Ivydene Gardens Extra Pages of Plants
Grass List

The Grass Gallery compares colour photographs of some of the following grasses.

Grass Lawn

The different turves produced by Lindum for lawn laying are detailed at the bottom of this page.

Grass Lawn Maintenance

It is worth collecting the leaves from deciduous trees in the autumn by using a rotary lawn mower on your lawn. If you do this about once a week, whilst the leaves are falling, then this will prevent the grass from being smothered and dying off. Use these collected leaves on the beds and under the hedges at a 4 inch (100mm) depth as a mulch. This will

• a) reduce the appearance next year of annual weeds since the sunlight cannot then get to the seeds to germinate them,
• b) feed the plants with their nutrients, and
• c) aid in preventing the ground drying out through the action of wind and sun.

Mosses are tiny non-flowering plants with green leaves. They are anchored to the substrate - soil, bark, timber, brick wall, roof tile and tarmac - by 'non-absorbing' roots called rhizoids. There are 3 types of moss that cause problems in turf:-

Cushion forming mosses - tiny ground-hugging clusters of moss indicative of dampness and mower scalping,

Trailing mosses - symptoms of very poor drainage and shade (50 kg of top dressing for every 25 square yards annually in April on clay soil improves drainage), and

Upright mosses - larger, taller and tuftier moss plants found on drier and more acidic soils (add ground limestone to make it less acidic).

Shade encourages moisture and therefore moss, and especially the shade created by year-round reduction in light level caused by conifers and other evergreen trees/shrubs. Open up the canopy to allow more sunlight to reach the turf.
Lawn Sand is a mixture that contains two products; a lawn fertiliser and a moss killer that work together to condition your lawn. The lawn fertiliser feeds the grass and promotes growth to create rich, deep green grass and a healthier lawn. The moss killer tackles the moss, causing it to blacken and die. It can then be raked out and disposed of. Lawn Sand can be used between early March and mid November. It is not suitable for use during drought, freezing conditions or when rain is falling or expected. Add Calcified Seaweed to the turf in March to provide the trace elements.

Regular housekeeping of turf by scarification, and aeration by spiking using a fork, all help to avoid the compaction and persistent dampness that encourages moss.

Mowing begins when the grass starts growing in March. Don't mow when the grass is wet; it is dryer in the afternoon after the dew has evaporated. Utility lawns can be cut to 14 (35 cms)5 inches and 'Fine lawns' to 0.75 inches high, removing no more than about 0.5 inches per cut.

A grass height above 1.5 inches favours course grasses (ryegrasses) at the expense of the fine grasses (fescues). Cuts below 0.5 inches severely reduces the ability of the grass to regenerate and allows weeds in. During the summer in drought-free conditions the final heights can be reduced to 1 inch for utility and 0.5 inches for 'fine lawns' in the UK.

I do not recommend the use of 'Mulch Mowers'.

These are the roots of one bog-standard ryegrass plant that was growing in Type I Roadstone. I washed out the stone and you can see how much root it has. If you have grass growing within 3 feet radius of a tree, then it will absorb most of the rain that falls on that section of the ground and any nutrients in the soil, leaving very little for that tree or any shrub/tree vegetation you have growing in a lawn or grass area.

RTF (Rhizomatous Tall Fescue see RTF in the Lindum Turf Range below), can root to 1.5 metres deep giving it a chance to tap into water reserves that normal lawn turf cannot reach. That would mean no water or nutrients for any other plant in that section of ground.

Evergreen Grass

Plant Name

Height x Spread in inches (cms)
Plants below 24 inches (60 cms) in Height

Evergreen - Of plants that retain their foliage for more than one growing season; semi-evergreen plants retain only a small proportion of their leaves for more than one season.

Carex hachijoensis 'Evergold'
Festuca eskia
Festuca glauca 'Blue Fox'
 

12 x 14 (30 xxx35)
6 x 10 (15 x 25)
12 x 10 (30 x 25)
 

Evergreen Grass

Plant Name

Height x Spread in inches (cms)
Plants between 24 and 72 inches (60 - 180 cms) in Height

Grass - Erect or arching stems are usually round and hollow, with regularly spaced nodes. Being monocotyledons means having only one (mono) seed-leaf (cotyledon).Their leaf veins are typically parallel to one another and the leaf margins are often smooth.

Carex pendula
Luzula nivea
Luzula sylvatica
Luzula sylvatica 'Aurea'
Phalaris arundinacea 'Feesey'
...
Phalaris arundinacea var. picta
 

54 x 60 (135 x 150)
24 x 18 (60 x 45)
30 x 18 (75 x 45)
30 x 18 (75 x 45)
60 x indefinite (150 x indefinite)
36 x 12 (90 x 30)
 

Evergreen Grass

Plant Name

Height x Spread in inches (cms)
Plants above 72 inches (180 cms) in Height

Cortaderia selloana
'Sunningdale Silver'
Stipa gigantea (Golden Oats)
 

120 x 96 (300 x 240)
.
96 x 48 (240 x 120)
 

Herbaceous Grass

Plant Name

Height x Spread in inches (cms)
Plants below 24 inches (60 cms) in Height

Herbaceous - A non-woody plant in which the upper parts die down to a rootstock at the end of the growing season. It is chiefly applied to perennials, although botanically it also applies to annuals and biennials.

Carex comans
Carex siderosticha 'Variegata'
 

12 x 30 (30 x 75)
12 x 16 (30 x 40)
 

Herbaceous Grass

Plant Name

Height x Spread in inches (cms)
Plants between 24 and 72 inches (60 - 180 cms) in Height

Carex elata 'Aurea'
 

28 x 18 (70 x 45)
 

The Lindum Turf Range.

All turf produced by Lindum is grown on stone-free sandy loam soils to rigorously high, certified standards.

