Here is the same shot 1 week ago.

and here is the same garden yesterday. We finally got a little heat (except for Sat., light frost early). I am quite happy everything is finally starting rock in the gardens!!
Cheers
James

I Will post another pic next Thursday.

what is the orange heuchie in the corner?

I'm not sure which one you mean exactly, but going clockwise from the bottom: Plum Pudding, Caramel, Fire Chief.

This is aprox 4 weeks after the first photo. There has been some moves to keep everything balanced. It has been warm and sunny for the last week and everything has jumped a lot. It always amazes me in the spring how in 4-6 weeks those tiny bullets poking out of the ground turn into such large plants.
Cheers
James

Real nice Jim; you are going to need more pavers when you expand that bed.

Jon

Looks good! We had a very slow start here, too. I was getting nervous but things seems to be picking up the pace now.

That is going to look nice and full! Nice use of other shade plants as well. Looking forward to the next week's installment of photos :)

And next year you won't see any dirt at all! Fun to watch the progression, like the old time-lapse photography from years ago. You have a delightful assortment of color and texture.

-Babka

That looks really good. Your photo inspired (enabled?) me to buy Fire Chief. Mine doesn't look as red as yours but I hope it will next year.

What is that really yellow one nearest the camera? It is really impressive.

Amazing to me that at this point the size of the heuchies is keeping pace with the hosta. And those fern under the tree are tall tall.

Hi Mocc the yellow one is "Eye Declare" Unfortunately it loses the yellow in another month or so.

What a beautiful garden! Nice selection of hostas!

Gesila

Nice hostas, neat and tidy edging with the pavers.

It may have been a slow spring, but you're leaping into summer.

I envy you your luck with huecheras. Mine tend to last a season or two and disappear. Melting Fire looked so good last year, and it didn't come back. Midnight Rose and Rave On vanished, too. What's the secret? They get plenty of water and are in well drained soil.

James - Fun to watch the progression. Love the yellow hosta. They scream look at me!!

DD

Madplanter: The soil in this garden is very well drained, which I think is key with heuchera. but it dries out quickly (plus the roots from the cherry tree are a bit invasive). I think some of the more derived forms of heuchera are really not very durable or vigorous. The hardier ones in my experience Palace Purple, Caramel, and more recently plum pudding (pictured) seem to be very vigorous. Fire Chief is not. A lot of water and extra miracle gro just to keep it going (didn't help that rabbits gnawed it down early) I find some almost impossible to grow (Lime Rickey, aforementioned Midnight Rose specifically) So I won't bother with them again. If you don't have one yet try a Ligularia This one is "Desdemona" Likes the same conditions as hostas can take a heavier clay soil, but likes to keep its feet moist. Nice yellow flowers at the end of July. Oh and its self seeding so the next year you will have lots of little ones to pot up and give to friends....
J

It never gets old, does it? Each year it's amazing how it goes from snow covered, to seeing green, to an explosion of growth.

Good job with the progression pics, always standing in the same spot so it's easy to compare. Also, interested in your heuchera thoughts because I have trouble with them, too.

Nope, NEVER does it get old. Looks great, Jim. Really great. Just got a Caramel, planted next to Journey's End, color contrast is fantastic, I love it.

Don B.

I know it hasn't been a week yet but in the last 4 days its really come on.

Cheers
James

Looks great, I love the contrasting shapes and colours.

My heuchera do well, too. Southern Comfort, Bressingham, Brass Lantern, Dolce Peach Melba and Venus have always been a good growers for me as well as the ones that you mentioned - Caramel, Purple Palace. The soil around here is very sandy and consequently drains really well, so you could be right about the drainage being the key.