• Shade to Part Sun
• Great in containers
• Plant in fertile, well-drained soil
• May be divided in fall
• Plant size and foliage color is variety specific

The post Heuchera appeared first on The Good Earth Garden Center.

Choose winter hardy plants for containers that offer interest all winter long!  The key is to choose evergreens, perennials, groundcovers and seasonal color that can last throughout our coldest temperatures in containers.  If you typically plant tropical plants in your containers, and aren’t sure about planting evergreens and perennials in them, just remember you can remove and plant these shrubs and perennials in your landscape next spring!

For evergreen height, consider yews, hollies, camellias, boxwoods, junipers, arborvitaes and Alberta spruce.  Surround evergreens with cabbage, carex, sweetflag, dusty miller, ajuga and English ivy for filler. Add Cool Wave pansies for cascades of blooming color!  For more fall and winter combination planter ideas, visit this blog post or our Finally Fall Pinterest board.

Try to plant winter pots this month (November) so the roots get established before the weather gets too cold.  For professional results, use the products that we professionals use!  Good Earth brand Professional Growing Mix and Jump Start plus Ferti-Lome Premium Bedding Plant Food for pots that contain pansies or other cool season bloomers.

Don’t forget to water your pots this winter.  Plants do not like to freeze dry; plant cells actually explode if they do, which causes visible and potentially deadly damage.  Winter watering is especially important for containers located under covered areas; these are only getting the water you give them since rain won’t reach them.

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Heuchera, also known as Coral Bells, are excellent shade garden plants with interesting foliage of various colors. Leaves are heart shaped and boldly veined; some feature bold dark, silvery, or chartreuse green foliage. Coral Bells bloom in the late spring or summer; blooms rise up above the foliage in a long slender stalk and feature small blooms. Plant Heuchera an inch or so above surrounding ground to ensure that the crown of the plant is above soil level. They are also semi-evergreen in central Arkansas, making them great plants for containers. You can grow them in planters, then after a season or two, plant them in a shady garden location.

• Shade to Part Sun
• Great in containers
• Plant in fertile, well-drained soil
• Can be divided every 3 to 5 years, during fall
• Plant size and foliage color is variety specific

The post The Beautiful Hues of Heuchera appeared first on The Good Earth Garden Center.

Heuchera/ Coral Bells

Lovely, colorful Heuchera come in so many colors it is truly hard to choose. There are many different kinds of Heuchera out there, but did you know that some are better than others? Heuchera that has villosa breeding in them have been known to be the best heat and humidity tolerant. Most of our selections indeed have this breeding, so all you have to do is pick your favorite ones.

New varieties we are growing this year include Heuchera ‘Lava Lamp’, Heuchera ‘Zipper’ and Heuchera ‘Peach Melba’.

Heuchera ‘Peach Melba’

Heuchera ‘Lava Lamp’

Heuchera ‘Zipper’

Ajuga ‘Black Scallop’

Ajuga/ Bugleweed

Bugleweed was popular in 2016 for good reason. Being an easy, low maintenance ground cover that also flowers makes this an excellent choice.

New this year is Ajuga ‘Black Scallop’

Pro tip: Use the dark varieties along light colored stones, and concrete for greater contrast of color.

Lamium ‘Red Nancy’

Lamium/ Dead Nettle

The white leaves of Lamium brighten up any shady spot, and can be used in containers or as a ground cover. New this year is Lamium ‘Red Nancy’.

Brunnera/ Siberian Bugloss

Looking for something a bit different for your shady beds, Brunnera adds a nice silver/white color and texture with light blue flowers. Likes moist soils.

Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ and Brunnera ‘Looking Glass’ are new this year.

Brunnera ‘Looking Glass’

Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’

Tricyrtis ‘Autumn Glow’

Tricyrtis/ Toad Lily

Shade gardeners are pleased to discover Toad Lilies because the flowers are unusual and bloom late summer to fall just in time when a point of interest is needed most.

New this year is Tricyrtis ‘Autumn Glow’.

Tradescantia ‘Zwanenburg’

Tradescantia/ Spiderwort

Spiderworts love moist shady spots, and will have two bloom cycles if you cut them back after flowering.

New this year is Tradescantia ‘Zwanenburg Blue’.

Hosta

Tried and true Hosta’s do not disappoint.

Here are a few new varieties this year or ones we haven’t had in awhile: Hosta ‘Wheee!’, Hosta ‘Maui Buttercups’, and Hosta ‘Praying Hands’.

Hosta ‘Praying Hands’

Hosta ‘Maui Buttercups’

Hosta ‘Wheee!!’

Stylophorum diphyllum

Stylophorum diphyllum/ Celandine Poppy

Native to parts of Arkansas this plant is a long blooming wildflower. Likes moist, humus-y soil, and grows 12”-16” tall.

We hope you enjoyed learning about these new shade perennials!  We look forward to seeing you soon!

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