Kinda looks like the holes made by my retreating tulips - what I do is I have some big moveable planters I put over top and fill with something nice & colourful. Seems to do the trick for me. I have a really nice wooden one with little feet so there's still some air circulation underneath.

Is it planted in a sunny spot? (I'm guessing it is from some of the other plants around it...but that may not be so...) Here, my observation is that Dicentra spectabilis will hold its foliage all season, if it's planted in the shade, so if it is in sun, moving it to shade may negate the problem?

My bleeding hearts last all season too. Mine get sun until about noon...one is planted in the hosta bed and another one is planted beside the shed...which gets sun about half the day.

My tulips are planted in amongst the hostas....when the tulips are finished the hostas start...so that works pretty good. On the other side I have double tulips and I plant petunias all around to fill in when they are finished.

I'm wondering if a variety of lilies would help disguise your fading bleeding heart...but then again lilies only bloom once.

Sierra

I'd recommend moving the Dicentra to the shade. It will thank you and keep its attractive foliage all season.
Jan

Hmmm. It's in the shadiest corner on the east side of the house - just north of the covered front porch. It gets morning sun until about Noon. Do you think that's too much sun?

We do have more shade on the north side of the house, but DH doesn't think I should plant anything there, but the grass there is getting shaded and drowned out.

Sharon

It could be more the corner - the siding, the concrete etc. I'm thinking that the sun until noon is probably quite intense and it gets really hot in that corner. I think Bleeding Heart can take some sun, but not intense heat against a building like that.

That corner looks like such a wonderful protected spot, like maybe a great location for some zone pushing? I'm picturing one of those nice big Miscathus in there.

Miscanthus? LOL, Pudge. In every space you see a grass! Love it.

I often forget that morning sun until noon means about 7 hours of sun hereabouts in the prime growing season. Probably more like 8 hours farther north? Six hours of sun usually qualifies as the 'full sun' thing. Pudge makes a good point about the heat/sun reflecting from the building.

Sharon, lacking shade, the planter idea sounds like a good option. I keep a few tall annuals in pots (Cleome, Gloriosa Daisies, etc) and plunk them in the ground to 'fill-in' the empty space that results when I cut back my Oriental poppies.
Jan

Have you considered a vine of some sort? Clematis comes to mind - it should bloom after your bleeding heart is done. I envision one with purple flowers - like polish spirit? It's a class 3 and could be cut to the ground in the spring.

I hadn't really thought of that corner being a wonderful protected spot, but you're right. It is pretty protected there. And I've been drooling over pictures of Miscathus Variegata, so that does sound tempting. Or a Jeannie La Joie rose, or other more tender plant.

It probably is just about full sun, though I do have some Lamium and a Hosta in there. I have a double impatien that was shaded by the bleeding heart and is no longer very happy. Some of my Lamium that I'd planted farther away from the covered front porch fried last year. After that, I started thinking that there might not be so much shade there as I thought.

So, you plant your potted annuals, Jan? Rather than placing the pot slightly raised above your Oriental poppies?

Rose3, would the Clematis need a trellis placed in front of the bleeding heart after it dies back, or are you thinking of it vining on the ground?

Sharon

Hi

My bleeding heart sometimes gives it up early, depending on the year. I have planted some ostrich ferns in front and that makes things look much better. I also keep my bleeding heart in a peony cage so it won't fall all over the place.

Hope you solve your problem!!