Ivydene Gardens Plants:
|
|||||
The plants normally selected by most landscapers and designers are by nature low-growing, rampant, spreading, creep-crawly things and yet the concept of ground cover demands no such thing. The ideal description of a groundcover plant includes:-
Ground Cover a thousand beautiful plants for difficult places by John Cushnie (ISBN 1 85626 326 6) provides details of plants that fulfill the above requirements. Using these groundcover plants in your planting scheme (either between your trees/shrubs in the border or for the whole border) will - with mulching your beds to a 4 inch depth and an irrigation system - provide you with a planted garden with far less time required for border maintenance. Plants for Ground-Cover by Graham Stuart Thomas. Published by J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd in 1970 - reprinted (with further revisions) in 1990. ISBN 0-460-12609-1. This gives details on many more ground cover plants with inclusion (in the Index) of figures denoting the Hardiness Zones for each species in the United States of America. |
|||||
Plant Name with link to page with photos and mail-order nursery in Comments Row |
Type with link to mail-order nursery in UK |
Height x Spread in inches (cms) |
Foliage with link to mail-order nursery in USA |
Flower Colour in Month(s). Use Pest Control using Plants to provide a Companion Plant to aid your selected groundcover plant or deter its pests |
Comments United States Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zone Map - This map of USA is based on a range of average annual minimum winter temperatures, divided into 13 of 10-degree F zones, that this plant will thrive in USA, Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. There are other Hardiness Zone Maps for the rest of the world including the one for Great Britain and Ireland of zones 7a to 10a. Zone 5-9 indicates that the minimum zone temperature this plant will grow is 5 and top minimum zone temperature is 9 - above this number is too hot or below 5 is too cold for the plant. If your zone in your area of your country is within that range or your zone number is greater, then you can grow it in your garden. |
Salix alba var. vitellina |
Deciduous Tree above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
960 x 360 (2400 x 900) |
Dull Green |
Yellowish-Green female catkins in |
"White Willow". Bright Orange winter shoots. From Europe, northern Africa and central Asia. Makes a good windbreak tree, but has invasive roots. |
Salix apoda |
Deciduous Shrub below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
8 x 24 |
Dark Green |
Silvery-Grey male catkins in |
|
Salix caprea |
Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
60 x 72 (150 x 180) |
Dark Green above, Grey-Green beneath |
Grey male catkins in |
"Kilmarnock Willow". Native to Europe and northeast Asia. This grows well in brackish marshlands but its very strong suckering habit can cause problems in smaller gardens. A stiffly pendulous weeping tree. |
Salix elaeagnos |
Deciduous Shrub above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
120 x 180 (300 x 450) |
Grey in Spring ,Dark Green in Summer, Yellow in Autumn |
Green female catkins in |
"Hoary Willow". |
Salix hastata |
Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
36 x 36 (90 x 90) |
Bright Green |
Silvery-Grey male catkins in |
|
Salix helvetica |
Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
24 x 16 (60 x 40) |
Grey-Green, silver-downy beneath |
Silver-Grey catkins in |
"Swiss Willow". |
Salix lanata |
Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
36 x 60 (90 x 150) |
Dull Dark Green covered in Silvery-Grey wool |
Golden-Yellow male catkins in |
"Woolly Willow". From northern Europe with slow spreading habit. |
Salix repens |
Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
24 x 60 (60 x 150) |
Grey-Green to Bright Green, Silvery beneath |
Grey male catkins in |
"Creeping Willow". |
Salix repens var. argentea |
Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
36 x 72 (90 x 180) |
Silky Grey |
Gold catkins in |
|
Salix retusa |
Deciduous Shrub below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
4 x 16 |
Glossy Mid-Green |
Grey catkins in |
|
Salix serpyllifolia |
Deciduous Shrub below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
1 x 12 |
Glossy Mid-Green |
Silvery-Green catkins in |
"Thyme-leaved Willow". |
Salvia nemerosa |
Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
