Heuchera Brighten Up any Spot in the Garden

Gardeners looking for something colorful to brighten up their late summer garden often look to flowers, but flowers aren't the only way to go.

When it comes to adding an infusion of color, I always think back to this amazing garden. Who needs flowers when foliage is this beautiful? The rose and peach colored Heuchera completely transform this shady garden.

Part-shade–Private garden in Campbellville, ON

Here's a fact that may surprise you–Heuchera is actually a native plant and are found in various forms across the North American continent. 

Heuchera forms neat, round mounds and have a woody centre or "crown". The bell-shaped flowers of this plant are often described as "insignificant". Certainly one purchases a Heuchera primarily for the foliage, but the tiny flowers are often quite attractive in their own right:

Light

Not all Heuchera prefer the same light conditions, so it's a good idea to read the recommendations on the plant tag before you set your heart on a particular cultivar. Some like full sun to part shade, while others prefer part-shade to full shade. All varieties benefit from some light afternoon shade– Heuchera foliage may actually scorch in the hot afternoon sun in more southern garden zones.

Soil

Heuchera prefers moist, well-drained soil enriched with some organic matter. If your soil is poor, it is a good idea to amend it with some organic matter before you plant.

Division

A Heuchera's crown loses some vigour over time, so it is a good idea to divide them every 3-4 years. This can be done in either the spring or the fall.

Pests & Problems

Though Heuchera prefers moist soil, they like good drainage. Too much water can cause crown or root rot and make overwintering a Heuchera more difficult.

Winter cycles of frost and thaw can heave the crown of a Heuchera up out of the ground. To prevent this from happening, mulch in the fall. If your Heuchera has already heaved up as a result of frost/thaw, simply lift and re-plating it.

The Cultivars

In recent years, Heuchera has been the focus of frenzied hybridization and can now be found in an amazing array of colors, leaf shapes and textures. 

Here's a look at some of the many cultivars available with suggestions for companion planting:

Shades of Green

Heuchera 'Sweet Tart' is a part of a series of miniature hybrids under the brand 'Little Cutie'. It has bright, lime-colored leaves and sprays of peachy-pink flowers. Part to full shade. Height: 10-15 cm (4-6 inches), Spread: 20-25 cm (8-10 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Part-shade– Private garden, Brampton, ON.

Heuchera 'Lime Marmalade' has lobed and ruffled leaves that are a mix of chartreuse and lime. The flowers are peach on tan-colored stems. Part to full shade. Height: 25-40 cm (10-16 inches), Spread: 40-45 cm (16-18 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Similar Cultivar: Heuchera 'Citronelle'

Heuchera 'Winter Joy' has ruffled, lime-green leaves that have a light touch of yellow. The flowers are white. Part to full shade. Height: 25-30 cm (10-18 inches), Spread: 40-45 cm (16-18 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Similar Cultivars: Heuchera 'Lime Rickey', Heuchera 'Lime Ruffles', Heuchera 'Pear Crisp'

Heuchera 'Delta Dawn' has rounded leaves with a lime edge and a russet centre. The sprays of flowers are white in color. This cultivar is reputed to be both strong and vigorous. Full sun, part-shade and full shade. Height: 20-25 cm (8-10 inches), Spread: 25-30 cm (10-12 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Similar Cultivar: Heuchera 'Miracle'

Heuchera 'Sashay' has dark green foliage with a rust colored underside. Part to full shade. Height: 20-25 cm (8-21 inches), Spread: 20-25 cm (8-21 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Heuchera sanguinea 'Frosty Morn' has lobed and ruffled leaves that are a mix of chartreuse and lime. The flowers are orangy-red on tan-colored stems. Part to full shade. Height: 25-40 cm (10-16 inches), Spread: 40-45 cm (16-18 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Similar Cultivar: Heuchera 'Arctic Mist', Heuchera 'Snow Angel', Heuchera 'Shamrock', Heuchera x villosa 'Carnival Limeade', Heuchera x villosa 'Carnival Cocomint', Heuchera 'Helen Dillon'

Full sun– Heuchera and a Dianthus in Chen's garden.

Heuchera 'Crimson Curls' has ruffled, bronze and brown leaves with a crimson underside. Creamy-white flowers appear in late spring/summer. Evergreen. Part to full shade. Height: 20-45 cm (8-18 inches), Spread: 45-60 cm (18-23 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Heuchera with Dark and Moody Tones

Heuchera 'Cherry Cola' has reddish-brown leaves and cherry-red flowers in late spring/early summer. Full sun or part-shade. Height: 40-45 cm (16-18 in), Spread: 30-40 cm (12-16 in). USDA zones: 4-9.

Full sun–private garden Brampton, Ontario.

