Ivydene Gardens Plants: Ground-Cover Plant Name: B
The process below provides a uniform method for comparing every plant detailed in the following galleries with the ones already compared in the relevant plant gallery from the last list of plant galleries in this cell:-

• These are the galleries that will provide the plants to be added to their own Extra Index Pages
• Bee plants for hay-fever sufferers - Bee-Pollinated Index
• Plants that grow in Chalk - A,
• Rock Garden and Alpine Flowers - A,
• Bulbs from the Infill Galleries see Hardy Bulbs, Half-hardy Bulbs, etc in the second row of Topic Table, usually positioned as the first table on the left.
• The complete Camera Photo is displayed on the screen
• Climber in 3 Sector Vertical Plant System
• Plants with Sense of Fragrance

The following Extra Index of Wildflowers is created in the Borage Wildflower Gallery, to which the Wildflowers found in the above list will have that row entry copied to.
Its wildflower flower thumbnail - or foliage thumbnail if it does not have flowers - will be compared with the others in that gallery per month.
The Header Row for the Extra Indices pages is the same as used in this 1000 Ground Cover A of Plants Topic:-
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, XYZ

Having transferred the Extra Index row entry to the relevant Extra Index row for the same type of plant in a gallery below; then
its flower or foliage thumbnail will be compared per month in that relevant gallery:-

• Aquatic
• Bamboo
• Bedding
• Bulb
• Conifer - Conifers have no flowers and are used for their foliage and cones
• Deciduous Shrub
• Deciduous Tree
• Evergreen Perennial
• Evergreen Shrub
• Evergreen Tree
• Fern - Ferns have no flowers and are used for their foliage
• Grass - Grass is used for its grass inflorescence and foliage
• Hedging
• Herbaceous Perennial
• Herb
• Odds and Sods
• Rhododendron, Azalea and Camellia
• Soft Fruit
• Top Fruit
• Vegetable
• Wild Flower

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:-

• a bold dense mass of leaves completely covering the ground most of the year; evergreens gain gold stars.
• They should require little or no maintenance - if you have to give the plant more than its share of attention, you might as well save your money and spend the time weeding.
• use the plant on ground areas that are difficult to maintain, such as steep banks or boggy patches.
• use the plant to cover areas where not much will grow, such as deep shade or sandy soils.

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.

Wildflower Flower Shape and Landscape Uses gallery provides Landscaping List by Use pages which include some of these ground-cover plants. Landscaping with Perennials by Emily Brown. 5th printing 1989 by Timber Press. ISBN 0-88192-063-0 provides the planting site pages for perennials, which include most plant types except Annuals and Biennials.

Plants for Dry Gardens by Jane Taylor. Published by Frances Lincoln Limited in 1993. ISBN 0-7112-0772-0. Jane Taylor and her husband grew plants in their garden of 2.5 acres of acidic shale mine waste on ground most of which could not retain water or nutrients and would scarcely sustain even the most tenacious of weeds.
A typical British garden with its flowery borders and green lawns needs the equivalent of 1 (2.5 cms) of rain every 10 days to look its best. By choosing from the plants in the above book, canny gardeners will quickly learn to give their gardens the best chance of looking respectable even through prolonged dry spells.
Start by improving your soil in your garden by studying the diagram showing the interaction between clay, organic matter, silt and sand to make soil and then follow the advice on how to improve your clay, chalk or sandy soil lower down the same page; before reading how you can provide the soil nutrients, including those for clay soil.
Then, choose your plants from:-

• Trees and Shrubs to form the framework,
• Palms and Cycads,
• Conifers,
• Climbers to provide backdrops, shade and cover for vertical surfaces,
• Perennials and Ephemerals for filling the garden with flower and foliage,
• Grasses for vertical outlines as foils and contrasts,
• Bulbs for companion, underplanting and massed display,
• Succulents and Xerophytes; and
• Dry Garden Maintenance - Starting with the Soil, Planting, Windbreaks, Lawns and Lawn Substitutes, and Irrigation Techniques.

Each ground cover plant of this 1000 has further details from her book, if it is in there.

 

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

Major source of honey in the UK Yes/No
Used by
HoneyBees - HB,
Short-Tongued Bumblebees - ST,
Long-Tongued Bumblebees - LT,
Solitary Bees - SOL

Type

The key ingredients a bird needs from your garden are
Shelter,
Food and
Water,
as expanded in Ground-cover Plant
Name W Page

Height x Spread in inches (cms)

Spacing distance between plants of same species in inches (cms)

Foliage

Some poisonous ground cover plants are indicated, but there are others in Cultivated Poisonous Plants and
Wildflower Poisonous Plants

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.

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.
 

Baptisia australis

No HB, ST, LT

Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

60 x 24
(150 x 60)

Mid to Deep Green

Dark Blue in
June

These plants have a deep taproot and should be planted when small. It has glaucous leaves and stems as a plinth for the muted blue flowers on 48 (120) high stems. Pruning Group 14.
Full Sun.
Fully Hardy. Zone 3-9
Dry Chalk or Sand.
Spreading / creeping.
Blue false indigo with gray-black seedpods.