18 x 12 (45 x 30) |
Violet-Blue in |
"Woodland Sage". Companions - Sisyrinchium striatum, artemisia, hemerocallis, lavandula, helenium, papaver, scabiosa, smaller euphorbias, roses. When using salvias as a cut flower, recut their stems underwater in the final vase. Ashwood Nurseries grow about 80 Salvias. |
|
Salvia officinalis |
24 x 36 (60 x 90) |
Purple in Spring, Grey-Green in Summer, Autumn and Winter |
Blue-Purple in |
"Purple Sage". |
|
Salvia x superba |
Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
30 x 24 (75 x 60) |
Mid-Green |
Bright Violet or Purple in |
"Sage". Erect |
Sambucus nigra |
Deciduous Shrub above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
144 x 144 (360 x 360) |
Golden-Yellow |
Creamy-White in |
"Black Elder, |
Sambucus racemosa |
Deciduous Shrub above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
120 x 120 (300 x 300) |
Bronze juvenile turning Golden Yellow |
Rich Yellow in |
"Red-berried Elder". |
Deciduous Rhizome Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
6 x 12 |
Blue-Grey |
White in |
"Bloodroot". Self-sows, summer dormant. Grow in deciduous woodland, with sun in the spring. Companions - trillium, hepatica, pulmonaria, primula, uvularia, jeffersonia, athyrium nipponicum cultivars, erythronium; the spring woodland garden. |
|
Sanguisorbia canadensis |
Deciduous Rhizome Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
72 x 36 (180 x 90) |
Dark Green |
White in |
"Canadian Burnet". Vigorous, good autumn colour. Companions - grasses, astilbe, aconitum, astrantia, carex elata 'Aurea', lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea', lysimachia ephemerum, veronicastrum, polemonium, penstemon; the autumn border. A good cut flower. |
Santolina chamaecyparissus |
20 x 36 (50 x 90) |
Grey-White |
Yellow in |
"Cotton Lavender, Lavender Cotton". Low-spreadng, aromatic shrub from coastal areas of the Mediterranean. |
|
Santolina chamaecyparissus |
Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
24 x 24 (60 x 60) |
Silver-Grey |
Lemon-Yellow in |
"Cotton Lavender". |
Santolina pinnata neapolitana |
Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
30 x 36 (75 x 90) |
Aromatic Grey-Green |
Bright Yellow in |
Left untouched, santolina can serve as an informal planting against a wood fence. Clipped, it can serve as a semi-formal, low hedge or as an accent plant in a patio or other small area, in which case it rarely flowers. |
Santolina rosmarinifolia |
Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
24 x 36 (60 x 90) |
Bright Green |
Bright Yellow in |
|
Saponaria |
Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
3 x 12 |
Mid-Green |
Deep Pink in |
"Soapwort". Companions - fuchsia, persicaria, chelone, aubretia, anemone hupehensis and Anemone x hybrida, phlox subulata. A good low groundcover which will grow up through Michaelmas daisies, which prevents their flopping. |
Saponaria ocymoides |
Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
3 x 18 |
Bright Green |
Pink in |
"Tumbling Ted". |
Saponaria ocymoides |
Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
3 x 18 |
Bright Green |
White in |
Rock garden plant. |
Sarcocca humilis |
Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
24 x 36 (60 x 90) |
Glossy Dark Green |
Fragrant Pink-tinged White in |
"Christmas Box, Sweet Box". |
Sarcocca confusa |
Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
72 x 36 (180 x 90) |
Glossy Dark Green |
Very Fragrant White in |
"Christmas Box, Sweet Box". Dense plant |
Evergreen Bamboo 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
48 x indefinite (120 x indefinite) |
Green with White edges in Spring and Summer, Green with Straw edges in Autumn and Winter |
... |
|
|
Satureja spicigera |
Deciduous Sub-Shrub below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
6 x 12 |
Mid-Green |
White in |
|
Saxifraga |
Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
6 x 12 |
White-variegated Mid-Green |
Greenish-White in |
"Saxifrage". Companions - ferns, hosta, primula, arisaema, geranium, astilbe, aruncus aethusifolius, viola cornuta, hakonechloa. |
12 x 8 |
Pale Green |
White heavily spotted Red in |
|
||
Saxifraga exerata subsp. moschata |
Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
4 x 12 |
Pale Green |
Cream or Yellow in |
Compact, mossy cushion. From mountains of central and souhern Europe, the Caucasus and northwest Iran |
Saxifraga exerata subsp. moschata |
Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
4 x 12 |
Golden |
Cream or Yellow in |
Best grown in shade with golden foliage. |
Saxifraga marginata |
Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
3 x 12 |
Silver-Grey |
White in |
|
Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
12 x indefinite (30 x indefinite) |
Green |
White in Summer |
"London Pride". Ground Cover Evergreen. Slowly spreads further. |
|
Scabiosa graminifolia |
Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
10 x 12 (25 x 30) |
Mid-Green |
Lilac to Violet in |
Prefers alkaline soil. Companions - coreopsis, hemerocallis, heliopsis, agastache, dianthus, campanula, delphinium, nepeta, calamintha, salvia, stachys; suited to a sunny border and the cottage garden. |
Schizophragma hydrangeoides |
Deciduous Climber above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
480 x 120 (1200 x 300) |
Dark Green |
Fragrant Creamy-White in |
|
Sedum 'Ruby Glow' There are more than 300 species and at least twice as many varities of sedum. |
10 x 18 (25 x 45) |
Ruby-Red in |
"Stonecrop". Lax habit, large heads. |
||
Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
2 x 24 |
Pale Green |
Yellow-Green in |
"Biting Stonecrop, Common Stonecrop, Wallpepper, Gold-moss Stonecrop". It is perfectly happy growing between stepping-stones and in rock crevices and stays green throughout the coldest of winters. |
|
Sedum lydium |
Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
2 x 8 |
Red-tipped Bright to Mid-Green |
White in |
Sedums are rock garden plants. There are species that are effective on slopes, between stepping-stones, in mass plantings, as container plants and blended with other ground covers such as the prostrate junipers. |
Sedum telephium subsp. maximum |
Deciduous Rhizome Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
18 x 18 (45 x 45) |
Deep Purple |
Deep Pink in |
"Orpine". Chocolate-brown seedheads, open habit. Clump-former |
Evergreen Alpine below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
4 x 24 |
Grey-Green |
Yellow |
"Stone Orpine, Reflexed Stonecrop". Found on walls, rocks and stony banks in western and central Europe, southern Scandinavia, and western Ukraine |
|
Evergreen Alpine below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
4 x 24 |
Silvery-Green, frequently suffused Purple |
Yellow |
"Stonecrop". |
|
Sedum spectabile |
Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
18 x 18 (45 x 45) |
Rose-Pink in |
"Ice Plant, Butterfly Stonecrop". Striking colour, large heads. |
|
Senecio abrotanifolius |
Evergreen Sub-Shrub below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
12 x 12 (30 x 30) |
Glossy Dark Green |
Yellow to Orange-Scarlet in |
|
Senecio cineraria |
Evergreen Sub-Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
24 x 24 (60 x 60) |
Felted Silvery-Grey |
Mustard-Yellow in |
|
Shibataea kumasasa |
Evergreen Bamboo 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
48 x 24 (120 x 60) |
Rich Dark Green |
... |
Densely plant if required as ground cover. |
Shortia galacifolia |
Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
6 x 10 |
Glossy Dark Green turning Bronze-Red in Autumn |
White in |
"Oconee Bells". |
Silene schafta |
Semi-Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
10 x 12 (25 x 30) |
Bright Green |
Deep Magenta in |
"Campion, Catchfly, Moss Campion". Clump-forming Companions - low-growing grasses, shorter campanulas, erigeron, euphorbia myrsinites, dianthus deltoides, iris germanica (dwarf forms), Iris sibirica |
Skimmia japonica |
Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
60 x 60 (150 x 150) |
Dark Green |
Fragrant White in |
"Japanese Skimmia". Female plants have Red fruit; both male and female plants to be present for pollination. Needs light dappled to deep shade. Companions - Rhododendrons, azallias, camelias. |
Skimmia japonica |
Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
24 x 36 (60 x 90) |
Dark Green |
Fragrant White in |
White fruit. |
Skimmia japonica |
Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
60 x 48 (150 x 120) |
Red-margined Green |
White in |
|
Skimmia x confusa |
Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
24 x 48 (60 x 120) |
Aromatic Mid-Green |
Fragrant Creamy-White in |
|
Smilacina racemosa |
Deciduous Rhizome Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
30 x 18 (75 x 45) |
Mid-Green turn Yellow in Autumn |
White in |