All grades of Lindum's turf can be supplied washed. Washed turf is particularly appropriate if you have an area that needs to become established quickly as it roots much more rapidly than standard turf, providing the ideal solution if you have tight timescales to work to. The turf is processed to remove all the soil from the root mat using a specially patented system. It is available in standard or large rolls and can be used in conjunction with re-inforced rootzone systems.

Code

Name of Grade

Application

Features

Seed Mix

LT1

Tournament Greens

Bowling Greens

Very Fine
Dense Sward
Close Mowing
High Maintenance

Chewings/ Slender
Creeping Red Fescue
Browntop Bent or High % Browntop Bent

LT3

Ryegreen

Cricket and Tennis
Finest Lawns

Hard Wearing
Good Recovery
Mow to 6mm

Fine Leafed Ryegrass
Chewings & Creeping Red Fescue

LT4

Smooth Stalked Tees

High Quality Formal Lawns

Hard Wearing
Fine Turf
Good Appearance
Variable Maintenance

Chewings & Creeping Red Fescue
Smooth Stalked Meadow Grass

LT6

Sporturf

Football

Very Hard Wearing
Good Recovery Average Maintenance

Dwarf Rye Grass
Smooth Stalked Meadow Grass Chewings & Red Fescue

LT7

Festival

Lawns

Hard Wearing Good Recovery Average Maintenance

Dwarf Rye Grass Smooth Stalked Meadow Grass Chewings & Red Fescue

LT9

RTF

Landscaping
Soil Stabilisation

Shade Tolerant Drought Tolerant Average Maintenance

Rhizomatous Tall Fescue
Smooth Stalked Meadow Grass

RTF (Rhizomatous Tall Fescue), bred by Barenbrug Research USA, produces rhizomes (an underground stem) that send a shoot up to the soil surface while extending new roots downwards. In fact, RTF can root to 1.5 metres deep giving it a chance to tap into water reserves that normal lawn turf cannot reach.

By re-turfing a garden with heat and drought tolerant RTF turf, lawns should remain green, lush and consistently thick, even in the height of summer. The lawn has high tensile strength, which quickly fills in damaged or open spots with new shoots of grass effectively knitting the lawn together, resulting in a garden that is extremely wear and tear tolerant, and one that can withstand the stress of adverse conditions such as drought and shade.

Because RTF is suited to almost all soil types and needs little maintenance and minimal irrigation, gardeners will be rewarded with beautiful lawns, rich in colour and disease resistant, not only in the summer but all year round. During the winter months, the lawn will hold its lush green colour and can resist frost and darker corners. With the onset of spring the rapid germination and quick spring green-up means that lawns are greener earlier.

Besides Lindum, RTF Turf can be obtained from Turfgrass Services International Limited, Tillers Turf Company and Q Lawns.

Lindum Grassfelt

Grassfelt is a mature soil-less grass growing in felt especially designed to retain moisture as well as giving great strength and flexibility.

Lindum Grassfelt is extremely pliable and flexible and the resulting “living carpet" is ideal for covering unusual contours, including steep slopes, embankments and sculptures. It is suitable for temporary or permanent use both indoors and outdoors, and is supplied in large rolls resulting in minimal visible joins.

A temporary tennis court was laid in Trafalgar Square, London with Lindum Grassfelt for the finals of the "Ariel Tennis Ace" campaign.

All their different varieties of turf can be produced by Lindum as a Grassfelt grass.

Lindum Lokturf

Lindum Lokturf uses a crimped fibre technology to produce tough, wear-resistant turf with an extensive root system. By producing a superior interlock between fibres, sand and roots, Lindum Lokturf not only gives greater stability but also acts as an effective shock absorber.

It is ideal for areas of heavy impact and Lokturf provides a durable, fast recovering surface which stays firmer and level for longer.

Due to its unique composition, Lindum Lokturf also helps areas to drain rapidly by reducing rootzone compaction, meaning that surfaces quickly recover ready to be re-used.

It can be used for equestrian surfaces, grass access roads and grass car parks.

Lindum Wildflower

Lindum Wildflower contains more than 20 species to provide a colourful display over a prolonged flowering period, but these can be changed according to soil type and location. Suitable for private gardens and green roofs, Grassfelt’s stabilizing qualities mean that the product is also ideal for roadside embankments and steep slopes or mounds.

Lindum Reedfelt

A combination of Lindum's Grassfelt technology using a biodegradable felt made from recycled British Textiles, and British Flora's high quality reeds, Lindum Reedfelt provides a lighter and more sustainable alternative to traditional coir blankets.

Lindum Reedfelt can be used for the stabilisation of waterways and wild margins as well as water filtration treatment.

LT6 - Sporturf would be suitable for children and dogs.
LT7 - Festival would be suitable for most lawns.
LT4 - Smooth Stalked Tees would be suitable for use in formal outside social use.
LT3 - Ryegreen would be suitable in a small area for cricket, tennis or croquet.
LT1 - Tournament Greens would be suitable for your own bowling green.

Clover in Lawns

Clovers are useful leguminous plants. Rhizobium bacteria in the root nodules fix atmospheric nitrogen into nitrate and improve soil fertility. The leaves are protein rich and make good grazing for your pet rabbit!!. The flowers are important sources of nectar for bees from May to October.

White Clover - Kentish Clover - (Trifolium repens) prefers alkaline soils.
Bird's foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), Lesser trefoil (Trifolium dubium) and Black medick (Medicago lupina) also prefer dry alkaline soils; derived from sand or limestone.

Scarification is one means of organic suppression, whereas chemical control using herbicides like 2,4-D in Weed -Feed & Moss Killer is another, which is inorganic. It is better to leave the clover in the lawns, especially with climate change affecting the increase in growth from the temperature increase, but slowing it down due to less rainfall in the summer and any nitrogen fertiliser applied being used up faster.

