March 2010 Newsletter©
Astilbe & Heuchera
The newsletter is a little late this month for which I apologize. It’s perennial potting time at Dan West and we’ve been focused on that. Since perennials were on my mind, I thought I’d talk a little about a couple of them.
Astilbe is one of my favorites. It is an outstanding, clump forming, shade loving perennial that sends up flowers spikes covered with hundreds of tiny flowers. It needs ample moisture to prevent summer browning of the foliage so give it plenty of water or plant it in a damp to moist location. Here are the varieties we are stocking for 2010, the ones in bold are new this year to Dan West.
‘Boogie Woogie’ - Fluorescent pink flowers, profuse bloomer, 16”.
'Bridal Veil' - Ivory white flowers to 30".
'Color Flash' - Foliage starts green then matures to burgundy and purple. Pale pink flowers to 18".
'Color Flash Lime' - Lime green foliage with darker green edge, pink flowers, 24" tall.
‘Country & Western’ - Dense plant, salmon pink flowers to 20” tall.
'Delft Lace’ - Apricot pink flowers, blue green foliage, 30" tall.
'Deutschland' - Creamy white flowers on a compact plant, to 30" tall.
‘Drum & Bass’ - Heavy bloomer, dark raspberry pink flowers to 20” tall.
'Fanal' - Showy red flowers, 36" tall.
‘Fireberry’ – Raspberry pink flowers, very compact plant, profuse bloomer to 16” tall.
'Glow' - Foliage begins bronze and turns green in the summer. Very deep red flowers, 30" tall.
'Hennie Graafland' - Outstanding dark rose flowers, bronze green foliage, 18" tall.
'Key Biscayne' - Light pink flowers, bronze green foliage, good re-bloomer and touted to be more drought tolerant than most Astilbe, 18" tall.
'Key Largo' - Raspberry pink flowers, 18" tall.
'Lollypop' -Pink w/cream, red stems 20" tall.
'Milk and Honey' - Creamy white flowers that age to pink, 30" tall.
'Montgomery' -Deep red flowers and dark red foliage in summer to 28" tall.
'Ostrich Plume' - Arching rose peach flowers to 36" tall.
'Peach Blossom' - Medium pink flower spikes 20" tall.
‘Rhythm & Beat’ - Large purplish/pink flowers to 20” tall.
‘Rhythm & Blues’ - Vigorous plant, large full bright pink flowers to 26” tall.
‘Rock & Roll’ - Bronze foliage, white flowers to 24” tall.
'Sprite' - Shell pink flowers on bronze foliage. Dwarf plant, to 15" tall.
‘Sugarberry’ - Profuse bloomer, very compact plant, soft pink flowers to 10” tall.
'Valerie' -Bluish-purple flowers to 18" tall.
'Visions' - 15" compact plant with dark raspberry blooms.
'Visions in Pink’ - 24" plant with clear raspberry pink blooms.
Heuchera (coral bells), Tiarella (foam flower) and Heucherella (foamy bells) are also among of my favorites (but then I like all plants, just some more than others). Some do quite well here, others make better container plants. Here are the varieties we are stocking for 2010 and again the ones in bold are new this year to Dan West.
Heuchera - Coral Bells - Very attractive clump perennial available in a wide array of foliage colors. Small flowers are produced on an upright spike, but they are mostly grown for the foliage. Most Heuchera do best with a little sun, but protected from the hottest afternoon sun. Keep moist, but not wet to prevent leaf scorch. Flower height adds another 6" to 18". Most are evergreen. Chartreuse and many brown leaf cultivars make better container than garden plants in the Mid South.
‘Autumn Leaves’ - Bright red spring foliage becomes ruby red in the fall, 8” tall.
‘Berry Smoothie’ - Large rose pink spring foliage, darkens in season, to 18” tall.
'Black Beauty' - Reddish purple, ruffled leaves, likes part sun, to 10" tall.
'Caramel' -Caramel orange foliage, seldom flowers. Likes heat and humidity, needs good drainage, to 8".
‘Cinnabar Silver’ - Metallic silver foliage, red flowers, to 10” tall.
'Citronelle' - Lime yellow foliage, tolerates heat well but needs shade. Good container plant, to 12" tall.
'Crimson Curls' - Crimson crinkled red foliage, white flowers, to 12" tall.
‘Electra’ - Golden yellow leaves, blood red veins, to 8” tall.
‘Electric Lime’ - Lime green foliage, good heat tolerance, to 12” tall.
