Southern Gardening

Many local municipalities are installing roundabouts to help with traffic flow. These areas are also a great location for beautification. Today Southern Gardening is at the roundabout in downtown Starkville showing how to do these areas right. The begonia is a great choice for bright color. The compact growth habit with dark bronze foliage really displays the bright pinkish red flowers. This is a knockout for tough summer color. I really like the bright look provided by the Yellow Form alternanthera.

When I’m wanting great late summer color that’ll take our late summer heat, I turn to coleus. Let’s face it, there’s an unbelievable range of colors, shapes and sizes that can fit into any garden. The trial Gardens here at the South Mississippi Branch Station contain a fantastic collection of sun coleus. Let’s take a look at some of my new favorites. Alabama Sunset, also known as Bellingrath Pink, is a stunning selection; leaves emerge bright sunny yellow, transitioning to red to pinkish-red. Make sure this plant get at least six hours of sun to fully intensify the beautiful colors.