Heuchera's in Your Garden

I  remember seeing Coral Bells   growing in my grandmothers garden.   They had ordinary green  leaves  with  small pink flowers floating on tiny stems.  Then in my first garden I planted Heuchera Palace Purple, a greenish maroon leafed Coral Bell that had more colorful leaves, white flowers  and was not a challenge to  grow for a beginning gardener.   Over the years Heuchera's, or Coral Bells,  with the help of hybridizers , have evolved into some very incredible  perennials. 

 Heuchera villosa 'Bronze Wave' and Stachys 'Helen Von Stein'

Go into you local garden center and it is not unusual to find at least a dozen different Heuchera (HEW-ker-a)   cultivars.  Once limited to shades of green and maroon, now the color palete includes, yellows, caramel ,cinnamon, peach,  all shades of maroon,  chocolate,  and greens with red veins , red with green veins,  the list continues to grow,  and did I mention that this perennial has flowers too.

Bronze Wave - Foliage is dark with copper, purple and brown tones, blending into a metallic bronze color. The large wavy-margined hairy leaves are 6 to 8” across and make a clump about 24” across and 18” high. 24” wands of pinkish-white flowers are produced from mid to late summer.  

 Heuchera Pewter Veil

Grow them in some sun,  with a little late day shade and the seem pretty happy.  Although  not the best planting I have seen cultivars like "Palace Purple" grown in full sun. Currently I am  growing  "Midnight Rose' in a container ( photo below) with as little as 2 1/2  hours of sun,  planted  along side hostas and ferns.
Over-watering  will rot the roots.  They are happiest, in a decent soil, mulched, with occasional watering, more frequent in the hot summer. In containers,  you will have success with potting soil that is a little coarse and well drained.

 Heuchra 'Midnight Rose' and sedum in hypertufa bowl

The reason that these two unlikely partners do well  in this containers is the growing  medium .
Peat moss, small bark fines, perlite. 

Al’s 5-1-1 Mix is a bark-based mix that also provides great drainage and aeration. This mix is  created by Al from Gardenweb.com website. The mix composes of 5 part fine bark, 1 part sphagnum peat, and 1 part perlite. This mix is recommended for annuals or anything that only last a few seasons.
The ingredients are:
5 part partially-composed pine bark fines
1 part sphagnum peat
1 part horticulture grade perlite (coarse size)
1 tbsp per gallon of garden dolomic lime

Heucheras look great with many other perennials and annuals in containers. Here are just a few examples.

• Heuchera with sedum Angelina and festuca Elijah Blue
• Heuchera with festuca Elijah Blue and lysimachia Aurea (golden creeping Jenny).
• Ipomoea batatas 'Sweet Heart' aka 'Sweet Caroline Purple' (Sweat potato vine) with Heuchera 'Caramel
•  Hakonechloa ‘All Gold’ , Xanthosoma ‘Lime Zinger’ , Heuchera ‘Mahogany’, Heuchera ‘Lime Rickey’

Heuchera villosa 'Caramel' and Liriope muscari 'Peedee Ingot'

The bold leaves of the Heuchera 'Caramel' contrasts nicely with the fine leaves of the Liriope.  This combination can be found under some trees in the perennial gardens at Longwood Gardens.  With regular watering and mulch these perennials do well under many trees. 

 In fall, the foliage of Heuchera Caramel turns a beautiful  salmon red. Like many of the new cultivars this hybrid does great in heat and humidity and is happy in a wide range of soil conditions. Tolerates a good deal of sun, where the foliage color intensifies. Another good selection for the shade garden Best grown in rich, humus, well drained soil with adequate moisture. Once established, it can take on heat, humidity, even poor soil.

Great Combinations -  Heuchera villosa Beaujolais with  Hakonechloa grass at Longwood Gardens 

 Heuchera  Beaujolais -,  is a super vigorous variety with large 5" burgundy leaves.growing 8-10" x 12-16" , very tall 24" cream colored flower stems appear mid season.zone 4a - 9 and is listed a deer resistant plant.  This  Coral Bell is different from other plum colored varieties by its unique color, tolerance to heat & humidity and its vigor.

