Bleeding Hearts in the Shade

One of my favourite plants at this time of year is Dicentra Spectablis. A perennial plant that thrives in the shadier corners of my garden.

It grows to about 2-3ft and has deeply divided, fern-like leaves with rows of tiny pink pendulous heart-shaped flowers (hence its common name of bleeding heart) hanging down during April and May.

I have mine planted next to a Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Irene Patterson' and the dark maroon flowers with variegated foliage compliment the delicate blooms of the Dicentra wonderfully. It prefers a well-drained soil in partial shade but actually copes quite well in my less than adequate clay soil in pretty much full shade.

You will need to plant it near other plants that will grow up and 'swamp' it during the summer months as the leaves of the Dicentra will turn yellow and look unsightly once it has finished flowering. In the past I haven't addressed this problem myself but this year I'm trying to be clever and sort two problems with one solution - sounds too good to be true! I've also got growing in my garden an Asparagus that in its present position goes crazy every year, reaching heights of 7-8ft in a single season with its feathery, aniseed-scented fronds. The trouble is it totally dominates everything else near it. So, being the smart thinking individual that I like to think I am, I've moved it next to the Dicentra with the hope that it'll do its thing with its new neighbour. I'm not convinced it will as the shady conditions won't really suit it (it prefers a far sunnier spot to do well really) but you never know.... nature has a funny way of defying the rules. I'll keep you posted.