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Companion Plants

purple heuchera and what???

21 years ago

I would like your ideas of what to put behind purple heuchera that would get taller than about 18-24 inches. I have 3 flowering quince bushes, then some space, then the heuchera.

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Comments (12)

flowerluvr
21 years ago
Persicaria 'Red Dragon' is really nice with them. Unfortunately, mine didn't come back this year, but is supposed to be hardy in our zone.
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psychomom
21 years ago
I had some green/white variegated euonymus behind mine and I liked it very much. Too bad the euonymus got scale and had to be destroyed. Maybe something else that's variegated? I wonder how it would look in front of yellow/green foliage.
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Aside from the aquilegia (columbine), and the geranium pusillum pictured above, maybe starting the others on your list from seed was a bit too ambitious. I've had coral bells (which was the name heuchera seemed to have 35 years ago) and split and resplit the original plants many times to increase my stock. I get the wild columbine (Aquilegia Canadensis) in every shady nook and cranny, but cannot get the modern ones to self seed or last for more than a season. The geranium pusillum is a nuisance for me - that will never look better than it does right now in your picture: the flowers are very tiny, they will start to sprawl and become ground hugging, and they self-seed everywhere. I'm always pulling it up and in the strangest places. In all honesty, despite whatever gardening skills I might have - growing from seed has never been one of my successes. Pretty much, the only seeds I purchase are zinnias because I can directly sow them when the soil warms up; they grow and bloom beautifully untill frost knocks them down. Many people have the knack of growing from seed - indoors under lights, lucky enough to have greenhouses, winter sow. I am not one of them - I learned early on and to avoid my own personal disappointment in seeds not germinating, getting too big then damping off, etc., I no longer even try. That does not mean you shouldn't continue to try. Everything that I might need to fill in or replace or want to try, I simply buy from a garden center, big box store, plant sale, farmers market, etc. - those who grow and sell plants have to make a living too - or I split and divide my existing plants. Don't be too disappointed; gardening is a never ending learning process. Even though the failures are hard they just make the successes all the sweeter.
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maybe a smoke bush? they are one of my very favorite shrubs, and can be coaxed to grow side-to-side that than in a circle, which would make a nice backdrop. Lysimachia is an option, if you can find it- chocolate/burgundy foliage make the yellow flowers a bonus, but not needed (I crown mine before they bloom, like I do with the lamb's ear) there's also a standing artemesia whose name I never remember- 3 ft tall, upright habit, and a lovely silver/green color, perfect for the back of a sun bed :) there are also some new 'bronze' heucheras coming out- but I'll wait until they aren't $25 a pot, y'know?
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Im a purple lover too! Its my favorite colour! Something new for me is Alternanthera 'Purple Knight'. Has anyone grown this plant before? I ordered these seeds from Dominion Seed House in Ontario and sowed them yesterday. Since its considered an annual here in Canada, I think they would look nice in large containers like a whiskey barrel and perhaps a Carmencita Red-Bronze Castor Bean in the middle. Oh yes, we need some color, Purple Tidal Waves would look good with this plant too. Im also going to leave a plant indoors to use as indoor plant all year around. (see photo below) Alternanthera dentata ÂPurple KnightÂÂ This is a beautiful foliage plant that thrives in full sun, but will also grow in shade. ÂPurple KnightÂ is a fast growing plant with deep purple to green foliage. In full sun, the stems of ÂPurple KnightÂ spread out wide. In the shade, plants tend to grow more upright and tall. Plants retained better purple color and a more attractive growth habit in full sun. Plants grew up to 3-feet tall and 3-feet across in the shade, and up to 2-feet in full sun. Also excellent in containers. (Annual- full sun) Im sure all of you addicted gardeners out there have seen this in the catalogues this year, its called, Pennisetum glaucum 'Purple Majesty' (Ornamental Millet) which I will start later on in the season. Should be a show stopper! I also ordered 2 Sambucus 'Black Beauty' shrubs from Dominion Seed House. Beautiful display of deep rich purple dissected foliage, enhanced in June by loads of lemon scented rich pink flowers, follwed by edible purplish black berries. Very easy to grow, it tolerates hard pruning. A "must" for every garden. Birds will love it too! Zone 3. http://www.koiwascotland.plus.com/garden/sambucus.jpg Happy Gardening everyone! I can't wait till Spring! Rose Here is a link that might be useful:
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debgrow
21 years ago
Have you considered a sedum of some sort - autumn joy might look nice.
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wolfe15136
21 years ago
Well, I have feather reed grass "overdam" behind mine, and some sedum Matrona, which has lovely purple tint to both the foliage and the flower.
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Gumper
21 years ago
One of my favourite combos is a good blue hosta (Big Daddy, Blue Angel, etc.) with purple heucheras and a japanese painted fern. The heucheras also look beautiful with 'Queen of Night' tulips, 'Thalia' daffodils and grape hyacinths in the spring.
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rob333 (zone 7b)
21 years ago
Impatiens balsamina, also called Touch Me Nots, and Balsam. I pick this one because, the chartreuse foliage looks good in contrast against the purple, and the flowers companion well with the balsams range in the pink family.

See an earlier discussion on balsam for an idea of what they can look like (Although, mine have lighter color foliage than Dicentra's).

Let me know if you want any seeds, I have plenty.

-Robin

Here is a link that might be useful: Dicentra's Balsam Picture
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Clare
21 years ago
You know, purple heucheras can look great with so many things. Not just their color, but their round(ish) leaves and the pattern the leaves set are distinctive. Mine are fronted by a tiny-leaved creeping pennyroyal with an August cloud of lavender flowers. They are backed by a variegated mariesii Hydrangea. Also snuggled up in front of the heucheras are some first year (meaning non-blooming) Rudbeckia with low growing, large, green leaves. I'll pull those Rudbeckia out by late spring next year, but for now it is an engaging combination.
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schmidga7
21 years ago
how about goosenecks.?i think the latin name is lysmachia..they will look great in front of the quince..they spread around quite a bit but i love them
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Monique z6a CT
21 years ago
Here's one of my Heuchera's with Artemesia 'Powis Castle' and Centranthus alba next to it. A pink Peony 'Raspberry Sundae' is to the right above the silver Artemesia. The purple globes of Allium 'Globemaster' is in the background along with chartreuse foliage of Caryopteris 'Worcester Gold'.
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nora_54
20 years ago
Hi Monique,
Is that heuchera happen to be 'Amythist Mist'? Your combo is beautiful! The silver really makes it pop, and I read somewhere that 'Amythist Mist' looks especially nice near something with lighter pink flowers. In addition to what has already been mentioned, I think most heucheras also look good with chartruese or chartruese/green hostas.
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loniesmom
20 years ago
DO NOT PLANT GOOSENECK LOOSESTRIFE!! THIS PLANT IS CONSIDERED A NOXIOUS WEED AND WILL TAKE OVER!

Having said that. . . . I love the foliage of any bearded iris behind and creeping jenny (lysimachia 'goldi') down in front. I've got a "collector's garden" but for all my determination to go onesie-twosies on all my plants my Plum Pudding heucheras are my favorite and I've got them all over!
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margay
20 years ago
Also looks nice with Lady's Mantle. Size and leaves are similar but when it rains or you water the difference really is pretty. I also have scabiosa with these.
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