Grow hepaticas for some early colour
They're one of the most rewarding – and easiest to grow – of the spring-flowering alpines
Until relatively recently, gardeners were only familiar with the forms and varieties of the European Hepatica nobilis and
H. transylvanica. Of these two species, H. nobilis is the most widely grown and can be found growing wild in deciduous woodland throughout much of Europe. These are both the easiest ones to grow and both types should be hardy in any part of the British Isles, provided their few requirements are met – mainly a soil that never gets too wet as this is a sure way to rot their roots.
The non-European species and varieties are generally not quite so hardy, though at Slack Top we have had success with H. japonica in containers outdoors, so it’s always worth a try. Otherwise these non-European types are perhaps better suited to growing in a well ventilated, unheated greenhouse or cold frame, shaded during late spring and summer. One of the best places to grow hepaticas is in the shade of deciduous trees or shrubs where they're shaded in late spring and summer and the soil's prevented from becoming too wet by the roots of the trees or shrubs. Any real dryness in summer can be countered by a good layer of mulch around the plants and maybe the occasional soak from a watering can. In this situation they look really nice flowering alongside our native wild primrose Primula vulgaris. Hepaticas also grow well in shaded beds, using a well-drained and preferably humus-enriched soil (add well-rotted leaf mould or garden compost to poor soil). Composted bark, grit and/or sharp sand are also excellent additions to the mix. Here at the nursery, we've found plants do particularly well in containers which, provided they're not too heavy, can be moved to a cold greenhouse for winter. This is useful if you live in an area receiving excessive amounts of winter rain. For containers use a compost based on roughly equal parts John Innes No
2, leaf mould and grit. If you’ve no leaf mould, just substitute with peat at a reduced rate.
We propagate either by division or seed; division is from late August until around the middle of October. Seed is collected ripe in early summer and sown immediately. Pots are then kept cool and moist as well as protected from mice! Germination occurs the following spring and the seedlings are grown on. They're potted on individually the following summer.
Try some of the European types first as these are very reasonably priced and easy. Once hooked, you may find it impossible to resist their more exotic cousins. Some of the fancier Japanese varieties can command really unbelievable prices; starting at perhaps £20 each, even figures of £1,000 per plant aren't unheard of! European ones mentioned above are far more affordable, at around £5-10 each.
■ Slack Top Alpine Nursery, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. Tel: 01422 845348; www.slacktopnurseries.co.uk.
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