Bleeding Hearts

Dicentra spectabilis, commonly referred to as Bleeding Heart is a most unique and favorite late Spring/early Summer plant. A lovely splash of color to the shade garden, Bleeding Hearts will reward you with beautiful blooms for years to come.

Bleeding Heart prefers light shade and will flourish if happy. The biggest and prettiest plants I ever grew had a north-eastern exposure. Be sure to water regularly keeping care to not over water... the soil should not become soggy. Bleeding Hearts will die down to the ground usually by mid to late Summer. Some gardeners have had success in cutting the plant back by about 2/3rds to the fresh basal growth and have been rewarded with re-blooms throughout the growing season. I have yet to see re-blooms using this method, but try it anyway... this may work for you!

By dividing rhizomes, tubers, corms or bulbs (including offsets), you can spread your plantings around your garden, or share them with friends, family, neighbors or other avid gardeners.

And speaking of avid gardeners, I found these beautiful bleeding heart ornaments that are sure to bring an air of springtime to your Christmas tree. These make thoughtful gifts for your favorite gardener, too! Wouldn't these look lovely on a garden themed table setting? Dress the outside of a gift with a bleeding heart ornament for a lasting impression, or display them year round... they're just too pretty to use only at Christmas! Just click on the photo below if you would like to order them directly from Gardener's Supply.



Happy Spring!!

Spring is such a lovely time of year.... actually Spring is my favorite season. I love it because the earth springs forth with new life reminding us yet again of the fresh scent of tulips, daffodils, peony's and lilacs wafting through the air as it only can in Spring. The wonderful warm Spring sun washes over us reminding us that winter is but a fading and distant memory with warmer brighter days ahead.

Along with Spring comes yard and garden cleanup as well as the preparation of soil for the planting of flowers and vegetables. Please feel free to visit my website for some good garden tips: Gardening Tips. You'll find tips on growing, fertilizing and pruning your plants. We also have a section on heirloom tomatoes, bonsai, a section on specialized pruning of clematis, hydrangea, fruit trees, azalea's and more! Don't forget the ABC's of Bulb Gardening at the end of the page. You're sure to find many helpful tips that will help you throughout the growing season!

As of today we have cleaned up our garden beds of last years decaying leaves and such, pulled weeds and added dark brown mulch to the garden beds. I love the look of the dark brown mulch and quite frankly, the dark brown mulch has a way of making my flowers and foliage pop! I have yet to have the same result with the lighter colored mulches, and this includes red mulch (my LEAST favorite of the mulches).

I should add here that if you have dogs or cats, DO NOT purchase Coco mulch, also referred to as Cocoa mulch or Coco Hulls. These are toxic to pets and can kill them!! Coco mulch contains theobromine which is extremely toxic to pets.

My all time favorite Spring fragrances come from Lilacs and Peony's. I also love the fragrance of Erlicheer daffodils... these are the small, double, extremely fragrant daffodils. These daffodils are so fragrant, the scent will waft through your entire yard! For a floral bouquet, simply plant Erlicheer and Lilacs close to your window... you'll be delighted with the scent as the Spring breezes drift their rich perfumes into your home. You'll find two of my favorite fragrant Lilacs, the Znamia Lenina Lilac and the Krasavista Moskvy Lilac, here: Plants and Flowers . Plant one of these lilacs in your garden and they will reward you with rich fragrance for many years to come!

Happy Planting!!