Winter Heuchera

Elisabeth — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 14:58:00 GMT

As I have tidied up the garden for winter I have noticed that the purple-leafed heuchera have maintained their good looks, even while coated with frost or the first few flakes of snow. Of course these plants are very popular right now, and deservedly so, for their contributions to the garden during the growing season. The delicate bells in the spring are lovely and the purple leaves really add a new dimension to the garden.

In the late fall and winter, though, when everything else is dormant, the heuchera soldiers on. The rosette form of the leaves holds up and the purple color does not really fade until the leaves finally give up the ghost in the spring. By then the new leaves are bursting forth, so the show is virtually uninterrupted.

One of the beauties of this season is that the absence of abundance in the garden makes you more conscious of the plants that remain. The purple heucheras--like the popular cultivars 'Mocha' and 'Obsidian' --are really a four-season investment.

Fancy Plants

Elisabeth — Fri, 30 May 2008 23:43:00 GMT

It used to be a challenge to find colorful plants for the shade garden. Spring-flowering bulbs and woodland plants have always done the job in spring, but after that the pickings were somewhat slim.

Now we have so many choices that it's hard to decide what to plant. Heuchera, which used to come with green, lobed foliage and dainty spikes of bell-like flowers, are now available in a rainbow of foliage colors. Without even looking very hard, you can find heuchera with apricot, purple or chartreuse leaves. Foliage can also be bi-colored or sport contrasting veins.

The traditional airy flower spikes have been beefed up as well; the flowers are bigger, more numerous and come in a wider range of colors. The leaves are still the main attraction, but now the white, pink or red flowers are a more impressive spring side show.

Even heuchera have a hard time in deep shade, so pick a partially shaded spot for your new arrivals. They also need ample moisture. Mulching is much appreciated.

So go Victorian and fill a large urn with several brightly colored heuchera varieties. Light up the dark corners of your property. Give in to your wild side and indulge in heuchera.

Growing Wise : heuchera

Winter Heuchera

Fancy Plants