green Minneapolis webpage gives some basic insight, although the larger details are still beyond me. They speak of protocols and a timeline. But from the data I can read, in the first 3 of 25 years, it has contributed to 23,755 trees to our city scape. This contributes to the long-term goal of nearly 50,000 metric tons of CO2. I trust that Green Minneapolis has put much thought and calculation into the project with Protocols and a City Forest Credit data base. It may be a handful of mumbo jumbo. But I have to believe that climate change is real, quantifiable and that we are at least making a critical pact to offset it that will reach these 25 years into our renewable future. Tell me if you think it is worth the effort and funds?

Green Minneapolis Carbon Offset link

 

Floret Seeds

While working at Gertens, I was lucky to discover such great vendors of so many things "garden." One of the huge items in abundance are our choices for seeds. There are the common vintage companies like Burpee, Gurney & old Fredonia seeds. Some small sourcing from brands like Renee's Garden or a very special one like Hudson Valley with beautiful heirlooms. I love the Seed Exchange in IA which keeps a library of old and obsolete varieties; trying to bring them back into common circulation. This year brings me a new find...

Floret Flowers are a very small farm out of the Skagitt Valley in far North Washington state. I stumbled onto them via their Twitter Blog which offers great tips for cutting, planting and harvesting. So, I am taking a risk on them this summer for some hopefully, gorgeous blooms. I love their philosophy. I find it so nostalgic that the website shows this lovely family with children and chickens out in their fields. Everything is still grown in small batches. The farm started with roots to a grandparent's lot with a love of the land. And then grew into sharing their large harvest with friends who enjoyed these fresh gifts.

Their stock does not strive for exotic plants, but sticks with basics like Sweet Peas, Zinnias, Dahlias and Sunflowers among others. But they have spent more than a few years finding just the right varieties from other farms seeking to grow for cut flowers, that were aromatic, and had sturdy stems to look and smell fabulous in vases. They also have a vital mission of working with students for farm workshops and now share free video classes. The venture has continued to grow, and it is fascinating to read their weekly blog and see how they are literally casting out into the rest of the world. I find their work noble.

Each year I vouch not to deal with seeds again out of sheer disappointment! Rabbits & Squirrels digging them up, storms washing them out... So many obstacles to get them from that fragile little seed into something of beauty over the full season of harvest. But I was so taken with their product line I placed an order as well as some to share with family. I am hoping that July will bring some beautiful tall White Sunflowers, some bright coral and copper Zinnias, a favorite Earl Grey Larkspur and maybe even some soft Cherry Black-Eyed Susans. Please check out their wonderful products.

Floret Flower Farms:

The Lost Words

This was a brand-new reveal to me last night from my dear friend Norah. Cancel culture is one of my biggest pet peeves as it continues to rear its ugly head. My stance is that each of us should decide for ourselves what we buy, eat, choose to read or support. Rather than have some other self-righteous person decide that they know better and would like to make that choice for me.

The Lost Words Project dates back to 2017 when cancel culture came up against a Childrens' dictionary in Great Britain. Some academics made an editing choice to eliminate a trove of "unused" words and replace them with contemporary words. It was not done out of spite, but was felt that these words had become antiquated and more modern words from social media and technology would be better utilized by children. Again, some other figure in authority deciding what is best for us.

Art always seems to triumph and can be a creative alternative to challenge said authority. Robert MacFarlane and Jackie Morris made a statement by publishing a book to reclaim these words. Centered on nature - with words like Goldfinch, Willow, Acorn, Bluebell - they created a beautiful work that has gone global. Jackie has painted masterful, soft watercolors that resemble an Audubon book. And Robert has written not poems, but what he calls "spells" meant to be incanted and summon the words back into the commonplace. Even teaching guides f0r classrooms that go into depth not just about the words, but how they have evolved into our English language and literature. Amazing stuff. How had I never heard of these?

The book has been awarded many publishing medallions as well as selling millions. It has not gone full-scale with gallery exhibits of her work. A merchandise store with everything from tee shirts to jigsaw puzzles. And in New York, a collaboration of musical artists has composed them into actual songs available in recording and concerts as well.