"False Spikenard". Red berries. Spreads slowly. Fragrant flowers. Companions - digitalis, astilbe, paeonia, trillium, fuchsia, anemone nemerosa 'Vestal', arum italicum, dicentra formosa, polygonatum. Best at edge of woodland, or under trees in the mixed border. Top-dress the plant with organic material. |
Solanum crispum |
Semi-Evergreen Climber above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
240 x 120 (600 x 300) |
Dark Green |
Lilac-Purple in |
"Chilean Potato Tree". |
Semi-Evergreen Climber above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
240 x 120 (600 x 300) |
Glossy Dark Green |
Fragrant White in |
"Potato Vine". |
|
Solanum laciniatum |
Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
72 x 60 (180 x 150) |
Mid-Green |
Dark Blue in |
"Kangaroo Apple". Bright Orange fruit. |
Solanum tuberosum |
Vegetable |
|
Dark Green |
... |
"Potato". |
Solidago |
Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
72 x 36 (180 x 90) |
Mid-Green |
Golden-Yellow in |
"Golden Rod". Very branched. Companions - sedum ruprechtii, helenium, kniphofia, crocosmia, achillea, aster, nepeta, salvia, x solidaster, monarda, grasses, veronica, vernonia |
Solidago virgaurea subsp. minuta |
Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
6 x 10 |
Mid-Green |
Deep Yellow in |
Good for a rock garden. |
Sophora japonica |
Deciduous Tree above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
120 x 120 (300 x 300) |
Glossy Dark Green, turn Yellow in Autumn |
White in |
"Japanese Pagoda Tree, Pagoda Tree". From China and Korea. It is often grafted onto 96 inch (240 cm) standards to produce a small weeping tree. |
Sorbaria sorbifolia |
Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
72 x 120 (180 x 300) |
Dark Green |
White in |
Suitable for medium sized garden, the Aesculus parviflora has long plumes of scented white flowers. With them flowers Sorbaria sorbifolia, which makes a thicket. |
Sorbus aucuparia |
Deciduous Tree above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
360 x 180 (900 x 450) |
Mid to Dark Green in Spring and Summer, Yellow or Red in Autumn |
White in |
"Mountain Ash, Rowan, European Mountain Ask". From European and Asian forests. Orange-Red berries. |
Sorbus sargentiana |
Deciduous Tree above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
240 x 240 (600 x 600) |
Dark Green in Spring and Summer, Orange and Red in Autumn |
White in |
|
Sorbus vilmorinii |
Deciduous Tree above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
192 x 156 (480 x 390) |
Glossy Dark Green |
White in |
From China |
Sorbus x thuringiaca |
Deciduous Tree above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
480 x 144 (1200 x 360) |
Glossy Dark Green turn Yellow-Brown in Autumn |
White in |
|
Spartium junceum |
Deciduous Shrub above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
120 x 96 (300 x 240) |
Dark Green |
Fragrant Golden-Yellow in |
"Spanish Broom". Bears masses of fragrant pea-flowers on a bushy shrub. |
Spiraea cantoniensis |
Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
72 x 120 (180 x 300) |
Blue-Green |
White in |
"Reeves' Spiraea". From China. It can be used for hedging. |
Spiraea japonica |
Deciduous Shrub below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
18 x 24 (45 x 60) |
Golden-Yellow |
Pink in |
"Japanese Spiraea". Low, mounding. |
Spiraea japonica |
Deciduous Shrub below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
16 x 20 (40 x 50) |
Very Dark Green |
Deep Pink in |
|
Spiraea japonica |
Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
30 x 30 (75 x 75) |
Orange-Red in Spring, Bright Yellow in Summer, Pale Green in Autumn |
Deep Rose-Pink in |
|
Spiraea japonica |
Deciduous Shrub below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
20 x 36 (50 x 90) |
Dark Green above, Grey-Green beneath |
Rose-Pink in |
|
Spiraea japonica |
Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
30 x 36 (75 x 90) |
Dark Green above, Grey-Green beneath |
Both Deep Pink and White in |
|
Stachys byzantina |
Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
12 x 24 (30 x 60) |
Densely White-Woolly on Grey-Green |
Magenta in |
"Lambs' Ears, Lambs' Lugs, Lamb's Tails, Lambs' Tongues". Mat-forming, self-sows Companions - salvia, roses, stokesia, dianthus, sedum, nepeta, molinia caerulea 'Variegata', acaena. The gray leaves of Stachys byzantina stand out dramatically against the green foliage of plants such as wild strawberry - fragaria. The plant also combines well with other gray-foliaged plants, including blue fescue, dianthus, woolly thyme and snow-in-summer |