Heuchera 'Cajun Fire' is red in spring, black in summer and maroon in the fall. 'Cajun Fire' has white flowers on dark stems. Full sun, part-shade and full shade. Height: 25-30 cm (10-12 inches), Spread: 25-30 cm (10-12 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Heuchera 'Black Taffeta' has glossy, ruffled almost black foliage. The sprays of flowers are pink in color. Evergreen and reputed to have great vigour. Part to full shade. Height: 20-25 cm (8-10 inches), Spread: 30-35 cm (12-14 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Similar cultivars: Heuchera 'Chocolate Ruffles', Heuchera 'Plum Pudding', Heuchera 'Bressingham Bronze'

 Full shade–Private garden in Campbellville, ON

Heuchera 'Midnight Rose' has lobed leaves that are black in spring and lighten in the summer to have a splash of pink. The sprays of flowers are white. Full sun to part-shade. Height: 25-60 cm (10-23 inches), Spread: 40-50 cm (16-20 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Full sun– Mira's garden in Guelph, ON.

Part-shade– Chen's garden, Milton, ON.

Heuchera with a Hint of Autumn Color

Full sun to part-shade–Peach colored Heuchera in a private garden, Mississauga, ON.

Heuchera 'Champagne' has peach and gold leaves with a matt finish. The flowers are light-peach on maroon colored stems. Part to full shade. Height: 25-30 cm (10-12 inches), Spread: 30-35 cm (12-14 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Similar cultivars: Heuchera 'Peach Flambe', Heuchera 'Vienna'

Heuchera 'Marmalade' has foliage ranging in color from umber to deep sienna. The underside of the leaves is a blend of orange and magenta. The flowers are reddish-brown. Part-shade. Height: 25-40 cm (10-16 inches), Spread: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Similar cultivars: Heuchera 'Amber Waves', Heuchera 'Autumn Leaves', Heuchera 'Kassandra'

Full sun–Peach colored Heuchera in Joe's garden, Brampton, ON.

A little reminder that Heuchera works well in containers. Lift them from the container in the late fall and plant them in the garden.

Heuchera  Kira 'Jersey' emerges in spring with lobed silver leaves with dark rose veins. As the summer progresses, it becomes peachy-rose in color with a light silver overlay. 'Jersey' has dark red stems and flowers. Part-shade to full shade. Height: 25-30 cm (10-12 inches), Spread: 25-30 cm (10-12 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Similar cultivars: Heuchera 'Georgia Peach', Heuchera 'Carnival Watermelon', Heuchera 'Midas Touch', Heuchera 'Paprika'

Full sun–Peach colored Heuchera in Chen's garden, Milton, ON.

Heuchera 'Encore' emerges a deep purple overlaid with silver in spring and becomes peachy-rose overlaid with silver. The sprays of flowers are short and white. Full sun or part-shade. Height: 15-20 cm (6-8 inches), Spread: 25-30 cm (10-12 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Heuchera 'Zipper' is a smaller sized variety that has large, ruffled leaves that are burnt orange with an amber underside. Full sun, part-shade and full shade. Height: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches), Spread: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Similar Cultivars: Heuchera Little Cutie 'Ginger Snap' (smaller), Heuchera 'Southern Comfort', Heuchera 'Galaxy'

Heuchera with a Silver Finish

Heuchera 'Midnight Ruffles' has ruffled brown-black foliage that has a bit of a silver sheen. The maroon underside of the leaves contrasts nicely. In spring, 'Midnight Ruffles' produces tan colored flowers. This hybrid was bred to be both vigorous and heat tolerant.  Full sun or part shade. Height: 30-35 cm (12-14 inches), Spread: 60-65 cm (23-25 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Part to full shade–Heuchera in the foreground– Private garden in the Toronto Beaches.

Heuchera 'Great Expectations' has silver and purple leaves with black veining. Cream flowers appear on dark stems in early summer. This is a villosa hybrid that was bred to tolerate heat and humidity (Heuchera villosa is native to the southeastern U.S.) Part-shade to full shade. Height: 25-30 cm (10-12 inches), Spread: 30-35 cm (12-14 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Heuchera 'Glitter' has shiny, silver foliage with black veins and a grape-colored underside. Sprays of fuchsia-pink flower appear throughout the summer months. Part-shade to full shade. Height: 20-25 cm (8-10 inches), Spread: 30-35 cm (12-14 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Part to full shade–Chen's garden, Milton, ON

You may have noticed that there aren't any pictures of Heuchera in my own garden in this post. 

That's because they can be very pricy plants (especially the newer cultivars)! As with hosta, I have started to invest in one or maybe two each year. In my mind, their attractive foliage makes them well worth the expense.

Bookmark this post with a PIN.

The Little Stonehouse Garden, Part 2

Fate does not always smile upon old houses. With modern urban development, a quiet, country setting can sometimes completely change its character. A place where two country roads meet can evolve into a busy city intersection. And not everyone is willing to take on the demands of an older home. They need patience, vision and tons of hard work.

