All-American Daylilies

No other perennial gives as much for so little

Gardeners can't get enough of daylilies, and it's easy to understand why. Other flowers may be as beautiful, but no other plants are as rugged, widely adapted, or versatile. Daylilies are gorgeous and they are survivors, perfect plants for both the connoisseur and the weekend warrior. Originally from Asia, daylilies have adapted to our challenging and varied climates with all the vigor of our best native plants. They grow in all United States regions, but thrive in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 through 9.

A good daylily variety will bloom continuously for 3 to 4 weeks. By choosing varieties carefully, you can have daylilies flowering for the entire perennial season, 3 months in the North to 10 months in the South.

It's an astonishing performance, but daylilies can do even more. They grow thickly enough to choke out most weeds. They excel at holding the soil on steep slopes and other erosion-prone spots. They bask in the heat of our summers, withstand intense sunlight, and survive drought better than most garden flowers.

That's why we see the old-fashioned Hemerocallis fulva along roadsides and stream banks in many parts of the country. It's one of the few garden plants to survive when farmsteads are abandoned.

The modern daylily, with its great variety of flower forms and colors, is an American creation. When A. B. Stout started breeding daylilies at the New York Botanical Garden almost 100 years ago, there were only a handful of varieties, all of them very close to the dozen or so wild species being grown at that time. Stout crossed wild varieties, and his success inspired the daylily boom we are in the midst of today. Since 1900 about 40,000 varieties have been named in the United States; 13,000 of them are still for sale.

Basic Features of a Modern Daylily

Daylilies are categorized in several different ways. Deciduous kinds go dormant in frosty weather, evergreens can tolerate frost and grow all winter in mild regions, and there is an intermediate group called semi-evergreen. The rule of thumb is to avoid deciduous daylilies south of zone 8 and avoid evergreens north of zone 7. It's good advice, though there are a few varieties in each group that defy the rule.

Most daylilies have arching foliage that grows 18 to 24 inches tall. Some varieties have erect foliage. Some are as low as 12 inches and others reach 3 feet. Leaf color ranges from pale green to dark green with a bluish cast.

The height provided in nursery descriptions and on plant labels doesn't refer to the foliage but to the length of the flower stalk or "scape." There is no correlation between height of the plant and the length of the scape, though most hold their flowers just above the leaves. Flower scapes on the shorter varieties grow as high as 12 inches. Scapes of the tallest reach over 6 feet high.

Single daylilies have six petals. Double varieties have a second set of petals, often ruffled. Flower size ranges from 1 1/2 inches--the "miniature" varieties--to 8 or 9 inches across. The color range of daylilies has expanded to include everything but blue and pure white. Many blossoms are bi- or tri-colored. Many modern daylilies are called "tetraploids." They have twice as many chromosomes as the normal "diploid" varieties. These sturdy varieties generally have larger leaves, stalks, and flowers.

Shopping for the Best

You'll find the greatest selection of daylilies in the catalogs of mail-order specialists. Most varieties cost $3 to $10, but you'll see some selling for hundreds of dollars. Remember, paying a lot doesn't ensure quality, only rarity.

For the typical gardener, selecting from the thousands of available varieties can be daunting. Here's some simple advice: Focus on the whole plant. If there are 4,000 daylilies with yellow flowers, common sense suggests that not all will grow in the same way. Some of those yellows grow significantly faster, produce more flowers, and have more attractive foliage than others.

If you look car at the plants in a display garden or a nursery, there are clues as to how they will grow in your garden.

Sun/Heat Tolerance 
The best time to shop for daylilies is late in the afternoon on a sunny day, when you can see how the flowers stand up to the sun. Pale and red varieties are more prone to sun damage. You can also see how they will look at the end of the work day, the time when most of us are able to enjoy the garden.

Number of Flowers
Don't settle for varieties that bloom for less than 3 weeks. If this information isn't on the tag, count the number of buds on the flower stalk. A good performer will have 15 or more buds per stalk. Each daylily flower, of course, remains open for only one day, and on the average one flower opens every other day. It's easy to count the scars where buds have fallen off to see what the total for that variety is.

Where nights are very cool, daylily flowers don't open as readily in the morning. You can solve this problem by growing "nocturnals." These are varieties with flowers that open at dusk and remain open throughout the following day.

Repeat Bloom
More and more daylilies send up a progression of flower stalks all season long. The most famous is 'Stella d'Oro'. Whether or not a variety repeats is usually noted on the label. But if you see a new scape rising at the base of a blooming plant, the plant is a repeat bloomer.

Strong Foliage 
Daylily leaves will be a part of your garden far longer than the flowers, and not all daylilies have equally attractive foliage. The most beautiful varieties are dark green to blue-green and the leaves arch gracefully. When shopping, make sure the foliage covers the pot generously.

Rate of Increase 
Daylilies can grow slowly, especially if the plants carry exotic blooms. A good landscape variety will at least triple in size each year. Extremely vigorous ones, like 'Stella d'Oro', do even better. Rapid growers have plenty of flower power, and you can divide and replant them more frequently if you have a large area to fill.

Spent Bloom
When flowers of the best varieties fade, they roll up like little cigarettes and drop off within two days. This is a trait that is easy to spot in the nursery, and one that is not shared by all varieties. Some hold faded flowers for days, or worse, drop them onto other buds and disfigure opening flowers.

How to Use Daylilies

Daylilies are stalwarts of the perennial border, but they shine in other spots, too. Vigorous daylilies make weed- and erosion-proof ground covers. Plant them on banks and roadsides or along waterways. Use dwarf daylilies in rock gardens, in containers, or as edging for flower beds.

When planting several daylily varieties, arrange drifts of a single variety. A random mix almost always looks spotty from spring through fall. Foliage varies tremendously among cultivars. So does bloom time and the height of the flower stalks. Group at least three clumps of one variety together and you'll get both a more natural look and a stronger impact at showtime.

Planting and Care

Daylilies grow best in full sun, ideally 6 hours or more daily. However, in hot and dry climates, they benefit from some afternoon shade, as well as irrigation during bloom. Also, many of the deep reds and the paler shades hold their colors better in partial shade. In any zone, daylilies will perform reasonably well with half a day's shade -- they just won't bloom as vigorously.

Daylilies grow well in a wide range of soils. You can plant daylilies successfully almost any time the ground can be worked. The ideal time to transplant and divide is in spring as the shoots begin to emerge, or immediately after bloom. In zones 9 and 10, plant in early spring (February or March) or fall; avoid planting in midsummer. Likewise in the Southeast, don't plant during midsummer because the high temperatures and humidity may cause new plants to rot. When fall-planting in cold regions move the plants at least a month before hard frosts to allow new roots time to take hold against frost heaving.

Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart. Plant at the same height plants grew previously (the white at the base of the foliage) or slightly higher to allow for settling. Firm soil, then water.

Some cultivars can grow for 20 years without requiring division, but others may need division every second or third season. You'll know it's time when you notice flower production declining.

Regional Specialists

Many daylily varieties perform well over five hardiness zones. But a variety clearly superior in Georgia may be only average in San Diego. That's why it makes sense to buy from local daylily specialists or from mail-order specialists in your hardiness zone. For information on daylily nurseries, contact the American Hemerocallis Society (Pat Mercer, AHS Executive Secretary, Box 10, Dexter, Georgia 31019). It welcomes beginners and will send a free membership information packet that includes a source list with 118 nurseries, plus information about its 15 regional groups and 133 member display gardens, many of which have daylilies for sale. Membership is $18 annually and includes the quarterly Daylily Journal.

Russian Sage

New perennial thrives
country-wide

Russian sage (Perovskia) is one remarkable plant. You can grow it just about anywhere in the United States, so it's available in garden centers or from mail-order nurseries nationwide.

Perovskia was named by the Russian botanist Karelin about 1840 to honor a Turkestani statesman, B.A. Perovski. He was governor of Orenburg, a Russian city 1,500 miles northwest of the plant's native region. These are its only links to Russia. The species is native to the steppes of Afghanistan, so might more accurately be known as Afghan sage. The plant is called sage for its relation to the culinary sages. A member of the mint family, it shares the squared stems and aromatic qualities of its cousins.

Woody stems are silver and leaves are grayish, 1 inch long and slightly toothed. Height is nearly 4 feet. Flowers are small, light blue to lavender, and arranged in whorls along the stem. Flowering spikes are 12 inches long or more.

Depending upon your climate, flowering begins in late spring or midsummer. Perovskia often continues to bloom through September and until a hard frost.

Russian sage is one of the most heat and drought-resistant perennials available. Cold hardy to nearly -40°F, it grows in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 10.

Mike Heger of Ambergate Gardens, Waconia, Minnesota (zone 4), treats Russian sagelike an herbaceous perennial that dies back in winter. I live in central Pennsylvania (zone 5) and my plants die back to the ground, too. In zones 9 and 10, Russian sage grows well but is more like an annual or biennial. Plants usually die within two years, but might reappear from seedlings or root suckers, according to Randy Baldwin, San Marcos Growers, Santa Barbara, California (zone 10). He adds that supplemental summer water seems to enhance longevity.

Perovskia loves heat, so generally performs best in areas with warm summers, even if humidity is high. Some shade is okay, but too much makes plants sprawl. Soil should be neutral to alkaline. Poor drainage, especially in winter, is deadly.

There are seven species of Russian sage, but only a few are available. Perovskia atriplicifolia is most common. The one currently sold in the U.S., however, is likely a hybrid between P. atriplicifolia and P. abrotanoides and is nearly identical with the variety 'Blue Spire'. The first to flower in spring is 'Blue Mist', which, along with 'Blue Haze', has lighter blue flowers than the species. 'Blue Spire' has deep purple flowers and larger panicles. Lavender-blue 'Longin' has stiff upright stems and a more formal appearance than the species. 'Filigrin' is a compact variety with deeply cut foliage and bright blue flowers.

Modest amounts of supplemental water are necessary in hot and dry climates. Cut old stems back to the ground once a year in spring before new growth begins. In coldest climates, stems in winter trap snow for a deeper mulch.

Perovskia's open growth and light blue flowers combine nicely with many other plants. Use it for a large-scale ground cover, as a filler in borders and to separate more dominant colors. One striking companion is white-flowered phlox. Perovskia also combines well with coreopsis, English lavender and gloriosa daisy.

Dr. David J. Beattie is a professor of ornamental horticulture at Pennsylvania State University

Marvelous Mums

Plant these hardy autumn bloomers in fall or spring

Now showing at a garden near you (or perhaps in your own) the Golden Flowers of the Orient are bursting into bloom. Though best known for firing up fall with color, chrysanthemums are among the easiest perennials to grow in a garden-regardless of where that garden happens to be. Mums are happy in the dry heat of the Southwest or the humidity of either of the Washingtons, and many varieties can withstand winters in Minnesota or Maine.

Mums are great impersonators, too. With nearly a dozen flower forms to choose from, you can grow mums that look like pastel daisies, or fluffy quilled zinnias, or refined dahlias, or maybe the large, fancy ones with incurving petals called "football" mums. The chrysanthemum palette includes every color but blue, and the holding time for blossoms, even in a vase, is measured in weeks rather than days. Merely keeping a pot on your porch is to miss a great growing opportunity, because mums are the perfect perennials to let into your beds.

Meet the Mums

Gardeners have been enjoying mums for more than 2,000 years. By A.D. 400, these plants were the craze among Chinese gardeners. Today, most of the best kinds for North American gardens are known simply as garden mums, and are botanically classified as Dendranthea grandiflorum. This is a rather new name, and many catalogs still use the old name of Chrysanthemum morifolium.

A lesser known but very hardy, early-blooming type, Chrysanthemum rubellum -- particularly the varieties 'Clara Curtis' and 'Mary Stoker' -- are top choices for gardeners in USDA Zones 4 and 5.

As you might expect with a flower that's been in cultivation for so long, the pedigree of garden mums is impossible to trace. Most of the plants sold in garden centers are labeled "cushion" mums -- a huge group of compact varieties bred to flower like gangbusters in pots, or to be massed into vivid border plantings. The Prophets Series from Yoder Brothers (the largest producer of chrysanthemums in the U.S.) is this type, as are hundreds of other named varieties.

About 80 percent of the potted mums sold in the fall are Yoder Prophets, including 'Bravo' (red), 'Debonair' (dark lavender) and dozens of varieties with girls' names like 'Denise' (bronze), 'Jessica' (yellow), and 'Lynn' (pink).

All of the most popular Prophets have the "decorative" flower form, that is, dahlialike blossoms so packed with long, broad petals that you can hardly see their center eyes, even when the flowers are completely open. One of the advantages of the decorative flower form is that the many layers of petals make the flowers last a long, long time. As the petals on the back of the blossom fade, new ones from the center give the flower a freshly opened appearance.

But the best perennial mums for your garden may not be compact cushions with decorative flowers. Upright kinds, which grow more than 18 inches tall, are magnificent when grown in the ground, though their height makes them look gawky in pots. Alan Summers, owner of Carroll Gardens in Westminster, Maryland, thinks the best landscaping mums are upright types with flowers more than three inches across. He recommends a variety known as 'Single Apricot' (which is the same as or similar to 'Hillside Sheffield Pink'). He describes it as "absolutely spectacular, with luminous glowing color that can be seen a block away."

