i have versa watermelon this year... i was a little skeptical about it being a seed grown coleus, but so far it's pretty. i've hacked the mother plant into smaller seedlings to make a border. DH and the kids got it as part of my mother's day gift... our local farmer's market sells alot of coleus (they have their own "section") and this was part of their line-up.
growing from seed.... i collect and grow out seedlings to see what comes up. this year my goal is to be more targeted and hand-pollinate. let's see if that happens because i'm expecting a baby in september LOL. they sprout quickly. i've learned it's better to start in march rather than earlier, because they just slump along anyway. i sprinkle seed in seed starter mix (or in this year's case, coir, which worked out too) in a small container, put in my south facing kitchen garden window, then prick out the seedlings when they have 2 sets of leaves into their own tiny pot/jiffy pellet. they stay tiny for quite a while, but then when i feel like giving up, they start really growing- stems thicken, more leaves grow. i would say it takes about 2.5 months from seed to a 2-3" seedling with a strong stem.
it's important to not discard seedlings too early, because they don't show true colors/leaf shape until they get bigger.
good luck if growing from seed. it's worth it to find interesting ones...
