This area also has little bloom but there are many early spiders and UFs around the fountain. Some of those should be blooming in a month. Our frost date is May 1st, so I just got the hanging baskets up a couple of days ago.

{{gwi:716460}}

The herbaceous peonies are just loaded with blooms. The reds always bloom first! This AM, I sneaked out between raindrops and got a pic of the first one to open. This is 'Red Charm.'

{{gwi:716465}}

These are a spot of color in the garden right now. They are the Giant Aliums - over 5' tall, 'Globemaster.'

{{gwi:716469}}

I love heucheras as companions to daylilies and must grow about 25 varieties ( have lost count.) On the right is a favorite new one this season - 'Beaujolis' ( probably spelled incorrectly, as it's a French name!) ; on the left is 'Obsidian'. The colors on these pop!
{{gwi:716473}}

Here are a few more favorites: The variegated heuchera is 'Snow Angel.' It is so overcast today that the color on 'Midnight Rose' doesn't show well, but it has pink splotches on the leaves and is lovely. On the left is a common Tiarella ( foam flower.)

{{gwi:716478}}

This "Little spidery guy" is planted with that funky Fiber optic grass this year. He looks like he's in bad need of a haircut! He sits at the front of a bed of all spiders and UFs and guards it!

{{gwi:716483}}

The "Snow Angel" heuchera is beautiful, but my favorites are the allium. I'm off to find out where I can buy some for next year.

You should be able to order Aliums in almost any bulb catalog. They are considered "Minor" bulbs ( not as important as daffodils and tulips!) but most catalogs offer them. They also come in smaller sizes. I have a batch of what I think are called "drumstick" aliums - and they're about the size of a drumstick - maybe a foot tall.
Look in catalogs like Brecks, Van Burgondien, Brent and Becky's, etc.

Oh, me too! I want some Giant Alliums. Isn't that a wonderful color! How long does it bloom?
Kathy

They last maybe 3 weeks here. But then they turn brown. I leave the seed pods until they absolutely fall over ( usually early August.) They are interesting looking even when they turn brown. Last summer a bunch a master gardeners toured the garden when the daylilies were blooming ( and the aliums had long since turned brown) and they commented on them. A friend who is well known in the daylily world spray paints hers gold and leaves them in the garden all season! I haven't resorted to spray painting them yet.

Your flowers are pretty floota, but my favorite is your little spider fellow guarding your spider daylilies. He's the cutest thing ever and that grass you've planted in him is just the perfect thing. :)
Can't wait till all those dl's I see in your beds begin blooming. I know we'll be in for a show then.
Jan

Here are a few more heuchera. I really like the chartreuse and peach colored ones. Some of these are: 'Peach Melba'; 'Key Lime Pie,; 'Pistacio';and 'Can Can.'

I'm going through a heuchera craze this year. So far only 10 total, but I have three more on the way and about to order another five or six, plus a heucherella, and any other heucheras and tiarellas I'll find in the greenhouses.

Karen

Most of the areas planted with heucheras now are places that I used to plant with annuals each year. I love the jewel like foliage colors of the heuchera ( most vivid in the late spring) and not having to plant nearly as many annuals. The heucheras make great front of the border companions for daylilies ( IMHO). Visitors like them!

I love the Huecheras. They are all so pretty. I tried growing a bunch of them over the last few years without great success. Midnight Rose has done great for me, and a couple others. I had several Peach Melba, Peach Flambe and Lime Rickey that pretty much browned around the edges and withered back to nothing. I thought maybe they were getting too much sun, but the leaves all looked like some sort of blight had set in. They are such beautiful plants, and I envy your ability to have so many looking so wonderful.

Linda

Your gardens are beautiful and perfectly manicured! Red Charm looks wonderful....if I had room for another peony, I think that's one I'd like.

Some of the smaller purple alliums grown here, but I love the idea of five feet tall ones!

I'm also a big fan of heucheras. This year was the first year that I had all return (knock on wood) as I've lost one or two most years. I have a small collection. They've been spectacular this spring...especially one called Georgia Peach. Well, having said that, I couldn't pick a favorite.

Interestingly, I grow mine with epimediums, so it sounds like in more shade than you do. Day before yesterday, I planted two new ones, Plum Royale and Pinot Gris. I'm trying them in areas with a bit more sun. Snow Angel was problematic for me, but I'm hoping this time (the third go round), I've figured it out. It overwintered in a pot last year...in a more sunny area, so it is planted with more sun than most.