Garden mums have so many dramatic variations in growth habit, color, and flower form that we would sell them short by suggesting that a few are better than all others. In San Gabriel, California, mum specialist Phillip Ishizu of Sunny Slope Gardens struggles to keep his list of West Coast standouts at only 300 varieties. In Burlington, Kansas, Harry Huff of Huff's Garden Mums propagates and sells 500 varieties, and Minnesota mum man Vincent Dooley offers more than 200 that can survive under serious cold and snow. All of these experts give the same advice for choosing favorites Pick colors and flower forms you like, and get growing!

Since fall brings frost, which has a bad habit of turning mum petals brown, choose mums with bloom times that match what your climate has to offer. Mums bloom in fall because the shortening days (and lengthening nights) of late summer trigger flowering. Some react more quickly than others, and these are the early bloomers. Midseason and late bloomers respond more slowly to changes in day length. Throughout much of the U.S., gardeners can extend bloom season by combining early, midseason, and late-blooming varieties.

However, early and midseason varieties are ideal for the country's midsection. Midseason and late mums put on the best shows in the Sun Belt, where early-blooming types are often fooled into a sparse, generally unattractive bloom in spring. If you're stuck with such a plant, pinch or cut off blooming stems to force the plant back into a vegetative state. Where freezes come early, you need early-blooming mums. And wherever you live, you'll be happiest with mums that bloom after the hottest summer weather has passed, yet still have five to six weeks to dazzle before the first 26°F frost, which kills flowers.

Flower Types

Chrysanthemum hobbyists (and the following descriptions) use specific names to describe common flower types. They are: anemone (one or more rows of petals and a large, raised center); brush (rolled, pointed petals); decorative (long, wide, overlapping petals); incurve (large flowers with petals that curve upward and inward); irregular curve (like incurve, but less rigid); laciniated (petal tips fringed); pompom (uniform, globular flowers that can become 5 inches in diameter); quill (rolled petals long and narrow); reflex (big flowers with petals that curve various directions); semidouble (two or three rows of petals around center); single or daisy (a single row of petals); spider (long, tightly curled petals with hooked tips); and spoon (rolled petals that are flattened at tips).

How to Grow Chrysanthemums

The best time to plant chrysanthemums is in the spring, though you also can plant them through summer and into early fall. The earlier you plant, the longer your mums will have to develop good root systems -- a crucial factor in determining winter hardiness. All chrysanthemums need full sun in the North, at least a half day of sun in the South, and always, everywhere, very well-drained soil.

If you can save some space until spring, you can help yourself to the huge selections of garden-worthy varieties offered by specialist mail-order companies, which ship only in spring. Mail-order mums are single-stemmed rooted cuttings, which begin growing rapidly as soon as they are planted.

To grow stocky, heavy-flowering plants, pinching back the growing tips is essential. Pinch off the top 1 to 2 inches of growth when taller varieties are 6 to 9 inches high and shorter varieties are 4 to 5 inches high. Repeat every three to five weeks until early July, more frequently with the most dwarf varieties. In warm climates, where mums begin growing in March, plants are usually ready for their first pinch by May 1. But in most of the country, pinch them the first time on Memorial Day, and the second time on the Fourth of July.

If you have some lanky, unpinched plants to deal with right now, it's too late to make them short and stocky. But you can encourage them to make spectacular large and long-stemmed flowers. Stake them and pinch off most of the buds from the lowest section of stem. The blooms at the stem tips will be stronger and larger, and will make lovely long-stemmed cut flowers.

As long as chrysanthemums have good drainage, they are not picky about soil. They often bloom without any fertilizer, but growth is better if you mulch them lightly in early summer with well-rotted manure or rich compost, or fertilize them lightly once a month with a balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) until the flower buds form.

Don't be surprised if mums that were compact when you bought them in pots a year ago grow much larger when set free to grow in your garden. They're just showing their appreciation for a long growing season on unrestricted roots. Climate plays a role in plant height, too. High temperatures slow stem growth in midsummer, but cool temperatures and heavy rain can make stems lanky. In mild, moist climates, many mums won't stay upright without support. To keep them from flopping, support them with thin bamboo or metal stakes before the flowers open. Alternatively, pinch growing tips more often to stimulate development of stockier, bushier plants.

Making More Mums

By the time garden mums have finished blooming, you may want to cut them back. Don't! In cold climates, the dead branches catch blowing leaves and snow, and often manage to collect just the right amount of protective mulch. In warm climates, even exhausted plants are engaged in the work of accumulating energy for next season's growth. Trimming off dead blossoms and wayward branches is fine, but as the mum experts say, "Nature doesn't trim back the dead branches in winter, and neither should you."

Early winter is also the worst possible time to dig up mums, which often show a few feathery stems of new green growth near the base before winter. These delicate shoots are the plants' lifeline through winter. Chrysanthemums that put out a lot of new shoots often show excellent winter hardiness. When late-blooming mums are grown in warm climates, the appearance of a healthy fuzz of new growth halfway through winter means it's finally time to cut back last year's growth.

Opinion varies on how often garden mums need to be dug and divided. Some say every spring, others say every second spring, and some say every three. Before you decide, consider this idea: You can flank your mums with large-flowered daffodils or fancy tulips, which provide much-needed spring color while chrysanthemums are at low ebb (and vice versa). These bulbs often require dividing or replacing after two or three years, just like mums.

But there's a hitch. The best time to dig and replant spring-flowering bulbs is early fall, when mums are at their peak. So, at some point you must choose between keeping your mums or your bulbs, which is not difficult since mums multiply as willingly as rabbits.

Remember those little green shoots that you nursed through winter-- Around the time of your last spring frost, simply dig and divide some of these, and transplant them to new homes or pots. Pots are ideal if you must wait until bulb foliage dies back to renovate your bed.

Few plants develop roots as rapidly as chrysanthemums. After a few weeks in a pot, a skimpy little plant will become healthy and well-rooted, though in northern or short-season areas you won't get much of a plant or many blooms that first year. You can also root the stem tips you pinch from your plants in spring by sticking them in damp potting soil, sand, or vermiculite. Even with no help from rooting powder, stem cuttings will start rooting within a week.

At this point I must insert a warning: Growing chrysanthemums can be habit-forming. Collecting and showing them is addictive. Whether you want to compete or simply collect mums, the National Chrysanthemum Society has 35 chapters across the country. Membership costs $20 per year, and the society also publishes inexpensive pamphlets on the finer points of mum culture. For more information, visit the Society's Web site at www.mums.org.

How to Transplant a Blooming Mum

Spring is the best time to plant chrysanthemums, but you can set out blooming plants in fall if you're careful.

Here's how to help them survive their first winter in the ground.

1. Select bushy, well-branched plants with small, leafy stems emerging from the base of the plants, or sprouting around the edge of the pot.
    
