Beautiful heaths can be found not only in nature, but can also bloom in your garden. It is a year-round garden feature that is very pleasing to the eye and gives your garden an unusual look. It also adds a green colour to the garden even during the winter season, when everywhere is rather grey, or at least white at best.
Habitat selection is key
Favourite heathland plants include common heather and various species of gorse. However, growing it may not be as easy as it first appears, and it pays to follow a few rules. The main mistake is usually an inappropriate choice of habitat. They don’t thrive in conventional garden soil, but require a very different approach to other garden plants. Sunny or semi-shaded sites in a sheltered location are suitable for establishing planting. The terrain should ideally be landscaped so that heathers can also occupy small hills, mounds or valleys.
Beautiful garden element full of colour
It’s also good to remember that heather requires a lot of space, and to really make its beauty stand out, it’s a good idea to give it room to grow. The ideal area for a garden heath ranges from a minimum of ten square metres or more. The area doesn’t have to be completely empty, you can afford to suggest paths or leave stones, stumps or small ponds in place.
Then pile a sufficient layer of peat on top of the soil. Then scatter heather, gorse or other groundcover plants over the area. However, the different types of plants should always form a larger area together for a truly perfect aesthetic effect. It is worth alternating species with different flowering times and different leaf and flower colours.
Heathers are generally low maintenance, but require annual pruning after flowering. A pair of hand-held fence shears will be useful for removing any overhanging shoots. You hardly need to fertilise at all, or only with a slow-soluble fertiliser designed for heathland plants.