Another favorite combination for your shade garden is Heuchera  "Plum Pudding" and Japanese Painted fern Athyrium niponicum picutum.  These two will bring attention to front of any shady foundation planting. 

Heuchera americana Marvelous Mable  

Spring foliage begins  purple and eventually  matures through the season to  green with, dark veins and silvery mottling.  White flowers form early in the season.  Because of their low, mounding habit, they can be planted along paths or in containers.
 Height: 8-13". Spread: 17-19". Leaf color: purple in spring turning to deep green through the season. Zones: 4-9. Flowers: Creamy White on 16" scapes.

Heuchera Problems - not really!

No serious insect or disease problems. Frost heaving of roots may occur when winter temperatures fluctuate widely.

 

 Heuchera americana Green Spice

‘Green Spice’ is a clump-forming Coral Bell cultivar that  has silvery, gray-edged leaves with purple veins (in cool weather) and not particularly showy white flowers. The rounded, lobed, long-petioled leaves  (to 9” tall) which may spread to 16” wide. Tiny, whitish flowers appear in late spring to early summer on slender,  stems rising well above the foliage mound, typically to 24-28” tall. Leaves turn orangish in autumn.

These  are just a small selection of the hundreds of cultivars of heuchera.  They have come a long way from the ones I first found in my grandmothers garden.  Happy Gardening !

 

Conifer Cones 

Color  in the garden is sometimes found in the oddest  place.  One does not always look at the end of a conifer branch to find beauty.  These three small  cones are perched at the end of the branch of a very small conifer -  Picea abies "Pusch".  The needles of the conifer look like most any conifer, but the cones in the spring are outstanding.  There cones contain the seeds of this plant, brightly colored, but eventually  turning a dry brown. This small drawf growing evergreen is a springtime jewel. While some are looking for blooming bulbs and bright flowering azaelas, I have found interest in this display of red cones.
 Slow growing to about 2'x3', likes well drained soil, and a sunny location. Because it is zone 3 hardy, it will be ok in most climates, and in my zone 6 will do just fine in a container.  I purchased this plant from Bob Fincham's  nursery in Washington -    Coenosium Gardens  

 

 

 

Picea abies 'Pusch'

Picea abies 'Pusch' is a witches broom, found on the parent plant, Picea abies `Acrocona Pusch'. Check it out at  Rich Foxwillow Nursery  and also in close up photo below.
The two photos (top and below) look very similar, (well some kids do look like their parents) however Pusch is a very dwarf  almost basketball sized conifer ( and will stay small), Acrocona is about 6x6 irregular shape, growing larger and more irregular, considered an intermediate conifer.  In comparison the cones on the parent plant (see below) are about 2x the size of Pusch above.  Either plant is a prize to behold in your garden.

I will go into more detail about witches broom in upcoming post, when I can post best photos.  But the short and simple explanation is that the parent plant will begin to grow a branch with a strange twist, or weep or very short growth, like a mutation. When discovered, a branch from the mutation will be removed and grafted to form a new unnamed plant. 

It is not surprising that interesting cones can also be found out in the woods.   The photo of these cones, some type of fir,  were taken  while hiking Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park.

Conifer cones are cool!

A Sedum for All Seasons - Angelina




January at Longwood  Gardens

Lets start with the fact that I am a lazy gardener. So when I find a perennial that is easy to care for, grows well in containers, and looks good all year in my zone 6 garden, it gets my attention   Sedum Angelina  is a garden asset with year long interest.  In summer, the low-growing succulent forms spreading mats of  yellow-green foliage,and  clusters of yellow star-shaped flowers. But it is in winter that Angelina really shines, when those same fleshy leaves turn an incredible,  golden orange, with  shades of red. The colors are so intense, the ground appears to be on fire. This plant is especially appreciated when everything else is dead or dormant. There are not too many perennial that look this good in the winter 

All the Sedum  are fairly  easy to grow. They thrive in full sun, and tolerate dry, poor soils. Hardy from zones 3 to 9, they tolerate Pennsylvania  winters with no problem.  Unlike the taller Sedums, pruning is not really required with Angelina, unless you need to cleanup some dead leaves; no other maintenance is needed. 

