Ivydene Gardens Extra Pages of Plants
Front of Border Garden Use List

"Colour-grouping is, perhaps, the most difficult problem that has to be solved, particularly in regard to the planting of the border. A haphazard arrangement of the plants will be disastrous. Consider the plants from the point of view of colour, time of blooming, size, form and habit of growth, and above all try to picture to yourself the finished border. Remember, too, that annuals, biennials, herbaceous perennials, bulbs and shrubs are available depending on the garden style that you have chosen to use (Cottage, Low Maintenance, Wildlife, or Japanese).

There are 2 methods which may be used in colour-grouping: the first aims at a harmonious blending of the various shades and colours, the second provides for contrasts, and is apt to prove disastrous in inexperienced hands, unless the softer shades (pastel colours in the innermost circle of colours in the Flower Colour Wheel below) of colour only are used. When aiming at contrasts, use self-coloured flowers rather than those whose blooms are of mixed tints. Contrasts may be used at intervals throughout the scheme to provide a relief from the harmonious planting that otherwise might prove monotonous. Contrasts that may be used with reasonable safety are the reds with whites; and the blues with the whites and yellows. Be very careful how you associate the reds with the purples and blues. When planting for a harmonious blending of the colours, aim at large splashes of colour and plant in bold groups of individual plants, keeping to a few good and well-tried kinds rather than striving for over-much variety. Let the tints merge gently from the one into the other, and with a gentle crescendo lead up from the paler shades to the most vivid colours.

Let us first of all plan our red group. Start with the pale pinks, next to them put the deeper shades, and so on until the most vivid and powerful reds are reached. From this zenith of colour work gradually back to the palest of pink. The purples, blues, and yellows can be treated in the same way as described for the reds. We cannot, however, place these groups up against one another indiscriminately or we should have hard lines and in places clashing colours, but we know that pink harmonises delightfully with pale yellow, so we may join our red group to the yellow group. Similarly pink is exquisite alongside lilac, so we can link these up with our purple group, and our blue group with our yellows.

We should also remember that tints may be made to lead the one from the other so as to blend harmoniously. The yellows will run into orange, the orange through orange-scarlet to scarlet, and thence to the deepest crimson. Similarly through the pale blues we reach dark blue, then purple and down again through lilac to pale blue or lavender-grey or white. As examples of colour-grouping, it will be found that delphiniums (of various shades) will harmonise delightfully with many of the lilies, and a deep purple salvia (say, Salvia virgata nemerosa) looks lovely blended with yellow gladioli or perhaps, with antirrhinums. Plants with ample green foliage must not be neglected for nature uses green very liberally in her colour schemes. " from Colour all the year in my Garden by C.H. Middleton, published by Ward, Lock & Co.

Dark Tone or Shades (Colours mixed with Black) is the outer circle of colours.
Mid-Tone (Colours mixed with Grey) is the next circle of colours
Pure Hue (the Primary, Secondary or Tertiary Colour named) is the next circle of colours
Pastel (Colours mixed with White) is the innermost circle of colours.

These 12 colour spokes of Dark Tone, Mid-Tone, Pure Hue and Pastel are split into:-

"White, if not used to excess, is invaluable, for it will always help us out of difficulties, and it may be placed next to the strongest colours equally as well as against the palest. But, if too much white is used, the border will look "patchy".

Many of the strong colours may be associated without going through the gradation of their paler tints. Deep blue, or purple, for instance, blends well with gold, orange, or yellow, but care must be taken not to use any clashing colours in close proximity. The ultra-vivid colours should be most carefully handled, as they strike the eye so quickly and are apt, if used too freely, to submerge the more delicate tints.

Do not fall into the common mistake of placing all the bright colours at the back and middle of the border, let there be some groups of vivid colouring well to the front. There are innumerable edging plants that afford brilliant tints for this purpose (Edging Perennials & their companions from Gardens by the Bay, 83 edging plants as seeds from Thompson & Morgan in the UK and edging Plants from Greenwood Nursery in America). These groups of colour must not be bounded by hard straight lines. Each group must be irregular in shape and should merge gradually and imperceptibly into the group next to it.

