In early autumn the garden can look tired. Summer bedding will be on its last legs and many perennials will have finished flowering. This does not mean that the garden has finished for the year. A group of plants that are perfect for adding a wow factor this time of year is Heathers.

Heathers are an incredible group of plants that will bring long lasting colour and interest to your garden. They are ideal for a low-maintenance garden because they require little care once established.

When people mention heather, they are almost always talking about two different genera of plants: heathers and heaths. Although both belong to the Ericaceae family, they are botanically different and are divided into the Calluna genus and the Erica genus.

Calluna (Heathers)

These plants flower in late summer and well into autumn. They can be identified by their small scale-like leaves carried in opposite pairs. Colours range from shades of red, purple, pink, or white. Artificially coloured Callunas are also available in bright vivid colours but this will revert back to their original colour next year.

Calluna heathers are easy to grow provided that you give them the right conditions in which to grow when planting. The main requirement of Calluna heathers is the soil type. They are lime-hating plants and need to be planted in a soil with a low pH (acidic). Planting in ericaceous compost will help maintain the right pH.

If you don’t have the correct soil type in your garden, and you don’t like the idea of adding ericaceous compost into your beds and borders then you can always consider growing them in containers.

Erica (Heaths)

Erica heathers flowers are often referred to as winter-flowering heathers blooming from December until April. Unlike Calluna heathers, Ericas have sharper needle-like foliage that is borne in whorls around the stem.  Flower colours are similar to autumn heathers ranging from white, pinks, soft reds, and purple.

If you do not have acid soil then Erica heathers are perfect as they are not fussy about the soil they are planted in.

Planting position

Ideally, all heathers prefer to grow in a bright and sunny position. In their natural habitat, Heathers grow on mountainsides and hills and can tolerate very exposed conditions. Heathers can tolerate moisture so long as it drains away easily. If your soil is waterlogged you will need to improve the drainage before planting.