2. Choose a very well-drained location. More fall-planted mums die from root rot than from the effects of low temperatures.
    
3. Dig a planting hole twice as wide as the plant's rootball.
    
4. Set each plant in the planting hole 1 inch deeper than it grew in its nursery pot; spread out the roots.
    
5. After cold weather kills the flowers and leaves, water only if the soil becomes very dry. Trim back tops very slightly, mostly to remove dead blossoms.
    
6. Leave plants unmulched until Christmas. If by then you have no snow cover, lay conifer boughs over the plants' crowns.
    
7. Should you decide to move your mum, wait until near the time of your last spring frost. That's the best time to dig and divide any garden chrysanthemum.
    
8. When growth resumes in spring (or just after transplanting), work 1/4 cup of low-nitrogen fertilizer (such as a 10-10-10) into the soil around each plant.

Top Garden Chrysanthemums

Even though there are hundreds of good varieties of chrysanthemums available, the advice of experts in various regions resulted in this short list of the most outstanding or noteworthy. The list is divided into two categories based upon plant height. The short ones, often called "cushion" mums, grow 12 to 15 inches tall. The tallest mums reach some 30 inches tall.

Dwarf or cushion varieties that grow to 15 inches tall:

'Debonair'
Color: Dark lavender.
Flower type and bloom season: Decorative; early.
Bushy and hardy, a good Yoder Prophet to buy in bloom now and plant in your garden.

'Gypsy Wine' 
Color: Wine red.
Flower type and bloom season: Pompon; early.
Only 12 to 15 inches tall, with noticeable fragrance.

'Sunny Morning' 
Color: Clear yellow.
Flower type and bloom season: Decorative; midseason.
Surprisingly large 3-inch flowers on bushy 14-inch plants.

'Target' 
Color: Two-tone yellow.
Flower type and bloom season: Decorative; early.
Vigorous and weather resistant, another good Yoder mum recommended for growing as a garden perennial.

Tall, upright varieties that grow to 30 inches:

'Sarah'
Color: Golden butterscotch.
Flower type and bloom season: Quilled-decorative; late.
Large, 2 1/2- to 3-inch flowers develop from an exceptionally strong plant.

'Carousel' 
Color: Silver amethyst.
Flower type and bloom season: Quill; early.
Large 4-inch blossoms on tall, 30-inch plants.

'Clara Curtis'
Color: Light pink.
Flower type and bloom season: Daisy; very early.
Strong 18- to 25-inch plants.

'Dolliette'
Color: Yellow with red-bronze petal tips.
Flower type and bloom season: Open quill; midseason to late.
Quilled 2-inch blossoms with darker petal tips create vivid effect.

'Grandchild' 
Color: Lavender with red-violet center.
Flower type and bloom season: Pompom; early to midseason.
Compact, bushy, 18-inch tall plants are hardy, sturdy and permanent.

'Maroon Pride'
Color: Dark red.
Flower type and bloom season: Double, single, or daisy; early. Shaggy, 3-inch, double blossoms on vigorous mounded plants. Super hardy, released in 1991 by the University of Minnesota.

'Single Apricot' ('Hillside Sheffield Pink')
Color: Pastel apricot pink.
Flower type and bloom season: Single or daisy; midseason.
Hardy, dependable, and heavy blooming, 30-inch plants.

Barbara Pleasant grows more than 25 varieties of garden chrysanthemums in her Brevard, North Carolina home.

Photography by National Gardening Association

Delightful Delphiniums

Heat-tolerant forms of these classic garden flower

The stalwart of many perennial borders and quintessentially 'English', delphiniums have broadened their range, both in size and heat tolerance -- good news for gardeners with small gardens or in warm climates.

Best known are the majestic so-called English types, which are blooming now in many areas. These densely clustered blue, pink, purple, red, or white spikes, growing to 6 feet tall, seem to dance along the backs of perennial borders, and they make great cut flowers. There are also versatile dwarf types, bushy plants with shorter spikes of vivid blue, and white flowers that blend well with low-growing perennials in the front of the border. A third type is midsize between these two. Even though there are more than 300 kinds of delphiniums, this article focuses mostly on the tall hybrids developed from D. elatum, and the shorter hybrids of D. belladonna and D. grandiflorum.

In relatively cool and moist summer climates, as in the Pacific Northwest and Northeast, delphiniums flourish, often growing into large clumps that live up to 10 years and can be periodically divided. However, delphiniums don't thrive in the hot-summer areas of the South and West, where they are grown as annuals, if grown at all. By selecting dwarf varieties and trying new, more heat-tolerant tall varieties from New Zealand, even gardeners in warm-summer areas can now grow delphiniums that prosper.

Many Sizes, Stately to Compact

Unlike their relatives the larkspurs (Consolida), delphiniums are true perennials. Most delphinium varieties are listed as hardy to USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 8, but they thrive best in zones 3 through 6 or in cool-summer areas of zones 7 and 8. The tall hybrids are the most sensitive to heat (days consistently in the 90s), but they can be grown in warm areas if planted in fall and treated as annuals. However, heat causes the flower stems to be shorter. Many of these hybrids were developed from seed, so actual flower colors may vary slightly. Let's look at some popular varieties grouped by their heights.

Tall (4 to 6 feet). English hybrids are probably the most dramatic of all the delphiniums. They come in a range of colors, and produce two or three flower spikes per plant the first year, twice as many in subsequent years.

The best known of the tall hybrids is Pacific Giants (also sold as Round Table series), with dense, heavy spikes of 3-inch-diameter double flowers that require staking. Two of the most stunning varieties are 'King Arthur', with royal violet flowers and a contrasting white bee (a cluster of short petals in the center of each flower); and 'Black Knight', with a dark violet blue flower and a black bee. Although most hybrid delphiniums are blue, pink, violet, or white, 'Beverly Hills' offers scarlet red flowers on 4- to 5-foot-tall plants.

The newest delphinium varieties come from New Zealand, where Dowdeswell's Delphiniums has developed the New Millennium hybrids. These plants compare favorably to Pacific Giants but are hardier and have stronger spikes, more petals per flower, a broader color range, and better disease resistance and heat tolerance. Varieties include pink 'Blushing Brides' and purple 'Royal Aspirations'. These are a good option for gardeners in warm-summer areas who want to grow the tall, large-flowered varieties.

Summer trials in New Zealand showed Pacific Giants dying out after two years from heat and disease, while the New Millennium hybrids were still going strong after four years. The last two years of the trial were conducted during summer temperatures that were consistently in the 80s and 90s.