Grass Seed for Lawns

Barenbrug produces 90,000 tonnes of seed worldwide; amongst which they produce the following 4 grass seed mixtures for private gardens, which are available from their the-perfect-lawn website:-

• Bar 10 with RTF has the deep rooting capability of RTF (Rhizomatous tall fescue) to make it tolerant of waterlogging and drought, together with its excellent tensile strength and rapid recovery. The Barlennium ryegrass performs well in combined shade and wear and has excellent salt tolerance (suitable for wind driven salt from the sea into coastal gardens). This mixture would be best on acid soils, since 90% of its seed components have their optimal pH range of 5.5-7.0.
• Bar 30 with RTF is similar to Bar 10 with RTF and has extreme drought tolerance (ie for use on steep banks). 35% of the mixture is crested hairgrass with optimal pH range of 5.5-8.0, so making it more suitable for alkaline soils (like ones based on chalk).
• Bar 40 is the ultimate low maintenance mixture with reduced thatch production and excellent disease resistance. It is suitable for gardens near a coast and for formal outside social use. 70% of its seed has optimal pH range of 5.5-7.5, so making it suitable for any lawn. Excellent companion grass for wild flowers.
• Bar 14 is suitable for road verges, embankments and low input situations, giving a dense sward requiring little maintenance. This is the Ministry of Transport approved mixture. The inclusion of Smooth-stalked meadowgrass provides slow regrowth for reduced mowing frequency. The inclusion of Small-leaved white clover removes the need for Nitrogen applications (Clover is a legume that fixes atmospheric nitrogen to improve soil fertility), yet it will not dominate the sward.

Barenbrug also produce the following grass wildflower seed mixtures for low lawn maintenance:-

• Barflora Flower Meadow is general purpose. It is designed to perform well over a wide range of soils with a good range of native British biennial and perennial wild flowers. For extra colour in the year add a small amount of Barcolour - their annual native wildflower mixture. Maintenance - bi-annual mowing spring and autumn, removal of all cut material.
• Barflora 1 is for shady places, hedgerows and woodland glades. Sow in areas of light shade under deciduous trees and shrubs, hedge banks and north facing slopes. It is recommended to sow it in early spring to allow germination before canopy closes. Maintenance - one cut a year before leaf fall. Leaves from the hedgerows/trees should be removed each autumn from the lawn.
• Barflora 2 is for loamy, free draining soils. For loams and lighter alluvial soils (more sandy), this contains 6 interesting grasses and a comprehensive selection of 15 native wild flowers that are found throughout lowland Britain. Maintenance - bi-annual mowing spring and autumn, removal of all cut material.
• Barflora 3 is for heavy clay soils prone to waterlogging. Clay soils can present their own difficulties to work, warming up slowly in spring and drying out in summer. They can support a very diverse and interesting plant population that tends to be predominantly summer flowering. They recommend early autumn soil preparation with a winter fallow period to allow frost to condition the soil, fiolled by spring sowing when the soil temperature has risen. Maintenance - bi-annual mowing spring and autumn, removal of all cut material.

How to renovate an existing lawn

• Remove broad-leaved weeds by applying a proprietary selective weedkiller
• Mow the lawn as closely as possible – down to 15mm (1/2 inch)
• Aerate the lawn using a garden fork, a hollow-tine fork, or a mechanical solid-tine or slitter aerator (from a hire shop)
• Use string or bamboo canes to mark out square metres. Apply the seed from above mixtures by hand or through a drop spreader at a rate of 20g/m2
• Apply a light top dressing of soil and sand mixture (kiln-dried topdressing is available from Gardenscape) and brush in with soft brush or besom broom
• Water in with watering can or hose with fine nozzle.
• Apply fertiliser after germination rather than a pre-seed fertiliser to reduce the competition from the existing sward and this assists establishment of the new grass.
• Allowing the sward to grow too long before the first cut, or in between cuts, puts it under unnecessary stress, so mow regularly as required.

How to sow a newly constructed lawn

• Prepare the site to be sown by digging thoroughly, incorporating cow manure and levelling
• Firm ground by rolling or treading using your heels only
• Rake surface to achieve fine seed bed
• Finally rake to leave 5mm (1/4 inch) furrows. Sowing depth influences speed of establishment, species composition and subsequent performance of the turf (if small seeds are sown too deeply the more aggresive, generally larger-seeded species in the mixture could completely dominate the sward, thus affecting the synergy of the mixture with the loss of desirable characteristics)
• Mark out seed bed with string, or bamboo canes at each end
• Sow seed from above mixtures by hand or with a drop spreader at a rate of 30g/m2
• Lightly rake over at right angles to previously in order to cover the furrows
• Roll lightly, or walk over all the dry surface to get the seed in contact with the soil
• Water in thoroughly using a fine spray, avoiding washing away any soil or causing puddles
• Keep well watered until grass becomes established (about 3 weeks)

Lawn care advice from the company (that breeds the seed, then produces it, followed by Lindum, Turfgrass Services International Limited, Tillers Turf Company and Q Lawns who create the lawn turf from that seed) is available from the perfect lawn.

Please do not use weedkillers on the lawn.

The following is from Page 36 of Issue 208 in Spring 2013 of The Organic Way :-

Aminopyralid (AP) and clopyralid (CP) are used to kill broadleaved weeds, such as daisies and dandelions, in grass. AP is used mainly by farmers, but can also be used on amenity grass. CP is available to amateurs and professionals, for use on lawns, golf courses, etc (I wonder if this is used by Green Thumb when they kill the weeds). Although AP and CP are not used in organic growing, AP can unwittingly be brought into a garden in contaminated manure, and CP, in grass mowings and, potentially, in compost and growing media.

Even as low as 3 parts per 1000,000,000 (a billion), CP and AP cause distorted growth and sometimes crop failure in a wide range of important and popular food and ornamental plants. Both chemicals bind strongly to lignin in organic matter - in this case the treated grass. They are released only when this lignin is broken down. AP can pass through an animal's gut and still be active; hence, the problem with manure contaminination. CP will still be active in lawn mowings 3 cuts after application, and it can take many months to breakdown in a compost heap.

