The Heather Garden

Heaths and the only true heather, Calluna vulgaris and its varieties, are invariably referred to as 'heathers'.

Calluna vulgaris is the familiar common heather, seen growing on hill and Mooreland throughout the British Isles , whereas the heaths include Erica and Daboecia of which there are innumerable species, hybrids and varities of Heathers.

There is a mistaken belief that all heaths and heathers are lime-haters: it is true that Calluna vulgaris and its varieties and most of the Erica's and Daboecia must have a lime-free soil but Erica carnea, E. x darleyensis, E. mediterranea and E. stricta and their varieties will thrive in soil containing some lime, so that if you have an ordinary garden soil you can grow these delightful hardy shrubs and, furthermore, you have quite a wide choice of plants.

It should be noted, however, that all heaths and heathers dislike a heavy clay soil. The avoidance of rich soils is important, as these shrubs become straggly and do not glower properly if given over-rich conditions. Peat is excellent and should be worked into the soil before you plant your heather planting is started and may be used as a top dressing to help to retain moisture, so necessary for these plants that need sunny situations and flourish on exposed, high ground.

Although heather plants do best in a moist soil, a waterlogged site must be avoided at all costs.

One of the many virtues of heathers is that by careful selection it is possible to have colour, ranging from white through pinks and purples to deep mauve, throughout the year. Colour, too, is provided by the foliage in many shades of green, silvery-green, copper and gold and, added to this, some species and varieties take on autumnal hues in the winter

Heathers are extremely adaptable and have many uses. For the best effect plant three or more heathers of each variety in a group. These patches of colour can be placed at the front of a shrub or mixed border or as ground cover among taller shrubs. The rock garden is an ideal place for heathers or they can be grown in exposed positions in the garden where little else will battle against the cold winds.

As ground cover plants for open positions the heaths and heathers are unsurpassable: they spread easily and smother any weeds for this purpose they should be planted fairly closely together so as to form a complete coverage quickly.

Heathers can easily be kept under control by simply clipping off all the old flowering spikes in early spring. This treatment is all that is necessary.