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Heucheras for easy all year round colour inbaskets and containers.

vicky1

By vicky1

32 comments


Heuchera baskets are great and I thought I would share how I made mine, what they look like and, what I used.


In this basket I have Heuchera ‘Melting Fire, Caramel’, ‘Georgia Peach’, and ‘Paris’ I chose Paris as it flowers all spring summer and autumn.


You cant see but they also have bulbs in the spring.
Heucheras are great for al year round colour, making them and ideal for containers and baskets.
Take 1 hanging basket, 1 liner, enough multi purpose compost to fill the container almost, making sure it contains some slow release fertilizer, and a selection of Heuchera or Heucherella, and maybe some bulbs.
The picture in this article is from my own garden. It is a basket approx 18″ × 12″ not very big when you consider that I have got 4 × 1 litre plants (to start with, it looks a bit empty) 1 litre plants are a good size to start with as they are should b well established and should have a good root system. The ones in my baskets have spent 3 year in those baskets. I was going to move them now but I decided they still look good so they have been tidyed up and now they look great despite the terrible winter.
I under planted with bulbs so soon mini Daffodils ‘Pipit’ will come through and yellow and purple crocus, these show up in the spring as I trim and tidy them back.
You could add ivy around the edges to trail.
They are a riot of colour all year round.
I usually prune them back after the winter approx. Mar/April time as there is usually so much to look at in the garden else where you don’t miss them the same. This year I did that last weekend but I only tidyed them as they really didnt need trimming as they looked so nice.(you cant say that for much in the garden at the moment. (They even look better than the ones in the garden)
Sometimes I trim again in August so that the new growth has time to show through before the colder weather sets in.
When pruning you can take off most of the leaves BUT NEVER CUT THE CROWN IN THE CENTER. This can kill the plant.
They don’t take much watering it is March now and I haven’t really bothered with them at all until last weekend when I gave them a drop of water.
I will soon give them a big drink, as when it warms up they will flop if not.
During the summer they will need more of course you can tell when they need it as they look a little sad and droopy. Don’t let them go too far as it marks the leaves.
They prefer to be kept drier than too wet, I find. They rot off if they get too wet.
You can buy trailing varieties of Tiarella called ‘Cascade Creeper’ and ‘Happy Trails’ as long as it isn’t in full sun. Tiarella need some shade
If your basket is going into full sun then you can use varieties like ‘Mahogany’, ‘Marmalade’, ‘Melting fire’, ‘Fire cheif’, ‘Caramel’ ‘Blackout’ ‘Paris’ etc. Good sources and specialists should tell you which ones like sun or shade; on our website we have symbols under the plant picture so that you can easily see.
These will give you all year round colourful foliage and during Spring and Summer even Autumn they will flower too. For a small initial layout, you can have colourful foliage and flowers which can be easily maintained throughout the full calendar year.
You can mix them with other plants such as primroses etc. which look lovely.
The choice is yours.


Hope you have a go sometime it is so easy and you dont get that down feeling when you have to throw it all away.

More blog posts by vicky1

Previous post: Heucheras not just a colourful leaf

Next post: Visiting the snowdrops at Rode Hall



Comments

 

They look fantastic, Vicky - and thanks for the tips on pruning them. That's useful to know. :-))

15 Mar, 2010

 

They certainly do look great especially against the colour of the brickwork. Will give it a go sometime. :o)

15 Mar, 2010

 

Hi Vicky,just been on your website,i've made a note of your open day and hope to come and look round. Love the Heucherella"Sweet Tea"..Buy the way great blog really got me interested in Heucherellas. :-))

15 Mar, 2010

 

I really like your baskets Vicky. Please put some pics on when the bulbs are out :-)))

15 Mar, 2010

 

Like your basket it looks lovely.

15 Mar, 2010

 

look so pretty and full of colour vicky, yes i love them in baskets, wouldnt have thought to do this :o)

15 Mar, 2010

 

They look brill Its given me a few ideas Thank you

15 Mar, 2010

 

Excellent blog . . . now I know what to put in the 3 half baskets I put on the North facing house wall .. . they usually have Busy Lizzies ... thanks for all the detail. : o )

15 Mar, 2010

 

When the bulbs come up ...if they ever come up I will put some picture on for you
Love to see you at the open day swanky Not sure how swankey the nursery will be as nothing is growing much.
But please come and have a coffee and a cake (I have got to make that too !!!)
I do beleive this is the slowest we have ever had it (on the growing front)
With all the frost we couldnt get cleaning the old leaves off the perennials and coulnt move somethings as they were stuck to the floor!!! so we are so behind
Big push now as its less than 2 weeks away !!!!! :-@
Thank you for your comments pleased you enjoyed it
I want to see lots of Heuchera baskets now lol

16 Mar, 2010

 

I like Heuchera as well so I will try out these ideas as I have some containers I can use, I am going to save this blog as well .

