I post a lot about miniature gardens and accessories and am always looking for different plants to set these gardens off. I found a series of miniature plants that sport stunning color combos for 2013! They are called ‘Little Cutie’ Coral Bells. The colors are phenomenal, and they are spicing up containers for the spring. I got most of these pictures from Terra Nova Nursery in Oregon.
I was plodding down the aisles of a local wholesale nursery laden precariously with flats of plants on each arm, and did an about-face when I came upon these beauties. The nursery was trialing them in small quantities before plunging into planting greater numbers, and I begged to take a few of them home. I knew exactly what to do with them. My favorite was one called ‘Sugar Berry’ which had a beautiful rose garnet coloring with venation that I am going to use in containers and miniature gardens.
According to the information that I can gather, they have:
- An ever blooming habit
- Long season of interest
- Vigorous with multiple crowns to fill a pot
- A great size for mixed containers
- Perfect for rock, train, and fairy gardens
- Attractive to butterflies and bees
- Suitable as house plants!!
From Terra Nova Nurseries, they have been hybridized by Dan Heims in Oregon.
There are 6 varieties of this series with a rainbow of names – Sugar Berry, Ginger Snap, Sweet Tart, Coco, Peppermint, and Frost. The flowers are actually very pretty also, which is unusual for a Heuchera (Coral Bells), and they claim to remain small in stature and evergreen. Playing well with others and not overtaking a container is another of their notable characteristics. Good drainage is the secret of success with Coral Bells and one reason that they do well in containers. Morning sun and afternoon shade is their preferred light requirement. As with any other Heuchera, as the plant grows, the crown elongates and rises up out of the soil. To remedy this, you can lift and divide the plant every few years, and make sure you don’t bury the crown.
I am trying a few of these in my containers and miniature gardens and hope that they perform as good as the reviews say. Sometimes plant introductions are too good to be true, and I am disappointed when they don’t pan out. I will keep you posted!
Related articles
- ‘Diamonds’ for small spaces in the garden (dailyherald.com)
Dan Heims continues to astound with his heuchera breeding program. Who knows what’s coming out of his pipeline next. Lovely blog.
Thanks, I like to profile and try plants, and let people know about them!