A Tapestry of Cannas and Coleus: Victorian Ornamentals

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By Sonia Uyterhoeven
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Each year, the summer flower show in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatorypresents a tapestry of magnificent colors and textures with plantsthat were popular in Victorian gardens and traditional beddingschemes. With their bold leaves and distinctive colors, the starsare always cannas, coleus, and caladiums.
Coleus
Coleus (now with the genus Solenostemon ) are an old-fashioned plant that now comes in a whole range ofoutrageous colors and patterns, from chartreuse to pale pink andfiery orange to deep purple-black. The shape and texture of thefoliage is even more varied, ranging from huge to tiny leaves withall sorts of scalloped edging, ruffles, and frills. You may have topay a little more for these newer cultivars. But once you know how,it's easy to propagate your own and make enough plants for yourgarden and to share with friends.
To propagate simply take a cutting from your plant. Cut below aleaf node (where the leaves attach), and pull off the lower leaves.Remember to cut off the growing tip if a flower is starting toform. Place in potting soil and keep moist. Coleus are tenderperennials and will be killed by the first frost. Take cuttings inthe early fall to over-winter as houseplants. Keep these plants ina bright area throughout the winter and feed once a month. In Marchtake another batch of cuttings to place outside in your garden.Cuttings can also be rooted in damp sand, damp vermiculite, or evenin a glass of water.
Once outside, coleus are some of the easiest, no-fuss plants inyour garden. They will thrive in sun, partial shade, and fullshade. Some varieties do better in certain situations than others,but overall they are very adaptable. If you are moving coleus fromsun to shade or vice versa, the trick is a gradual transition.Coleus thrive in average garden soil. They like moist, well-drainedconditions. If a plant dries out and wilts, water immediately torevive.
Coleus benefit from a good shearing when they are small plants(around 6 inches tall). We like Joyce Chen Pruning Shears for this task. Designed with a retractable spring action, thesepruning shears are strong yet lightweight and easy to use. Thecurved stainless steel blades cut flowers, woody stems, and smallbranches up to ¼'' thick.
This pruning--cutting the branches back to just above a leafnode--induces the plant to produce more shoots and creates a full,well-branched specimen. Once grown, coleus can be constantly prunedto create a compact, formal look or left to grow into an informalflowering plant. The flowers are fairly insignificant light purplespires. If left to go to seed, the plant will complete its lifecycle and die. Coleus will grow into large, voluptuous plants from12 inches to 2 feet tall, depending on the variety. They take upvery little root space and work exceptionally well in containers tocreate colorful displays.
Mix and match coleus with other plants; their bright or subtlecolors make great combinations, picking up and playing off othercolors in a display. They also make wonderful bedding plants.Several varieties can be planted in large masses to create atapestry of color and texture.
Coleus, Rainbow Foliage for Containers and Gardens, by Ray Rogers is a comprehensive resource on this plant species. It offers equalparts inspiration and practical advice, with history, plantcharacteristics, problem solving, propagating, and tips ondesigning with coleus in both containers and in the garden.
Cannas
Cannas (the genus Canna ) which offer flowers in a variety of lovely shades, are grownprimarily for their bold, tropical leaves. They are a wonderfuladdition to containers or flower borders. Our new Faux Bois Terra Cotta Planters make a delightful home for your cannas whether they are plantedindoors or are a part of your outdoor container garden. They havea special rustic charm that reminds us of American folk art. Theyare painted and glazed with a bark pattern in a smooth finish. Thegolden rule for growing cannas successfully is plenty of sun andgood moisture.
Plant your cannas outside when any chance of frost is past (lateMay in NYC area). Cannas grow on rhizomes (an underground stem thatproduces shoots and roots). Plant the rhizome 4 to 6 inches deepwith the growing points (the eyes) facing upward. If you buy cannasin a pot, plant the level of the pot even with the soil. If youbury the lower part of the stem, it will succumb to rot. Cannas areheavy feeders and thrive in rich organic matter. Amend your soilwith plenty of compost and add a balanced slow-release fertilizer.
Cannas are fairly maintenance free during the summer. You canfertilize them mid-summer to give them a boost, but this is notnecessary. Add supplemental water during dry spells to keep theplants healthy. Flowers will start in late July and continue untilfrost. Once all the flower buds are finished, dead-head flowerspikes down to the next set of buds. At times it can be difficultto locate the next set of buds because they are tucked inside asheath that wraps around the flower stalk. Make sure not to cut offthe sheath, as this is where the next set of flower buds isdeveloping.
In the fall, wait until after the first frost before you removeyour plants. The frost will kill the foliage and give the plant thesignal that it is time to go dormant. Cut the dead foliage down to4-6 inches. Remove the rhizome from the ground. Inspect the rhizomeand take off any dead or decaying parts. Cleaning off all remainingsoil will help to complete a proper inspection of the rhizome.
Place the rhizomes close to one another in a cardboard box or aplastic bulb crate that is lined with newspaper and filled withdamp (just slightly moist) peat moss or a mix of peat and oldcompost. It is important that the rhizomes are not too dry and nottoo moist. If they dry out, they will shrivel and die; and if theyare kept too moist, they will rot. Make sure that you do not storeyour rhizomes in plastic bags. Store them in a cool garage thatdoes not get above 50-55°F or go below freezing. In the spring,give the rhizomes a little water to help develop the rhizome andnew buds. Remember when storing rhizomes: Cold + Wet = Dead, andwhen growing cannas: Sun + Moisture = Healthy.
Caladiums
Caladiums or angel wings (the genus Caladium ) have large, arrow-head shaped leaves in a startling array ofcolor and patterns. The leaf size ranges from 6 to14 inches, andthe foliage grows from 12 to 24 inches tall and wide. A greataccent plant for containers, they perform best in shade or partshade, but can handle some sun if given plenty of water. Caladiumsneed warmth, ample moisture, and frequent feeding to thrive.Deadhead the flowers to ensure good foliage.
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