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Year Round Gardening
Add Some Chocolate to Your Garden
By Kitty West, Colorado Master Gardener
Having a theme in mind when you select plants for your garden provides unity and expresses
your interests and individuality. Themed gardening is not a new idea. Over the years I have
read many articles that provide specifics for various themes. For example, a butterfly garden
would have lots of scented, brightly colored flowers. A white garden would be planted in a
shaded area with very few colors; perhaps only green and white. Last year I grew chocolate
mint (Mentha piperita) for the first time. The mint grew very well and provided a required
ingredient for Chocolate Mint Mojitos and Nojitos (non-alcoholic Mojito). While doing some
reading this past winter I found an article that suggested using chocolate mint in a chocolatethemed garden.
Plants used in a chocolate-themed garden would have a
chocolate scent, a chocolate color,taste like chocolate or
have “chocolate” in the name. Many plants have one of
these properties. Below is a short description of plants
you might consider using in a chocolate- themed garden.

--Chocolate Flower (Berlandiera lyrata). The plant
has a chocolate scent and daisy-shaped yellow
flowers. It is a Southeastern Colorado native and
Plant Select© offering.

--Chocolate Mint (Mentha piperita). The plant has a
slightly chocolate taste and scent. Mints are easy to
grow, but are invasive. You may want to consider growing mint in a container rather than
planting directly into the garden. Harvest mints in the morning after the dew has
evaporated.

--‘Sweet Hot Chocolate’ Daylily (Hemerocallis). In general, daylilies are easy to grow. This
variety has a lovely chocolate-colored flower.

--‘Chocolate Sundae’ (Dahlia). This is the first, near-black, Dahlia. The flowers are really a
dark maroon with a slight chocolate scent. In our area, Dahlias are generally classified as
an annual unless tubers are removed and stored during the winter months.

--‘Dark Chocolate’ Coleus (Solenostemon scutellariodes). The foliage is chocolate-colored
and will become even darker when grown in partial shade.

--Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans 'Valfredda'). The foliage is chocolate-colored with burgundy
highlights. It is often called Chocolate Chip and is an excellent low-growing ground cover.
Now is the time to start thinking about which plants you will add to your 2015 garden.
Perennials can be planted anytime during the growing season. Ideally, you will plant them early
in the season so they have sufficient time to become established.
Most annuals are planted after the last frost in the spring. In our area, this date varies.
Residents living in the Black Forest may experience light frosts later than residents living in
Colorado Springs. It is recommended you watch the local 10-day weather forecasts before
deciding when to plant your annuals. Coleus is especially sensitive to cooler temperatures.
The following links will provide climate summary specifics and suitable plants for our area; good
year-round gardening resources.
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/mg/Gardennotes/743.pdf
http://plantselect.org/
The Final Word:
Do not use
cocoa bean
mulch in your
garden. This
mulch has a
lovey color and
scent. Some
dogs like the
taste and will
eat large
quantities of the
mulch.
However, like
chocolate,
cocoa bean
mulch is very
toxic to dogs.
Photos by Kitty West
When you have questions, Colorado State University Extension has research based answers
Get answers to your horticulture questions by calling a Master Gardener Volunteer at 520-7684
or connect with us through https://ask.extension.org. For current garden tips visit
https://www.facebook.com/ColoradoMasterGardeners.EPC.
Colorado State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture and El Paso County Extension Programs
are available to all without discrimination