Garden Guru: Though the leaves be small, color bursts big with Mini Me Watermelon coleus
Just when you thought the gardening world would be content, and that we didn’t need another new coleus, "Mini Me Watermelon" is rocking scorecards in university trials. Mini Me Watermelon is part of the ColorBlaze series and will be making its debut in 2023 and climbing the must-have plants chart.
Photos of trial plants at Mississippi State University’s Truck Crops Branch Experiment in Crystal Springs and the University of Tennessee Gardens at the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Jackson show incredible plants in full sun that — to be honest — may exceed mini.
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Now, perhaps mini describes the size of the leaves and that would be just perfect. These small colorful leaves described as watermelon-to-coral colored with chartreuse accents are absolutely stunning. I would add that as the sun shifts during the day and light gets filtered, the color takes on a royal burgundy hue outlined in chartreuse. But as soon as the sun returns, it’s flaming again.
The mini might also have been directed to the height, which is tagged at 20 inches with an 18-inch spread. I did not go out and measure those in Mississippi and Tennessee. I did measure my plants and they were 34 inches as of September 12. This doesn’t bother me in the slightest. My ColorBlaze Lime Time coleus out front, which is supposed to reach 34 inches, is now a 42, and I have been pinching all summer. I am deliriously happy about that, too.
This has been the year in West Georgia where everything has flourished. In July, we thought we would perish with the nonstop triple-digit heat index numbers. Then, in August and September it has been like, "Lord, We thank you for our daily rain." Everything is much larger than usual. Consequently, plant partnerships or combinations have an exaggerated look.
Everyone thinks coleus combinations in containers and ColorBlaze Mini Me Watermelon already has its share of prized recipes on the Proven Winners website. They deserve great partnerships in the landscape, too.
At the Young’s Plant Farm Spring Trials, they had ColorBlaze Mini Me Watermelon combined with Luscious Lemon Tart lantana and Illusion Emerald Lace sweet potato, both of which echoed the coleus accent colors.
The Garden Guy’s combinations were a little lucky. I partnered mine in part with Limelight Prime hydrangea. I admit I always underestimate the summer growth they will put on. Hence, I have those glorious white panicle flowers intermingling with the coleus foliage. In the overall design I have also included "Rockin’ Playin’ the Blues" salvia and Color Coded "One in a Melon" coneflower, that will also be making its debut in 2023.
There will be 18 selections available in the ColorBlaze series in 2023, they are among the most carefree plants you can grow and worth every penny for your garden dollar. The maintenance I have already mentioned, pinching to maintain bushiness and structure.
I am also one that will pinch off flowers if they develop before I would like. Though I grow coleus for foliage, those flowers do have some added value. In my area, the first two weeks of October are usually the last days of hummingbird activity. I will usually let a few coleus blooms develop in late September to offer any extra nectar that might be needed for the hummingbirds, before they head to the tropics. Follow me on Facebook @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy for more photos and garden inspiration.
Norman Winter is a horticulturist. He is a former director of the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens. Follow him on Facebook at Norman Winter “The Garden Guy.” See more columns by Norman at SavannahNow.com/lifestyle/home-garden/.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Watermelon coleus: plants have small leaves, color bursts, Garden Guru says
