Must-have hepaticas

I’m sorry there’s been a little gap in posts here recently… rushing round England… laid up with the Rice family head-and-chest cold… visiting family and friends… But I’ve spotted a few interesting plants on my travels and the first I’ll mention are hepaticas.

Many of the early woodland flowers are such jewels that the covetous thoughts they elicit can be distinctly uncomfortable. Hepaticas come high on the “Wow” list but you can head to the RHS Garden at Wisley this weekend and admire their impressive collection; it’s on display in the Alpine House until the end of Sunday afternoon.

Sparkling pristine singles in blues, pinks and white, exquisite doubles, prettily marbled foliage – the collection features plants in a vast variety of forms from North America and Asia many of which are easy to grow outside in shady places as well as in pots. They’re great in a shady, unheated greenhouse – not many plants enjoy conditions like that.

So be sure to pick up a copy of the Growing Hepaticas leaflet written by Lucie Rudnicka, who looks after the plants, and you can find out more on hepaticas and see more pictures on the Ashwood Nurseries website.

UPDATE The RHS has a new hepatica collection available to British Gardeners - click here for details.

Comments

[our friend Ben]

Ahhh... hepaticas. Surely the most endearing plants of all, or at least in the top ten. Thanks for bringing them to my Pennsylvania door a bit early this year!

[Graham Rice]

Not many hepaticas in the wild here in north east PA these days... Perhaps the deer are responsible - they seem to be responsible for the decline of so many woodland plants. BTW Seneca Hill Perennials in NY (link on the right) has an increasing range of hepaticas availble by mail order.