They are calling the total social movement a Re-Wilding. I am all on board to spread some of these special seeds of nature. Love live the Wrens, Moths, Red Foxes and Jays

The Lost Spells - book

The Lost Words - recording

Succulent Pillows

During these cold Minnesota Winters when we are craving all things green and gardens, how do you marry that desire with the comfort of just staying warm? File this under #BuyLocal, or at least Support Small Businesses.

This company started in 2018 in a small apartment where the founder was trying to find a way to intersect nature into her living space. A few years later, with plenty of green fabrics, Green Philosophy has a product line that features fabulous pillows and throws that border on Jungle. There are the cutest pillows in the shape of Succulents. How about a giant blanket of an Elephant Ear or Philodendron leaf? Maybe a mixed quilt of leaves or mushrooms? The product line is not vast with only 40+ offerings. But it is unique enough that everyone will wonder where you found something so unusual.

What's even better is that they have partnered with Trees for the Future and some of their profits are shared, going towards land regeneration in poverty countries by planting trees. More than 300,000 trees have been planted through the donations.

Please check out their website and pay it forward. Besides, you'll get some great Green Space out of the purchase.

Green Philosophy. com

To Infinity and Beyond

New Year's is always an exciting time for me of reflection. A reset. A chance to look at possibilities with renewed enthusiasm.

Today I am looking far beyond our political landscape and the blitz of social media resolutions. This was an article from 6 months back that piqued my attention. A literal world of possibilities where outer space meets my joy of gardening.

For decades we have been pondering the question of what life lies beyond us out in the grand universe. Our Superheroes and literature continue to ask those questions for us. But maybe instead of looking at other human life, we should start with something much smaller like plants.

Starting in May of this year, the University of Florida has begun growing crops in lunar soil from recent expeditions. It is scientifically called lunar regolith - meaning it is a biologically active dust or crushed rock that is able to support vegetation. Under the name of the Artemis Program, it seems our second phase of Space Exploration is continuing. We are taking baby steps in terms of human colonies on the Moon!

These soils have been sampled in the past, but never moved forward into actual fertilization. The primary concern originally was what other additional and unknown pathogens might be in the soils and then transmitted to plant life.

The plants being grown are Arabidopsis which is in the rockcress family of cabbage or wild mustard! What makes it optimal is that there are only 8-9 varieties of the plant AND it has a simple enough genetic structure that it has been mapped completely. This allows scientists to look at the fertilized seedlings and note if there is any mutation occurring. Almost all seeds planted, sprouted which was a surprise. This means there is nothing in the soil that suppresses germination. However, there was much variation from plant to plant in terms of strength and size. This can be one of two things. Either the plants are just adapting to whatever stress those soils may be giving to their normal growing cycle. Or it can be random to where the Moon soils were gathered from. Just as we have different Earth soils and climate zones that can certainly impact how well any plant grows.

The Moon is a very dry place and much needs to be discovered before it could ever be something where our Earth species thrive there in a greenhouse as we know it. But the question is now out there that future generations may not only travel there, but also be able to farm the land long term. Of course, this could also be a Little Shop of Horrors where we end up with an invasive species whose mission it is to overtake the Earth. Happy New Year!

Dressing up in Holiday Style

I have seen some of these lavish and elegant creations pop up in my feeds over the last few years. Instead of a Christmas tree or a decadent wreath of greens, some fabulous designers have used a dress mannequin as a base for some absolutely inspired couture where nature meets fabrics.

I am not sure why I have never seen them as curated works in a museum or an upscale boutique. If we can create Art In Bloom around paintings in a gallery, why not as a holiday fashion spread? Some place like the Galleria should tap into these! They all have a base structure of greens - from hemlocks to pines, maybe even raw branches. And then some sort of elegant boddice, shawl or other top piece. Then build a shape around it and adorn with incredible ribbons, lights and ornaments. Easy Peasy right?

I think it would make a great craft activity, like the wine pairings with painting or glass blowing. I am not sure if it would be "bring your own mannequin." But I know several types who would swing for something alternative in terms of their holiday decor. What think you hive mind?