Hepaticas
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I used to grow them and actually sold a fair number, grown from seed, but most of mine seem to have disappeared these days. Got a few coming from seed now, but they need more time on them than I am prepared to spend.
Hartside Nursery have a wonderful (and extremely expensive) collection of them.
Hartside Nursery have a wonderful (and extremely expensive) collection of them.
Thank you for the info! Do they require special conditions as I saw John of Ashwood using a big fan to aerate his huge collection? Do they perfer cooler temperature please?
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They are basically woodland plants from the cooler parts of the northern hemisphere. So, yes they are not keen on getting too hot. Will need to check out growing conditions later today when we get back home from a day out.
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Still here, sale fell through. Books doing ok, in the process of getting another one ready.
In the wild some species live on limestone while others grow in acid situations but all enjoy the good top dressing of leaf mould which nature provides in Autumn. In winter when the trees are bare the roots provide good drainage, moisture of winter promotes new growth, and flowering occurs during early March, the new leaves then emerge just as the canopy provided by the trees keep the plants cool during the Spring and Summer. Hepaticas form small clumps and are usually semi-evergreen perennials. After flowering the hairy new foliage unfurls to produce glossy green or marbled three (or up to 5) lobed leaves. Although primarily a woodland plant we have found with good drainage they will thrive in a cool crevice or corner in the garden and alternatively are well suited to pot culture.
Hepaticas in the open garden are best planted under the spreading branches of a Rhododendron or deciduous tree , a quiet shady spot in a raised bed or rock garden, use the same compost as for pots. planting methods as with pots and do not bury growing noses.( Hep. pink garden). All Hepatica's once established can be divided including the wonderful doubles that are offered should you be tempted to part with some of your bank balance and purchase these rare plants. I find it best to split Hepaticas very early when I re-pot in spring or late Sep. when plants start to go dormant.
Do you want info on pot culture?
In the wild some species live on limestone while others grow in acid situations but all enjoy the good top dressing of leaf mould which nature provides in Autumn. In winter when the trees are bare the roots provide good drainage, moisture of winter promotes new growth, and flowering occurs during early March, the new leaves then emerge just as the canopy provided by the trees keep the plants cool during the Spring and Summer. Hepaticas form small clumps and are usually semi-evergreen perennials. After flowering the hairy new foliage unfurls to produce glossy green or marbled three (or up to 5) lobed leaves. Although primarily a woodland plant we have found with good drainage they will thrive in a cool crevice or corner in the garden and alternatively are well suited to pot culture.
Hepaticas in the open garden are best planted under the spreading branches of a Rhododendron or deciduous tree , a quiet shady spot in a raised bed or rock garden, use the same compost as for pots. planting methods as with pots and do not bury growing noses.( Hep. pink garden). All Hepatica's once established can be divided including the wonderful doubles that are offered should you be tempted to part with some of your bank balance and purchase these rare plants. I find it best to split Hepaticas very early when I re-pot in spring or late Sep. when plants start to go dormant.
Do you want info on pot culture?
Thank you so much, @Pwdboggy. Such wonderful details. You make a very good mentor. Would love some idea on pot culture. I have been buying stuff from various places and found out that there must be some magic in the compost used by better graded nurseries. One can see plants stay healthy and alive longer. I bought plants from RHS and have been consistently disappointed with them whereas those I bought from other nurseries have proved to be better and they don't die so readily.
Oh, dear! So sorry for the setback. Buying and selling houses can really shorten people's lives. It's not funny. I am still clearing out the lean to for repainting. All the plants have been removed outside. Shame you're so rural and I have a son who needs a job. One of our relatives bought a house in Wales so that she can live on the money from downsizing. I have found B**** E** sell houses faster our way as they get people from London to view houses and here people do get houses for their money's worth. One has a garden nearly 300 feet! Glad that your books are doing well. Just enjoy each day as it comes! It will sell, might just take a bit longer!
Oh, dear! So sorry for the setback. Buying and selling houses can really shorten people's lives. It's not funny. I am still clearing out the lean to for repainting. All the plants have been removed outside. Shame you're so rural and I have a son who needs a job. One of our relatives bought a house in Wales so that she can live on the money from downsizing. I have found B**** E** sell houses faster our way as they get people from London to view houses and here people do get houses for their money's worth. One has a garden nearly 300 feet! Glad that your books are doing well. Just enjoy each day as it comes! It will sell, might just take a bit longer!
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I don't grow Hepaticas in post, but I found this info for you.
Hepatica's in pots have been inside a cold glasshouse all winter and are now showing active growth ( Hepaticas early) the first task at this time is to very carefully remove the old leaves this is done one at a time, if you try to remove several you could accidentally damage the dormant flower buds. Firstly and perhaps most important is compost, Hepatica's do not like a pure peat based compost as this holds too much water and heats up during summer thus killing plants, here are a few mixes to try:
Mix 1 one part John Innes sterilised soil one part Multi purpose compost the ordinary garden centre kind and one part pea gravel. Mix 2 (my mix) Two parts John Innes no3., two parts Pea Gravel and one part Cambark or similar composted bark (If you have access to good leaf mould then use this rather than bark). I have also used Perlite and Vermiculite instead of gravel but gravel is cheap and easy to find here.
Potting methods, if you have your own small seedlings or buy a plant from a nursery and you want to either pot up or plant out, remove from small pot, place the plant inside new pot (having put some compost in first) fill the pot to within 5 cm of top and firm around root ball, to provide good drainage top dress around the noses with pea gravel. Make sure you do NOT bury the growing noses/crowns as the plants will rot.
Hepatica's in pots have been inside a cold glasshouse all winter and are now showing active growth ( Hepaticas early) the first task at this time is to very carefully remove the old leaves this is done one at a time, if you try to remove several you could accidentally damage the dormant flower buds. Firstly and perhaps most important is compost, Hepatica's do not like a pure peat based compost as this holds too much water and heats up during summer thus killing plants, here are a few mixes to try:
Mix 1 one part John Innes sterilised soil one part Multi purpose compost the ordinary garden centre kind and one part pea gravel. Mix 2 (my mix) Two parts John Innes no3., two parts Pea Gravel and one part Cambark or similar composted bark (If you have access to good leaf mould then use this rather than bark). I have also used Perlite and Vermiculite instead of gravel but gravel is cheap and easy to find here.
Potting methods, if you have your own small seedlings or buy a plant from a nursery and you want to either pot up or plant out, remove from small pot, place the plant inside new pot (having put some compost in first) fill the pot to within 5 cm of top and firm around root ball, to provide good drainage top dress around the noses with pea gravel. Make sure you do NOT bury the growing noses/crowns as the plants will rot.
Hepaticas are found in county parks.