Angelina is well-suited for containers, rock gardens, and in the front of sunny borders. The trailing plants will cascade over walls or the edges of containers or spread on the ground or just spread through your beds. 

Angelina Growing in a Hypertufa Container with  Dwarf Conifers

 Sedum Angelia (left front) has been growing for at least 3  years in this container, with only occasional watering and a little fertilizer.  That is a "low maintenance" plant. Any container that has well drained soil will work. Next time you you are selecting plants for a hanging basket consider this sun loving perennial.

 

The Dancing Peacock 

The leaves on this Japanese Maple make you wonder if an artist had a hand in creating this tree. Very appropriately named, the leaves are graceful and elegant like a beautiful peacock dancing in the garden.  Even in the spring , the thickly dissected green leaves draw attention to this tree.  This is how one local garden centers in Camp Hill  desribies this tree -

Finding  a place for this tree in your yard should not be too difficult.  Maybe next to a small  patio, or low deck where you can sit in a comfortable chair, sip a beverage,  then look up at the leaves,   ....    and relax.

In My Garden

Garden Accoutrements

 Garden design should not stop with shrubs and perennials.  Garden Art, found treasures, created artwork,  whatever you call it,  consider  adding  it to your garden.  Around  my  backyard pond, I have included a bench crafted  from  a log cut long ways, a few hypertufa containers planted with perennials,  and a concrete orb  painted with pastel colors.  When the perennials are done blooming there are still some objects in the garden to catch your eye.

 

Eleven Plants That Will Not Disappoint Your Garden

Picea pungens 'Globosa Nana'

1.FERNSPRAY FALSE CYPRESS -Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Filicoides'
2. SIBERIAN CYPRESS - Microbiota decussate
3. HINOKI FALSE CYPRESS - Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Kosteri'
4. CENTER GLOW NINEBARK -Physocarpus opulifolius 'Center Glow'
5. HELMOND PILLAR BARBERRY -Berberis thunbergii 'Helmond Pillar'
6. KNOCK OUT® ROSE -Rosa x 'Radyod'
7. SNOW QUEEN OAKLEAF HYDRANGEA -Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snow Queen'
8. WEIGELIA - Weigela x 'My Monet'
9. HYDRANGEA Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight‘
10. DWARF GLOBE BLUE SPRUCE - Picea pungens 'Globosa'
11. ABELIA - Abelia 'Rose Creek' Abelia

Plant Combinations

Getting the right plants together in you landscape is not easy. Right amount of sun, right soil conditions, and the hardest part " looking good together". Japanese Maples are easy to grow in full sun as long as you keep them watered during dry spells in the summer. This is Acer palmatum "Shaina" a smaller cultivar that holds the red color all summer. Under planted is Iris pallida "Variegata" which also does well in full sun. Late in the spring the Iris will bloom a grape soda flower that last for a few weeks. But even after the blooms are gone these plants look great together.

Picea orientalis 'Skylands'

Oriental Spruce

The Oriental Spruce is a conifer that makes the average garden look great. In most cases conifers are evergreens, however there are a few exceptions . As winter approaches and leaves drop, the visual interest in the garden is directed towards evergreens. The oriental spruce in one such plant. There are a variety of shapes and sizes, however the cultivar, Skylands, is one of my favorites