Height and Distance Apart

Generally speaking, the taller-growing plants, such as hollyhocks, delphiniums, heleniums and verbascums, should be placed at the back of the border, and there should be a gentle gradation down through plants of medium height, as for example phloxes, clarkias, lupins, lychnis, kniphofias, calendulas, etc. to the daisies, funkias, violas and dwarfer species in front, but this procedure must not be adopted invariably or a stiff and severe effect will ensue, and the freedom and irregularity which are the chief charm of a well-planned border will be lost. Here and there, clumps of the taller flowers should be grouped in out-standing positions in the middle and also well to the front of the border - thus ensuring that there is mystery in the garden such that not all of the border can be viewed from any one position. These will form striking contrasts in colour, form and size. Plants that carry their bloom on a single stem, in spires, are excellent for this purpose; the dwarfer delphiniums, kniphofias, liliums, sidalceas and veronicas serve such a purpose well. Also, some low-growing and creeping plants should find their way towards the back, at the base of the taller ones, so as to break up the general outline and to introduce some element of surprise, for a border loses much of its charm if it can all be seen at a glnce from one end. Above all, endeavour to avoid the monotony and regularity of level, straight lines. Some of the more spreading and bushy plants should be allowed to fall gracefully over the path or to encroach upon the edge of the lawn. Most flowers should be planted in groups of from 3 or 5 to 8 or 9 of each kind in a clump, but not too closely together - the dwarfer the plants, the more in a group, and the larger the border the greater the number of plants of the same kind that can be used together.

It is one of the greatest mistakes to plant perennials singly in various parts of the border, for this gives a patchwork effect, which is not at all pleasing. The idea to aim at is masses of striking but well-harmonisd colours. Plants that grow into large clumps, must, of course, be planted singly, unless the border is of very large proportions.

The distances at which the crowns should be planted from one another depend upon the height to which the plants may be expected to grow, and on their "bushiness". It is essential when planting to visualize what the plants will be like when full grown. But as a guiding principle, it can be taken that the dwarfer kinds should be set 8 inches (20cms) apart, the medium sorts 15 inches (37.5 cms) apart and the tallest kinds some 2 feet (60 cms) from one another. So far as space provision is concerned, the aim should be to show practically no bare earth during the period of active growth, and at the same time to avoid any over-crowding, for this interferes with individual development. Arrange the plants not only in accordance with colour and size, but also in regard to their time of blooming and interplant the later flowers among those that bloom earlier; so that some clumps will come into flower as other clumps are finishing and so carry the colour on throughout the whole season. In this connection also, it is a good plan to cut down nearly to the ground about half the number of some plants of the same kind in a group - when about half grown, these will then usually grow again and furnish bloom when the earlier-flowering batch have finished.

Each plant should be clearly labelled as it is planted, otherwise confusion either in colour or gradation will be sure to occur.

The background to the border is a point often overlooked, but it is an all-important one. Nothing is more suitable than an old, mellow, red brick wall, a grey stone wall or an evergreen hedge preferably a yew. These, however, are ideals, and rarely available. Pillar roses on poles and chains form a charming and colourful background and should be more frequently planted. " from Colour all the year in my Garden by C.H. Middleton, published by Ward, Lock & Co.

