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tomahawkclaim

Heuchera may displace hostas as my favorites

tomahawkclaim
12 years ago

Everything in my garden is done -- except the heuchera which still look wonderful! Tiramasu and Electric Lime are still radiant, Marvelous Marble looks as good as it did when I first put it in; Sonic Blast and Stop Light are perfect. I only bought heuchera to add a little contrast to my hosta gardens or fill in where hosta were struck down by disease. But anything that still looks good on Nov. 19th deserves more space in my garden.

Comments (12)

  • Cher
    12 years ago

    I love my Heuchera. Quite a number of them are evergreen for me here. I figure if I have them I might as well have something that gives me color year round. I keep moving to more and more things that I don't have to cut back in the fall. Trying to keep that limited now to my Hosta, Daylilies and the occasional other perennial. Otherwise I am moving to a lot more flowering shrubs. Looks like I have a new garden out there as I plant young shrubs but things fill in fast.
    Cher

  • in ny zone5
    12 years ago

    My Heucheras are also still up, as are primulas and heathers. Dwarf conifers are always there, all year. They come in different textures, sizes, colors and shapes, they love sun and are the backbone of my garden.
    Bernd

  • Gesila
    12 years ago

    I've had a lot of Heucheras that have died, but the ones that survived look awesome right now. This post is a great reason to get out our new camera and take some shots, here they are.

    Purple Palace, second year:

    Mocha, 5th year, moved in 2010 and 2011:

    My Ostrich ferns faded away in September, but Brillance is hanging on. This one took forever to come up this spring. I moved it after it fully unfurled.

    Our first garden started in 2006. The Pachysandras stay green all winter.

    My hosta cemetery, the markers look like old tombstones. One of the new guys from the landscaping service had a hard time out here. Looks like he tripped over a few.

    Found a flower blooming today, can't remember this one's name:

    Thanks for looking, back to the Christmas lights, here's a sneak preview:

  • Wendys_garden
    12 years ago

    I just love Heucheras too! They are my second favorite plant after Hosta. Mine are still looking great and that's the beauty of Heuchera, they keep their foliage thru winter.
    These were taken this morning:

    Caramel

    Cironelle

    Marmalade

    Palace Purple

    And, a Heucherella, Brass Lantern

    And, just so my Hosta don't feel left out, here's a couple Autumn Hosta pix:

    Queen of the Seas

    Liberty

    Wendy

  • User
    12 years ago

    Wow, your heuchera are all doing fine. And I'm impressed by the distinct color of your H. Liberty. Really a fine deep mustard yellow with a creamy white margin.

    The purplish black flower with the fuzzy yellow center looks like a viola to me, a faceless pansy. That is a pretty unique one though. Down home, in Mobile, pansies and violas are our winter flowers...along with the camellias....which might be about ready to bloom right now.

    If you don't mind, what kind of camera is your new one? Have you used it much? Maybe I should post that as a separate thread....so hold off.

  • gardenfanatic2003
    12 years ago

    I love heuchera as well. But there's no way they'll replace hostas for me. Heuchera are short lived in my garden. I prefer plants that are more hardy and vigorous - like hostas!

    Deanna

  • thisismelissa
    12 years ago

    I started a new bed last spring that contains nothing but heuchera, tiarella and heucherella. I have about 50 varieties in this bed and a few in my front bed as well. In this pic, the fuller ones were transplanted from other parts of the garden. The small ones are new. And lemme tell ya, some of the brand new varieties were REALLY tiny!

    I did lose several this year, however. We had an exceptionally hot streak of weather and I think they bit it from lack of water.

    My favorites include Brownies... it's got such huge leaves, Sashay.... cool texture Stoplight.... in spring, it has red, yellow and green leaves Obsidian....amazing color Caramel...always looks great and a good grower Georgia Peach....what an amazing leaf color

    We got our first substantial snow yesterday, so no heuchera pics from right now! Besides, the leaves had already collected around them.


  • evermore_gw z 4/5 NB
    12 years ago

    All these pics are lovely, especially as November bleakness takes over. But Wendy's Liberty really knocked my socks off. Beautiful.

  • Wendys_garden
    12 years ago

    Thanks evermore! I couldn't believe how yellow Liberty was this fall. It just glowed.

  • User
    12 years ago

    Thisismelissa, we have the same copper-like firepit that is in your last picture above. I drilled three holes in the bottom for drainage, and plan to put something that likes heat and dry, maybe a big clump of tall waving grass such as pink fountain grass. Unless of course a med. hosta could live there with it moved into the shade. I'll be looking for suitable spots for the hosta I presently have to plant.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    12 years ago

    i found them to be rather short lived.. as compared to hosta ....

    ken

  • ninamarie
    12 years ago

    Many recently introduced heuchera varieties have been short-lived here. But I'm really impressed with villosa hybrids. These include 'Mocha', 'Caramel', 'Berry Smoothy', 'Obsidian' and 'Citronelle' Their colours glow in every season and these heucheras grow and they grow fast. They resemble tiarella in their growth pattern and form many new offspring in an attractive, ever-widening clump. They don't seem to need dividing or replanting as often as other varieties, either.
    I've also been really impressed by Heucherella 'Sweet Tea', which was new to me in 2011. Gorgeous, burnt orange colour, which intensifies as the season progresses. Mine are among the prettiest things still showing in this northern garden.

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