This might be the most whimsical cottage garden plant I've ever seen – it thrives in shade and damp soils

I came away from this year’s Garden Press Event blabbering non-stop about one plant that’s absolutely perfect for a cottage garden – and I can’t believe it isn’t already at the top of our radars.

The plant in question? Dicentra – it’s a flowering perennial that produces dozens of dainty, heart-shaped flowers on long arching stems. They look like they’re straight out of an Alice in Wonderland dream – and I’d say it’s one for our list of the best cottage garden plants.

If you’re on the hunt for a whimsical new perennial, here’s a little bit more about Dicentra.

Dicentra plants are commonly known as bleeding hearts, because that’s exactly what each of the dainty flowers looks like: a delicate white tear hangs beneath each heart-shaped bloom. In fact, one of the most popular varieties is Dicentra spectabilis ‘Bleeding Hearts’, which you can buy from Thompson & Morgan.

Although the flowers are most commonly found in shades of pink, there are a number of white-blooming varieties, too, like Lamprocapnos spectabilis 'Alba’, available at Crocus. The Dicentra genus was recently re-named Lamprocapnos – so don’t be alarmed if you stumble across bleeding hearts with differing scientific names!

Just one look at Dicentra, and you’ll understand why it’s the ideal candidate for a cottage garden. What’s even more brilliant, though, is that it’s a shade-loving plant that you can grow under trees, for example – it’ll thrive in partial to full shade, so if you’re looking to fill problem areas in your garden, bleeding hearts will step right up to the challenge.

Gardening Express recently identified Dicentra as a brilliant plant for soggy soils, too – so it'll be right at home next to other shrubs that thrive in wet soil.

‘This striking plant produces delicate, heart-shaped flowers and actually prefers moist soil,’ says Nick Wood, flower and plant expert at GardeningExpress.co.uk. ‘It performs best in damp, shady areas, where its unique blooms can really stand out.’

Dicentra generally flowers between April and May, so it’s worth planting it alongside other cottage garden plants that thrive in shade (but flower at different times) to retain colour all year round. Bleeding hearts will grow in the sun, but you'll need to keep the soil as moist as possible.

Dicentra is also an excellent shade-loving plant for pots, so it's perfect for a shadowy corner on a patio or next to a shed.

Like other deciduous perennials, Dicentra foliage dies right back in the autumn before bouncing back into fern-like growth in the spring.

What you'll need

Dicentra is a real woodland plant, and it's a new cottage garden staple for me. There are other shrubs I'd recommend for damp gardens, too – but this flowering perennial is stealing the show for me right now.