I pose this question to my huechera
directly, concerned that the coneflowers
will crowd them out. I am kneeling,
weeding, second guessing my placement.
Oh, I'm a versatile perennial, you respond,
stretching in the morning sunlight, showing off
your attractive foliage, your bell-shaped flowers.
I like it here, you say, and I’ve always gotten along
with echinacea. But if planted on side of the yard
in the shade, I’d be fine, no worries at all,
you reassure me, mentioning that you thrive
in a wide range of light conditions. Of course,
you note, your color and bloom are at their best
with four to six hours of direct sunlight,
but you are tolerant of most anything:
poor soil, heat, cold, humidity, drought.
But you’re adaptable, you emphasize,
modestly reminding me your foliage comes
in nearly every color imaginable,
from silver to nearly black, your leaves
are patterned, ruffled, wavy or smooth
and your hues of coral, red, white or pink
are especially attractive to butterflies
and hummingbirds. You’re long-lasting
in cut arrangements, as container accents
or en mass in a sunny border for a bright splash
of color. But really, you say, I’m low maintenance.
I sit back on my heels, listening, suddenly
really hearing you. There is a note of panic
in your voice. How hard it is to be direct,
to state your needs: You want the sun.
I swiftly rip out a few rows of coneflowers,
apologizing to you both. I clear the soil
and space around you and I can hear
your breathing change, your vibrancy return.
Anything else I should know, I ask. Well, yes,
you say, please remember to trim back
our tattered foliage in early spring. The winter
is harder on us than you know.
Love heuchera, and I have pulled my share of coneflowers in my time, too!
Just lovely. I’ll be talking to my heuchera (and other plants) as I work with them this afternoon.