Medium (2-1/2 to 5 feet). In this group are varieties of D. belladonna, whose 3- to 5-feet-tall loosely clustered flower spikes don't require staking. These bushier plants survive better in summer heat than taller hybrids do, and flower spikes produce six or seven stems the first year, compared to two or three on the taller kinds. 'Belladonna' features sky blue single flowers. 'Casa Blanca' is a white-flowered version of D. belladonna. 'Bellamosum' has deep blue single flowers.

Connecticut Yankee, an older mix, is particularly tolerant of hot summers; its flower spikes are a mix of blue, violet, and white flowers on 30-inch-tall stems. Magic Fountains series, a dwarf version of Pacific Giants, features the same densely clustered, large, double flowers as its parent, but on 2- to 3-foot spikes. Two of the best varieties are 'Sky Blue', with a white bee, and 'Cherry Blossom', with a pink flower and white bee. Clear Springs is a new series whose height falls between Pacific Giants and Magic Fountains; its strong spikes make excellent cut flowers.

Dwarf (2 feet or less). If you really want short delphiniums, choose from varieties that reach no more than 2 feet tall. These don't have the large flower spikes of the tall types, but the plants are better adapted to warm-summer areas.

D. grandiflorum 'Blue Butterfly' has electric blue single flowers, loosely clustered on 15-inch spikes. 'Blue Mirror' has brilliant gentian blue single flowers on 2-foot spikes. Both can bloom all summer in zones 3 through 6.

Two other delphinium species are shorter lived and harder to grow, but feature unusual flower colors for delphiniums. D. zalil features compact plants with deeply cut foliage and single yellow flowers on 2-foot spikes, and D. cardinale, a California native, features red spurred flowers on 2-foot spikes.

Growing Up

Delphiniums look best in clumps of three to five plants planted in well-drained soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7. Sow new seed (delphinium seed loses viability quickly) indoors in January or February for spring planting, or in August or September for fall planting. If slugs and snails are problems in your area, it's better to plant in spring. Plants grown from spring-sown seed may flower the first year, but the flower spikes will be fewer and smaller, and come later in the season than normal.

In hot-summer areas of zones 7 and warmer, set out transplants in October or November in well-drained soil; they'll bloom the following March and April. Dwarf and heat-tolerant varieties produce the best flowers and are most likely to survive summer heat, especially if planted in part shade. Although plants struggle to survive the hot summers, they can take temperatures down into the teens in winter as long as the flower stems haven't formed.

Buying plants allows for better flower production the first year, but in either case, it won't be until the second year that the plants really start producing large flowers and multiple stems, especially for the tall hybrids.

The soil you plant your delphiniums in should be rich and porous, so proper soil preparation is critical. Plants grown in cool, moist soil often rot. If the soil is predominantly clay, it's best to use raised beds. Amend your soil with 3 to 4 inches of compost.

Plant seedlings 1 to 2 feet apart, being careful not to bury the root crown. Cover with a 4- to 6-inch layer of mulch to conserve moisture and keep the roots cool.

Regular fertilizing is important for good flower production. Side-dress the plants with compost or a balanced fertilizer such as 5-10-5 at planting time, when flower stems form, and again after flowering. When weeding, cultivate carefully around the crown, since it is at the surface.

As soon as flowering finishes in zones 3 through 6, cut off flower stems to prevent seed formation. This often stimulates a repeat flowering later in fall.

Staking: Support Groups

The flower stems of tall varieties, such as those of the Pacific Giants series, are amazingly pliable and will withstand light wind and rain, but they do need some support for more severe weather. Many methods and products help support plants and flowers, but here is one of the easiest and most effective.

When the plants are a foot tall, place three 4-foot-long bamboo or plastic-coated metal poles in a triangle around a plant or clump of plants. Encircle the poles with thick garden twine about 10 inches above the ground. Once the flower spikes form, make a second loop around the poles at a height just below the flower heads. Usually two loops are enough to support the flowers.

Instead of poles and twine, you can use tomato cages, linking stakes, or flower rings as long as the flower stems are supported just below their heads.

Charlie Nardozzi is the senior horticulturist at National Gardening Association.

Photography by Suzanne DeJohn/National Gardening Association

Growing Hosta
National Gardening Association Editors

There is no better way to brighten up a shady spot than by planting hostas. Although the plants bear tall spikes of white or lavender flowers in midsummer, hosta are planted primarily for the season-long show of their striking foliage. It takes more than good looks, however, to make a plant a world-class winner. Few perennials are truly carefree, but hostas come close. They never need dividing. Once established, they shade the ground so thoroughly that they reliably crowd out most weeds. Hostas are not fussy about soils, and many cultivars even do quite well with considerable sun. It's no wonder gardeners are planting them in record numbers.

Hosta leaves come in a broad range of solid colors, from blue-gray to deep green to light green or gold. Blue hostas often have a soft, waxy bloom (a powdery-looking coating on the leaves, also found on grapes), especially early in the season. Some green varieties have very shiny leaves; others have a matte appearance. Variegation can be white, cream, or yellow and can occur on the edges of the leaves, in the centers, or streaked throughout the leaf. The most common leaf shape is heartlike, but some cultivars have narrow, straplike leaves. The largest hostas are 3-4 feet tall; the smallest are under 8 inches. Mix all these factors together and you get an idea of why plant breeders are having such fun with this group of plants.

Planting Hostas

Typically, the plant you buy is a one- or two-eye division. The eye is a piece of a stubby underground stem, called a rhizome, containing a single squat, conical bud from which the leaves arise. The many roots that grow from the rhizome are about as thick as heavy twine, something like the roots of daylilies.

New rhizomes form slowly, and a clump may take a few seasons to fill out. However, don't be tempted to crowd the plants; follow spacing recommendations carefully. You can fill in between the plants with daffodils, Virginia bluebells, or annuals.

Where Hostas Grow

Hostas are among the most adaptable perennials. They do well from USDA Hardiness Zone 3 (-40&degF minimum) southward as far as zone 9 (20&degF minimum). Hostas need a period of cold weather, at the onset of which they turn a pleasing yellow and then go dormant. Insufficient winter chill and dry air, such as in western deserts, are the chief limiting factors.

Some hostas are native to woodlands and others grow in moist meadows where tall grasses provide some shade. In the garden, one-third shade is ideal. If soil moisture is ample, most hostas can take direct sun, especially in cooler climates and at the northern limit of their range. Gold varieties must have some direct sun for their full color to develop; in shade they become chartreuse. Blue varieties develop best color in shade. When hostas get too much sun or not enough water, the leaf edges become papery and brown. At the southern edge of their range, more shade is beneficial.

Care

A little extra TLC will get new hosta plantings off to a strong start. Be sure to water the plants during dry spells, especially during their first growing season. Apply a 2-inch-thick mulch of compost or leaf mold each year to provide nutrients. Hostas growing in the shade of large trees may need supplemental waterings to help them compete with the tree roots.

