Grey skies. Please give me colour – but not a Heuchera

November 22, 2009 | easygardener

Rain, rain, rain. Grey, grey, grey. Need I go on. Today I took a soggy walk around the garden.

The pond no longer needs topping up by hand. The only signs of life are water snails as we don’t have fish – and the Digger’s hippopotamus of course. If you want to go on safari click for a closer look.

The pond

The pond

Damp ferns.

Fern, Osmunda regalis

Osmunda regalis

Raindrops on leaves.

Canna indica 'Purpurea'

Canna indica 'Purpurea'

Raindrops on petals.

Geranium cinereum 'Ballerina'

Geranium cinereum 'Ballerina'

Rosa 'Ghislaine de Feligonde'

Rosa 'Ghislaine de Feligonde'

Finally a purple, rain drenched Heuchera.  I have a guilty secret – I still can’t warm to Heucheras. You may see attractive coloured foliage but I see crude leaves with an unattractive skin condition.  What is wrong with me? Is there an eye condition called Heuchera myopia?

Heuchera 'Stormy Seas'

Heuchera 'Stormy Seas'

10 comments

Gravatar 1 Lucy Corrander { 11.22.09 at 6:16 pm }

I think it’s pretty.

I like the damp ferns too.

Lucy

Gravatar 2 Joy { 11.22.09 at 7:17 pm }

I am a fern fan whether they be dry or wet ! : )
I have Ballerina too ! and it is lovely .. your heuchera looks like my Geisha’s Fan heuchera .. I love the veining in them.
I wish we could have a pond .. but the work needed to keep it right .. well .. I don’t have enough energy for that and the actual garden .. so I have to enjoy everyone else’s : )
Thanks for stopping by my blog girl !
Joy : )

Gravatar 3 Barbee' { 11.22.09 at 9:44 pm }

I can understand a bit about how you feel regarding the Heuchera. I feel that way when I look at plant catalogs and see photos of “new” varieties that have unusually colored foliage. Most of them just look diseased to me. I think: How in the world would you know if it were healthy or not.

Gravatar 4 Frances { 11.22.09 at 11:04 pm }

Oh how funny you are, EG! Stormy Seas is a fave here, one of the few that can make it through our hot humid summers. Must have H. villosa in the genetic pool. Have you ever tried the goldens? Citronelle grows best in our climate. We adore the royal fern too, it is new to us this year and the fall colors have been glorious in a russet sort of way. :-)
Frances

Gravatar 5 chaiselongue { 11.22.09 at 11:35 pm }

I see what you mean – what a strange leaf! But the geranium is exquisite. I don’t like grey skies much either … hope the rain stops for you soon (although we wouldn’t mind just a little of it here).

Gravatar 6 tina { 11.23.09 at 4:12 pm }

I enjoyed the hippo looking at me when I went on the safari. He adds such character to the pond; which is lovely already.

Perhaps is you try heucheras all grouped together you might warm to them. Onesies and twosies or even using them as edgers is not the best way to use them. Group contrasting colors at least three deep and wide (division is easy) of about 3-5 colors at the front of a border way off somewhere and I think you make like them.

Gravatar 7 Susan Tomlinson { 11.23.09 at 6:21 pm }

That hippo is masterfully hidden!

H is not a big plant around here (probably needs more water and less heat), so I’m not at all familiar with them, but I see what you mean about the skin condition.

Gravatar 8 Maria Berg { 11.23.09 at 10:47 pm }

Hi,
thank you for helping me out with the flowers name.
I have something made for you here,’
http://mariaberg-foto.blogspot.com/2009/11/award-from-me-to-you.html

/MB

Gravatar 9 Gail { 11.24.09 at 4:08 am }

LOL! Forget those pewter purple heuchera and check out the beautiful Autumn Bride H villosa. It has big green maple shaped leaves~~think plane tree, that will love your garden. gail

Gravatar 10 Ingrid - London { 11.24.09 at 7:56 pm }

Yes, it is pretty wet and soggy here in London as well.

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