lt seems I am having some serious trouble narrowing down my plant recommendations for KTRS's Inside Out Show.
The best I could do this Saturday was introduce listeners to the family of Dicentra (some of the best ambassadors for the group are commonly known as Bleeding Hearts.
I am wondering if this indecisiveness is an aging issue or an expression of the wonderful deep knowledge I have collected and have carried around in my mind for such a length of time that it has to come out sometime!
Choose whichever answer you prefer, since I can not decide myself. I can only admit this is my current dilemma of recommending only one plant a week.
I suppose part of the problem is Dicentra family, which like my own sisters, each member has a uniqueness that stands her apart and yet we share a heritage.
Whether introducing my sister, or Old Fashioned Bleeding Heart I think I can say, “If you like …, you, you might like …!
I had thought I would start with the most familiar Dicentra spetablis and note with these links that there is also a gold foliage bleeding heart and a lovely solid white flowering form D. s. ‘Alba’ .
For those who want a more constant contributor to the shade garden there are several fern leaf bleeding heart types worthy of garden space who have more persistant foliage.
I personally have a fondness for our native relative, Dicentra cucullaria. I can only say the sweetness of stumbling into this bundle of fluffy ferny foliage with “fancy pants” flowers in a spring woodland setting makes me smile!
I wish that more shade gardens would consider retaining a "sense of place" by emulating Missouri’s natural places with this and other well behaved flowering native. (I am not saying all natives deserve doorstep placement, but several Missouri natives are moderate to slow growing and not in any way overly aggressive)
I am strongly in favor of encouraging listeners to experiment with showcasing a sampler shade garden that features our well mannered woodland species. This is an opportunity to show evidence of a personal relationship with the land. I encourage human stewardship with compatible natives as a unique and beautiful way to appreciate “home”.
Don’t forget to consider using my favorite signature combination of succession partnering of bleeding heart with fall blooming anemones.
Follow links for cultural information! And be sure to visit Gateway Gardener’s website and to pick up this month’s issue of The Gateway Gardener. Again there is a "how to" turf article by Glenn Kraemer. I can only say this is a magazine chocked full of valuable information, every month!
Closing Note: You have probably noticed I have always encouraged exploring plant families. As in the human realm, some plant family members have been great ambassadors for their relatives.
My sister Joanne was our family’s best ambassador since she was the tallest, prettiest and had the best hair- I miss her. I recently realize that while she was here on earth and very involved in the green industry with me, at times I claiming some type of credit for her. That was a mistake that I cannot fix, however what I should have claimed and will here and now is our shared Christian faith.
It connected us then and it connects us now. It also connects me to every child of God, so in a round about way I am really even more blessed than I had realized. My vision was short sited because she was so amazing and filled such a large part of my heart.
I am happy to acknowledge, though without taking any credit, that every tall beautiful Christian hearted woman with good hair is a sister of mine ( as are the short squatty ones with the so-so hair) I am blessed to be connected for eternity with every good attribute that God has ever created. As a part of a kingdom and a family that is not about “botany speak” , God reminds me daily , like the plants sprouting around me, I am growing and some day will be in THE most perfect place- HOME!
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