GARDEN PATH Flowers With Heart


What could be more appropriate in February than looking at flowers who “have heart.” Since flowers and hearts (or is it hearts and flowers?) seem to go hand in hand, you might consider one of these as a thoughtful gift for St. Valentine’s Day. While there are many plants that have heart- shaped leaves, there are not many flowers that bloom in a heart shape.


Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis) may be the most well-known of the heart-shaped flowers with lovely pink or white flowers that hang from an arched branch over green fern-like foliage. This perennial blooms in the summer and can grow from 12 inches to 4 feet tall, depending on the variety. The plant thrives in rich, well-drained soil in partial or full shade.


Grow Your Own: Sow seeds at the end of autumn or in early winter or plant the seeds indoors for later transplanting. They will also self-sow and become invasive if not thinned. Bag the seed heads before seeds fall; allow the seed heads to dry on the plant; then break them open to get the seeds.


If starting the plants indoors, simulate winter conditions by placing the seeds in soil in a plastic bag and freezing them for 6-7 weeks then remove and allow them to germinate at a temperature of 60 degrees. Germination can take anywhere from one month to a year. Once established, plant them outdoors, spaced a foot apart for smaller varieties and two feet apart for large ones. You can take root cuttings any time during the year or divide them in the spring - plant these 2-3” deep. Bleeding hearts like rich well-drained soils with a pH of 5 to 6. Amend soil with compost when planting, and spread compost around the base of the plant in the spring.


Give plants plenty of water but don’t let them get waterlogged. Water sparingly in winter, but not dried out. Feed occasionally with a general flower fertilizer to encourage blooming. As they grow, the large clumps formed will live many years; divide them with a sharp shovel if desired.


Calla Lilly (Zantedeschia) Large, soft white flowers wrap around a large stamen and as viewed from above, form a heart. Calla lilies grow from rhizomes and are a hardy plant that needs full sun in hardiness zones 8-11.


They grow to 48 inches tall with one large flower per stem. Calla lilies are not a true lily, but a member of the Arum family, native to South Africa.


These make excellent cut flowers


and bloom from late winter into spring. They need consistently moist, organic rich soil.


Note: all parts of this plant are poisonous and may cause skin irritation to certain people. Calla Lillies are available in miniature form with flowers of rose, yellow and even green.


Grow Your Own: Choose a medium-sized planter with holes in the bottom to allow bottom watering. Place the planter in a location that will receive 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily. Fill it with high quality potting soil and dig a small hole in the center. Place the tuber into the hole, with the pointed side facing up. Pack the soil around the tuber, leaving only the tip exposed. Place a saucer under the container to catch water as it drains and then soak. Keep the soil constantly moist, almost to point of being soggy. Considered aquatic plants, they prefer consistently damp soil. Fill the saucer daily allowing the soil to absorb the moisture as needed. Start fertilizing after the root system is established and it has considerable top growth. Feed once every 3 weeks.


Cane Begonias or Angel Wing Begonias, are tropical plants commonly grown as houseplants, that can grow outdoors in hardiness zones 10-11. These plants are grown primarily for their decorative, colorful spotted or striped leaves on cane-like stems, but may also bear tiny pink flowers that are heart-shaped before opening. Some species grow to 12 feet, though most are smaller. Allow top 1/2” of soil to dry between watering.


Grow Your Own: Select a planting site that receives partial sunlight, but not direct, full sun. They do not like frost so take into consideration you may have to cover them. Work peat moss, compost or other organic matter into the soil. Like many Begonias, they thrive in part-shade with a couple of hours of morning sun and are wonderful plants for dry spots, as they dislike being over-watered. Their upright form makes them ideal for narrow spaces such as at the side of the house. Cane-stemmed Begonias are excellent for large pots, especially in cooler areas with frosty winters, which these plants originally from Brazil, do not like. Pots can be moved into a sheltered position during the winter. If plants are in the ground beneath trees, this can provide shelter from light frosts - only water when the soil surface dries out. Fertilize with a general-purpose food and give a blanket of mulch after pruned. Occasionally liquid feeds during the growing season are beneficial. They are rarely bothered by pests or diseases. Propagate by taking tip-cuttings in the warmer months.


Anthurium also known as Flamingo Lilies, are popular tropical plants grown as houseplants in most regions. A dark red, heart-shaped disc called a spathe, which is a type of bract, grows on a long stem over green foliage. A long spike called a spadix grows from the spathe and contains the plant’s actual flower. Anthuriums are relatively easy to grow, requiring warm daytime temperatures between 78-90 degrees and nighttime temperatures around 70-75 degree, which is commonly what you find indoors. They need well-drained, coarse soil and should be watered when the top inch of soil is dry. They need bright indirect sunlight and will take as much light as you can offer. Most growers fertilize Anthurium heavily before selling, so you won’t need to fertilize for several months after purchase, and then use a 1/4 dose of a 3-1-2 fertilizer every few months.


Grow Your Own: Pick a spot with bright, indirect light. Do not expose to direct sunlight except in the winter or for plants that have been carefully acclimated. They prefer a well drained, coarse growing media that should be of peat moss base with a 1:1:1 ratio of peat moss,


pine bark and perlite. Keep the potting media moist, but not drenched. Foliage plants throw off aerial roots that appreciate misting and then pushed back into the soil. They suffer below 60º; some types prefer it even warmer. They don’t suffer from being slightly underpotted, so only repot if necessary. Divide during repotting, or take cuttings from the tip or stem.


Primrose - the “heart” of this plant is in the petal shape. They are usually available mid-late winter from florists and will bloom for many weeks. Place your plant where it will receive morning sun and afternoon shade. Most primroses prefer having moist but well-drained soil, cool but not freezing temperatures, and average fertility.


Grow Your Own: Primrose is a winter/ spring color and can be difficult to carry over the summer. They do best when planted next to plants that will shade them in summer and die back over the winter to provide a natural mulch; or even planted under deciduous tree. Garden primroses can be divided in the fall. They usually are seen popping up at about the same time as bulbs.


Primroses now available from: Ashland Greenhouses, Ashland: 541.482.2866 & Chet’s Garden Center, Grants Pass: 541.476.4424 February 2012 ♦ YOUNG AT HEART 11


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