Media Coverage

Star Ledger
Mar 20, 2008
By Valerie Sudol
Star Ledger Staff

Everything coleus

The new generation of coleus varieties is the subject of a long-awaited volume by plantsman and author Ray Rogers of North Brunswick -- "Coleus: Rainbow Foliage for Containers and Gardens" (Timber Press, $29.95).

Raised from cuttings rather than seed, cultivars introduced in the past two decades outdo in brilliance and leaf pattern anything you may remember from the past. Coleus are known for their many jewel-like colors and fanciful shapes, and growing them can be downright addictive.

This beautiful book has a strong New Jersey orientation, a rarity in garden literature. Photos by Richard Hartlage, former supervisor of horticulture for the Morris County Parks Commission, include shots of Atlock Farm in Somerset, where Rogers raises his plants; two gardens in Nutley that Hartlage designed; and a splendid tropical garden in Pompton Plains maintained by NewBridge, a social services agency.

Rogers will discus coleus at a lecture and book signing from 10 a.m. to noon April 22 at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, 53 E. Hanover Road, Morris Township. Tickets are $20; call (973) 326-7603.