Let me show you something about Coleus: Here is the same plant, Coleus ‘Kong Scarlet’, grown in three different light situations—shade, partial sun and sun. It looks like we have three different Coleus varieties but we don’t; it’s all the same plant and its colors change based on the light it is grown under.

As the leaves get more sun, their colors will change and darken; in my opinion, this makes the plant dynamic, interesting and fun. As a kid, you would dip your Hot Wheels car into the water and it would change colors! We can have the same kind of fun as adults.

Our Summer Rudbeckias are all ready to go, just in time for outdoor entertaining. These long lasting flowers work well in the hotter months of the season.

Over the past few years, black-eyed susans have hit the market with a broader array of colors and heights. Now you can get a variety of designs going, whether you are working with decor containers, street plantings or a large landscape bed that could use a little drama.

Landscapers—take a look at the Big Series of begonias. That’s actually the name—The Big Series—and it offers the classic begonia look in a bigger, better package.

Compared to regular begonias, the Big Series has larger flowers and leaves, and—importantly—the flowers have longer, stronger stems so the color is held out and away from the leaf canopy. Whereas regular begonias hold their color tight to their vest, these begonias flaunt it proudly because the flowers are held up over the leaf instead of right on top of the leaf.

One special crop we have this summer is ‘Fairy Queen’, a new salvia from Fleuroselect. This is a cultivar similar to the Victoria types that you’ve planted before, but this one has a large white dot on the lip and a slightly taller stance at 18 inches. You’ll also find that the bloom is beefier.

So far, we are very impressed with this crop. Here is a photo of an 1801 Landscape tray, and the plant does a good job of filling it out. Right now our crop features nice tight blooms—the color is just coming on.