The home of Carrie and David Brandow is older than Canada itself. What began as a rural stone house is now a home on the outskirts of the city of Guelph. Despite the city's expansion, the house retains much of its original charm. The door and trim on the front entrance is Kelly green– a fitting choice for the home of an avid gardener.

"The house was built in 1854 (according to the date on the side of the house). I have heard differing stories about this house," says Carrie, "I've heard it was a farmhouse, or more often, it was a rooming house for people traveling between Guelph and Cambridge. It is not very big inside, so they would not have had many people staying at one time."

"We love the old charm, the deep windowsills and the location– it is half way between Dave's and my work. It's also close to the city, but still in the country."

Over the years, Carrie and David have done a number of renovations.

"The only thing that is the same about the property, from when we got it 21 years ago, is the original part of the house (we built the addition) and the greenhouse/shed– we have not got around to taking them down. We had to change everything else; upgrade the septic, build the garage etc. Which actually meant I would put in the gardens only to have them destroyed by one major construction project or another. The garden in place are now 3-5 years old."

It is amazing to think that the garden I am about to show you is only three to five years old! It looks like the it has always been there.

 Giant Fleeceflower, Persicaria polymorpha (tall, white flowering perennial), Salvia guarantica 'Black & Bloom' (blue flowering annual) and Wax Begonia, Semperflorens (red flowering annual).

For those of you that might have missed the first post, Carrie Brandow has a career in the wholesale nursery trade. Some of the plants she grows for the family business come home with her to fill her summer planters and enhance her garden's flowerbeds. 

The huge container planting (above) began with an old water trough that Carrie and David discovered on the property when they bought the house. The bottom was rusted through, so as a container for annuals, it certainly offered lots of good drainage! 

1. Dwarf Egyptian Papyrus, 'Graceful Grasses King Tut' 2. Coleus 'Redhead' 3. Petunia 'African Sunset' (seed spreading variety) 4. Petunia 'Tidal Wave Velour Red' 5. Petunia 'Littletunia Purple Blue'

A closeup of the big container planting.

Another one of other Carrie's containers that I missed showing in the last post.

1. Coleus 'Redhead' 2. Fuchsia 3. Mimulus 'Magic Mix' 4. Nemesia Nesia 'Sunshine' 

This is the garden's main flowerbed. Annuals edge the bed and are dotted in among the perennials. Carrie sees a number of advantages in this planting style:

"The perennials create a base and change the colour interest throughout the season. Annuals add continuous colour."

"Annuals can also be changed year to year, so the garden is not the same every year. One year the main color is orange, the next year the main colour might be pink. The perennials get a different look simply by changing the colour of the annuals."

1. Delphinium 2. Maidenhair Grass, Miscanthus 3. Butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberosa 'Hello Yellow' 4. Perilla Tricolor 5. False Indigo, Baptisia 6. Echinacea 'Strawberry Shortcake' 7. Bergenia 8. Bearded Iris 9. Giant Lamb's Ears, Stachys byzantina 'Helen von Stein' 10. Annual Marigold 'Durango Mix'.

Perilla Magilla Tricolor (left) and Giant Lamb's Ears, Stachys byzantina 'Helen von Stein' (right)

Two foliage plants from the big flowerbed seen above:

Perilla Magilla Tricolor (annual) has burgundy foliage with bright pink centres. It is performs well in both sun and shade. Deer resistant. Height: 60 cm (24 inches), Spread: 45-60 cm (18-24 inches). Hardiness:10,11.

Giant Lamb's Ears, Stachys byzantina 'Helen von Stein' (perennial) has large, fuzzy grey-green leaves. This is a non-blooming type of Lamb's Ears. Full sun. Height:30-45 cm (12-18 inches), Spread: 45-60 (18-24 inches). Hardiness: 4-9.

Butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberosa 'Hello Yellow' forms an upright clump of narrow green leaves with clusters of yellow flowers. Green seedpods follow that can be dried for arrangements. Attractive to butterflies. This plant requires well-drained, somewhat sandy soil. Full sun. Height: 40-50 cm(16-20 inches), Spread: 50-60 cm (20-23 inches). USDA zones 4-9.

The tall spikes of Delphinium, an orange-red Echinacea 'Hot Papaya' and the pink spires of Mountain Fleeceflower, Persicaria.

Echinacea 'Strawberry Shortcake' is double flowered Echinacea with white petals and a pompom that starts off white and darkens into rose-pink. Full sun. Height: 65-75 cm(26-28 inches), Spread: 45-60 cm (18-24 inches). USDA zones 4-9.

A group of annuals: Salvia (blue flowers), Gomphera (magenta flowers) and Melampodium divaricatum (yellow daisy).

