Overview

Coleus are no longer your grandmother's parlor plants. Favourites during the Victorian era, these plants have made a dramatic comeback with a dazzling variety of leaf color, shape, and pattern. No other plant is so easy to grow and propagate. Their sumptuous colors and tough constitution make coleus ideal both as attention-getting focal points and as complements to other foliage or flowering plants. In this lavishly illustrated volume, expert plantsman Ray Rogers offers equal parts of design inspiration and practical advice. The heart of this book is an encyclopedia that describes and evaluates more than 225 varieties.

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9780881928655

Table of Contents

Reviews

[Rogers] shows how gardeners can get the maximum benefits from this colorful plant. ... Recommended. -- Phillip Oliver Library Journal 20080201 Ray Rogers takes a comprehensive look at these garden staples and even shows a few uses for them, such as training them into topiaries, that we never thought of. If you haven't been tempted by the new cultivars and want to see what all the chatter is about, this is the place to start. -- Susan Banks Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 20080410 Can turn even a curmudgeonly coleophobe into an ardent admirer as Rogers enumerates their many benefits. The stunning color photographs by Richard Hartlage add even more credence to the claim that coleus have their place in almost any garden setting. San Diego Union-Tribune 20080612 Revels ... in the diversity of the plant. -- Adrian Higgins Washington Post 20080925 Any coleus lover will find it enjoyable and educational. -- John Bagnasco Garden Compass 20081001 For a lover of coleus, this book would be a welcome gift and a valuable reference. An added bonus is the beautiful photography, which is sure to provide delightful diversion in the darker months. -- Karla Dalley Connecticut Horticultural Society Newsletter 20080101 A wonderful book for any gardener. The coleus is truly a versatile plant, but also an essential plant for every garden. -- Thomas Mickey Portsmouth Herald 20081114

Author Information

Ray Rogers is a garden editor and writer who began his career working at arboretums, nurseries, and horticultural societies. He earned his MS in Ornamental Horticulture from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and has since then taught at the George Washington University Horticultural Program and been Senior Editor at Dorling Kindersley Publishing. A member of Garden Writers of America, Ray is coauthor of The Philadelphia Flower Show: Celebrating 175 Years and is a consultant for a specialty nursery. Currently a freelance editor and author, Ray is a regular contributor to the American Gardener magazine, Green Scene, and American Cottage Gardening, and was a guest on Martha Stewart Living. He continues to pursue his horticultural interests as a home gardener, an amateur hybridizer of Hippeastrum (amaryllis), and an award-winning horticultural exhibitor at the Philadelphia Flower Show.

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