The Foam Flower, A Fragile Beauty
The foam flower has always been a perfect touch to a wild and beautiful garden. They are not very common nor very popular, but people are starting to give them the credit they deserve. They’re very fragile and delicate, yet belong to the woodland gardens. Read on to find more information about:
* What is the foam flower?
* Types of foam flower
* How to care for the foam flower
What Is the Foam Flower?
The foam flower, also known as tiarella, is a shade-loving plant, ideal for your woodland garden. They feature small and beautiful flowers that do not require much attention or care. Even though they are small, they have a pretty big impact on your garden’s appearance.
They are named after the Greek word “tiarella,” that means tiara. The Latin word “cordifolia” means heart-shaped leaves, so their name symbolizes exactly how they look like: small and fragile flowers with beautiful foliage.
Maybe the foam flower is not as large as its cousin, the coral bell, but it has a larger quantity of blooms, often lasting up to six weeks when planted in the correct environment. It is originally a wild flower that begins to bloom in the spring or early summer and keep its full, beautiful bloom when you take care of it. The foam flower likes its soil moist and cool and only morning sun, as it loves shaded places more.
Types of Tiarellas
* The black velvet foam flower features big leaves with black veins growing on them and beautiful white flowers.
* The Brandywine foam flower is a unique flower. The big foliage has a beautiful black central pattern. These flowers are the clumping ones and they grow beautiful, small pink flowers in April. Their uniqueness and beauty make them irreplaceable from your woodland garden.
* The George Shenk pink foam flower features fresh and beautiful green foliage with delicate light-pink flowers.
* The Oconee spreader foam flower feature glossy green leaves, topped in the spring with pink cute flowers.
* The Dunvegan foam flower has spectacular foliage that resembles the hand of an extraterrestrial neighbor.
* The Eco eyed glossy foam flower is known for its glossy foliage with beautiful, small white flowers, amazing for your woodland.
* The Heronswood Mist foam flower was discovered as a seedling in China. They don’t have that usual green foliage, instead, their leaves are sprinkled with a speck of white dust, similar to a very thin layer of fresh snow. When the weather gets cooler, they develop a pink tone, which only adds to their beautiful uniqueness. This flower is really special and offers an amazing appearance to your garden. Their flowers are white and look like little stars.
* The Spring Symphony foam flower may be the best clumping foam flower. The fuzzy green leaves feature a central black pattern and, during spring, they develop beautiful light pink flowers.
It does not really matter what type of foam flower you choose, as all of them can be the perfect addition to your garden.
Caring for Foam Flower
This beautiful plant grows from seeds. They are self-sterile, so it shouldn’t be such hard work to keep them going. For their optimal growth, it is very important to maintain moist soil. After the blooming, the seeds are ready to be planted when the pods turn brown and split open.
Once this occurs, the seed itself is ready to be collected and sown. The seeds should be covered as soon as possible. If the sowing cannot be done immediately, the seeds can be cleaned, dried and kept for the next year at a cool and dry place. Within 30 days, the germination should occur and the little plants can be potted by the time fall arrives. The seedlings take about a month to reach their full potential. The plants reach their full height in three to five years.
It is important to know that these plants love rich, neutral to slightly acidic soils. However, even though they do not require that much attention and care, they are easily affected by the extreme weather conditions and frosty winds that could cause damage to their foliage.
It would be optimal for the foam flower to be kept indoors during winter. If the soil is too wet especially during the winter time, they are most likely to rot and die, so be careful with the soil. That is why they tend to be overwatered during the winter because people do not pay enough attention to this aspect.
These foam flowers are so beloved by the gardeners because they are so tolerant to shade. They can definitely grow in full shade, but it would be ideal to have a little bit of sun; the morning sun would be ideal. This is because it is not that strong, eliminating the risk of burning the fragile foam plant. A little bit of sun offers the flowers beautiful foliage and the optimal blooming conditions.
There are many species of foam flowers out there, but only two types: spreading and clumping. The spreading type is ideal as a ground cover plant, as they put down roots in every place they touch the soil. They’re also easily dividable, ideal to decorate your garden to your liking.
To sum up, the beautiful foam flower can definitely add a wild look to your garden, or perfectly fit in your woodland garden. Due to their big and stunning foliage, they offer an amazing appearance and during the blooming period, they just make us love them.
Their tiny white or Pink Flowers are so fragile but dramatic as well. They do not require very much attention, only some shade and soft sunlight, which makes them the perfect candidate for your garden. The foam flower is the perfect addition if you are looking for spectacular flowers that do not require much maintenance.
