I LOVE my Bleeding Hearts

[thistlebloom]

He read it and looked more images. He is upset! Now he has a depression! He was so nice before!
View attachment 13100
Now he let himself go! It requires that I watered it with beer! Good that no one can hear such expressions! It makes my life miserable.

View attachment 13101

Ha! Poor Bleeding Heart! Tell him to buck up, everything will be turning up roses very soon!

 

[Smart Red]

I would quickly get him out of that safe pot and into the ground where he will have to learn to fend for himself. Beer -- stale is how I serve it to my plants -- is fine, but lose the cig. It can cause danger in the garden and risk his ability to fit in.

 

[Smart Red]

One of the reasons I love bleeding hearts so much is their sturdiness. Where you found that wuss I don't know, but I suspect tough love is necessary by you.

 

[Nyboy]

I don't think you can kill a bleeding heart if you tried.

 

[Smart Red]

I don't think you can kill a bleeding heart if you tried.

I beg to differ, Nyboy. My spouse has been responsible for the demise of one white fern-leaf ('Langtrees'), three white old-fashion ('Alba'), and one newly purchase (and long wanted) red flowering plant with old-fashion leaves ('Valentine').

Although, to be fair to spouse, he wasn't trying to kill them.

 

[Nyboy]

LOL I stand corrected

 

[baymule]

Are bleeding hearts a spring flower like daffodils? Do they come up, bloom, then die back until the next spring? Or do they make a nice flowering plant all summer? They sure are pretty and I think I love them too!

 

[thistlebloom]

Are bleeding hearts a spring flower like daffodils? Do they come up, bloom, then die back until the next spring? Or do they make a nice flowering plant all summer? They sure are pretty and I think I love them too!

Bay, the old fashioned bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabalis )blooms in the spring. The plants go dormant and can be cut back when they are mostly yellow about 2/3 of the way through summer. At least in north Idaho that's when they start going dormant.

The smaller fernleaf bleeding heart (Dicentra exima) blooms off and on all summer and doesn't go dormant until fall. They will both reseed themselves, but the fernleaf is a lot more prolific. You'd want to plant them in shade, with a humusy moist soil.

 

[baymule]

I'll put them on my list....... I see them in the flower catalogs I get, but knew nothing about them. Thanks for telling me the difference between them.

 

[Smart Red]

Bay, the smaller fernleaf bleeding heart (Dicentra exima) blooms off and on all summer and doesn't go dormant until fall. They will both reseed themselves, but the fernleaf is a lot more prolific. You'd want to plant them in shade, with a humusy moist soil.

While the fernleafs do excellent in the shade, I've found that they do even better in full sun where they keep flowering all summer long.

In Texas, however, I would think either full shade or the morning sun would work for you. Small, they get about 12 to 18 inches tall while their traditional sisters can grow to 4 feet tall.