'Encore' - Deep purple leaves become lighter with more silver cast with age. Good heat tolerance, to 12" tall.
'Frosted Violet' - Plum purple foliage with darker veins, light pink flowers, to 20" tall.
'Lime Rickey' -Chartreuse foliage, best as a container plant, to 8" tall.
‘Melting Fire’ - New growth is bright red, matures to purple red, white flowers to 16” tall.
‘Midnight Bayou’ - Large red leaves with black veins mature to silvery purple, good heat tolerance, to 12” tall.
'Midnight Rose' - Deep purple w/ red flecks, to 10" tall. Stunning foliage.
‘Miracle’ - Chartreuse leaves with reddish center mature to brick red with a golden edge. To 10” tall.
'Obsidian' - Near black, purple with glassy sheen, to 10" tall.
'Palace Purple' - Spectacular purple red foliage, tiny white flowers, to 12" tall.
'Peach Flambe' - Bright peach, matures purple in the fall, to 8" tall.
'Pistache' - Lime green foliage, best as a container plant, to 15" tall.
‘Southern Comfort’ - Cinnamon colored foliage, good heat tolerance, white flowers to 15” tall.
‘Tara’ - Golden yellow leaves with red centers and veins, to 12” tall.
'Tiramisu' - Golden yellow with orange highlights and veins, good heat tolerance, to 12" tall. Really cool looking!
'Venus' - Very large silver leaves w/deep green veins, really spectacular, to 8" tall.
Heucherella - Foamy Bells - An inter-generic hybrid between Coral Bells (Heuchera) and Foam Flower (Tiarella). Like Heuchera, most like a little morning sun, but protection from the afternoon sun. They like moist soil, but not wet, high in organic matter.
'Alabama Sunrise' - Gold with red veins in spring, gold changes to green and later to pink in the fall, tolerates heat, to 12".
'Birthday Cake' - Chocolate brown with white flowers, to 8" tall.
'Burnished Bronze' - Glossy bronze foliage with pink flowers, 8" tall.
‘Golden Zebra’ - Maple-like bright yellow leaves with red veins, to 10” tall.
'Stoplight' - Bright yellow leaves w/dark red blotch and veins, to 6" tall.
‘Sweet Tea’ - Stunning yellow/orange leaves with much darker veins, to 12” tall.
Tiarella - T. cordifolia - Foam Flower - A native perennial with hairy, maple like foliage and 15" flower spikes covered with tiny white flowers. Blooms April through June. Avoid wet winter soil, mulch with caution. Most are clumping varieties that spread by stolons, other are creeping or running varieties.
'Black Snowflake' - Deeply lobed black foliage edged in green, white flowers to 12" tall.
'Oakleaf' - Three lobed green leaves, with white to light pink flowers, to 6" tall.
‘Pink Skyrocket’ - Deeply lobed green leaves, red veins, shrimp pink buds open to white flowers, to 8” tall.
'Pirate's Patch' - Slow creeping variety, green foliage w/ dark purple veins, profuse white flowers to 10" tall.
'Spring Symphony' - Green foliage with black midrib, deep pink flowers to 12" tall.
T. wherryi - Green leaves, attractive plumes of star shaped white flowers. Slow to spread.
March “To Do List” –
Apply pre-emerge to your lawn if you haven’t already. Use Ferti-lome Lawn Food plus Crabgrass Preventer with Prodiamine or Ferti-lome Weed & Feed with Dimension.
Start your rose spray program with Bonide Systemic Insecticide and Ferti-lome Systemic Fungicide.
Star your fruit tree spray program with Bonide Fruit Tree Spray or Ferti-lome Triple Action.
Apply lime to lawns, vegetable gardens, perennial and annual beds, boxwoods and clematis if needed. If you’re not sure if you need lime, bring us soil sample and we will be happy to test it for you. We need about a coffee can full for each sample and the test is free.
Plant cool season vegetables and small fruits (blueberries, grapes, muscadines, blackberries and raspberries).
Spray for broadleaf weeds in the turf. Use Ferti-lome Weed Free Zone.
Apply imidacloprid on trees for season long insect control. Use Ferti-lome Tree and Shrub Drench.
This was February’s quiz. It is a lacebug and almost everyone got it right! Congratulations!
Here is this month’s challenge:
Chances are pretty good that you’ve got this weed in your yard. What is it?
The contest ends on March 31st. Drop by either store to enter or you can email your entry to
questions@danwestonline.com.. One winner, selected from all correct entries, will receive a $25 Dan West Gift Certificate.
Thanks for shopping with us at Dan West.