The only major pests of hostas are slugs, which thrive in the moist, cool, shady areas that hostas love. Controls include handpicking, traps, and deterrents like a layer of diatomaceous earth or crushed eggshells spread underneath the plants.

Unlike many perennials, hostas do not need regular dividing to keep them growing strong. Established hosta plantings have been in place for 30 years and longer with no need for dividing.

Peony: The King of Flowers
Charlie Nardozzi

There is nothing dainty about peonies. The colorful flowers can reach 10 inches in diameter, blooming in early summer to herald the upcoming summer season. Peony flowers come in a variety of forms and in nearly every color except blue. Not only are the flowers alluring, the dark green summer foliage provides a great backdrop to other blooming perennials and turns a vivid red in fall. This long-lived perennial (some plants can live 50 to 100 years) can thrive in your garden with little care. No wonder they're called the "King of Flowers" in China.

Types of Peonies

Peonies hail from Asia and have been grown for thousands of years as ornamental, as well as medicinal, plants. But it wasn't until the 18th and 19th centuries that peonies found their way to Europe and eventually America.

There are two basic types of peony plants: herbaceous and tree. Herbaceous, or garden, peonies (Paeonia hybrids) generally grow 1 to 4 feet tall (depending on the variety) and are hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8. In areas with freezing winter temperatures, the foliage dies back to the ground each winter, but the crown and roots survive. In mild climates plants can stay green year-round. Tree peonies (Paeonia suffruticosa) have woody stems and can grow to 6 feet tall. They are also hardy to zone 3, however they may need winter protection to survive in the coldest climates.

Peony flowers are grouped according to shape. Single, semi-double, anemone, Japanese, and double flower forms are the most common. Although peonies only bloom for 1 to 2 weeks in early summer, by planting early-, mid-, and late-season varieties, you can extend the bloom time to four to six weeks.

Planting Peonies

In most areas, plant peonies in a full sun location on well-drained soils. Peony roots will rot when planted in poorly drained soil. In hot summer climates, peonies survive best when planted where they receive part shade. The soil pH should be between 6 and 7. Space plants 1 to 5 feet apart, depending on the variety. Locate them away from windy areas but where the air freely flows so it will dry the foliage and help prevent disease. Amend the soil with compost before planting.

Dig a hole 18 inches wide and deep. Plant peonies so the crown (small, colored buds) is only 1 to 2 inches below the soil line. Backfill with soil mixed with compost, and water well. Although you may get a few flowers the first year, it may take 2 to 3 years for a new peony bush to flower fully.

Care of Peonies

Once established, peonies require minimal care. To keep peony flowers from flopping, stake or cage the plant early in the season. The green foliage will camouflage the cage while keeping the flowers erect. Cut back and compost foliage after a frost. In mild winter areas, reduce watering and remove foliage in fall – even while it’s still green – to induce dormancy. If peonies don’t go through a dormant period in winter, they will flower poorly the next year.

To produce fewer but larger flowers, remove side buds, leaving only the center or terminal bud to open. Deadhead spent flowers. When cutting peony flowers for display indoors, cut buds before they unfold. Leave two thirds of the plant stem uncut so it will form buds for next year.

If your peonies are healthy, they should flower for years. However, if you notice a reduction in the amount of flowers, you may need to divide the plant. In fall, dig up the clump and separate it into 3 to 5 sections, each with healthy buds, and replant at the same depth in a full sun location.

Fertilize each spring with compost and a balanced plant food. Keep plants well weeded and mulched. For winter protection, add a 2-inch-thick layer of hay or straw in fall. In cold areas, wrap tree peonies with burlap to prevent winter injury.

Reasons for Not Flowering

One of the chief complaints about peonies is lack of flowering. This may be due to lack of sunlight, too much nitrogen fertilizer, overcrowding, competition from other trees and shrubs, planting crowns too deeply, or disease.

For more information about peony growing, contact the American Peony Society Web site at www.americanpeonysociety.org.

Hardy Geraniums

Colorful perennials for naturalistic gardens

Delicate, azure blue flowers bursting forth from lush, very hardy plants: These are the hardy geraniums.

The precise appeal of these often diminutive, sometimes bold charmers is tough to pin down. But it's simple from a gardener's point of view. Hardy geraniums give a lot and require very little. For instance, they grow in most climates, take shade, serve admirably as a weed-choking ground cover, and produce quantities of flowers. It is even possible to have a succession of geraniums blooming from early spring to late fall. Is it any wonder gardeners are so excited about them?

Just to be clear, I'm talking here about the plants of the genus Geranium, not those other "geraniums" -- the Pelargoniums. I apologize in advance for the name confusion, but the habit of gardeners to call those tender southern African plants "geraniums" is deeply rooted. Though both are members of the same plant family, they couldn't be more different. The Pelargoniums include common "geraniums" such as the Lady Washington geranium (P. domesticum), the ivy geranium (P. peltatum), and the scented geraniums (various species including P. capitatum and P. crispum). The effort to distinguish Pelargoniums from hardy geraniums is why you will sometimes see the latter refered to as the "true" geraniums.

There are about 500 species of geraniums world wide. They thrive on every continent -- throughout Africa, from western Europe to China, from Siberia and Alaska down the Americas to Patagonia. There are even species endemic to the Pacific Islands, including Hawaii. Some of these are available from nurseries.

Leaves of hardy geraniums are typically divided into leaflets arranged in a palm-like fashion. They range from the thumbnail-sized brown leaves of G. sessiliflorum 'Nigricans' (zones 8 to 10) to the rich mid-green dinner-plate-sized leaves of G. maderense (zones 9 to 10). You can find leaves with all sorts of quilting, veining, and blotching. Growing geraniums for their leaves alone gives valuable texture to those in-between sites that are so troublesome in the garden. Plant heights range between 5 and 36 inches.

Flowers all have five equal-sized petals. They range in size from 1/4-inch to 1-1/2 inches in diameter and can be violet, blue, pink, white, and magenta. There are no yellow or clear red geraniums. Very few flowers are "doubled" (have more than one set of petals). Although the largest flowers are not truly flamboyant and bloom is frequently sporadic rather than concentrated, there are species whose seasonal show of flowers is delightful. For example G. magnificum (zones 5 to 9) makes a five-week display of violet-blue flowers for the middle or front of a perennial border that is "magnificent" by any standard.

Where They Grow

Hardy geraniums are incredibly tough and useful garden plants. They need little care and are pest- and disease-resistant. Most are hardy to about -20°F (zone 5). Some are much more cold tolerant, and one, G. pratense, can withstand temperatures up to -50°F (zone 2).

Most are soft-stemmed, herbaceous perennials that pass the winter season in dormancy and put on new leaves in spring.

