When needing a variety of color and texture in a container planter or hanging basket, consider using coleus as the centerpiece and work from there. Its mounding habit adds height, texture and complex colors to the summer garden. 'Alabama' coleus has all the colors of a sunset, and while it does best with protection from the hottest sun, it can flourish in dappled all-day sun. Colors may shift depending upon the amount of sunlight, as will the size of the mature plant. Pinching the tips of stems will control the height and make this annual even bushier. Pinching out flowers will prolong foliar growth right up until freeze.