Heuchera's enemy No. 1

As you may have seen from previous blogs we plant up a few summer pots.  

Lime Ricky Heuchera with Stipa arundinacea

As well as using annual plants which are good for vibrant colour and grow very quickly, I add some perennials to give height and substance at the beginning of the season.  The bonus of using perennials is that at the end of the season these can be moved into the garden beds in the autumn.

Heuchera obsidian

Phormiums are always useful as they give height and form, and there are many different colours.  I also find heuchera very good as this has evergreen qualities and there are many varieties with colours ranging from Lime Green to nearly Black.

BUT watch out.... for the pesky Vine Weevil

White legless grubs feeding underneath the heuchera

White grubs with light brown heads 10mm long

The Heuchera roots have been completely eaten off at the bottom

It is a common and devastating garden pest.  The adult weevils eat plant leaves during spring and summer, but it is the grubs that cause the most damage when they feed on plant roots, over autumn and winter causing wilting and often plant death.

There are various methods of dealing with this either non-chemical or chemical.  I use Provado Vine Weevil Killer, but remember you need to continue use to irradiate the problem.