Gardeners, Nursery Rhymes and Poets Agree ... There's Something about a Bell

I still remember the words from childhood, my favorite folk song about the spring garden. The catchy tune plays itself out in my head every time I walk through the gate and along the east side of my flowerbeds. “White coral bells, upon a slender stalk, lily of the valley near my garden walk." Years later, I felt a similar shiver of recognition when I first heard Edgar Allen Poe's poem describing the  tintinnabulation ... of the the bells, bells, bells.

Whatever the inspiration or excuse, I’ve loved and cultivated lily of the valley in every garden I've ever tended. The old-fashioned, pink-flowered  Heuchera or coral bell with its wine-ribbed pale green leaves was also a perennial favorite.

Imagine my delight when I fairly recently discovered  the amazing rainbow varieties of coral bells now available, capable of thriving  in everything from deep shade to bright sun. I invested first in a shade lover with deep purple leaves and tiny white bell-shaped flowers. My garden's newest acquisition is a plant with striking yellow-orange leaves, officially known as “caramel." Names like Dulce Creme Brulee, Lime Rickey, Plum and Palace Purple hint at the colorful ‘flavor’ or palette a particular variety will add to any garden. Heuchera's thick cluster of variegated leaves  make a perfect border edging — quite apart from the floral bells themselves suspended from their delicate-looking but sturdy stems.

Gardening is not just about sight or smell, the feel of rich earth underfoot. Sometimes it is about the faint sounds of bells tinkling in the spring morning.