Before selecting any plant for you yard it is important to know the mature size and the plants cultural requirements. Too many times we buy plants with limited knowledge about the plant and then plant the tree or shrub in a location that has building or overhead limitations. Most conifers including this one enjoy full sun. My recommendation is to grow this in a location that gets about 6 -7 hours of sun with a little afternoon shade. I have found that 10 or more hours of sun may cause the needles to brown a little. Something that is not uncommon with yellow needled conifers. This spruce is planted in a bed that is mounded with 3-6 inches of soil. I do this because mounding the soil allows for better drainage. The soil does not have to be rich top soil any soil free from clay will work. Also a planting bed that has a slight mound has more visual interest. This tree is classified as a zone 5. This is a slow growing conifer that will reach 10 feet x 4 feet in ten years. Its ultimate mature height is 35 feet x 12 feet. This tree is a good choice as a specimen, or for smaller gardens where a tall conifer is wanted without giving over too much horizontal space.

You are not limited to the cultivar "Skylands". Some of the other cultivars you may find in a nursery or garden center are Picea orientalis Nana, Aurea, Connecticut Turnpike, Bergman Gem, Acrocona .

Viburnum

Viburnums - Three seasons of Interest. Viburnum dilitatum is one of the several viburnums in my garden. It is an outstanding shrub that blooms vigorously and then produces an outstanding display of berries. For 10 plus years I had been calling this viburnum "wrightii" in error. Not until I met Michael Dirr and provided him with a branch did I find that I had been sold a mislabeled plant. An all too common error in the nursery trade. However no dismay - whatever the name - this viburnum is a keeper. Sun, occasional fertilizer, and occasional pruning (to keep 6-7ft tall) is all that is required. Located right outside of my kitchen it produces berries that will eventually attract many birds ( usually after the winter past). There are two plants side by side which is the reason for the great berries. Sort of like two friends working together to fertilize each others not to fragrant flowers. Along with the berries the leaves turn to a wonderful red color in the fall. From a landscape point of view - this is a great plant for a screen, foundation for a tall house or just out in the yard in a small group planting.
No yard should be without a viburnum.

Hypertufa for Your Garden

Gardening is full of mistakes, you just can't give up

I am always looking for new ways to display plants in my garden. I also am a fanatic about conifers and a long time member of the American Conifer Society. At a ACS conference in Portland Oregon, I visited several large nurseries, and saw for the first time containers that looked like stone but were made by hand. Full of small conifers and alpine perennials. It did not take long before my garden had a collection of these "Hypertufa" containers or troughs.

Hypetufa is a way to be creative without having much artistic talent. Portland cement, potting soil, and perlite - mix with water until you form a thick oatmeal lump. Get your favorite plastic container, I use a low planting bowl, spray the inside with cooking spray ( my best advise), and apply the tufa mix. Keep in a plastic bag for a day or two and remove from the mold - rough up the sides to your liking. Then a few weeks in a plactic bag - and your are done.

The key to creating nice containers is patience and the willing to accept failure. I have screwed up as many as I have made. Some of my nicest looking pots were by accident. Gardening is full of mistakes, you just can't give up. The hypertufa contaner above broke when I was putting it back in the mold to cure. The front 1/3 broke off, leaving the back higher. Upset for a day or two, I worked with the problem and planted the pot to fit the defect.



Below is a container that I have planted and replanted over the years. I tried to make it resembel a real horses trough ( just shorter)

I have lots of fun making these containers - and more fun teaching people how to make their own. Try it --

ECHIVERIA

Echiveria is a plant that has found a home in my garden. It is not a hardy plant in my zone 6 garden, so it requires that I dig it up in the fall and bring inside. But it is worth the extra work. I started with three small plants and now have 40. The best part is that it is very easy to grow , requiring only sun and ocassional watering. Each spring when the temps reach 50 degrees F I bring them outside. I found that they do best if they are planted in the ground in beds right next to my perennials or annuals. A bonus is that it will eventually display a small pink flower in late summer. It is easy to propagate, growing small pups - baby plants along the base of the parent. It is also great for containers. They also do well planted in Hypertufa containers. Hypertufa --next post