The overall amount of sunlight received depends on aspect, the direction your garden faces:-

North-facing gardens get the least light and can be damp

South-facing gardens get the most light

East-facing gardens get morning light

West-facing gardens get afternoon and evening light

Sun Aspect, Soil Type, Soil Moisture, Plant Type and Height of Plant are used in the Plant Photo Galleries in the comparison of thumbnail photos

Surface soil moisture is the water that is in the upper 10 cm (4 inches) of soil, whereas root zone soil moisture is the water that is available to plants, which is generally considered to be in the upper 200 cm (80 inches) of soil:-

• Wet Soil has Saturated water content of 20-50% water/soil and is Fully saturated soil
• Moist Soil has Field capacity of 10-35% water/soil and is Soil moisture 2–3 days after a rain or irrigation
• Dry Soil has Permanent wilting point of 1-25% water/soil and is Minimum soil moisture at which a plant wilts
• Residual water content of 0.1-10% water/soil and is Remaining water at high tension
• Available Water Capacity for plants is the difference between water content at field capacity and permanent wilting point

Sun Aspect:-

• Full Sun: At least 6 full hours of direct sunlight. Many sun lovers enjoy more than 6 hours per day, but need regular water to endure the heat.
• Part Shade: 3 - 6 hours of sun each day, preferably in the morning and early afternoon. The plant will need some relief from the intense late afternoon sun, either from shade provided by a nearby tree or planting it on the east side of a building.
  Dappled Sun - DS in Part Shade Column: Dappled sunlight is similar to partial shade. It is the sun that makes its way through the branches of a deciduous tree. Woodland plants and underplantings prefer this type of sunlight over even the limited direct exposure they would get from partial shade.
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight each day, with filtered sunlight during the rest of the day. Full shade does not mean no sun.

Acid Site - An acid soil has a pH value below 7.0. Clay soils are usually acid and retentive of moisture, requiring drainage. The addition of grit or coarse sand makes them more manageable. Peaty soil is acidic with fewer nutrients and also requires drainage.

Alkaline Soil - An alkaline soil has a pH value above 7.0. Soils that form a thin layer over chalk restrict plant selection to those tolerant of drought.

Bank / Slope problems include soil erosion, surface water, summer drought and poor access (create path using mattock to pull an earth section 180 degrees over down the slope). Then, stabilise the earth with 4 inches (10cms) depth of spent mushroom compost under the chicken wire; before planting climbers/plants through it.

Cold Exposed Inland Site is an area that is open to the elements and that includes cold, biting winds, the glare of full sun, frost and snow - These plants are able to withstand very low temperatures and those winds in the South of England.

Dust and Pollution Barrier - Plants with large horizontal leaves are particularly effective in filtering dust from the environment, with mature trees being capable of filtering up to 70% of dust particles caused by traffic. Plants can also help offset the pollution effects of traffic. 20 trees are needed to absorb the carbon dioxide produced by 1 car driven for 60 miles.

Front of Border / Path Edges - Soften edges for large masses of paving or lawn with groundcover plants. Random areas Within Paths can be planted with flat-growing plants. Other groundcover plants are planted in the Rest of Border.

Seaside Plants that deal with salt-carrying gales and blown sand; by you using copious amounts of compost and thick mulch to conserve soil moisture.

Sound Barrier - The sound waves passing through the plant interact with leaves and branches, some being deflected and some being turned into heat energy. A wide band of planting is necessary to achieve a large reduction in the decibel level.

Wind Barrier - By planting a natural windbreak you will create a permeable barrier that lets a degree of air movement pass through it and provide shelter by as far as 30 times their height downwind.

Woodland ground cover under the shade of tree canopies.

In the case of some genera and species, at least two - and sometimes dozens of - varieties and hybrids are readily available, and it has been possible to give only a selection of the whole range. To indicate this, the abbreviation 'e.g.' appears before the selected examples ( for instance, Centaurea cyanus e.g. 'Jubilee Gem'). If an 'e.g.' is omitted in one list, although it appears beside the same plant in other lists, this means that that plant is the only suitable one - or the only readily available suitable one - in the context of that particular list.

Chalky alkaline soils are derived from chalk or limestone with a pH of 7.1 or above.
Clay soils swell and shrink as they wet and dry.
Lime-Free soils are acidic and without chalk.
In poorly drained soils (50 % solid materials and about 50 % pore space), most of the pore space is filled with water for long periods of time, leaving too little air.
Light sandy soils dry out quickly and are low in nutrients.

