On Nov 16, 10:06*am, Sacha wrote:
On 2010-11-15 19:09:46 +0000, "Rod" said:







"Kath" *wrote in messagenews:9vt2e69o3i7jjme4lfc7psip4gbfjlnt52@4ax .com...

I thought that all plants put on growth from the tips of shoots but a
heather I bought
which had been dyed with food dye ( a light green) now looks like a
blonde with her roots
growing out (or his) and shows growth from the bottom of the plant.

Is this correct? Do heathers grow this way?

The dyed old growth stays dyed. What you're seeing is the beginning of
next seasons growth and is of course not dyed.
As Sacha has already said 'why do this?' There is such a huge range* of
naturally beautiful coloured heathers to choose from but most garden
centres sadly stock only a very limited range.
*The last count I saw was over 600 and that was many years ago - it's
almost certainly increased since.

Rod

The OP might like to do an online search for some of the nurseries
specialising in heathers. *As you so rightly say, the range is
enormous. *I'm not a great fan of them myself outside mountainous or
hilly gardens in the north but I do admit that planted in a mass, they
can give a terrific display of colour. *There was a great vogue for
doing that back in the 70s ISTR.
--
Sachawww.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Yes, the late '60s/early '70s was when I was cutting my gardening
teeth and I suppose I got malimprinted. Geoff Smith made a super
heather garden at Harlow Carr around that time and I was buying
heathers for my customers from a specialist nursery on one of the
landed estates in the Dukeries North of Nottingham - the proprietor
had made a very good garden in a dry sandy acid Birch/oak woodland/
heathland and the heathers were lovely in that setting. Before then
and forever since I've had a passion for our Northern mountains and
moors and whatever lives on them and try to find room for some of
those plants at home.

Rod