Heart of the season

The pink pendant flowers of bleeding heart are suspended from a slender arching stem, elegantly lined up side-by-side. This is an early-flowering perennial, first appearing in gardens in April and continuing until June. Its heart-shaped flowers are a rich fuchsia pink at the base, rounding to a creamy, paler pink at the top, with mainly white inner petals hanging below. These pretty flowers sprout from a hardy plant which can withstand temperatures as low as -20°C. Bleeding heart, Lamprocapnos spectabilis, does well in either bright sunlight or dappled shade and rich fertile soil. This should be well watered to ensure the ground is kept moist. With the same care, it can also be grown in containers. These bright and unusual flowers make a striking sight in a border when mixed with other later flowering plants to retain interest as the year progresses.