Before the Autumn leaf colours start to invade our senses I am just recapping on the leaves that have made an impact for me this summer.

Outdoor Leaves

• Coleus is a colourful exhibitionist of a plant. A whole range of colours can be combined on one or two plants like the assembly in the above plant pot.
• Cotinus coggygria, the Smoke Bush, has been one of my favourites this summer with the royal purple leaves acting as a back drop to paler coloured leaves particularly of various grey foilaged plants.
• Cineraria Maritima has provided the grey and blue grey interest for several darker corners. With the poor summer I have not had any of the straggly yellow flowers to steal any thunder.
• Zonal Geranuims vary in the amount of colouring they carry but some varieties are grown for the shades in the leaf. The plant in the photo below has yellow, bronze and greens in separate banding on the variegated leaves.

Indoor Leaves

• After many year and too many alcoholic drinks the Apidistra in our local pub has gone to the great brewery compost heap in the sky. Still my wife is Cast Iron in her belief that it was a boring plant.
• Begonia rex on the other hand have contorted leaves withribs of many colours.
• Codiaeum variegated plants have come hot foot and hot colours to the fore in recent seasons.
• It may be cheating to include the coloured bracts in cream, pink and notably red of the Pionsettia but with Christmas coming I do not think you will hold it against me.

Gardeners Tip – Use coloured leaves in some areas as an alternative to flowers when designing your garden layout.
You do not need flowers to produce colour in your houseplants. In addition to Begonia Rex and its relatives why not try growing some Codiaeum, an easy to maintain leafy plant.

Codiaeums are interesting foliage house plants also called Joseph’s Coat.

Codiaeum Cultivation Tips

• This variety is called ‘Petra’ but you may also find ‘Eugene Drapps’ with long lance shaped leaves almost entirely yellow.
• Keep plants moist and in good light with a temperature of at least 60-70° F.
• Root 6 inch cuttings taken from the top of the plant at 70° with a bit of bottom heat.
• Plants can be encouraged to branch by pinching out the growing tip.
• Frequent feeding is needed except in winter when growth slows.
• Large plants will have lots of roots so it may be worth potting up a size using loam based compost.
• Red spider mite can be a problem with Codiaeums
• Without good light but not full scorching sun the colouring will not be as strong and bottom leaves may be shed.