Here's my question:

Which heaths & heathers bloom during the winter?

I've heard that some heaths bloom even in January in my zone, and that sounds too good to be true.

And...

How long do the blooms last?

And...

Has anyone ever put in an all heath & heather front yard instead of a lawn? Cuz that's kinda what I want to do!

Well, I have more questions than answers I guess! Hopefully that will change in a few years once I have some actual hands-on experience with these cute plants.

There are many heaths that will bloom in January, specially in the PNW. Look for cultivars of Erica carnea or x darleyensis. Bloom period lasts about a month, give or take. Heather "lawns" or gardens are pretty common in many areas of the PNW. Do a Google search and you should find some great examples of heather gardens.

I thought I had recently seen a chart of the bloom time for each of the many different heaths and heathers. I would like to see that included in the FAQ. Nancy

I have a question that I haven't seen addressed:

Are Heaths/Heathers Salt tolerant?

I have a "no name" heath that blooms all winter. It is about 4 years old, has teeny rosey blooms and I have just ordered from Rock Spray 6 heaths and 6 heathers. Soon my small front garden will be alive with heath and heather, I trust.

NanW, both Erica and Calluna are moderately salt tolerant, but I'd avoid any direct application (accidental or otherwise) of de-icing spray.