Mixed Garden Heathers for Sale

What is a mixed garden heather collection?

Garden heathers grow into low, bushy plants with fine evergreen foliage and small flowers clustered along their stems. Plant them beside paths, among stones or in patio containers, where you can enjoy their colour and texture up close. A mixed collection gives you a selection of foliage shades and flower colours, although the exact varieties and flowering periods may differ between packs. Check the individual plant labels, where provided, if you want to arrange them by flowering season.

Why choose this heather plant collection?

Heathers look particularly effective in groups, with their small leaves and colourful flowers creating a continuous patch of planting. Different varieties can flower at different times of year, so a mixed collection offers seasonal variation without relying on one flower colour. Their naturally low growth suits front borders, rockeries and patio pots, while the evergreen foliage keeps these areas looking planted through winter. As neighbouring plants fill out, their foliage can also help shade the soil and reduce space for weeds.

Eventual height, spread and growth rate

Many garden heathers mature at around 20 to 50cm tall, with a similar spread, although individual varieties can differ. Growth is generally slow to moderate, and some plants may put on around 2 to 5cm in a year, depending on conditions. Their low habit suits the front of a border or gaps between larger shrubs, provided there is enough light. In containers, growth may be more restricted, so check the roots and refresh the compost or move plants into larger pots as needed.

Uses for flowering heather plants

Use heathers to soften the edges of paths and driveways, or tuck them between rocks where their fine foliage contrasts with stone. Groups of plants can also cover patches of a sunny bank, with their roots helping to hold the surface soil as they establish. For patio containers, pair them with dwarf rhododendrons or pieris, which also enjoy acidic growing conditions. Their evergreen leaves keep some colour in the garden through winter, even when the heathers themselves are not in flower.

Choosing a size

These mixed garden heathers are supplied in 9cm pots, with packs of 6, 12 or 18 plants available. Choose a smaller pack for a few pots or a short border edge, or a larger pack if you want to repeat the planting across a rockery or bed. The table shows the available quantities.

For ground cover, allow about 30cm between plants. At this spacing, a pack of 6 covers roughly 0.5 square metres, a pack of 12 about 1 square metre, and a pack of 18 around 1.5 square metres. The foliage will take time to fill the gaps. For a fuller-looking container from the start, you can use 3 to 5 young plants in a 30cm pot, allowing enough room for their roots and future growth.

When and how to plant heather

Spring and autumn are good times to plant heathers, when the soil is usually moist and easier to work. Water each pot thoroughly, then dig a hole a little wider than the rootball. Set the plant at its original growing depth, backfill with suitable acidic soil, firm gently and water again. Heathers dislike sitting in wet ground, so avoid poorly drained planting spots. Where heavy clay makes drainage difficult, a raised bed with suitable acidic growing material may be a better choice. For containers, use ericaceous compost and pots with drainage holes.

Spacing for ground cover

Space heathers about 30cm apart for a closely planted bed that will gradually fill out as the plants grow. This also leaves room for their branches to spread without crowding straight away. The table gives the approximate number of plants needed for different lengths of border, based on a single row.

Watering and feeding

Water newly planted heathers during dry spells until their roots are established. Their low foliage can hide dry soil, so check the moisture beneath the stems rather than judging by how the plant looks. Pots dry out faster than garden beds, particularly in sunny or windy weather, but the roots should never sit in water. Heathers generally need little feeding in suitable soil. If growth looks poor, a light application of ericaceous plant food in early spring may help. Avoid heavy feeding, which can encourage soft, straggly stems.

Trimming calendar

Give heathers a light trim once their flowers have faded, removing the spent flowering tips to encourage a tidy, bushy shape. Winter-flowering varieties can usually be trimmed in early spring, while summer-flowering types are best cut back in early autumn after flowering. Follow the individual plant label where available. Keep the cuts within green, leafy growth, as old bare stems are unlikely to produce fresh shoots. Pull out weeds around the plants by hand before they crowd the low branches.