I brought home a 'Peach Flambe' heuchera from the nursery this week and took some photos of the fiery leaves in the evening light. Their shades of red and orange are lovely all day but are especially striking when back lit while the sun is low.
I've also ordered a couple of 'Southern Comfort' heucheras that are similar in color but supposedly a bit lighter orange. SC also grows larger than PF. I'll try both of them out in my burgundy/crimson/pink/rosy-orange flowerbed. Above you can see one of the flower stalks that will be covered with small white blooms soon.
This plant is no doubt larger than the ones that will come in the mail, but it still isn't large enough to divide. By next spring I should be able to start several new plants from this one, though. Perhaps I've posted about this before, but did you know that heucheras are crazy-easy to divide?
Heucheras have an annoying tendency to become woody at the base after several years, like the 'June Bride' plants above. But it's easy to rejuvenate them or to divide younger plants that have several shoots growing from the crown. You just dig them up in the cool of early spring, break or cut apart the shoots, pull off all but the top few leaves, and stick them back in the dirt in the shade. They'll grow roots from the bottom of the woody shoots even if there aren't any roots there when you divide. Just keep them watered (but not soggy) and you'll have bunches of new plants.
I needed to move my 'Lime Rickey' heucheras out of the way so they won't get smashed by heavy equipment next week when the landscaping company starts our backyard project. So I took the opportunity to divide them. From three plants, I was able to get fourteen new starts that are admittedly tiny but will grow quickly provided I feed them and don't let them dry out.
Pretty soon they'll be as big and pretty as the original plants, shown here in a photo from 2010. This photo showing a blown over delphinium was the only one I could find of my 'Lime Rickey' plants. I'm planning to use LR in my new true blue/lavender/mauve/lime flower bed along with other lime plants like 'Ogon' spirea and 'Sum and Substance' hosta.
Hi VW,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip on dividing Heucheras; I've one that I was wondering whether I should dig it up and throw it away but I'll attempt to divide it now instead.
I'm surprised to see you have buds on your new ones; they don't bloom here for a while yet? Guess it must depend on the type.
Liz, the buds on this new heuchera are only there so early because it was growing in a greenhouse or in milder Oregon until it showed up at my local nursery this week. My heucheras in the ground are barely starting to leaf out and won't bloom for a month or two. Glad you can salvage your heucheras.
DeleteHeuchera are lovely plants. I find that they either look stunning or down right rotten. Good luck with all those babies. Your new border sounds wonderful
ReplyDeleteHi VW... this post was an excellent reminder for me to get busy as soon as the weather allows with dividing my heucheras... I fully intened to get at it last season but only got around to a doing a couple... thanks for the gentle shove! Larry
ReplyDeleteI like the foliage on the redder one. It will be interesting to see the ones you ordered. I have had very mixed results ordering plants so I am a bit nervous about what it will look like when it arrives (probably not like the picture ;)
ReplyDeleteIG - I ordered from Bluestone Perennials and they have done an excellent job for me in the past, so I'm not worried about the plants coming. I just know they'll be small, which will make it easier to plant them, I guess.
DeleteHappy Spring VW! Lovely photos and it is amazing to imagine what the tiny plants will grow into during the upcoming weeks and months. I do miss the dainty heuchera but my garden is so overwhelmed by thugs that the fragile bells cannot compete here anymore. Enjoy the gardening seasons. Carol
ReplyDeleteCarol, your garden is definitely a larger scale than mine! Good thing you have all those big plants to fill up the space.
DeleteHave scrolled through your last few posts, playing catch up. Love the crocuses, Barr's purple is pretty. Glad to read how easy the Heucheras are to divide, need to do that -- cross your fingers!
ReplyDeleteJust loved this post...I learned something new! I did not know that all my "coral bells" and similar plants are heucheras! Coral bells is one of my "must have" plants, I have divided and divided them and have them all over my yard and have given several divided plants away. I am scaling down all of my flowerbeds and I spent two hours organizing all of my pictures through the years. I am amazed that my flowerbed were so full. I love the way you color scheme your flower beds. I love your lime green heucheras! Although I am scaling back, I know I have room to add some to my Hasta bed!
ReplyDeleteLove the soft color of the Lime Ricky... what color are the blossoms?
ReplyDeleteCarolyn, the flowers are airy white and work nicely with the foliage.
DeleteI'm trying to make a whole set of heuchera in my garden. I'm sure it's beauty will be stunning.
ReplyDelete