Ivydene Gardens Rock Garden Plants Suitable for Small Gardens in Colour Wheel Gallery:
Rock Garden Plant Index: M

Rock Plant Colour Wheel - Flowers Link Map

Click on Number in Colour Wheel or Black sections above.

Botanical Plant Name

Request mail-order nursery name from America and another from European Union that does sell this plant.

Suit-ability

Type

Height and Spread in Inches

Soil

Position and Pro-tection

Flower Colour / Nearest Colour Wheel - Flowers Colour

Request donated photos of flower, foliage, seed and shape to be used in new plant description and comparison pages

Months of Flowering

Propa-gation

MELANDRIUM

elisabethae

B

HE

6 x 6

A

Sun

Magenta and rose

July

S

hookeri

B

HP

3 x 6

A

Sun

Salmon-pink

July

S

ingramii

B

HP

3 x 6

A

Sun

Rose-pink

July

S

MERTENSIA

echioides

A

HP

8 x 6

A

PS

Deep blue

June

DS

maritima

A

HP

2 x 4

A

Sun

Pale blue

July

S

primuloides

A

HP

3 x 6

A

PS

Violet

July

D

MICROMERIA

graeca

B

SE

4 x 6

A

Sun

Pink

July

C

piperella

B

SE

6 x 6

A

Sun

Bright Pink

July

C

MINUARTIA

aretioides

B

HE

2 x 5

A

Sun

White

April

GC

imbricata

B

HE

2 x 4

A

Sun

White

April

GC

leucocephala

B

HE

2 x 6

A

Sun

White

April

GC

rupestris

B

HE

2 x 6

A

Sun

Pink

April

GC

saxifraga

B

HE

2 x 6

A

Sun

White

May

GC

verna

B

HE

1 x 4

A

Sun

White

April

GC

MITCHELLA

repens

C

SE

2 x 12

CN

S

White, flushed red
Scarlet

June

October

GC

repens leucocarpa

C

SE

2 x 12

CN

S

White, flushed red
White

June

October

GC

undulata

C

SE

2 x 8

CN

S

Pink
Red

June
October

GC

MORISIA

monantha

B

HE

1 x 4

D or A

S

Yellow

May

Root C

MUSCARI

The bulbs will do well planted in small troughs or pans as houseplants; many are fragrant

azureum

B

B

3 x 2

B

Sun

Blue

March

DS

botryoides

B

B

4 x 6

B

Sun

Dark blue

March

DS

botryoides album

B

B

4 x 6

B

Sun

White

March

D

latifolium

B

B

6 x 3

B

Sun

Dark to light blue

April

DS

macrocarpum

B

B

6 x 3

B

Sun

Brownish-purple

April

DS

macrocarpum flavum

B

B

6 x 3

B

Sun

Purple to yellow

April

DS

macrocarpum major

B

B

6 x 3

B

Sun

Purple to pale yellow

April

DS

neglectum

B

B

4 X 2

B

Sun

Purplish-black

April

DS

MYOSOTIS

explanata

B

HE

2 x 6

A

PS

White

July

DS

rupicola

B

HP

3 x 4

A

Sun

Blue

May

S

uniflora

B

HE

2 x 4

A

Sun

Yellow

June

S

MYRTUS

nummularia

C

SE

3 x 8

CN

Sun P

White
Pink

June
September

GC

Some abbreviations have been used in compiling the above list of Rock Plants for small gardens in order to make it possible to provide all the required information at a glance in a condensed form.

Name

First is the name of the genus to which the plant belongs which is given in capitals. Under the generic name the names of the species and varieties are recorded.

Link to photos, cultivation details or mail-order business that sells it.

Suitability

Details of which container to grow the plant in:-

• A. The plant can be grown in sinks, trough, pans or scree beds
• B. The plant is best accommodated in a trough or sink.
• C. Suitable for peat beds and raised beds (suitable for alpine rhododendrons)

Type

Abbreviated to:-

• B for Bulb
• H for Herb - any non-woody plant that is not a tree or shrub
• HP for Herbaceous Perennial
• S for Shrub
• SS for Sub-shrub

followed by

• E for Evergreen
• D for Deciduous

Height and Spread

The approximate height is given first in inches, followed by the approximate spread, when mature. 1 inch (") = 25.4 millimetres (mm)

Soil

The figures A, B, C and D denote that the plant in question requires one of the following soil mixtures:-

• A. Equal parts of loam, leafmould and sand. This is a suitable mixture for plants which require a light, open, porous soil with good drainage. A good mixture for troughs in a sheltered position in part shade. All bulbs and conifers do well in this medium.
• B. Equal parts of loam, leafmould, peat and sand. This is more retentive of water but is well-drained and will grow all the plants in this Rock Plant List which are suitable for full sun, and it is ideal for woodland plants in part shade.
• C. Four parts leafmould and one part each of loam and sand. A soil for growing dwarf rhododendrons and other ericaceous plants in the raised bed type of trough and peat beds.
• D. Three parts Cornish silver sand and one part flaked leafmould. For all difficult and rare high alpines, including most of the cushion type. The trough containing this mixture is best situated in part shade.

which may be followed by

• N for when a neutral pH medium is required.
• L for when a limey pH medum is required.

Where no additional letter is given, the plant will thrive under either condition.

Position and Protection

The following terms and abbreviations used singly or in combination will minimize the risk of planting in an unsuitable spot:-

• C --- This means that the plant will do well planted on its side in a crevice built up on the rocks for preference.
• P --- This plant requires a pane of glass suspended over it in winter, generally from October to the end of March.
• PS -- A part-shady spot or facing west with protection from the south by a shadow cast by either a rock or shrub.
• SA -- Shady position either facing north or protected by a rock.
• Sun - This means that the plant will require a normal amount of direct sunlight.
• W --- The plant will do well planted in a vertical position in the side of a trough or scree frame.

Flower Colour, Nearest Colour Wheel - Flowers Colour and Months of Flowering

These 3 columns are self-explanatory;
for example, Orange June, means that

• the flowers are orange (if the plant has a Plant Description Page in this website then the link from here will be to that Plant Description Page otherwise to a Plant Description found on the Internet),
• orange3 in the Colour Wheel - Flowers is the nearest colour for the majority of the flower petal (either from a flower image in this website or an image found on the Internet), with link to the Colour Wheel - Flowers Colour and
• the flowering month is June with link to the flower photo on the Internet.

A double entry such as
Orange August
Red October
means that the plant has orange flowers in August and red fruits or berries in October.

Propagation

A general idea to the best method of increasing the stock:-

• C ---- Half-ripened wood at the end of July.
• D ----- Division.
• GC ---- Green Cuttings in late spring.
• L ------ Layering.
• Leaf C - The plant is best propagated by leaf cuttings.
• RC ----- Fully ripened wood at the end of September.
• Root C - The plant is best propagated by cutting the thick root thongs at the end of September.
• S ------- The best method is by seed.

may be followed by

• H - Where this letter is placed after any of the above abbreviations, it means that bottom heat is essential to obtain a fair percentage of strikes.
  The omission of this letter does not mean that bottom heat cannot be employed; in fact, its use will certainly save an appreciable amount of time taken to increase the stock.

A combination of the above will denote that the plant can be increased by all the methods which those abbreviated letters stand for.