Stachys byzantina |
Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
5 x 12 |
Intensely Silvered, Greyish-White |
Non-flowering |
Mildew prone, spreads. Mat-forming. |
Stachys candida |
Deciduous Sub-Shrub below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
6 x 12 |
White-felted Grey-Green |
White in |
|
Stephanandra incisa |
Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
24 x 24 (60 x 60) |
Bright Green in Spring and Summer, Orange-Yellow in Autumn |
Greenish-White in |
"Lace Shrub, Cutleaf Stephanandra". From Japan, Taiwan and Korea. Graceful arching branches. |
Stipa gigantea |
Evergreen Grass above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
96 x 48 (240 x 120) |
Mid-Green |
Silvery Purplish-Green spikelets in |
"Giant Feather Grass, Golden Oats". |
Symphoricarpus albus var. laevigatus |
Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
72 x 72 (180 x 180) |
Dark Green |
Pink in July-September |
"Snowberry". |
Symphoricarpus x chenaultii |
Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
36 x 120 (90 x 300) |
Bronze in Spring, Bright Green in Summer and Autumn |
White in |
Dark Pink fruit |
Symphoricarpus x doorenbosii |
Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
48 x 48 (120 x 120) |
Light Green |
White in |
|
Symphytum |
Deciduous Rhizome Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
12 x 12 (30 x 30) |
Dark Green with Gold and Cream markings |
Pale Blue, Cream or Pink in |
"Comfrey". Best suited to Wild Gardens. May revert, spreading. Companions - grasses, iris sibirica, brunnera, astrantia, cimicifuga, campanula |
Deciduous Rhizome Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
16 x 24 (40 x 60) |
Mid-Green |
Pale Yellow in |
"Comfrey". Invasive |
|
Syringa meyeri |
Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
60 x 60 (150 x 150) |
Mid-Green |
Fragrant Lavender-Pink in |
"Lilac". From China. Spreading shrub. |
Syringa pubescens microphylla |
Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
72 x 72 (180 x 180) |
Mid-Green |
Rose-Pink in |
"Lilac". |
Syringa sweginzowii |
Deciduous Shrub above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
144 x 96 (360 x 240) |
Mid-Green |
Fragrant Pale Pink to Lilac-Pink or White in |
"Lilac". |
Syringa vulgaris |
Deciduous Shrub above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
132 x 120 (330 x 300) |
Bright Green |
Deep Purple-Red in |
"Common Lilac". Prefers alkaline soil. Very fragrant flowers and strongly upright growth |
Syringa vulgaris |
Deciduous Shrub above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
144 x 132 (360 x 330) |
Mid-Green |
White in |
"Common Lilac". Free-flowering and compact shrub. |
Height in inches (cms):- 25.4mm = 1 inch I normally round this to |
DISCLAIMER: Links to external sites are provided as a courtesy to visitors. Ivydene Horticultural Services are not responsible for the content and/or quality of external web sites linked from this site. Details of smaller Salix, Sanguinaria, Saponaria, Saxifraga, Sedum, Shortia, Silene and Spiraea and which container to grow the plant in:-
|
||||
|
|||||
Light Sandy Soil is usually fairly infertile, and it also dries out quickly. In such cases, use drought-tolerant plants, such as ones that grow in dry soil conditions (see plants in the Dry section of the Moisture column of the soil type, aspect and moisture list page) and also do the following actions, since any nutrients in the soil are usually washed out very quickly. Acid soil is most common in places that experience heavy rainfall and have moister environments. Areas in red have acidic soil, areas in yellow are neutral and areas in blue have alkaline soil in the World Map. Find Me Plants has further details on other plants for acidic soils, when you set Soil Type in Part 1: Surveying the planting area to Sandy/Gritty, or Light Sand or Stony/Sub-Soil. Action to assist in Light Sandy soil maintenance:-
Gardening in Sandy Soil by C.L. Fornari. A very useful book and one you can have on a Kindle in December 2017. A Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin with this Index:-
Action to assist in other soil types in:-