THE 2 EUREKA EFFECT PAGES FOR UNDERSTANDING SOIL AND HOW PLANTS INTERACT WITH IT OUT OF 10,000:-

• THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE 2 QUARTZ GRAIN SIBLINGS, and
• HOW ROOTS OF PLANTS ARE IN CONTROL IN THE SOIL
• before continuing in this website.

To locate mail-order nursery for plants from the UK in this gallery try using search in RHS Find a Plant.

To locate plants in the European Union (EU) try using Search Term in Gardens4You and Meilland Richardier in France.

To locate mail-order nursery for plants from America in this gallery try using search in Plant Lust.

To locate plant information in Australia try using Plant Finder in Gardening Australia.

There are other pages on Plants which bloom in each month of the year in this website:-

12 Bloom Colours per Month Index

Plants
Blue,
Orange,
Red,
Yellow,
White,
Other Colours which lead on to other pages

Colour Wheel - All Flowers per Month 12

Bedding
Bulb
Climber
Deciduous Shrub
Deciduous Tree
Evergreen Perennial
Evergreen Shrub
Evergreen Tree
Herbaceous Perennial
Rhododendron
Rose
Wild Flower

Plants for Cut Flowers in
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Climber 3 sector Vertical Plant System with flowers in
Jan,
Feb,
Mar,
Apr,
May 1, 2
Jun,
Jul,
Aug,
Sep,
Oct,
Nov,
Dec

Soil Moisture:-

Sun Aspect:-

Plant Location:-

Common Name

with link to mail-order nursery in USA

Flower-ing Months

Flower-ing Colour

Plant Type
(Per = Perennial) with link to
Plant Description Page,
Companion Plants to help this plant Page,
Alpine Plant for Rock Garden Index Page
and/or
Native to UK WildFlower Plant in its Family Page in this website

Comment

AC = Acid Soil

AL = Alkaline Soil
 

AN = Any for Acid, Neutral or Alkaline Soil

FA = Grow for Flower Arrangers

FB = Front of Border
/ Path Edges

RB = Rest of Border

SP = Speciman

RG = Rock Garden

WP = Within Path

CL = Climber or Shrub grown against a wall or fence

BE = Bedding

GP = Grow in Pot / Container

HB = Grow in Hanging Basket

HE = Hedge
GC = Ground Cover
SC = Screening

TH =
Thorny Hedge

BG = Grow in Bog Area

BA = Grow on Bank / Slope

Soil:-

AN = Any Soil

SE = Seaside / Coastal Plants

CH = Chalk

EX = Cold Exposed Inland Site

CL = Clay

DP = Dust and Pollution Barrier

LF = Lime-Free (Acid Soil)

D = Dry

S = Full Sun

SO = Sound Barrier

PD = Poorly Drained
PE = Peaty

M = Moist

PS = Part Shade
DS = Dappled Sun

WI = Wind Barrier

LS = Light Sand

W = Wet

FS = Full Shade

WO = Woodland

AN

CH

CL

LF

PD

LS

D

M

W

S

PS

FS

AC

AL

AN

FA

FB
RB

BE

GP

HB

HE

SC

BG

BA

SE

EX

DP

SO

WI

WO

SP
RG

PE

DS

WP
CL

TH
GC

AN

FB
 

Ajuga reptans 'Atropurpurea'

6 x 36
(15 x 90)

Evergreen Perennial

AN

FB
 

Ajuga reptans 'Burgundy Glow'

6 x 36
(15 x 90)

Evergreen Perennial

AN

FB
 

Ajuga reptans 'Catlins Giant'

6 x 24
(15 x 60)

Evergreen Perennial

AN

FB
 

Ajuga reptans 'Multicolor'

6 x 24
(15 x 60)

Evergreen Perennial

AN

FB
 

Ajuga reptans 'Rainbow'

6 x 24
(15 x 60)