19 Mar, 2010

 

thank you Mavisc52

19 Mar, 2010

 

Many Thanks for all the tips and care advice, Vicky. I think that I might just try something like this, as I need to lift and transplant some of mine. :-)

20 Mar, 2010

 

they look lovely Vicky. Some of mine have been really hit by the frost and have lost most of the leaves, any chance they will come back? or have I lost them

21 Mar, 2010

 

Some times they grow from the bottom of the crown.
Is the crown mushy if so it will take maybe all spring to start to grow if it ever does.
But if they are just tatty and the crown is still firm then they will be fine :)

Sometimes you can have a long stalk and when you snap it off it breaks at the ground and underneath it is a fresh white root with a pointy bit on it this will turn into a new shoot. It reminds me of a rhubard shoot if you know what I mean, but smaller. (this is hard to describe withpout visuals lol) It is as if the plant has cut supplies to that bit off, to protect the heart of the crown. They dont always do it especially if they get too wet too quickly.

Sometimes prolonged periods of snow held over the crown will rot the plant in this country. Heucheras are north American woodland plants and they get covered in snow, very deep snow sometimes, but snow in USA tends to be very powdery so the snow actually protects them. The cold weather doesnt seem to be a problem just too much wet held on the crown or if they stand in water.
It isnt just Heucheras that find our snow a problem alot of perennials that get lost over Winter the same applies for them.
Too much wet held on the plant and around the roots is a killer.
Extremley long cold Winters most can stand it the wet that kills them in many cases.
Hope this helps Grindle (long as usual :( sorry)

21 Mar, 2010

 

thanks very much Vicky, I went a checked and the roots seem firm enough, so I'll keep looking for signs of growth :))

21 Mar, 2010

 

Got some great tips from this Vicky, thanks:-)

24 Apr, 2010

 

:) they all look to be coming up again, so next year I won't panic LOL

26 Apr, 2010

 

Those two I told you about - the one the pigeon sat on, and the one that appeared to be a goner have BOTH revived!! They're in pots at the moment still. I've lost one - so that's not too bad. :-)

26 Apr, 2010

 

Oh that's great, I must admit, I was really glad to see mine growing again, I'm looking forward to picking my new ones up next week :D

27 Apr, 2010

 

Have you ordered them, Grindle - was this via a PM or V's site?

27 Apr, 2010

 

yes I pm'd with my order, and they're being taken to Malvern. I chose from the website first

27 Apr, 2010

 

See you ther Grindle
I hope you have a great time
I probably wont have time to speak again now until I see you at the show :)
Too much prep. to do not enough time.
Anyone want to cut a lawn? as mine is nearly ready for silage lol

30 Apr, 2010

 

Looking forward to it :)
Wish I could help with the lawn, but I'm just too far away

1 May, 2010

 

Just come across your blog Vicky. I will be a full convert to Heuchera in containers from now on. they are an ideal plant and yours look really lovely. The growing advice from a true expert is really useful......thanks.

2 May, 2010

 

Pleased to have yu on board Dorjac:)
They are very addictive lol

2 May, 2010

 

Thanks grindle see you soon :)

2 May, 2010

 

Hi Vicky, our garden make-over almost complete and I shall have 4, possibly 6, half-baskets against the house walls. 2 in the South facing front and 4 in the North back garden. I am so pleased to have read your excellent blog. Off to search for Heucheras soon. : o ) )

13 May, 2010

 

Pleased you enjoyed it Shirley
There are so many different colours arent there.
Good luck and have fun with your hunt :)

14 May, 2010

 

Will definitely be giving this a try

14 May, 2010

 

I never thought about putting heucheras in baskets but I`m going to give it a go, with all the lovely colours available it`ll be hard to decide which ones to use. :o)

28 Aug, 2010

 

Sanbaz has sent me to your blog and I'm ever so glad she did. I'm just planning what to put in our soon to be developed back garden and heucheras are high on the list!

Your baskets are beautiful....and lots of great info. too. Thanks very much.

30 Oct, 2010

 

pleased you like it whistonlass
thank you Sanbaz

6 Jan, 2011

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