Sure use coleus. I wouldn't just pick off leaves though, cut off a piece just like if you were taking a cuttimg only a bit longer, and it will send out new shoots below where you cut and still keep it's shape. As long as you don't take too many from one plant it will be fine.

Another plant who's leaves add interest to bouquets is Hosta.

Thanks, oilpainter.
By the way, if I try to root a cutting in water to replant in the spring, it should come back true to type, right?

I never root cuttings in water. I do it in soil, but yes it will be true to type--it can't be anything else. You are rooting a piece of the plant not planting seeds.

If you want to know how to do it in soil, here's how. You can use this method to take cuttings of all kinds of plants

Taking cuttings is the same for most plants. First you must make sure everything you use is very clean. In a clean pail mix your soil with the water so you make sure the soil is damp right through. Use a soilless mix like pro mix or one that is formulated for seeds and cuttings. Just make sure it has no fertilizer in it. You want the soil wet but not too wet. Squeeze a handful and some moisture should come out but not a lot. Fill your pots and make a little hole in the center with your finger or something else that will make a small hole.

Take your cuttings: With a sharp knife or razor blade cut a 5 or 6 inch piece from the growing tip, cutting just below a leaf. All roots and branches come from a leaf joint. Remove all but the top 5 or 6 leaves. Dip about 1/2 inch of the cut end in rooting hormone. It comes in powder or gel, either is OK as long as it's for soft wood cuttings. I use Stim-root NO. 1. After it's dipped put it in the hole and cover it in, and you're done.

Keep the soil moist but not overly wet. They will look wilted at first but that will change as it starts to grow roots. You will know it's rooted when it starts to show new growth. Wait until it is rooted well before you set it out.

Don't use too big a pot, because it is harder to guage the moisture content. I use the small four pack inserts that you buy annuals in

Thanks so much!
One question: Say I take the cutting in the fall before it gets really cold (or when do I do this exactly?)...after I put it in the moist soil & I see it show new growth, you said to wait until it is rooted well before I set it out. I'm not sure how long this takes & where do I set it out (like in the spring when it's warm & sunny?) We have no actual windowsills in my house, so there's not a lot of natural light in the house (especially during our dreary Syracuse winters) and I don't have growing lights, etc.

Sorry, just trying to picture when to do all of this, and where I should put the pot once I've put it in the soil (assuming snow is coming soon?) Like you, seems like winter lasts FOREVER around here!!
Thanks again for your patience & time helping me!! :0) Phyl

If you take cuttings in the fall, do it the same way, but instead of planting out, put it in a bigger pot and grow it on a sunny windowsill over the winter. It will grow into a big plant you can take cuttings from in the spring.

OR-- trim back a bit a plant you have outside and pot it up and bring it inside. Then take you cuttings in the spring. The full plant will result in a lot more cuttings for you in the spring. My neighbor does this every year and ends up with lots of new plants.

If you don't have a sunny window, then you are tough out of luck over wintering plants, unless you get yourself a shop light. Many people use them for growing or starting flowers. It's a minimal investment. Some say they are around $15 or $20. Get one with a plug that you just plug into a normal socket and use one cool and one warm flourescent lights in it. Then you'd have to find a way to hang it and a place for it. You could also use it to start seeds, but maybe you don't want the bother--whatever you decide.

Can I keep coeleus in the cooler to use in bouquets? I know I can't keep zinnias in the cooler ..are there any other flowers I should not store in the cooler?

Depends on what you mean by a 'cooler' and what the temperature is in it.