How to Grow

Geraniums require well-drained, fertile, and moist soil. If you live where summer rain is infrequent or nonexistent, plan to water weekly or so. Keep in mind that geraniums are wild flowers and in most gardens do not need much coddling.

If growth is untidy, cut plants back in midseason to about 1 inch above the main stem (2 or 3 inches above the soil level). Plants will renew leaves and produce occasional flowers during the remainder of the growing season.

Growing geraniums in southern regions with high summer heat and humidity may be a challenge, but a midseason cutback of leaves will frequently renew the plant. Give G. pratense a mulch around its roots if you live where summers are very hot.

As a general rule of thumb, geraniums do best in morning sun and afternoon although some geraniums such as G. sanguineum (zones 5 to 9) and G. pratense thrive in full sun.

Propagate species types by seed, but any named varieties, such as 'Johnson's Blue', must be propagated by division of the crowns or by root cuttings. Do either in early spring.

Using Hardy Geraniums in the Garden

Hardy geraniums make landscape problems a virtue. Here are my recommendations for some specific garden situations.

Shade

For shady areas, our native East Coast wildflower, G. maculatum (zones 4 to 9), is unrivaled. The best selections have inch-sized light pink flowers that fade to cream in the center.

Deep shade is always a problem for gardeners. G. nodosum (zones 5 to 9) does well in these conditions, forming small colonies of slightly shiny mid-green leaves with scattered funnel-shaped flowers in light lilac to quite dark pink.

If you would like an imposing plant that will form a clump in the shade, G. phaeum (zones 3 to 9) -- particularly the wonderful form 'Samobor' -- is a good choice. 'Samobor' has maroon blotches on its leaves and reddish maroon flowers. There is an ethereal white form, G. phaeum 'Album' that harmonizes beautifully with green and white variegated plants and also some dark forms with rich, dark chocolate-colored flowers.

A well-known, widely available hardy geranium for shade is G. endressii 'Wargrave Pink' . There are many other varieties of this species available.

The last time I counted, there were 34 named varieties of G. oxonianum (zones 5 to 9). In my opinion, the four best are: 'A.T. Johnson' (luminous pink); 'Phoebe Nobel' (dark pink); 'Winscombe' (pale pink fading to dark pink); and 'Walter's Gift' (pale pink flowers with darker veins and leaves marked with maroon). Grow any of these in shade to partial sun, and shear them to the ground in midseason to produce new leaves and new flowers.

Ground Covers

My two favorites are varieties of G. macrorrhizum 'Ingwersen's Variety' and 'Czakor' (both hardy in zones 3 to 9). The former has aromatic leaves, which smell of balsam or pine, and pale pink flowers. 'Czakor' has strong magenta-colored flowers. Both are aggressive, weed smothering, very attractive ground covers. In mild-winter regions, they remain evergreen all year.

A less aggressive offspring of G. macrorrhizum is G. cantabrigiense (zones 4 to 9). There are two fine color forms: 'Biokovo' (white with a flush of pink) and 'Cambridge' (mid-pink with a slightly paler throat).

In Rock Gardens or Containers

If you wish to put a geranium in a specialized location, such as in a container on a porch or patio or in a rock garden, you might like to try the neat and compact G. cinereum 'Ballerina' or G. cinereum subcaulescens (zones 4 to 9). The former has inch-wide pale lavender flowers with wine-colored veins that contrast pleasantly with its ash-gray leaves. Or consider the flat little mound of brown leaves formed by the more cold-tender G. sessiliflorum 'Nigricans' (zones 8 to 10). Its flowers, however, are small, white, and in hiding. G. dalmaticum (zones 4 to 9), with nickel-sized leaves and a flush of pale pink flowers in late spring, is more showy.

Perennial Border

Perhaps you are hoping to fill a perennial border this year or tuck a geranium in some sunny location in the garden. G. sanguineum should be on everyone's list. Particularly nice forms to try are G. sanguineum striatum with pale pink flowers and deep pink veins; 'Cedric Morris' with large, mid-green leaves and 1 1/4-inch light magenta flowers; or the beautiful G. sanguineum 'Album', which is more open and billowy in habit than the other two selections and whose flowers are pure white.

Blue Flowers

Are you crazy about blue in the garden? I've mentioned the violet-blue flowers of G. magnificum. The hybrid G. 'Spinners' (zones 4 to 9) also has deep blue flowers, but there is a hint of mauve to the color. 'Johnson's Blue' (zones 4 to 9) is a clear sky blue, and G. wallichianum 'Buxton's Variety' (zones 6 to 9) is also a light blue, but the center of each flower is white, and the leaves are faintly mottled in a lighter creamy green. G. himalayense (zones 5 to 9) has deep blue flowers that fade toward red in the center of the petals. There is double form of G. himalayense 'Birch Double', with smaller, lilac blue flowers. Perhaps you would like a paler color? G. pratense 'Mrs. Kendall Clarke' is a pale gray blue with gray veins.

White Flowers

If you are looking for white, G. clarkii 'Kashmir White' (zones 3 to 9) is a good choice. The flowers are quite large. They are white but with lilac veins, and there is a faint lavender wash over the petals. They look like a host of butterflies fluttering over the surface of the finely dissected leaves.

A geranium that has a very long flowering season, but, alas, is only hardy in zones 8 to 9, is G. riversleaianum 'Mavis Simpson'. Its pale pink flowers start in early spring and continue until early fall, forming a charming contrast with its gray-green leaves.

Magenta Flowers

If you would like to make a dramatic statement in the garden, there are two magenta geraniums that draw the eye like a magnet. G. psilostemon (zones 5 to 9) forms, over a number of years, an imposing clump of dinner-plate-sized, mid-green leaves through which branched flowering stems bear an endless succession of inch-sized, black-eyed, magenta flowers. A more sprawling plant, and one of the finest geraniums for the perennial border, is its hybrid offspring 'Ann Folkard' (zones 5 to 9), whose purplish magenta flowers with their dark eyes form a fine contrast with chartreuse leaves. 'Ann Folkard' also blooms over a long period -- from spring to fall.

Growing hardy geraniums is a dangerous passion. There are so many wonderful plants to choose from. They are becoming widely available in the United States and Canada though mail-order nurseries, and most gardeners find it impossible to stop at only one.

Robin Parer owns and operates Geraniaceae Nursery in Kentfield, California.

Photography by Mike MacCaskey/National Gardening Association

Heucheras: Versatile, Colorful Natives

They're the all-American perennial

Native heucheras, also called alumroot or coral bells, have always been high on my list of favorite perennials. I know the ones grown for flowers well from my years in California. Then I moved East and discovered the numerous new hybrids grown primarily for their bold, showy foliage. Here's what I've recently learned about this increasingly popular genus.

