First, the "Raspberry Sundae" Hosta:
The "Raspberry Sundae" part refers to the red on the stem, which you can just make out on the one tall leaf. You can also see some coloration at the very bottom of some of the other leaves. I'm not sure this one is going to thrive in my garden - hostas with variegated leaves usually need more sunlight than plain-green ones. On the other hand, the nursery that developed this variety, Terra Nova Nurseries, recommends full shade, and I figure they should know. Hostas are said to be virtually unkillable, so they are a good choice for this project! (They are also total catnip to deer, but I am 99.99% certain that my garden will never attract deer.) As it turns out, I accidentally planted this one in the wrong pot for my garden plan, so I will be moving it once its taller friends arrive next week.
Second, the "Paprika" Heuchera:
Heuchera (also known as "Coral Bells") is also practically unkillable, and it loves shade. It comes in a huge variety of foliage colors, which means that even if I never get flowers in my garden, I can have color. This one is called "Paprika," though it looks pretty pale for paprika to me! The color will change with the seasons, so perhaps it will get redder later. I absentmindedly put this one in the wrong pot too, so the next time you see it, it will have migrated. This cultivar was also developed by Terra Nova Nurseries, by a guy named Dan Heims, who appears to be something of a rock star in the heuchera world. On the off-chance that a rogue deer does manage to leap into my garden, it's said that heuchera are deer resistant.
Two more packages are scheduled to arrive Wednesday. See you then, if not sooner!
Hostas and heucheras are both lovely - we have several heucheras, I did read recently that the lighter foliage is better suited to shade so your paprika variety should be fine :-)
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear it! It was hard to pick just one color.
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