The DuBrule Diaries

Natureworks was started by Nancy DuBrule in 1983. With $500 and an old orange Datsun truck, Nancy began taking care of gardens in the Branford area. Within a year, Natureworks opened a retail store in a converted gas station in Stony Creek. In 1990, Natureworks moved to Rt. 22 in Northford. An older home was converted to the garden center, surrounded by organic demonstration gardens. Natureworks now employs up to 25 people during the growing season including landscape, retail, and office staff.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Fabulous Foliage

Heucherella 'Solar Eclipse'

Day 44
The Daily DuBrule

Every once in a while a foliage plant really grabs my attention. Last week at the CT Flower Show, Heucherella 'Solar Eclipse' just kept saying "look at me!". Heucherellas are a cross between Heucheras and Tiarellas. Tons of breeding work has gone on with this genus, and the general public seems unexcited. As a garden center owner, these are not hot sellers. BUT, as a garden designer, Heucherellas, if chosen carefully, can be wonderful shade garden plants.

The thing I like about this particular one is the lime green edges that just glow. I imagine it in combination with the newest Hellebores, whose flowers go from white to lime green as they age. What a stunning marriage. I can see it with golden leaf hostas, in fact, with almost any hostas. And ferns, imagine the possibilities.

Deer resistant, drought resistant, great foliage structure... what more could a garden designer ask?

1 comment:

Mary AnnaMarch 3, 2012 at 5:14 AM
That is neat... I'll have to get a couple. I'm remaking my arbor garden into a shade garden (read: I'm come to terms that it doesn't get enough sun for the stuff that's in it currently...) and want some nice foliage plants in there. I think I only have one heucherella right now - but I think they're pretty.
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