Butter daisy, Melampodium divaricatum is an annual that likes hot, humid locations. Full sun. Height: 1-2 ft (there are both tall and shorter varieties).

The same flowerbed from a different vantage point.

Alpine Betony, Stachys monieri is a perennial that forms a low mound of green leaves with mauve or pink flower spikes mid-summer. This plant is happy in average garden soil and likes average to moist growing conditions. Full sun, but will tolerate part-shade. Height: 30-60 cm (12-23 inches), Spread: 45-60 cm (18-23 inches). USDA zones 4-8.

This flowerbed sits toward the back of the property adjacent to the garage. Under the small tree, there is a nice grouping of hosta (see below). There is also has a little pond and more container plantings.

Hostas with a nice mix of color and texture.

A container planting next to the garage.

1. Salvia 'Patio Blue' (annual) 2. Geranium 'Mrs Pollack' 3. Nemisa 'Nesia Burgundy'  4. Mercardonia ( yellow annual) 5. Coleus 'Stained Glassworks Burgundy Wedding Train' 

Coleus 'Stained Glassworks Burgundy Wedding Train' trails nicely over the edge of a container. It has burgundy foliage edged in lime green. Height: 30-46 cm (12-18 inches), Spread: 46-60 cm (18-24 inches. 

The other side of the flowerbed that runs along the length of the garage.

1. Evening Primrose or Sundrops, Oenothera fruticosa 2. Crimson Scabious, Knautia  macedonica 3. Lysimachia punctata 'Golden Alexander' 4. Salvia 'Patio Blue' (annual) 5. Coleus 'Defiance'

Two of the perennials in detail:

Crimson Scabious, Knautia macedonica is a short-lived perennial that forms a low, rounded clump of grey-green leaves. Wiry upright stems carry maroon flowers throughout the summer and into the fall. This plant likes somewhat dry conditions and is happy in average garden soil. Full sun.  Height: 60-90 cm (23-35 inches), Spread: 45-60 cm (18-23 inches). USDA zones 4-9.

Lysimachia punctata 'Golden Alexander' has variegated green leaves with a cream margin. Spikes of starry yellow flowers appear in summer. Unlike some loosestrife, this cultivar will supposedly spread moderately to form a small patch. Height: 45-60 cm(18-23 inches), Spread: 45-60 cm (18-23 inches). USDA zones 4-9.

There is a row of trees at the back of the property that provide privacy and shade. Here Carrie and David have a small fire pit and a couple of comfortable chairs.

The garden that runs along the side of the yard continues with a mix of annuals and perennials. Among the perennials are lilies, phlox and dahlias.

In the hot, dry area at the centre of the yard, Carrie has a metal basket and a couple of blue ceramic pots filled with succulents.

 

Silver Spurflower, Plectranthus argentatus 'Silver Shield' (perennial– can be used as an annual-depending on your zone) is a spreading, sub-shrub native to Australia. It is primarily grown for its attractive, fuzzy, grey-green foliage. It has upright flower spikes with bluish-white flowers. Grow it in part shade in rich, well-drained soil. Height (as an annual foliage plant): 60 cm (24 inches), Spread: 60cm (24 inches). USDA zones: 10-11.

1. Paddle Plant, Kalanchoe thyrsiflora 'Desert Rose' 2. Echeveria 'Ruffles' 3. Sedum spurium 'Voodoo' 4. Mother of Thousands, Kalanchoe daigremontiana 

One final corner of the garden to explore. A soft pathway of wood mulch leads from the house down to the garage.

The garden in the early morning light.

And later in the day.

In the back row: Coleus 'Wasabi' and Coleus 'Saturn' In the front row: Begonia boliviensis 'Bossa Nova Red', Pansy 'Cool Blue Wave', Fuchsia 'Autumnale' and Fuchsia 'Marinka' at the sides of the box (not shown).

Unless you have a greenhouse where you can give seedlings an early start each spring, planting large areas with annuals, as Carrie has done, may not be an affordable option for everyone. But what you can take away from this planting style are design tips that can be adapted to suit any garden on whatever budget:

• Pick a key, high traffic area and use annuals to give you continuous color from summer into fall.

• Consider using annuals to edge a perennial bed. At the front of a large flower border, they won't get lost in a crowd.

• Mass annuals together for a display that has a big impact. 

• Choose large or oversized containers that have a wow-factor rather than lots of little pots.

• As Carrie suggested in the first post, remember that even with annuals, foliage color is a constant. Flowers come and go. If you want to keep your container plantings looking their best all season, keep the different foliage colours in mind. 

I love Carrie's idea to vary the look of your garden each year by changing the type and color of the annuals you choose. It's refreshing to have a new look every once in a while. And it's an easy update with a minimum of fuss! Who doesn't love that?