Damage can occur on plants grown in soil or potting compost where contaminiated manure or compost has been used as a mulch. In a polytunnel or greenhouse, where the soil receives much less water than outdoors, the effects tend to be longer lasting - 2 years or more.
Symptoms include:

• thickened, curved and twisted shoots, stems and leaves
• cupped and crinkled leaves
• cracked stems
• proliferated growth.

After many reports of aminopyralid damage to manured crops in 2008, products containing these chemicals were withdrawn from sale in the UK. But after an awareness campaign and stricter labelling, aimed at preventing these chemicals getting into manure, they are now back on the market. CP containing products have been banned in New Zealand and in some states in the USA. In the UK, the response has been simply to require improved labelling of amateur products by 2014, with the aim of keeping contaminated mowings out of municipal composting systems.

Many UK Councils will not empty a general refuse bin that contains plant material. Part of "improved labelling" on a plastic canister of Clopyralid states "Do not dispose of via council composting schemes". So, if it cannot go in the Green Waste Bin, where does it go? Kept in the Garden or illegaly dumped in a ditch?"

Height in inches (cms):-

25.4mm = 1 inch
304.8mm = 12 inches
12 inches = 1 foot
3 feet = 1 yard
914.4mm = 1 yard

I normally round this to
25mm = 1 inch
300mm = 30 cms = 12 inches =1 foot,
900 mm = 3 feet = 1 yard and
1000mm = 100 cms = 1 metre = 40 inches

This table has been copied from
Ivydene Gardens Plants:
Plant Pruning

Pruning of
Woody Plants in Groups 1 - 13 and Herbaceous Perennials in Group 14 with Ferns in Group 15 and Evergreen Perennials in Group 16.

The aim of formative pruning of a new plant is to produce a balanced framework of sturdy, well-spaced branches that permit maximum light and air to reach the entire plant. Most evergreen trees and shrubs require little formative pruning, but may need light shaping after planting (plant in Autumn) in Spring, to ensure balanced growth. Formative pruning of deciduous trees/shrubs should be carried out in the dormant season (most deciduous trees/shrubs have lost their leaves by January and do not grow new ones before March), either at or soon after planting in the Autumn. If a young shrub does not have a balanced framework, cut off the sideshoots of the main stems, then select 4 or 5 of the strongest, most evenly spaced main stems from the resulting growth to form the new framework, and cut out the rest. Some plants from pruning group 1 need only minimal pruning; these include slow-growing shrubs with an intricate, ornamental branch structure whose appearance is easily spoiled by cutting back.

Some old or overgrown shrubs - such as those that produce new shoots from the base or from old wood - may be rejuvenated by hard pruning. Renovate deciduous shrubs after flowering or when dormant in January, and evergreen shrubs in mid-Spring. Cut back up to one-third of the oldest stems close to the base. Of those that remain, cut out the weak or dead wood, then rubbing, crossing or congested stems and finally shorten the oldest by half to strong buds. Repeat the following year, cutting back the remaining old main stems.

For pruning of plants after their first year from planting in your garden; begin by removing dead, damaged or diseased wood, and then crossing shoots. If the 'normal' branch is horizontal, then cut out the vertical crossing branch. If the 'normal branch is vertical, then cut out the horizontal crossing branch. Remember to see whether the crossing branch you take out will affect the overall shape of the plant less than the other one - to make sure that you do not destroy the 'normal' shape of the plant. Then follow the respective pruning action for the Pruning Group for that plant in the following table:-

Pruning Group Number

Type of Plant

Pruning Action

When

1. e.g. Acer palmatum

Evergreen and deciduous trees/shrubs that flower on previous or current year's growth and need minimal pruning

Remove crossing shoots to maintain framework.

In late winter or early Spring, when dormant; some in late summer or early autumn to prevent sap bleeding.

2. e.g. Forsythia

Deciduous Shrubs that flower in Spring or early Summer on previous year's growth

Cut back flowered shoots to strong buds or young lower or basal growth. On established plants, cut back about 1/4 of old shoots to the base, to promote replacement growth.

Annually, after flowering.

3. e.g. Kerria

Deciduous shrubs that flower in Spring or early Summer on previous year's growth, and produce new growth at or near ground level.

Cut back flowered shoots to young sideshoots or to strong buds low down on branch framework, to encourage new growth.

Annually, after flowering

4. e.g. Hydrangea macrophylla

Deciduous shrubs that flower in mid to late Summer or Autumn on previous year's growth.

Trim off last season's flowerheads to the first bud beneath each flowerhead. With established plants, cut back about 1/4 of old shoots to the base, to promote replacement growth.

Annually, from early to mid-Spring.

5. e.g. Prunus triloba

Deciduous shrubs that flower between late Winter and early Spring on previous year's growth.

Cut back all stems to strong buds or to developing shoots close to the base of the plant, to promote replacement growth.

Annually, after flowering

6. e.g. Buddleja davidii

Deciduous shrubs that flower in mid to late Summer or Autumn on current year's growth.

Cut back to low permanent framework. For Sub-Shrubs, and for drastic renovation, cut back all flowered stems close to the base.

Annually, as buds begin to swell in early spring.

7. e.g. Cornus alba

Deciduous trees and shrubs that, when pruned hard, produce colourful winter stems, or large or brightly hued foliage, as ornamental features. Plants that flower on previous year's wood do not bloom if pruned this way.

Cut back all stems to within 2 or 3 buds of the base, or to the permanent framework. Feed or apply well-rotted farmyard manure, and mulch to compensate for loss of wood.

Annually, in early Spring.

8. e.g. Camellia, Rhododendron

Evergreen shrubs that flower between Winter and early Summer on previous or current year's growth, and need minimal pruning.

Trim or lightly cut back shoots that spoil symmetry. Dead-head regularly if practical (unless fruit is required).