The following is from "A land of Soil, Milk and Honey" by Bernard Jarman in Star & Furrow Issue 122 January 2015 - Journal of the Biodynamic Association;_ "Soil is created in the first place through the activity of countlesss micro-organisms, earthworms and especially the garden worm (Lumbricus terrestris). This species is noticeably active in the period immediately before and immediately after mid-winter. In December we find it (in the UK) drawing large numbers of autumn leaves down into the soil. Worms consume all kinds of plant material along with sand and mineral substances. In form, they live as a pure digestive tract. The worm casts excreted from their bodies form the basis of a well-structured soil with an increased level of available plant nutrients:-
Worms also burrow to great depths and open up the soil for air and water to penetrate, increasing the scope of a fertile soil. After the earthworm, the most important helper of the biodynamic farmer is undoubetdly
|
|||||
Plant Combinations for Sandy Soil Action to assist in Light Sandy soil maintenance is given in the row above and this is required annually. |
Plants |
Comments |
|||
Sun lovers - You can achieve a design with grey-leaved plants, interspersed with smaller or larger groups of taller perennials and a single shrub. Because the grey-leaved plants predominate they are used as a basis, with suggestions for plants which can be combined with them. Grey Foliage with white and yellow flowers and plants that combine with these |
all have grey leaves and either white, yellow or inconspicuous flowers. If the above plants are planted together; the effect of different heights and size of leaf will be rather messy and unclear. Plant the above as the background ground cover and the ones in the next column within that background. |
|
|||
The above comes from Ground Cover. How to use flowering and foliage plants to cover areas of soil by Mineke Kurpershoek. Published by Rebo Productions Ltd in 1997. ISBN 1 901094 41 3 |
Contents
|
|
PLANTS PAGE PLANT USE Poisonous Cultivated and UK Wildflower Plants with Photos
Following parts of Level 2a,
|
PLANTS PAGE MENU Plant Selection by Plant Requirements
Photos - with its link; provides a link to its respective Plant Photo Gallery in this website to provide comparison photos. |
PLANTS PAGE MENU REFINING SELECTION Photos - 12 Flower Colours per Month in its Bloom Colour Wheel Gallery
Groundcover Height |
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. To see what plants that I have described in this website see |
||
Top ten plants that are bad for bees from Countryfile Magazine "Lavender, alliums, fuschias, sweet peas - keen gardeners know the very best flowers to entice bees to their gardens. But what about plants that are bad for bees? Here is our expert guide to the top ten plants that you should avoid to keep bees happy and buzzing, plus the perfect alternatives. 1. Rhododendron 2. Azalea 3. Trumpet flower, or angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia suaveolens) 4. Oleander (Nerium oleander) 5. Yellow Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) 6. Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) 7. Stargazer lily (Lilium 'Stargazer') 8. Heliconia Exotic and interesting, heliconia, or lobster-claws as its sometimes called, is very toxic to bees. You should not prune your heliconias, as the 'stem' is actually made up of rolled leaf bases and the flowers emerge from the top of these 'pseudostems'. However, each stem will only flower once, so after flowering you can cut that stem out. This is recommended, to encourage more flowering, to increase airflow in between the stems of your plant, and also to generally tidy it up and improve the appearance. 9. Bog rosemary (Andromeda polifolia - 10. Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) This is another list of Plants toxic to bees, which includes:- |
||
The following details come from Cactus Art:- "A flower is the the complex sexual reproductive structure of Angiosperms, typically consisting of an axis bearing perianth parts, androecium (male) and gynoecium (female). Bisexual flower show four distinctive parts arranged in rings inside each other which are technically modified leaves: Sepal, petal, stamen & pistil. This flower is referred to as complete (with all four parts) and perfect (with "male" stamens and "female" pistil). The ovary ripens into a fruit and the ovules inside develop into seeds. Incomplete flowers are lacking one or more of the four main parts. Imperfect (unisexual) flowers contain a pistil or stamens, but not both. The colourful parts of a flower and its scent attract pollinators and guide them to the nectary, usually at the base of the flower tube.
