In article . net,
"SugarChile" wrote:

"animaux" wrote in message
Heuchera is a plant I can't keep looking good. Maybe if I went back to
the
species instead of the more burgundy foliage, newer varieties. Maybe try
Lady's
Mantle this year. 'Purple Palace' sits there begging to be transported to
the
north!

Purple Palace is not that easy to please here in the north, either. I've
moved my purple leafed ones around a good bit, trying to find a spot they
like. They like shade, especially from the afternoon sun, but if it's too
shady they don't color up well. They are also fussy about moisture.

I experimentally planted one Purple Palace in fairly deep shade with only
indirect morning sun, another was in a somewhat dryer spot with afternoon
sunlight. For the first full year they were not the best looking plants
in their areas by a long shot, & I often considered moving them away from
path edges so they wouldn't be quite so visible, but I didn't move them.
Second year they were reasonably nice plants, but not exceptional, the one
in more sunlight slightly more interesting. But the third year, both
became amazing plants, huge & bushy with fabulous coloration & presence;
the one in deeper shade "caught up" & surprassed the one that gets more
sun. Even their wussy little sprays of inconsequential flowers became
gorgeous, quite bright & long-lasting. Both now achieve equally excellent
colors, whether bit of sun or hardly any they look just stunning, with the
one in shade being more fully evergreen through winter, getting scruffy
only near spring, the one in more light is scruffy earlier in winter
though not a bad presence.

By just being patient with them, I ended up with a couple of great
specimens, even though they came close to being banished to unimportant
areas. I've the sense that they are adaptable to a broad range of
conditions & will EVENTUALLY be good plants but only after their root
system get big, & that could take up to two full seasons of comparative
mediocrity. I later planted "Dale's Strain" heuchera which has fabulous
late-winter bright-orange coloration, is the rest of the year green with
silver motteling. They've only been in the ground one year so like the
"Purple Palace" are not specimen-worthy at this young age, though adequate
& interesting groundcovers; I'm expecting that at the end of their second
year, they'll likewise begin to look exceptional. Though I've not much
experience with a lot of heuchera cultivars, my sense is that the fancier
ones are just slow to reach their ideal appearance & they take their time
becoming awesome.

I last year added tiarellas, which were delightful spring through autumn.
They're supposed to be evergreen but compared to the heucheras their
winter appearance is crappy, for their first winter at least. I'll be
patient with them, they too may be finer plants with each year of growth,
but if they continue always to be beaten-up-looking in winter, I'll
probably never add others but would prefer additional heucheras. There
seem to be about 40 or 50 new cultivars of tiarellas flooded onto the
market, but if truth be told, only three or four strikingy different ones,
the majority all look pretty much the same.

I also looked at some "heucherella" hybrids last year, which were
definitely more to the tiarella side & not much like heucheras in
appearance & I wasn't attracted to them enough to try even one. But they
were young plants & I've never seen a mature specimen of heucherella to
compare. I wonder if anyone here has experience with them & can compare
their performance to heucheras & tiarellas per se when well-established in
a garden.

-paghat the ratgirl

I've had a good experience with "Eco improved", green leaves, sort of, with
cool colors in the veining. It makes itself at home, and even looks pretty
good throughout the winter. It has a presence.

Lady's mantle is another winner, for me. I love the way the leaves hold
raindrops. It does aestivate in a hot, dry summer; I trim it back and wait
for fresh new foliage.

cheers,
Sue

Zone 6, Southcentral PA

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/