Annually, after flowering. Remove dead and damaged growth in mid-Spring.

9. e.g. Eucryphia

Evergreen shrubs that flower between mid-Summer and late Autumn on previous or current year's growth, or that bear insignificant flowers, and that need minimal pruning.

Trim or lightly cut back shoots that spoil symmetry. Shrubs grown for foliage often tolerate harder pruning. Dead-head regularly if practical (unless fruit is required).

Annually, or as necessary, from mid to late Spring.

10. e.g. Calluna, Erica, Lavandula

Evergreen shrubs that flower on previous year's growth in Spring or early Summer, or on current year's growth in late Summer or Autumn. (Tree heathers require only minimal pruning).

Cut back flowered shoots to within 1" (2.5cm) of previous year's growth.

Annually:

• after flowering, if flowering on previous year's growth.
• in early or mid-Spring, if flowering on current year's growth.

11. e.g. Akebia, Clematis montana

Vigorous, deciduous and evergreen climbers that flower on previous or current year's growth, and need no regular pruning.

Trim to fit available space; carry out renovation pruning as needed

Annually, or as needed:

• after flowering, if flowering on previous year's growth.
• in late Winter or early Spring, if flowering on current year's growth.

12. e.g. Solanum crispum

Less vigourous, deciduous and evergreen climbers that flower on previous or current year's growth.

"Spur prune" by cutting back side-shoots to within 4 buds of it's main stem. Thin out overcrowded shoots by unravelling every branch onto the ground. Then, retie the main branches to its support - this could be chainlink fencing from 24 to 60 inches (60-150 cms) with twine not with plastic, metal or rubber. Then starting at the base, inspect each sub-branch and tie it to the climber support. Then tie the next one if there is room; if not cut it back to within 4 buds of its connection to its parent branch. And carry on up that sub-branch, until all its sub-branches have been dealt with. Then repeat the process on the next main branch system, until all the branch structure has been retied. You will end up with a lot more flowers and a better looking climber. This complete process may well need to be done every 2 or 3 years, so that you do not end up with a thick mass of twigs and a leafy climber on the outside after 4 to 5 years.

Annually:

• after flowering, if flowering on previous year's growth.
• in late Winter or early Spring, if flowering on current year's growth.

13. e.g. Ceanothus

Wall trained, deciduous and evergreen shrubs that flower on previous or current year's growth.

Cut back flowered shoots to within 4 buds of permanent framework. Trim outward-facing shoots and those growing towards the wall.

Annually:

• after flowering, if flowering on previous year's growth.
• in late Winter or early Spring, if flowering on current year's growth.

14. e.g.

Herbaceous perennials.

Apply top dressing of bone meal.

The plants produce vigorous shoots. When the plant is one-third of its final height, pinch out the weak shoots.

Cut shoots down to the base, and remove dead and faded growth and weeds. Divide perennials every 4 years to maintain vigour and replant the divided portions elsewhere in the garden. To appreciate grasses and other plants during the Winter, delay cutting and mulching until early Spring. Apply a 4 inch deep mulch of organic matter such as Spent Mushroom Compost or Bark.

Apply bone meal in early Spring after rain.

Each Spring

Every Autumn

15. e.g.

Ferns

Remove old fronds. Divide every 4 years to maintain vigour. Apply top dressing of bone meal and apply a 4 inch deep mulch of organic matter such as Spent Mushroom Compost or Bark.

Each Spring

16. e.g.

Evergreen perennials

Apply top dressing of bone meal.

Remove dead and faded growth and weeds. Divide perennials every 4 years to maintain vigour and replant the divided portions elsewhere in the garden. To appreciate grasses and other plants during the Winter, delay cutting and mulching until early Spring. Apply a 4 inch deep mulch of organic matter such as Spent Mushroom Compost or Bark.

Apply bone meal in early Spring after rain.
Every Autumn

17. e.g. Bamboo

PROBLEMS CAUSED BY PLANTING TREES TOO CLOSE TOGETHER, UNLESS YOU WANT AN IMPENETRABLE CONTINUOUS HEDGE

• "How Much Room Should I Allow?
  With all these considerations, when you are looking for trees to plant, look at the final sizes listed for them and then get out into the garden with a measure, to see how much room you really have, considering all the things we have talked about here. Look at the places you were thinking of planting and consider the following distances.
  To protect foundations, sewers and drains, allow the following spacings:
  • Small trees, such as flowering dogwoods, magnolia, or smaller conifers – allow 10 feet.
    • Medium-sized trees, such as fruit trees, birch trees, or larger Japanese maple – allow 20 feet
    • Large-trees, like sugar maple, oaks, Gingko, or flowering pear – allow 30 to 50 feet
    • Large, aggressive trees like poplars, silver maple or willows – allow 100 feet
• Distance From Buildings and Other Trees
  There are other factors worth considering when planting near your home, besides protecting foundations. First there is visual scale. A typical two-story home, with a pitched roof is 20 to 25 feet tall. Many trees, evergreen or deciduous, will grow 60 to 80 feet tall, and right alongside your home that is going to look pretty silly. Besides that, overhanging branches can break, causing roof damage, or if the whole tree comes down in a storm it will demolish most of your home. Far better to plant trees that grow no more than 40 feet tall within a 20 feet radius around your home. Keep those larger trees further away, where you can see and admire their beauty, without any risk.
  Consider too the width of the tree. As a rule of thumb, if you half the width listed for a mature tree, that should be the minimum distance away from the house – even then the branches will in time touch the windows. So a better rule would be two-thirds of the listed width. That is also a good rule for spacing trees apart, if you want them to retain their individual identity. Trees planted close together make a nice forest, but that may not be the garden style you had in mind!"
• View these pages for further details -
  Without replacing Soil Nutrients, the soil will break up to only clay, sand or silt ,
  Subsidence caused by water in Clay and
  Use water ring for trees/shrubs for first 2 years.
  
