Plants You Can't Do Without (continued)



Heuchera planted with hosta under the birch tree,
You get an idea of the variety of color and texture.

White Coral Bells
Upon a slender stalk,
Lilies of the Valley
Deck my garden walk.

Oh, don't you wish
That you could hear them ring?
That will happen only
When the fairies sing.

I remember this song from childhood, but not until many years later did I re-discover this most useful garden plant. Heuchera is its Latin name. Native to North America, it is a semi-evergreen perennial that grows happily in between sun and shade. It is low in habit and makes a beautiful ground cover.

Not all of the bells are white, or coral for that matter. I have Heuchera with flame red bells others pale pink. But really the biggest color punch comes from the foliage and not the delicate flowers at all. They have been hybridized in recent years to have foliage as varied as lime green, dark maroon, caramel, peach, yellow, soft green with white striations, and bright raspberry. The great thing about having such beautiful foliage is that the plant always looks good, not just when it is in bloom. Add the fact that the leaves stay good looking well into the fall and....well, a near perfect plant.

Heuchera leaves and flowers make quite beautiful small floral arrangements. They last and last as cut flowers and leaves. mix them with bright colored flowers for pizazz or use soft pinks and creams for delightful delicacy.

Heuchera stay in a nice clump and don't go gallivanting about the garden. The only drawback is that I haven't been able to divide a single plant so far. I just go buy more wonderful Heuchera when I need them. I think that it would be lovely to have them planted in a mass of all one variety, but I just don't have the discipline. Instead I am a "collector", with a jumble of colors together.

Plants You Can't Do Without

Last week Joel came with a Bobcat and we moved one of my three giant arborvitae (Thuja "Atrovirens") in order to save it from my neighbor's snowplow. (That subject is a post for another day.) They are such beautiful trees, they deserve the attempt. "Atrovirens" is described as fast growing to 30' high and 12' wide. Hardy to Zone 4, it is a beautiful evergreen with pyramidal shape and uniform growth, just great for a tall screen where you don't have a lot of room.

In the past I have been quite dismissive in my attitude toward the lowly and overused arborvitae. As is the nature of snobs, I failed to overlook all of the many fine qualities of the plant. Seeing them shoved up against a house flanking either side of the entrance, the arborvotae is hardly ever shown to its advantage. For those of us in Zone 5 (or 4) the arborvitae is a plant you just can't do without.

In my travels I have loved the cypresses of Italy and have enjoyed seeing their pointy green profiles in the landscapes of Arizona and Washington State. But alas, cypresses don't grow here. What to substitute for those wonderful green excalmation points? Enter the arborvitae. Another especially beautiful one that doesn't grow quite so large is the Thuja occidentalis "DeGroot's Spire". It is a narrow green pyramid with twisted green fan-like foliage. It grows to be about 15-20' high and 3-4' wide. All of those wonderful Italian allees that you have been dreaming about are there for the making. I have planted four along my stone wall at the back of my house.

Even the lowly Thuja "Smaragd", also know as Emerald Green arborvitae has been planted in mass quantity behind my magnolias in order to give a green backdrop to the lovely white, early spring blooming flowers. I found these little trees at Lowes for a very reasonable price last spring. So remember, It is not always the flashiest plant that makes a good design and a beautiful yard. Don't overlook the usefulness of the arborvitae. (Next blog we will continue to look at another plant you can't do without.)