What to plant around my Scotch Heather........

I have a lot of baby heathers that I recently planted around my foundation. They are evergreen with different bloom times of white, pink, lavender and red flowerings. This is my first try at heather so I don't know what to expect of it's growth. I have a lot of gaps between the heather that I would like to fill with something really colorful and all-summer blooming (perenns or annuals) to keep color in the garden when the heathers are out of bloom. Since heather is rather spikey and wild-looking I wanted to balance it with something a little softer looking. I already have Azaleas, Rhodes, Cotoneaster and Euonymous and have acid soil. Any advice would be great! Here is a sample picture of one little heather garden. I have since changed it; bought many more heathers and extended the garden along the side of the house but you will get the idea. I have not found much info on heather landscaping at all.
If you need a photo of the whole side of the house where the garden moves onward, I will try to upload one from my camera. Thanks in advance! PS) Don't mind the mess, the house/lawns are a work in progress!

This message was edited Oct 14, 2008 9:44 PM

Assuming yours are all cultivars of Calluna vulgaris, they'll probably be in the range of 6-18 inches tall depending on the cultivar so I'd worry that they're going to get lost in there as some of your other plants get bigger. I'd probably consider moving them more toward the front of the bed, although maybe you've already done that since you said you'd rearranged the bed since this picture (any chance you could post a pic of the bed the way it is now?) You could also try massing the heathers a little closer together since they don't get very big--some cultivars spread wider than others but I don't think most of them get more than a foot or two wide, and I think it would look nice to have masses of ones that bloom together. For other plants, I'd consider some ornamental grasses, I think those could help bridge between the look of the heather and your other plants.

Here's a book you might enjoy too--just released by Timber Press about gardening with hardy heathers, I bet you could get some great ideas from it http://www.timberpress.com/books/isbn.cfm/9780881927825/gardening_hardy_heathers/small

Well, my initial intention was to space the heathers far enough apart to leave room for expansion because I was under the impression that they go really "wild" and take over the garden, so I may have to move some of them closer. I did move the majority forwards by size. In the picture, there are two euonymous on either side that will reach app 4X4'. All the heathers are now forward but like I said, I thought they would grow quite wide. This was bad planning on my part but I am relieved to hear you say they will be small in the garden, being that I impulsively bought about twenty-two of them before ever knowing what I was going to do with them!! As far as grasses, I am not a big fan of ornamentals, I am more of an English Garden sort of girl- roses, hollyhocks and the like. I will definitely post another photo tomorrow if you will be so good as to look at it again! It might give you a better idea of the whole vision. Just to note; my heathers are a mix of Calluna Vulgaris, Erica Carnea and Erica X Darleyensis (both winter heaths). Smallest, 6", tallest, 18", as you suggested.
Thanks for the help and the link, ecrane! -Brit

Ok, here it goes. I am posting recent photos of the heather garden from left to right...Hope you can help me with this! -Brit

Second shot (gauge last segment and this by basement window, to get a feel of where you are!)

third shot- winter flowering heaths in front of azalea.

fourth)-heather with two euonymous on either side...

FINALLY-the long shot photo.....thanks for checking out my problem!!!!!!!!

Hi Brit, Weenel answering your DMail, found you OK, In the Scottish gardens, Heathers are normally planted in groups of say 5 or 7, depending on the area you need to cover, they always look better on groups, say 5 of one colour and 5 different coloured flowers but all the same type of heathers, this is because when you plant them individually, other shrubs etc grow much larger and before you know it, the heather is lost out of sight,
Cant see you being able to grow Roses, Hollyhocks etc, as your soil will be too acidic for them to flourish and if you add anything to alter the acidity, then your heather will suffer so you need a compromise really, either grow acid loving plants ONLY in one area, and try some of your favorites in another bed somewhere else, maybe try doing a raised bed for that so you can add lots of good organic soil with some manure added to sweeten the soil up for Roses etc.
Acid soil plants are
Lily, some can tolerate acid soil, buy good bulbs and plant them out now, check for the soil type though or sink them into pots within the bed and lift when flower is over.
Acer, the small red/white or orange foliage type, these are very slow growing and would be great colouring up a bed, change colour in autumn.
Hebe, has purple flowers and you can get variagated leaf types with cream edges.
Witch Hazels, (Hamamelis) early spring perfume as the flowers arrive before the foliage.
Enkianthus, you can keep this in check by pruning to size.
Magnolia, spring flowering,
Gentiana, these are pretty small flowering plants that have the most vivid Blue, low growing, I plant mine tilted on their sides as here we get lots of wet weather that rots the heart of the plant.
Fothergilla, again prune to shape/size.
There are lots more Brit, but I would suggest you get hold of a book either from the book store or library where you will see lots of plants set out in beds with colours, mixed Textures and just how wonderful a bed of mixed plantings car really impress if done well.
I could add lots to the list, but they may not suit your climate etc.
most acid loving plants like lots of peat, leaf mould etc added to the soil as they do like moisure at the roots which this kind of added stuff will help to hold, and some shade if you can, Get back to me if your still stuck for ideas, I will be happy to give you any help you think will be needed. good luck. WeeNel.

Thanks so much for taking the time to give me all that great advice! I did order a book about heather which I have not recieved yet but I tell you, books on the subject are few and far between in the US. I just don't know why! I had to get one out of print! So hopefully it will give me landscaping ideas and more information I have not been able to glean off of the internet. My main reason for posting is I was concerned that heather would take over my garden, but from what you said, that doesn't seem likely. I will have to put the bunches a little closer together though but thats ok. I will get it right sooner or later! Hope your weather looks up! Thanks again-Brit

I think you can grow Hellebore's and Lily of the Vally too in acidic soil, Christmas Roses now come in all shapes and sizes and it is only the white strain that flowers around Christmas time, most are spring/early summer and are lovely, the foliage looks a bit like
Peonies and the flowers are wonderful, some slightly perfumed too, the foliage shows off other plants when the flowers are gone, I dont have any luck with Roses so hope you can do it. Good luck. WeeNel.

For some reason, my roses love my acid soil. I have had luck with each rose I have planted at my new house, all around the acid-loving Rhodes and Azaleas and pines -so much so that my family have been giving me their terminally ill roses to bring back to life. So far, I have. I have no idea why they like my soil but I always thought roses liked some acid...hmmm. That is something to look into. Maybe only certain types. You mentioned your area being very wet, I DO know roses like moisture but not wet feet, or long periods of unabsorbed water-could that be your issue? I never heard of Hellebores, I will look those up....