   

Outside the shop of Gillingham Street Angels in Chatham, Medway Council has installed a new tree in a 2 x 2 metre area with stakes. Photo taken on 30 june 2023 by C. Garnons-Williams.

Some material was placed in that 2 x 2 metre area after the tree was planted and then a wacker plate was used to vibrate that material down at 3.2 metres per second with 520 Kg per square metre pressure right up to the trunk of the new tree. Any tree roots under that would have been crushed by that vibrating 1146 pound pressure, which is more than half a ton.


When planting these trees in the next 2 years, try not to kill every one.
Soil for plants must have air in it for the roots to use to go places; so do not use waker plates to kill them off. I hope that this process of hammering down the earth for each of the new tree roots in Medway will not be repeated to waste the £125,000 funded by the Forestry Commission's Urban Tree Challenge Fund with its matched funding of £125,000 from Medway Council and the £115,000 from the Local Authority Tree Fund over the next 2 years from 2 December 2022.

WHY IS THERE NO MEMBER OF THE MEDWAY STAFF OR ITS HIRED CONTRACTORS WHO KNOWS ANYTHING ABOUT PLANTS AND WHO ALLOWS THIS, AND
THE NEGLECT OF THE OTHER TREES IN THE CHATHAM HIGH STREET THAT ARE NOW BEING CUT DOWN DUE TO NEGLECT IN ALLOWING THE PROTECTIVE METAL STRUCTURES ROUND THEM TO BE GROWN INTO BY THOSE TREES WHICH THEN KILLS THE TREES?

Unfortunately the material that was pressured down was not soil, because on Thursday 25 May 2023, I saw that tarmac had been laid on top of that material in the 2 x 2 metre area right up to the trunk of the new tree.
Did you know that is also what Guernsey did in September 2019?
This stops water etc as detailed in point 10 below from interacting with the crushed roots of that tree, so that the

• Forestry Commission,
• Medway population who are funding this £125,000 matched funding and
• the Local Authority Tree Fund
  will be very grateful to Medway Council in wasting their funds by planting trees and then proceeding to kill them.
  
  
  This copy of point 7 comes from the Home page:-
  7. 166 trees in the pavements in a short section of a road in Funchal, Madeira are being slowly, starved, dehydrated, asphyxiated, poisoned by tarmac and concrete, burnt inside their hollow trunks, roots pounded by 40 ton lorries or shoes of pedestrians, and allowed to rot until killed off during February 2019 (see information in Problems with trees in pavements in Funchal, Madeira in January/February 2018 Page, which appears to have had no effect) as shown by my 433 photos in the following pages:-
  • Death of tree roots and
    • Death of tree trunks/branches caused by people.
    • Solution to problems for trees caused by people using irrigation -
      Growth of Pollarded Tree in Hotel Garden in 1 year provides a water solution to this destruction.
    • Damage to Tree Trunks 1, 2, 3, 4 caused by people,
    • Damage to Tree Roots caused by people,
    • Area of Open Ground round trees,
    • New Trees in pavements 1, 2,
    • Irrigation of current trees,
    • Watersprouts on trees,
    • Crossing Branches in trees,
    • Utility Equipment with tree Foliage,
    • Lights on trees,
    • Bycycle Lane in Pavement,
    • Public Gardens alongside pavements,
    • Hotel/Private Gardens alongside pavements,
    • Current Permeable Pavement Surface round trees and
    • Irrigation and Fertilising of trees. "Understanding Fern Needs
      Ferns have the same basic growing requirements as other plants and will thrive when these are met. There is nothing mysterious about the requirements - they are not something known only to people with green thumbs - but the best gardeners are those who understand plant requirements and are careful about satisfying them.
      What, then, does a fern need?
    • All plants need water. Water in the soil prevents roots from drying, and all mineral nutrients taken up by the roots must be dissolved in the soil water. Besides water in the soil, most plants need water in the air. Adequate humidity keeps the plant from drying out. Leaves need water for photosynthesis and to keep from wilting.
    • All green plants need light to manufacture food (sugars) by photosynthesis. Some plants need more light than others, and some can flourish in sun or shade. Most ferns, however, prefer some amount of shade.
    • For photosynthesis, plants require carbon dioxide, a gas that is exhaled by animals as waste. Carbon dioxide diffuses into plants through tiny pores, called stomata, that abound on the lower surface of the leaves. In the leaf, carbon dioxide is combined with the hydrogen from water to form carbohydrates, the plant's food. This process takes place only in the presence of light and chlorophyll, a green pigment found in plant cells. To enhance growth, some commercial growers increase the carbon dioxide level in their greenhouses to 600ppm (parts per million), or twice the amount typically found in the air.
    • Plants need oxygen. The green plants of a plant do not require much oxygen from the air because plants produce more oxygen by photosynthesis than they use. The excess oxygen liberated from the plants is used by all animals, including humans. What do plants do with oxygen? They use it just as we do, to release the energy stored in food. We use energy to move about, to talk, to grow, to think - in fact, for all our life processes. Although plants don't talk or move much, they do grow and metabolize and must carry on all their life processes using oxygen to release the stored energy in their food.
    • Roots need air all the time. They get it from the air spaces between the soil particles. Overwatering displaces the air between soil particles with water, thereby removing the oxygen needed by the roots. This reduces the root's ability to absorb mineral nutrients and can foster root-rot. These gases need free access to the roots:-
    • Nitrogen Cycle -
      Nitrogen is the most commonly limiting nutrient in plants. Legumes use nitrogen fixing bacteria, specifically symbiotic rhizobia bacteria, within their root nodules to counter the limitation. Rhizobia bacteria fix nitrogen which is then converted to ammonia. Ammonia is then assimilated into nucleotides, Amino Acids, vitamins and flavones which are essential to the growth of the plant. The plant root cells convert sugar into organic acids which then supply to the rhizobia in exchange, hence a symbiotic relationship between rhizobia and the legumes.
    • Oxygen Cycle -
      No nutrient absorption occurs at the root zone unless oxygen is present.
    • Carbon Dioxide -
      Plant roots uptake carbon dioxide to provide carbon for parts of the foliage.
    • Plants need minerals to grow properly. The minerals are mined from the soil by the plant's root system. If a certain mineral is missing, such as calcium needed for developing cell walls, then the plant will be stunted, discoloured, or deformed.
    • Some plants tolerate a wide range of temperatures, whereas others are fussy. If the temperature is too high or low, the machinery of the plant will not operate satisfactorily or will cease entirely.
    • The basic needs of plants are not hard to supply, but growing success depends on attending to these needs with care and exactitude. The remainder of this chapter is devoted to a discussion of these requirements, with the exception of mineral needs, which are discussed in Chapter 5."
    • You can see further damage done to trees in pavements in Madeira in these pages:-
      Pavements of Funchal, Madeira
      Damage to Trees - Pages
      1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
      6, 7, 8, 9, 10,
      11, 12, 13
      for trees 1-54,
      14, 15,
      16, 17, 18, 19, 20,
      21, 22, 23, 24, 25,
      for trees 55-95,
      26, 27, 28, 29, 30,
      31, 32, 33, 34, 35,
      36, 37,
      for trees 95-133,
      38, 39, 40,
      41, 42, 43, 44, 45,
      for trees 133-166
      
