Heathers are a wonderful addition to any garden because their compact, evergreen habit makes them a staple all year round. Find out what heather can bring to your space and how to keep it growing happily.
Why to choose heather
Evergreen heathers provide year-round colour in your garden, and they’re extremely low maintenance.
Not only that, but they are fantastic for ground cover due to their low-growing habit. This is also great for weed prevention.
As well as being fully hardy, this means you can choose a variety of heathers to bring you beautiful blooms that you can enjoy all year round. But it’s not just you who can enjoy them because they are a perfect plant for attracting pollinators.
Planting heather
Heathers prefer to be planted in a sunny position with free-draining soil. Heathers (Calluna), heaths (Erica), and Irish heath (Daboecia) all thrive in sunny spots and Calluna and Daboecia need acidic soil as well as a light, sandy soil.
Their structure makes them a marvellous plant for bold planting in groups of five or more with different coloured varieties.
Although, for smaller gardens single plants can still have a big impact, or they can be planted up in containers with other plants such as Hellebores.
For a border that’s bursting with life throughout the year, create a bed devoted to evergreens. Fill it with conifers, small evergreen shrubs and heather to provide contrast in height, form and colour too.
Take care
As mentioned, these plants are low maintenance. So, if heather is planted in the ground in acidic conditions they will not need additional feeding.
Keep an eye out for the foliage, because if it begins to turn yellow in colour it may be an indication that the soil is too alkaline. If this happens, apply an ericaceous feed.
On the other hand, if they are planted in containers, the feed from the compost they are planted in will be sufficient.
But an application of a plant feed suitable for ericaceous plants in spring or summer is suitable a few months after planting.
Pruning
Any faded flowering stems can be trimmed back after flowering.
So, introduce these colourful plants to your garden for a low-maintenance bloom that you can enjoy all year round.
David Domoney is a Chartered Horticulturalist, Broadcaster, and Author. David has worked with a number of the UK’s leading garden retailers as a plant buyer and strategic consultant. With more than 30 years experience, in horticulture, David is as passionate about plants now as he was when he bought his first plant at a village fete.
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