A famous New England nurseryman by the name of Allen Haskell is fond of saying, "Anyone can have a spring garden." That's true, and any veteran home gardener worth their weight in mushroom compost knows that the challenge comes in creating interest throughout the entire year. This is precisely where heathers (cultivars of Calluna vulgaris) and heaths (Erica spp.) come into play.
Within this huge group of ericaceous evergreens are more than 100 varieties. Many early varieties will begin flowering in July. What's best, though, is that their greatest show of color is from August through November -- just when most gardens are tapering off after a long summer. In contrast, winter- and spring-blooming heathers and heaths are immune to the type of cold we get. They form buds during the summer months and begin blooming as early as October, often showing color through spring.
And that's not even counting color from foliage. Yes, heathers and heaths not only will provide color from their flowers, but also offer a dazzling range of foliage color. Foliage that may start out golden yellow in spring will take on tints of orange as the nights begin to cool. Then, they'll intensify to a brilliant, fiery red. Some of the bright green varieties turn a dark, mahogany or plum.
Many home gardeners may only be familiar with common heathers, such as Pink Breath of Heaven. These 5-foot evergreen shrubs are hardy and feature beautiful clusters of tiny pink flowers.
But if you're diligent in searching, you should be able to find all sorts of heathers and heaths. Heathers will be sold under the Latin genus of Calluna. Among some varieties to look for under the Calluna vulgaris botanical name are: "White Lawn," "Silver Queen," "Gold Haze" and "Silver Rose." Heaths, on the other hand, are sold under the Latin genus os Erica. Some varieties include: "Pink Pearl," "P.D. Williams" and "Golden Drop."
Be aware that heathers and heaths do very well standing alone in the garden. They're so colorful for so long that you don't need to plant several to make a statement. Taller varieties make good background plants; lower ones make good rock garden plants or even groundcovers.
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