Posts Tagged ‘Tiarella’

Do you have a favorite perennial pairing that makes you smile? One of my favorite shade gardening “pairs” is Tiarella and Heuchera (I’m particularly fond of Frosted Violet which has fantastic vigor and is both heat & drought tolerant). I have found both to be hard working shade ground covers that are easy care providing multi -seasonal interest.

Both are excellent for container gardening.  They do well if left outside during the winter  in my unprotected in my Zone 5 garden.

The spring flowers of Tiarella  continue to bloom sporadically in cooler climates and makes a charming carpet of foamy (and FRAGRANT) flowers which I LOVE edging a shaded garden path with.  Heucheras come in a wide range of foliage colors and are great anywhere you can provide protection from the hot afternoon sun.

Tiarella is a terrific choice for winter color. Their intricate evergreen leaves turn  intense burgundy shades in the winter which gives you something to enjoy when you get an occasional snow melt while reflecting on the growing season ahead.

Check out our Shade Perennial Garden Collections for more inspiring ideas for your shade garden.

Heuchera & Tiarella  – both oh-so-easy garden plants with color & interest and spring- winter interest.   What pairing makes you smile?

Garden Design can be overwhelming if not frustrating.  What you sketch out on graph paper may not end up the way you envision it in the garden.

Hosta, Hydrangea & Aruncus

When it comes to garden design, start simple and think in 3’s. I often start with 3 plants that vary in size, shape and color yet match their growing environment.  Once you have something you like – you simply add to it.

Perennials & shrubs vary in color (both foliage & flower), texture and type or form.   With various combination of these features, there are countless opportunities to combine plants in the landscape.

THINK IN 3′S

RIGHT. Enjoy season long  foliage color with slug-proof Hosta First Frost as a foreground planting. The round bold flowers of  Hydrangea make for a pleasing yet contrasting  combination. The fine-textured flowers of Aruncus completes this handsome 3-some.

Tiarella & Hostas

LEFT. A small leaf gold Hosta is in front, a white edged medium sized Hosta in the center with Tiarella in the background.  Note how the white variegation of the Hosta compliments the white flowers of the Tiarella.

When it comes to garden design, think of  your garden as a small series of rooms or vignettes and  in 3’s as a starting point.  This way beginning garden design is less daunting.

For more inspiring garden combinations, visit our Garden Collections on www.GreatGardenPlants.com.

Hostas are an all time favorite shade perennial – and quite honestly I’m pretty passionate about them.  I have found throughout my 25 years of gardening that I can plant them any time of the year the ground is not frozen.  They are as tough as a pair of old boots and speaking of boots you can even take an old pair and use them as a planter. I even dug out a few clumps one year in the middle of summer, left them in the garage, went on vacation for a week , then planted them and they did just fine

Hostas come in all kinds of sizes, shapes, colors and even blooms times.  Having grown over 300 of them at one time I do attest to some favorites.  Somebody once asked my what makes a Hosta a favorite – so here you go.

1)  I don’t  like those little holes that pop up all of a sudden in the leaves.  This is caused by slugs.   I have found over the years that slugs are drawn more to old varieties which have a thinner substance than many of the newer varieties with thicker substance.   As long as I know what  is filet mignon to them, I’ll stick with the newer stuff.

2)  Now that I’ve moved recently I have a lot more sunnier areas – so I like varieties that can do well in both sun and shade

3)  Hostas look great in the spring – but what about late summer & fall.  Hey – that’s when my gardening is really starting to kick in and sure don’t want any wimpy performers that start to shut down in August.

So here’s my I-can’t-live-without Hosta list:

June – nice medium size – just looks darn beautiful even into September

Stained Glass – wow can this take some sun  and the leaves are SO shiny

Touch of Class - the name says it all

Sum & Substance - no garden should be without this beauty – it just gets bigger & more impressive every year.

Regal Splendor – Its the vase shaped style this is just awesome.

TIP: Grows the best in well drained soil & moist conditions.

COMBINATION IDEAS: If I had only 3 plants to use in a shade garden, they would be Hostas, Ferns &  Hakonechloa macra Aureola

by Mary Walters. www.GreatGardenPlants.com.