      
      
      Let us repeat point 10:-
      10. Since I was adding to the 97 out 706 ferns to the Fern Gallery, I thought you might be interested in the following to explain why the current treatment of growing plants in pavements in Madeira is lacking in care:-
      
      This row gives a very clear overall description of the
      Cultural Needs of Plants
      from Chapter 4 in Fern Grower's Manual by Barbara Joe Hoshizaki & Robbin C. Moran. Revised and Expanded Edition. Published in 2001 by Timber Press, Inc. Reprinted 2002, 2006. ISBN-13:978-0-88192-495-4.

By the bus stop for the 145 after the George Pub on City Way, Rochester, there is a mature tree killed by honey fungus. A few yards away, there is a new building being built with a great deal of heavy steelwork. The lorries bringing that steel do not put down supporting trackways and so the pavement had 2 deep indentations in it. The roots of this mature tree were in that area and would have been broken by this and that is where the honey fungus got in. Having infected that tree and killed it off, the fungus went up about 20 yards to a pollarded tree that had been knocked to a 45 degree angle by a heavy duty motor vehicle and infected that as well. When Medway Council sent repairers to relay the pavement tarmac, I informed them about the trees. The dead trees have not been removed and so that honey fungus will continue up and down City Way on the grass and tree verge between the road and the tarmac pavement, and into the gardens along that side.

Like the new trees that had died of disease in a car park of a new Aldi store in Gillingham, nothing was done about them by Medway Council for about a year, while Aldi continued to sell garden trees from the same car park area.

Perhaps it might make sense if all the trees under the protection of Medway Council were identified, put onto a map and their details held in a database and what happens to each in each year. Then have a department to look after them on a continuing basis. Unfortunately Medway trees are only dealt with when they have died or in the case of trees in Chatham High Street where the trunk has exceeded the space within the metal fence surrounding it and the metal has entered the trunk - once a circle of metal has gone into the trunk then the 1 cell thick cambium layer has been breached and everything above it dies. Because nobody has stopped this from happenning, good mature trees have been killed off by neglect due to no maintenance staff.

This section of a table was copied from
Ivydene Gardens Flower Shape and Use in Landscape for all Wildflower and Cultivated Plants in this Website Gallery
 

This table does have the links attached to its cell text content, because of memory,
they are in Tables 2 and 3 within TABLE B (the fifth in the row) of
Evergreen Perennial Shape Gallery Map Page
 

These 2 systems of comparison:-

The Evergreen Perennials have

• Plant Description Pages
• their flower colour compared in a 7 Flower Colour per month Gallery
• their Flower Shape compared in a Gallery, and
• their Plant Use compared in another Gallery

Every Plant detailed in this website has

• Plant Description Pages or row in a table
• their flower colour compared in a 7 Flower Colour per month Gallery
• their Flower Shape compared in a Gallery, and
• their plant Use compared in another Gallery

are detailed in the TABLE A on the right

PLANT USE AND FLOWER SHAPE GALLERY PAGES
compares the use and flower shape of plants in this website
- WHICH ARE THOSE PLANTS FROM OTHER GALLERIES BESIDES THE WILDFLOWER SHAPE GALLERY -
 

combined with those already compared in
Bedding,
Bulb,
Evergreen Perennial,
Herbaceous Perennial and
Roses
pages as linked to in row

Topic - Use of Plant in your Plant Selection Process
in the TOPIC table - on the extreme left - at the end of this page with

Tip Colour background as shown in the cell above.

Strip
Site

Early Spring Border Special Garden

Spring Epheme-rals Special Garden

Plans for Beds and Borders
Site

Summer Border Special Garden

Cottage Garden Special Garden

Beds
Site

Late Summer Border Special Garden

Autumn Border Special Garden

Borders Site

Shade Border and Woodland Garden Special Garden

Meadow Garden Special Garden

These pages in this section of Yellow Background are
List of Perennials by Landscaping Site - xxxx

with Plant Type, Evergreen or Herbaceous or Deciduous, Sun Aspect and Listed Species

from Landscaping with Perennials by Emily Brown. Her ideas about Perennials (a plant that lasts for more than 2 growing seasons) include most of the other plant types except Annuals and Biennials for use in America

Long Bloomers

Back of Border, Alley, and Too Tall for Words Special Garden

White Flower Colour

Blue or Almost Blue Flower Colour

Lavender Flower Colour

Lavender, called Blue Flower Colour

Yellow Flower Colour

Orange Flower Colour

Pink Flower Colour

Red & Scarlet Flower Colour

Bedding Out and Bedding Out of Roses

Bedding for Filling In

Bedding for Screening

Maroon Flower Colour

Flowering Stem between 24-48 inches (60-120 cms)

