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Heuchera chronicles

dorjac

By dorjac

15 comments


Finally getting sorted out after a devastating winter for my patio pots. The frosts and the vine weevils wreaked havoc. All my lovely big geraniums have gone. I got tiny little geraniums in tiny cells and most of the 120 seem to have survived and now about 6 inches tall. When the lovely violas start to flop about and look straggly, I shall replace them with geraniums. I will take some cuttings later of the better ones, and see if I can keep them through the winter in the mini greenhouse. The Heucheras were struggling but now most of them have come back magnificently. Chocolate Ruffles got binned. Others recovered well from the dreaded maggot at the roots. I decided on roses in the big pots. Not so much need to protect them. Hopefully no need for a fleeced up monstrosity on the patio. I am trying a rose with a Verbena Bonariensis for company in a big pot….as suggested in The Garden magazine May 2010…..should be interesting.


This is H.Jade Gloss bought 2010. Lovely leaves and pretty flowers. Its trailer plants survived the winter under the leaves!


Next to Jade Gloss is H.Beauty Colour firing on all cylinders . Then H. Cappuchino going well after taking over Chocolate ruffles pot.


Then H. Palace Purple bought very recently from a nursery that pots its own stuff from stock on premises. I used water retaining granules combined in a pack with yellow and blue granules and the result is amazing growth in a short time.


Another recent purchase at Brentwood garden show H. Berry Smoothie. Potted on again,as soon as bought. It looks a bit blousy and floppy. Hope it sorts itself out!


H.Creme Brulee is easily the best at being showy and colourful with prolific flower stems. When the sun shines through the leaves it is bright red. Wonderful plant.


This is H. Stop Light. A Heucherella bought from Beth Chatto nursery. Potted on slightly and has grown a lot and in flower too.


H.Petite Marbled Burgundy is a long time in pretty lacy flower. In its third year. Seems to get left on the shelf and a bit tatty at one nursery I go to. Well worth buying and seems resistant to the weevil somehow.


This is the H.Marmalade rescue pot! After the maggots had their way with it. Next door is the deserted nest of our blackbirds who unwisely built in a thinly leaved shrub in full view. Discovered by a crafty black moggy and finished off by a thunderous downpour. Feeding young in a big conifer about 5 gardens along…..success. The children are fascinated.


An offshoot of H.Cappuchino which suffered maggot attack, now recovering well.


Longest lasting of the Heucheras is H.Caramel. Nearly killed by maggots of vine weevil but now putting on a better show. Repotted with combined gel and fertiliser, recently and repositioned in part sun/shade and responding well.


Some of my plug geraniums coming on reasonably well in the top of the mini greenhouse.


The first bloom of Bowl of Beauty Peonia. It has some delicate violet extensions in the centre which is usually all a creamy white.

More blog posts by dorjac

Previous post: Winter Break

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Comments

 

Your heucheras look lovely. Well done :o)
What treatment did you give those which were suffering ?

Which signs indicated that vine weevil was the problem ?
Did you need to actually remove the plants from their pots to find out why they were wasting away ?

Lots of questions....

21 May, 2011

 

I really hate vine weevils.....even more than slugs. The grub is hidden while it eats the plant roots and the adult munches your plant leaves from above.

21 May, 2011

 

you're further south than me Dorjac and I'm thinking of putting the Heucheras in the greenhouse for the winter, I did one last year and its fine-- I'd be interested in the answer to Terra's question as I'm not sure either
yours are looking lovely now.....

21 May, 2011

 

heucheras look great in the pots Dorjac and shame about the blackbird nest but great news they moved on and success.
Geraniums looks very healthy and you should get a lovely display, also i love the peony :o)

21 May, 2011

 

A fantastic show of Heuchera. I have them everywhere, but mine are mostly in the ground. They do look lovely in pots though. A couple of mine struggled through the winter, but are ok now, and lost two to vine weavil.

21 May, 2011

 

Hi Terra. The worst sign is that the plant just comes away in your hand and all the root has been munched. Some of the plants had other smaller ones around them. I took them and washed the soil off and scoured the pot well. Put in fresh soil and gel and most have recovered very well. I did a Provera drench too. If they don't respond to all that TLC, they have to go in the green bin.

21 May, 2011

 

Thanks Dorjac... useful advice :o)

21 May, 2011

 

Lovely collection of Heucheras ... sorry to read about the horrible Vine Weevil.

21 May, 2011

 

Your heucheras look great, so colourful. thanks for posting these.

21 May, 2011

 

These are so nice you have done well after the vine weevil got them,I have a lovely dark purple one and one that has red flower's.

22 May, 2011

 

Thank you all for your comments. I have no room for Heuchera in the garden, but for one shaded area, where I might put Firefly. The label says it likes full shade, its flowers are bright red and leaves bright green. I'll try to get some offshoots rooted and have a little display there. The Penstemons seem to like that part too.

22 May, 2011

 

Your geraniums are looking splendid...you'll have some lovely blooms to look forward to.

I really like the heucheras too....I have 3 so far and hope to get more. They are so attractive with their long stemmed flowers...and yours look so good in their pots. I am glad you've been able to salvage most of them and give them the TLC they needed. Well worth the effort :)

22 May, 2011

 

Good to hear from you again, Dorjac :) You have a marvellous heurchara collection and they look really striking potted up individually. I was interested about your description of the poorly plants - one of mine that was in a pot with other plants did indeed 'come away in my hand'. I thought I had overwatered it. I optimistically planted it in the ground and forgot all about it. After reading your blog I went to see what had happened to it and, although other plants have grown up around it, it is looking great. I think I will dig it up and pot it up!

22 May, 2011

 

Thanks Whis. I did like my big geraniums. By now they would be well in bloom in their big pots. I am trying roses in three big pots. I lost my favourite fuchsia too. It has been a lot of hard graft to decant these large pots. Clean them and set them up again with the roses. When I discovered the weevils had a mega munch at the Heucheras I was really upset.....but only one bit the dust, so I must not complain. I hope your garden is set to go ahead soon. You must have been very disapointed too.

22 May, 2011

 

Thanks, Dorjac....the garden is due to get underway next Tuesday....fingers crossed !!!

26 May, 2011

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