Dicentra

Dicentra spectabilis, the old-fashioned bleeding heart, is a classic cottage garden perennial that thrives in the cool, moist, partly shaded conditions of Martha's Vineyard's sheltered interior gardens, producing arching stems laden with pendant heart-shaped flowers in pink and white in late April and May that are among the most nostalgically beloved sights in the island's spring garden. It performs best in the humus-rich, consistently moist soils of sheltered borders in Edgartown and West Tisbury, where afternoon shade and adequate moisture delay the summer dormancy that can leave unsightly gaps in less attentive planting programs. The bold foliage serves as a companion planting opportunity, with hostas, ferns, and astilbes positioned to fill the space as bleeding heart retreats.

Deer resistance is strong. Estate Care professionals treat old-fashioned bleeding heart as a featured spring performer, planning the summer succession planting around its gap with the care and forethought that defines a professionally managed island garden program.