How to Grow Great Lady's Mantle in Your Home Garden

Lady's mantle, or alchemilla, is a lovely addition to any perennial flower bed or border planting. It will add wonderful colors and an interesting texture of leaves to your any planting. Here are some tips to help you grow great lady's mantle in your home flower garden.

Lady's mantle will grow best in temperature zones 3 through 8. The plants will grow 6 to 12 inches tall and with spread about 2 feet. It grows into the shape of a soft mound. The flowers of the lady's mantle are chartreuse and the leaves are grayish-green. The beautiful flowers of the lady's mantle will appear in the spring and early summer. It will need to be planted in an area that receives partial shade to full sun. The soil must be rich and moist for the lady's mantle to thrive.

If you look closely at the leaves of lady's mantle you will see they have in interesting characteristic. They are covered with downy hairs. Water beading on the leaves can look like jewels when the sun strikes them in the morning. These plants will also produce clumps of flowers to add color to your walkways and flower beds.

You can plant lady's mantle in borders, along a wall, or as an edging along a walk. It can also be planted with annuals that are taller such as Siberian iris and astilbes. There is a small variety of lady's mantle, known as A. alpina, that is very beautiful in rock gardens or container gardens.

During the middle summer months, lady's mantle may become a bit droopy. This can be fixed by cutting the plant almost to the ground. It will encourage new foliage to grow. You will be surprised how quickly the plant will look fresh and lovely again. If you live in an area that has very hot summer, it may be best to plant your lady's mantle in a spot that is partially shaded to get the best performance from the foliage and flowers of this plant.

It is usually not necessary to replant lady's mantle, as it is a self-seeder. If you wish to prevent this, be sure to cut off the spent flowers before the seeds can get to the ground. If you have too many new seedlings, you can replant them in another bed or border planting. Or you can also extend the bed they are already in by spreading them out to give them adequate room to flourish. If the clumps of stems get overgrown, they can be divided in the early spring or fall months.

Lady's mantle is a wonderful plant to add to your flower beds. It will make your yard more beautiful and add color to your perennial beds. Hopefully, these tips will help you grow great lady's mantle in your home flower gardens for you and your family to enjoy.