Androecium (male Parts or stamens) Gynoecium (female Parts or carpels or pistil)
 It is made up of the stigma, style, and ovary. Each pistil is constructed of one to many rolled leaflike structures.
The following details come from Nectary Genomics:- "NECTAR. Many flowering plants attract potential pollinators by offering a reward of floral nectar. The primary solutes found in most nectars are varying ratios of sucrose, glucose and fructose, which can range from as little a 8% (w/w) in some species to as high as 80% in others. This abundance of simple sugars has resulted in the general perception that nectar consists of little more than sugar-water; however, numerous studies indicate that it is actually a complex mixture of components. Additional compounds found in a variety of nectars include other sugars, all 20 standard amino acids, phenolics, alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenes, vitamins, organic acids, oils, free fatty acids, metal ions and proteins. NECTARIES. An organ known as the floral nectary is responsible for producing the complex mixture of compounds found in nectar. Nectaries can occur in different areas of flowers, and often take on diverse forms in different species, even to the point of being used for taxonomic purposes. Nectaries undergo remarkable morphological and metabolic changes during the course of floral development. For example, it is known that pre-secretory nectaries in a number of species accumulate large amounts of starch, which is followed by a rapid degradation of amyloplast granules just prior to anthesis and nectar secretion. These sugars presumably serve as a source of nectar carbohydrate. WHY STUDY NECTAR? Nearly one-third of all worldwide crops are dependent on animals to achieve efficient pollination. In addition, U.S. pollinator-dependent crops have been estimated to have an annual value of up to $15 billion. Many crop species are largely self-incompatible (not self-fertile) and rely almost entirely on animal pollinators to achieve full fecundity; poor pollinator visitation has been reported to reduce yields of certain species by up to 50%." |
||
The following details about DOUBLE FLOWERS comes from Wikipedia:- "Double-flowered" describes varieties of flowers with extra petals, often containing flowers within flowers. The double-flowered trait is often noted alongside the scientific name with the abbreviation fl. pl. (flore pleno, a Latin ablative form meaning "with full flower"). The first abnormality to be documented in flowers, double flowers are popular varieties of many commercial flower types, including roses, camellias and carnations. In some double-flowered varieties all of the reproductive organs are converted to petals — as a result, they are sexually sterile and must be propagated through cuttings. Many double-flowered plants have little wildlife value as access to the nectaries is typically blocked by the mutation.
There is further photographic, diagramatic and text about Double Flowers from an education department - dept.ca.uky.edu - in the University of Kentucky in America.
"Meet the plant hunter obsessed with double-flowering blooms" - an article from The Telegraph. |
||
THE 2 EUREKA EFFECT PAGES FOR UNDERSTANDING SOIL AND HOW PLANTS INTERACT WITH IT OUT OF 10,000:-
|
||
Choose 1 of these different Plant selection Methods:-
1. Choose a plant from 1 of 53 flower colours in the Colour Wheel Gallery.
2. Choose a plant from 1 of 12 flower colours in each month of the year from 12 Bloom Colours per Month Index Gallery.
3. Choose a plant from 1 of 6 flower colours per month for each type of plant:- Aquatic
4. Choose a plant from its Flower Shape:- Shape, Form
5. Choose a plant from its foliage:- Bamboo
6. There are 6 Plant Selection Levels including Bee Pollinated Plants for Hay Fever Sufferers in Plants Topic.
or
7. when I do not have my own or ones from mail-order nursery photos , then from March 2016, if you want to start from the uppermost design levels through to your choice of cultivated and wildflower plants to change your Plant Selection Process then use the following galleries:-
|
||
There are other pages on Plants which bloom in each month of the year in this website:-
|
|
|
Look for:- |
|