There are approximately 50 species in the genus Heuchera. All are natives of North America and Mexico. Natural habitats range from rocky cliff faces on California's coastal islands, where you'll find H. maxima, to seeps of North Carolina's Great Smoky Mountains, home of H. americana. Few of the species are grown as ornamental perennials. But there are now many hybrids and selections of them.

Because Heuchera species come from different climates and habitats, there are many regional distinctions. In the West, coral-flowered H. sanguinea is native to Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico and is very successful and popular in gardens there. It won't tolerate the extreme heat and humidity in the Southeast, however. In that region, two of the best are H. villosa var. macrorhiza (pale green leaves and late-blooming tiny white flowers) and H. americana, the rock geranium (green mottled with white leaves and greenish white to purplish flowers).

Beyond guesswork and experimentation based on hybrid parents' native ranges, it's hard to know exactly where different heucheras will grow well. Most garden varieties have not been tested nationally. According to Horticulture Director Bart O'Brien at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, California, "People are experimenting with heucheras now more than ever, seeing what's available and learning what grows best for them."

Heuchera Hot Zones

There are regions where several kinds of heuchera grow well and are widely appreciated. In Oregon and Colorado, for instance, both foliage types (Heuchera americana) hybrids and showy flowering types (H. sanguinea) hybrids flourish side by side.In other regions, either flowering or foliage types predominate.

In California gardens, showy flowering types are best known. Gardeners there are excited by new crosses between Heuchera sanguinea and California natives such as H. maxima and H. rubescens. These produce bright pink and red blossoms.

In the Pacific Northwest, the Midwest and much of the East, foliage varieties have taken gardeners by storm. "They are hot and trendy in this area," says Rick Darke, curator of plants at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. He especially values their year-round beauty and uses them extensively as ground covers.

Heuchera for Foliage

One reason for the growing popularity of heucheras is their stunning array of leaf colors, shapes, sizes and textures. Those with showy foliage (often called alumroot) are striking as small-scale ground covers, in perennial borders and in containers. The leaves are also attractive in floral arrangements. These foliage heucheras are evergreen in all but the most severe climates. Foliage does deteriorate as winter progresses, however. Still, these rank high for adding color highlights through much, if not all of the year.

Top varieties to look for include the following:

Heuchera 'Palace Purple' (also called H. micrantha diversifolia 'Palace Purple') was the first to be widely grown for its dramatic foliage. It was introduced to American gardens in 1986 and remains popular for the way its rich purple maple-leaf foliage contrasts beautifully with greens and golds.

Heuchera americana 'Garnet' is notable for leaf color that changes with the seasons from garnet tones to dark green marked with deep wine red.

H. americana 'Dale's Strain' is a variable seed-propagated variety with silver blue marbled foliage.

H. 'Montrose Ruby' is a cross of H. 'Palace Purple' and H. 'Dale's Strain'. It offers dark purple leaves that are mottled with silver.

The Oregon Heucheras

Recent introductions of foliage heucheras from Oregon nurseryman and plant breeder Dan Heims are making a big splash. Some of the top picks among the many he offers are listed here (all are hardy in USDA zones 4 through 9).

H. americana 'Pewter Veil' has pewter purple leaves with charcoal gray veining. The entire 20-inch-wide mound of foliage has a metallic sheen. Individual leaves grow 6 inches or more across. It combines beautifully with Japanese painted fern (Athyrium nipponicum 'Pictum')," raves horticulturist Kelly Grummons of Paulino's Gardens in Denver. It complements the purple, lavender and silvery greenish gray of the fern's leaflets.

H. 'Chocolate Ruffles' has ruffled leaves to 9 inches wide. They are chocolate colored on top and burgundy below. The burgundy peeks through the ruffles, giving a two-tone effect. The mounding plant, topped with thousands of tiny white flowers on purple spikes, spreads slowly to about 20 inches wide.

H. micrantha 'Ruffles' forms a 30-inch-wide mound of incredibly ruffled woolly green leaves. Flowers are small and white.

H. sanguinea 'Splish-Splash' is one with showy foliage and bright, showy rose flowers. The variegated 3-inch-wide leaves are marbled white over green with pink veins. The plant grows to 18 inches wide.

Heucheras for Flowers

Heucheras with airy clusters of tiny bell-shaped flowers (usually called coral bells) are much cherished as cut flowers. And hummingbirds love them, too! Most start blooming in May or June and continue into July or August. They brighten woodland gardens and perennial beds, and are useful container plants. For a shower of heavenly blossoms, plant groups of the same variety together.

Neighborhood nurseries specializing in perennials may be the best indicators of which of the dozens of varieties will perform well in your area.

Heuchera brizoides (hybrids of H. sanguinea, H. micrantha, and perhaps H. americana). There are many named varieties in a range of flower colors. Some to look for include deep rose 'Chatterbox', cardinal red 'Mt. St. Helens', pure white 'June Bride' and in mixed colors, 'Bressingham Hybrids'. In flower, plants reach approximately 18 inches.

Hybrids from California

Among the outstanding choices for western gardeners are hybrids developed by the late Dara Emery at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. These include Heuchera 'Canyon Pink' (bright pink flowers with light centers) and H. 'Canyon Delight' (rose pink flowers).

There are several excellent introductions of Heuchera sanguinea and H. maxima hybrids from Bart O'Brien at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden. One is 'Genevieve' with deep pink, white-centered blossoms on stems to two feet. The attractive two- to three-inch leaves are green mottled with gray. Others most readily available in California are H. 'Santa Ana Cardinal' (red flowers) and H. 'Susanna' (pink flowers).

Generally available at retail nurseries and botanic gardens, the California heucheras are still hard to find outside the West, and are not generally available through mail-order catalogs.

How to Grow and Care for Heucheras

Depending on where you live and the varieties you grow, planting and maintenance needs vary. Generally, heucheras grow best in reasonably well-drained soils that are rich in organic matter. In northern gardens and mild coastal areas, some can handle full sun. More often, heucheras look best grown in partial shade. To help prevent mildew, space plants to allow good air circulation between them. Once established, heucheras require moderate to little watering.

Heucheras usually need dividing every four or five years, though some need it when younger and others can look great even at nine years without dividing. When the stem becomes woody, the plant falls open at the center or flowering is reduced, it is time to divide. The best time is in spring just before growth begins in earnest.

One of the few insect pests of heuchera is the small beetle known as the strawberry root weevil. The larvae feed underground on plant roots. Extensive feeding will eventually cause the plant's crown to die and break off at the soil level. One nontoxic control for the weevil larvae is parasitic nematodes. Mealybugs may also be a problem. Treat infested plants with insecticidal soap. Consult your local nurseryman for more information about these pests and their management.

Photography by Suzanne DeJohn/National Gardening Association