Quote:
Originally Posted by Finger Cookin
Any tips or hints on bleeding hearts? Mine don't seem to be doing too well.
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Bleeding hearts are a cool weather plant preferring shade with some sun but not hot south sun or hot direct sun. They are also an old heritage type plant and should last decades...under very cold conditions as well...one of the easiest perennials to grow.
I love to plant bleeding hearts in tree wells. They cover up the trunk part of the tree (which is not attractive) and at the same time, the tree provides the type of shade and diffused sun that bleeding hearts love. I will specify now though that I am talking deciduous trees, not evergreens...so trees like mountain ash, ornamental flowering trees and the like.
The tree well should be wide enough to accommodate the bleeding heart plant as it will get quite large in such an environment, at least mine does, so at least 2 to 3 feet around the tree with nice rich loose soil.
I actually prefer to build a whole flower bed with a tree and bushes as anchors but you could plant under a tree on its own if the location and sun is right.
Otherwise bleeding hearts make nice companions with hostas, Solomon Seal, Jacob's Ladder, Lady's Mantle, any shade loving plant. If you have a 90 degree corner for a garden plot, plant the bleeding heart in the corner as it will get quite large and bushy. Artfully arrange other plants in the rest of the bed and the group of them should support one another.
I find bleeding hearts can get a bit floppy so I support them with fencing. I buy rolls of green garden fencing...I think they come in 12 foot rolls and are about 12" high? Something like this, I used to get mine from Sunnyside, have not checked if other garden centers carry this.
http://www.wirefence.org/wirefence/d...der-fence.html
Then I cut off a portion that will make a circular hoop about 18" diameter, wire it together, and put it around the plant. Put the hoop around the plant in the spring and the leaves will grow through the hoop and you won't even see it. It will be very hard to put the hoop around the plant in the middle of summer. I remove the hoop in fall when cleaning out the flower beds and replace it in spring when new plants emerge. You should of course use smaller hoops when plants are younger or with smaller flowers.
Actually, I prefer making hoop supports like that to use with peonies, sage (the flower - not the herb), speedwell and the like. I find the support is better than peony hoops that you can buy.
Here are some pictures from my country garden showing what I mean by tree wells and companion planting. Keep in mind that some people are minimalist gardeners...I am not
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The next 3 pictures show companion plants suitable for full sun. This is the front portion of the flower bed and it gets full east, south, and southeast sun all day long.
The next picture shows companion plants suitable for shade or part sun. This is the back of the flower bed which gets a bit of south sun and quite a bit of west sun but later in the day and not for too long.
False Lamium treewell – growing with some some sun and some shade. By the way, bees are crazy for False Lamium. When the plants are in bloom, there is literally an audible hummnnn you can hear when working in the garden. Also, False Lamium stays confined unlike the other Lamium that spreads like wild fire if you do not contain and control it.
False Lamium at back of Mountain Ash and Bleeding Heart in front
False Lamium treewell growing in a sunnier location
At my Calgary home, I have Bigfoot Cranesbill (perennial geranium) growing around most of my trees. With one, I have a Bleeding Heart at the back and Big Foot Cranesbill in the front.
And here I have Big Foot Cranesbill and Iris fom my grandfather's garden planted around a Gladiator tree.