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Dicentra spectabilis

yarrow2yarrow2 Posts: 782

!  I have a lovely Dicentra which has been in a large clay pot for 4 years and had reached 4ft in height and about 2ft spread.  It looked lovely, beautiful shape with a lot of flowers.

But - being a complete plonker - I decided last week to take it out of the pot and put it in a bed where there was a big gap and where it would look good.  Yes - I should have thought about this before it had come up this year to it's full height!  But there you go - that's how I roll!

I soaked it for a day in the pot, dug a huge hole in the flower bed and then did that delicate attempt to remove it from the pot without breaking the stems and gently lowering it into the hole I'd dug for it.  Looked great.

I then turned around to get my trowel to back-fill the hole and in so doing I fell backwards and my backside crushed the Dicentra.   The scramble trying to get back on my feet took care of ruining a few more flowered delicate stems. 

Now, I have a planted Dicentra still with a few flowering stems intact - but it's half the size it was and looks like it's just survived a surprise attack.

My question is - it was in full flower and every year when it has come up I've always just left the flowering arms to die off at their own pace.  I've never known if it would produce more flowers if I cut the dying ones off.  If I attempt now to tidy it up it's a funny shape now!) - is it likely to produce any more flowers on the same stem at this time of year - or is that it for the season now?

The poor thing which was a beautiful shape looks sorry now but the foliage is healthy and I'm not sure if it can be made to produce any more flowers.  It certainly deserves to be in a major huff!  I sit on the bench nearby and every time I look at it it seems to give out hateful vibes in my direction as if to say 'WHY did you do this to me?'  I'm sure it's sulking.

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,143

    Just commiserating - we had a beautiful Hosta Hadspens Blue in the front garden - just reaching its peak - until an overweight wood pigeon overbalanced from the fence and landed on it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! imageimage


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    It'll be fine yarrow. Just cut off any damage. Next year it will be back in all it's glory. image

    It won't produce anther flowering stem from the broken ones, but you may get another one or two coming up later. 

    Lovely easy plants - although I don't like the colour of  the pink ones and only have the white - great for damp shady areas. 

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • yarrow2yarrow2 Posts: 782

    Many thanks everyone.  

    Will ensure it has good fresh compost around it and hope for some self-seeding and will leave it to do it's thing.

    Fairygirl - I agree on the preference for white which I would have bought at the time had I found any locally.  My caring commitments limit time away from the house so I don't go far to seek out plants.  I hope all the same that I will get some seedlings - I love the foliage before it shrinks back into the ground.

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    yarrow- I will probably be splitting my white one later this year.  If there's a decent piece I can send you it. You're up here in Scotland aren't you? 

    Splitting is the best way to increase stock of the one you have too. image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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