Evergreen Perennial

AN

FB
 

Ajuga reptans 'Variegata'

6 x 24
(15 x 60)

Evergreen Perennial

AN

FB
 

Alchemilla alpina

4 x 20
(10 x 50)

Herbaceous Perennial

AN

FB
 

Alchemilla conjuncta

16 x 12
(40 x 30)

Herbaceous Perennial

AN

FB
 

Alchemilla erythropoda

10 x 8
(25 x 20)

Herbaceous Perennial

AN

FB
 

Alchemilla mollis

20 x 20
(50 x 50)

Herbaceous Perennial

AN

FB
 

Alyssum montanum 'Mountain Gold'

6 x 18
(15 x 45)

Evergreen Perennial

AN

FB
 

Alyssum wulfenianum

6 x 18
(15 x 45)

Evergreen Perennial

AN

FB
 

Antennaria dioica rosea

2 x 18
(5 x 45)

Evergreen Alpine

AN

FB
 

Anthemis punctata cupaniana

12 x 36
(30 x 90)

Evergreen Perennial

AN

FB
 

Anthyllis montana

12 x 24
(30 x 60)

Evergreen Alpine

AN

FB
 

Aquilegia 'Crimson Star'

18 x 12
(45 x 30)

Herbaceous Perennial

AN

FB
 

Arabis caucasica 'Variegata'

6 x 18
(15 x 45)

Evergreen Alpine

AN

FB
 

Artemesia schmidtiana

12 x 18
(30 x 45)

Evergreen Perennial

AN

FB
 

Aster alpinus

10 x 18
(25 x 45)

Herbaceous Alpine

AN

FB
 

Bergenia 'Abendglut'

9 x 12
(23 x 30)

Evergreen Perennial

AN

FB
 

Bergenia ciliata

12 x 18
(30 x 45)

Evergreen Perennial

AN

FB
 

Bergenia cordifolia 'Purpurea'

20 x 20
(50 x 50)

Evergreen Perennial

AN

FB
 

Bergenia 'Silberlicht'

12 x 20
(30 x 50)

Evergreen Perennial

AN

FB
 

Acanthus mollis

60 x 36
(150 x 90)

Herbaceous Perennial

AN

FB
 

Aster x frikartii 'Monch'

30 x 18
(75 x 45)

Herbaceous Perennial

AC

FB
 

Asarum europaeum

3 x 12
(7 x 30)

Evergreen Perennial

AC

FB
 

Aurinia saxatilis 'Citrinia'

8 x 12
(20 x 30)

Evergreen Alpine

AL

FB
 

Anemone apennina

8 x 12
(20 x 30)

Deciduous Rhizome

AL

FB
 

Anemone blanda 'Atrocaerulea'

6 x 6
(15 x 15)

Deciduous Tuber

AL

FB
 

Anemone blanda 'Radar'

6 x 6
(15 x 15)

Deciduous Tuber

AL

FB
 

Anemone blanda 'Violet Star'

6 x 6
(15 x 15)

Deciduous Tuber

AL

FB
 

Anemone coronaria

6 x 6
(15 x 15)

Deciduous Tuber

AL

FB
 

Anemone nemorosa

4 x 12
(10 x 30)

Herbaceous Perennial

AL

FB
 

Anemone ranunculoides

2 x 18
(5 x 45)

Deciduous Rhizome

AL

FB
 

Anemone sylvestris

18 x 18
(45 x 45)

Herbaceous Perennial

AL

FB
 

Aster amellus
'King George'

18 x 18
(45 x 45)

Herbaceous Perennial

AL

FB
 

Aurinia saxatilis 'Citrinia'

8 x 12
(20 x 30)

Evergreen Alpine

AL

FB
 

Buphthalmum salicifolium

24 x 18
(60 x 45)

Herbaceous Perennial

AL

FB
 

Acanthus mollis

60 x 36
(150 x 90)

Herbaceous Perennial