The mock oranges look to be blooming soon here...can't wait for their fragrance now that the daphnes are pretty much done.

Thanks for posting such lovely pictures...especially on a rainy day.

Your garden is gorgeous! Thanks for sharing! I am so amazed how different every garden is... I am so close to you - in MD - but Aliums do not bloom yet. And I only have blooms on Tree Peonies. Buds on herbaceous Peonies are still small.

BTW, please do not recommend Breck's and Van Bourgondien! You might be lucky and get nice plants from them, but much more likely you will get very poor quality bulbs. Believe me, I've been there... Check out their feedback on GWD. There are so many reputable bulbs' sellers.

Thanks for the comments. Gonegardening, I also love Georgia Peach - it is one of my favorites! Snow Fire was ordered the first year it came out and that one didn't make it, but Snow Angel, according to reports, is much hardier. It has done well! I have a few heucheras in full sun, but most get at least 1/4 to 1/2 shade. They can't take the drought here but can survive cold winters. They are loving the rain this spring. I recently divided a big clump of Peach Melba ( it had to be divided - scary!) and so far all 5 of the new plants seem happy and are growing.

Alina, I've only ordered bulbs from Brecks or Van Burgondien and those bulb orders were fine. I would not order plants from them. The best place to order bulbs I've found is Brent and Becky's. However, since it is in state, sales tax is added, which brings the total up.

Boy, I think putting those block edgers on your beds was a really great idea. I know it was a lot of work but everything looks so clean and neat with the edgings. Your garden is still very lovely, even between whats blooming.

That is true, Brent and Becky's is in Virginia... Have you tried Van Engelen/John Scheepers ? Best price for bulbs. I was always very pleased with their bulbs. Their rating is about 100%.

Do you keep your 'Snow Angel' in shade? I really like it, but I am afraid it will get burned on sun. 'Caramel' and 'Peach Flambe' are doing great on full sun for me.

Also, your DLs are planted so close to each other. Can you tell me what is the distance between clumps?

Yes, Snow Angel is on the north side of the house. It gets at least half shade each day, more at some times of year. If you look at the landscape shots, a lot of the foliage is the leaves of the daffodils and tulips that are dying back. It looks more crowded than it is. Most of my plants in these areas are well established clumps. They are at least 2'apart when originally planted. Some have been thinned out more than that. Once these areas get mulched and the bulb foliage goes down, it will look different!

Here's another heuchera which adds great garden color. This one is 'Mocha Mint.'

Last one - the names of these plants make me laugh. They sound like food groups This is H.'Key Lime Pie.' I love the chartreuse ones and have several in this color range.

{{gwi:716497}}

Hi Floota,

There are a lot of plants that bloom between daffodils and daylilies. If you like, I could go look some up on my bloom chart for you. Foliage interest is supposed to be better than flowers, though, because it's so much longer lasting.

Could you recommend a nice jeweled red heuchera that holds up to the summer heat. I really like the bright red color of Amethyst Myst (like Iresine herbstii), but it greens up on me in a major way in the summer. I've heard that Plum Pudding, Sparkling Burgundy, and Frosted Violet are supposed to keep their color better; but every time I see them in the nursery, they strike me as being a much deeper purple color (like Alternanthera Gail's Choice).

I have sun till 2pm in the bed where I'd like to plant them.

Thanks,
Sharon

I have been growing the "fancy" heucheras for about 3 years now. Their most vivid coloration comes at this time of year, at least here. They all ( to some extent)fade from their vivid color during the heat of the summer. I don't really grow "Red" heuchera. Here are some of the best in the various colors I grow:

Peach: Dolce Peach Melba; Georgia Peach, Beaujolis
Black-Purple: Black Beauty, Can Can, Obsidian, Licorice, Midnight Claret; Velvet Night; Amethyst Myst
Gold: Amber Waves, Caramel, Dolce Creme Brulee
Chartreuse: Lime Rickey, Dolce Key Lime Pie, Pistacio; Miracle; ( Heucherella) Sunspot, Stoplight; Strike it Rich Gold
Silver- Whitish: Pewter Veil, Mocha Mint; Quilter's Joy
Green: Green Spice, Bressingham Hybrids; Dale's Strain is OK
Variegated: Midnight Rose ( love it); Snow Angel
There are so many varieties now. I tend to get the mid-sized ones and avoid the giants. There are also some really cute miniatures out there too but I haven't added any of those.