Gathering Fancy Foliage

If anyone in north Toronto happened to see a man in a navy trench coat randomly snipping leaves from the city planters that line the sidewalks with his fingernails, I can assure you it was me. I've been noticing so many beautiful and interesting leaves lately - not above my head (autumn has yet to paint the trees in those striking reds and golds) but more or less at eye level. Toronto is lucky to have thousands of public planters along its sidewalks and streets to help liven up the sea of concrete. They are planted with beautiful and unusual specimens, some of which you can see below. I have yet to identify them, although many of them look to be members of the coleus (Solenostemon) family. It was Margaret Roach who trained my eye to appreciate unusual foliage and I'm ever grateful for that. The textures, patterns and colours of these leaves are marvelous to study up close. If any of you know what the specimens are, please indicate them in the comments section. {PROJECT: Rather than save the leaves, scan them as I have done and then print the image on semi-gloss paper and keep them in a folder or a scrapbook. Once you identify them, make a label with the names of the plants.}