Coleus Cuttings

Fall has been a little slow in coming to my area. We did have a few cool days a couple weeks ago—enough to prompt me to put away the summer clothes and get out the winter clothes—but then it turned warm again. (Anybody need a turtleneck?)

But the nights are getting cooler and cooler, and my pots of annuals are looking pretty ratty, so I'll be composting them this weekend. But first I took a few minutes to take cuttings from a favorite coleus.

We are rooting four stems in water on the windowsill and I plan to pot them up as free houseplants. My nearly-two-year-old is very excited about their presence. Every morning she visits them, adjusting each vase just so and saying "wa-wa!"

I also considered digging up the three 'Lollipop' verbena from the garden, potting them and storing them in the garage because they are hardy to Zone 7 and we're in Zone 6. But I decided against it. I will mulch them well, wish them the best and spend the winter thinking about what to put in their place if they don't make it.

What plants do you like to save over the winter?