Growing Bleeding Hearts

Have you ever come across a spot in the yard that screams for something to bring it to life? For me, that spot is a 6-inch by 24-foot area in a concrete pad. Meant to be water run-off for dog kennels, this area is now a breeding ground for Bleeding Hearts.

My mother had given me Bleeding Heart pods, and I had collected the seeds from those pods. With good soil and viable seeds, I transformed a long concrete area into a Springtime row of beauty. The best thing about Bleeding Hearts is that they come back in abundance year after year.

I love to see the early growth. It reminds me of coral in the ocean. So beautiful. Bleeding Hearts do best in the shade, but will do okay with part-shade. Mine grow behind the shed, so it does get some shade at certain times of the day. Enjoy the blooms while they last, because they only last for a few weeks, and the foliage will go dormant with the Summer heat.

As the plant develops pods, I like to gather them to collect the seeds. This year I will be sharing with friends. As I plant more Bleeding Hearts around the yard, I hope to make the seeds available through the Grow with Me Shop in the future.