Coral Bells Give Your Garden A Season Long Color Boost – Ag Matters

Like it or not, we're rolling into the final stretch of The Frog Days of Summer.  But that doesn't mean an end to adding colors to your flower garden.  The Master Gardeners at Cornell Cooperative Extension say you can get a color boost by adding some Coral Bells.

You may be familiar with the plant; however, the new varieties are definitely not your typical coral bells. Older varieties were plain green or purple. Now, there are varieties in just about every color, some with ruffled or veined foliage interest. This perennial, also referred to as heuchera, can be cold hardy to zone 3 and requires very little maintenance.

What's powerful about this plant is the foliage, not so much the flowers, even though some varieties have come up with nice contrasting flowers as well. With many plants losing their impact late in the season, it's important to add interesting foliage.

They are easy to grow and many varieties appreciate some afternoon shade. Too much sun can scorch or spot the leaves. Be sure to have well-drained soil; add organic matter if your soil is heavy clay. These plants may be evergreen during milder winters; so, leave them alone in the fall. If the winter is hard on the leaves, cut away the old foliage in the spring. Make sure not to cut off the crown in the center of the plant; that's where you will see tiny new leaves for the season starting to grow. The plants may look like they had a bad haircut, but once the temperatures warm, the plant will fill in quickly. After a hard winter, plants may heave out of the ground. When the soil is workable, gently push the crowns back into the soil. If you want to make more plants, you can divide it. However, you can just break off a section of the mother plant, cut off the old foliage and then just stick the broken end in the ground and let it take root!.

Get more details on Coral Bells in the video below from the Volunteer Gardener.

Do you have questions on gardening? Call CCE's Horticulture Hot Line Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:00am to 12:00pm at 315-736-3394.

SOURCE: Cornell Cooperative Extension