Flowering Stem over 48 inches (120 cms)

Bloom by Season
Jan-Feb

Bloom by Season
Mar-Apr
 

Bloom by Season
May-Jun

Bloom by Season
Jul-Aug

Bloom by Season
Sep-Dec

Bedding for Pots and Troughs

Bedding in Window Boxes

Bedding in Hanging Baskets

Foliage
Blue-Green

Foliage Grey-Green

Foliage Grey

Foliage Varie-gated

Foliage Height
1-7 inches (2.5-17.5 cms)

Foliage Height
8-23 inches (20-57.5 cms)

Foliage Height
24- inches
(60 and over cms)

Bedding Foliage

Bedding:- Spring

Summer

Winter

Foliage Only

Other than Green Foliage

Foliage
Bold

Foliage Finely Cut, Delicate or Compound
+
Finely Cut

Foliage Aromatic

Perennials for Ground Covering in Shade

and 3

Long Lived

Trees in Lawn

Trees in Small Gardens
 

Wildflower Garden

Attract Bird
Attract Butterfly
1, 2

Climber on House Wall

Climber not on House Wall

Climber in Tree

Rabbit-Resistant
 

Woodland

Pollution Barrier

Part Shade

Full Shade

Perennials which prefer Moisture

Perennials which do best on Margins of Water

Perennials which are Drought Tolerant

Perennials which tolerate Dense Shade

Perennials for Poor Soil, Full Sun

Tough Perennials (or easy Maint-enance)

Single Flower provides Pollen for Bees
1, 2, 3

Ground-Cover
<60cm
60-180cm
>180cm

Hedge

Wind-swept

Covering Banks

Patio Pot

Edging Borders

Back of Border

Poisonous

Wildflower Form and

Evergreen Perennial Form

Wildflower Form and

Evergreen Perennial Form

Mat-
form

Mat-forming

Prostrate or Trail

Prostrate or Trailing.
 

Climb
 

Climbing

Cushion or Mound

Cushion or Mound-forming

Spread or Creep

Spreading or Creeping

Clump- form

Clump-forming

Stem- less.

Stemless.

Sword-shape
Leaf

Sword-shaped Leaves

Erect or Upright

Erect or Upright.

Arching

 

Arching

Adjacent to Water

Bog Garden
 

Tolerant of Poor Soil

Winter-Flowering
 

Fragrant

Wildflower Use and Evergreen Perennial Use

Other than Only Green Foliage +
1, 2

Bedding or Mass Planting

Ground-Cover

In Water

Coastal Conditions
+
Coastal

Speciman Plant

Under-plant

Not Fragrant

Exhibition

Standard Plant is 'Ball on Stick'

Indoor House-plant

Grow in an Alpine House

Grow in Hanging Basket +
Basket

Grow in Window-box

Grow in Green-house

Fragrant Flowers

Not Fragrant Flowers

Upright Branches or Sword-shaped leaves

Plant to Prevent Entry to Human or Animal

Coastal Conditions

Attracts Butter-flies
+ Butterfly Usage
of Plants

Attracts Bees +
1, 2, 3
and Forage Calendar

Grow in Scree

Grow in a Patio Pot

Grow in an Alpine Trough +

Rock Plant

Edging Borders

Back of Border or Back-ground Plant

Tolerant on North-facing Wall

Cut Flower

Potted Veg Outdoors

Potted Veg Indoors
 

Into Native Plant Garden

Naturalize in Grass

Natural-ized Plant Area

Resistant to Wildlife

Thornless

Raised Bed Outdoors Veg
 

Grow in Alkaline Soil A-F,
G-L, M-R,
S-Z

Grow in Acidic Soil

Grow in Any Soil

Grow in Rock Garden

Grow Bulbs Indoors

Wildflower in Soil and Evergreen Perennial in Soil

Chalk +
A-F, A-F,
A-F, G-L,
M-R, S-Z

Clay +

A-F, G-L,
M-R, S-Z

Sand +
A-F, A-F,
A-F, G-L,
M-R, S-Z

Lime-Free (Acid) +
A-F, A-F,
A-F, G-L,
M-R, S-Z

Peat +

A-F, G-L,
M-R, S-Z

Any +

A-F, G-L, M-R, S-Z

+ Evergreen Perennials in Pages in Plants

Potted Fruit Outdoors

Potted Fruit Indoors

Peony Use
of Peonies in

UK Peony Index

Fragrant Flowers

Flower Arrangers

Hedge

Growing Tree Peonies in Pots

Front of Border

Rest of Border

Not Green Foliage

Rock Garden

Seaside / Coastal

Tree

Fruit Outdoors

1/3 of the food we eat
is made possible by bees' pollination and
in its entire lifetime,
1 bee will produce approximately 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey.

Single flowered cultivars (some are marked as 'Single Flowers') are useful to honeybees,
but double flowered cultivars are no benefit at all.
Bloom type depends on the number of petals for Roses:-
• Single blooms are fully opened and almost flat, consisting of 1-7 petals per bloom.
Wild roses and single-flowered garden roses
yield pollen for honeybees.
• Semi-double blooms consist of 8-15 petals in two rows and are
of little benefit to honeybees.
• Double blooms consist of 16-25 overlapping petals in three or more rows and
no benefit to honeybees at all.
• Full: 26-40 petals in three or ore rows.
No benefit to honeybees
• Very full: 40+ petals in three or more rows.
No benefit to honeybees.

Information about Bee Pollinated Plants is in the Site Map of Evergreen Perennial gallery:-
Bee instead of wind pollinated plants for hay-fever sufferers
All Bee-Pollinated Flowers per Month,
Index

This table provides the index for each month of each flower colour and
the flower colour wheel to compare those bee-pollinated plants:-