A supporting role in the background to delphiniums, roses, cranesbills, Tall Bearded irises, with silver foliaged plants in the foreground.
Baptisia companions - Salvia guaranitica, euphorbia, helictotrichon, rudbeckia. Baptisias are late to emerge in the spring.

Berberis 'Chenaultii'

Birds eat the fruit.

Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

60 x 60
(150 x 150)

Dark Green in Spring, Summer and Autumn, Bronze in Winter

Yellow in
May

"Barberry".
Pruning Group 8.
Half Shade
Fully Hardy
Chalk
Spreading / creeping
Rest of Border

All Berberis are Rabbit Resistant - see other Rabbit Resistant Plants. Berberis stems are very thorny

Berberis calliantha

Birds eat the fruit.

Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

30 x 36
(75 x 90)

Glossy Dark Green turning bronze in Winter

Pale Yellow in May

Pruning Group 8.
Half Shade
Fully Hardy
Chalk
Mound forming a thicket
Rest of Border

Berberis darwinii

Birds eat the fruit.
No HB, ST, LT, SOL Many other species of Barberry are cultivated as ornamental shrubs and are worked by bees for nectar or pollen

Evergreen Shrub above 72 inches (180 cms) in height

144 x 144 (360 x 360)

Spacing 60 (150)

Glossy Dark Green

Orange-Yellow in
April-May

"Darwin Barberry". From Chile and Argentina.
Pruning Group 8.
Half Shade
Zones 7-10, Fully Hardy
Chalk and Clay
Upright
Excellent thorny Hedge with bluish berries in the summer, which are usually taken early by birds. It is valuable for massing on sunny banks.

Berberis darwinii var. prostrata reaches a height of 12-24 (30-60 cms), is worthy of attention for the rock garden.

Associate with bamboos, forsythias, winter jasmine, narcissi and gold variegated hollies or elaeagnus - forsythia x intermedia in front of Berberis darwinii.

Plant evergreen berberis from Mar-Apr or from Oct-Nov, and deciduous ones from Nov-Mar when the weather and soil permit. Thin out shoots when overcrowded after flowering, or in winter after fruiting, and trim to shape. Trimming should be delayed until the leaves fall in the case of shrubs which are grown for the beauty of their autumn foliage.

Berberis julianae

Birds eat the fruit.

Evergreen Shrub above 72 inches (180 cms) in height

96 x 120
(240 x 300)

Spacing 72-84
(180-210)

Glossy Deep Green above and pale Green below

Yellow in
May-June

A strong dense grower, the stems heavily spined. The young spiny leaves are coppery at first, whilst some of the older leaves frequently turn reddish in autumn.
Pruning Group 8.
Half Shade
Zones 5-10, Fully Hardy
Chalk
Upright
Hedge and
Thorny Hedge with small black berries in the autumn.
Bark, root and berries are poisonous.

Berberis thunbergii 'Atropurpurea Nana'

Birds eat the fruit.

Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

24 x 30
(60 x 75)

Red-Purple

Red-Tinged, Yellow in
April

"Thunberg Barberry, Japanese Barberry" planted 12 (30) apart will make a dense covering.
Pruning Group 2.
Half Shade
Zones 4-10, Fully Hardy
Chalk, Clay, Sand
Round, neat and bun-shaped
Rest of Border
Bark, root and berries are poisonous.

Associate its purple foliage with dark-leaved Rosa 'Rosemary Rose and Tulipa 'Queen of the Night', which are joined by gently contrasting hybrid bluebells to its soft yellow flowers.

Berberis thunbergii 'Bagatelle'

Deciduous Shrub below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

18 x 18
(45 x 45)

Bronze in Spring, Crimson in Summer and Purple in Autumn

Pale Yellow in
May-June

"Thunberg Barberry, Japanese Barberry". Compact.
Pruning Group 2.
Half Shade
Zones 4-10, Fully Hardy
Chalk
Mound forming
Rock

The low-growing or compact cultivars of berberis thunbergii are excellent ground cover for gentle slopes, along paths and in dry rocky areas. The spiny branches discourage traffic.
Bark, root and berries are poisonous.

Berberis thunbergii
'Helmond Pillar'

Birds eat the fruit.

Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

48 x 30
(120 x 75)

Rich Purple

Yellow in
April

"Thunberg Barberry, Japanese Barberry".
Pruning Group 2.
Half Shade
Zones 4-10, Fully Hardy
Chalk, Clay, Sand
Columnar
Rest of Border
Bark, root and berries are poisonous.

Berberis thunbergii
'Red Chief'

Birds eat the fruit.

Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

72 x 48
(180 x 120)

Deep Red

Yellow in
April

"Thunberg Barberry, Japanese Barberry".
Pruning Group 2.
Half Shade
Zones 4-10, Fully Hardy
Chalk, Clay, Sand
Round
Rest of Border
Bark, root and berries are poisonous.

Berberis wilsoniae

Birds eat the fruit.

Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

36 x 60
(90 x 150)

Spacing 48
(120)

Grey-Green in Spring and Summer, Orange-Red in Autumn

Yellow in
May-June

"Wilson Barberry". Spreads into a broad mass of foliage, touching the ground with pink fruit which persist into winter. Requires ample space. Well worth growing for the volume of berries for birds to eat.
Pruning Group 2.
Half Shade
Zones 5-10, Fully Hardy
Chalk
Mound forming
Rest of Border

Berberis x bristolensis

Birds eat the fruit.

Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

60 x 72
(150 x 180)

Dark Green in Spring and Summer, Red in Autumn and Winter

Yellow in
May

Pruning Group 8.
Half Shade
Fully Hardy
Chalk
Mound forming
Rest of Border

Berberis x frikartii
'Amstelveen'

Birds eat the fruit.

Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

48 x 48
(120 x 120)

Glossy Green above, Grey-White beneath

Yellow in
April-May

Pruning Group 8. Half Shade. Fully Hardy. Chalk. Mound forming
Rest of Border

Berberis x frikartii 'Telstar'

Birds eat the fruit.

Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

48 x 60
(120 x 150)

Glossy Green

Yellow in
April-May

Pruning Group 8.
Half Shade
Fully Hardy
Chalk
Mound forming
Rest of Border
Flat topped when mature

Berberis x interposita
'Wallich's Purple'

Birds eat the fruit.

Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

60 x 72
(150 x 180)

Bronzy-Purple in Spring, Glossy Mid-Green in Summer, Autumn and Winter

Yellow in
May

Pruning Group 8.
Half Shade
Fully Hardy
Chalk
Mound forming
Rest of Border

Berberis x ottawensis
'Superba'

Birds eat the fruit.

Deciduous Shrub above 72 inches (180 cms) in height

96 x 96
(240 x 240)

Reddish-Purple in Spring and Summer followed by Crimson in Autumn

Red-tinged, Yellow in
May

Pruning Group 2.
Half Shade
Zones 3-10, Fully Hardy
Chalk
Round
Hedge and
Thorny Hedge. Its red berries appear in autumn.

Berberis x stenophylla

Birds eat the fruit.
No HB, ST, LT, SOL

Evergreen Shrub above 72 inches (180 cms) in height

96 x 96
(240 x 240)

Spacing 84-108
(210-270)

Dark Green, small, spiny lanceolate leaves

Golden-Yellow in
April-May

A big garden will be required to give this plant full rein. Grown as a Speciman it will grow wider than it is high, its arching branches literally wreathed with the scented bright orange-yellow flowers, the dark green linear leaves seemingly nowhere in evidence. The black berries are not such an impressive spectacle.
'Hedge Barberry".
Pruning Group 8.
Half Shade
Zones 6-9, Fully Hardy
Chalk, Clay, Sand
Arching
Grow as a Hedge and
Thorny Hedge, which stands clipping well; the first time, with shears immediately after flowering, and 5 or 6 weeks later the strongest growths should be shortened with secateurs or a sharp knife.

Bergenia 'Abendglut'

Bergenia provide a moderate supply of pollen and nectar for bees, bumblebees and other insects.

Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

9 x 12
(23 x 30)

Red tinted, Mid to Dark Green in Spring, Summer, Autumn, Maroon in Winter

Magenta in
Mar-May

Bergenias have bold, leathery leaves, suited to cooler areas that are too dry for hostas.
Pruning Group 16 but do not remove the dead leaves.
All Bergenia are Rabbit Resistant - see other Rabbit Resistant Plants.
Full Sun and Partial Shade
Fully Hardy Zone 4-8
Dry, Clay or Chalk
Clump-forming
Front of Border, Rest of Border, Back of Shady Border, Container, Woodland and Coastal Conditions.
Ground-cover

Do not plant Bergenia under low trees and shrubs but use for permanent edgings to give flowers in spring.

Bergenia ciliata

Deciduous Rhizome Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

12 x 18
(30 x 45)

Mid Green, large, rounded, hairy on both sides

Pink or White in
March

Pruning Group 16 but do not remove the dead leaves.
Full Sun and Partial Shade
Fully Hardy Zone 4-8
Dry, Clay or Chalk
Clump-forming
Front of Border, Rest of Border, Back of Shady Border, Container, Woodland and Coastal Conditions.

Ground-cover - I tended to leave the dead leaves by the plants to provide a better groundcover. The garden was in Medway and this plant is only hardy in sheltered gardens in the south and west of England.

Bergenia companions - Omphalodes, brunnera macrophylla, hamaelis, primula, helleborus, ophiopogon, chaerophyllum, large-scale bulbs; good for edges and at their best when mass planted.
Bergenias are commonly used for shady borders, in clumps among smaller-leafed ground covers, around irregular surfaces such as rocks, and by pools and streams. They combine well with ferns, hostas, and tall rhododendrons.

Bergenia cordifolia 'Purpurea'

Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

20 x 20
(50 x 50)

Spacing 18 (45)

Green, large, rounded, tinged Purple in the winter

Magenta-Purple in
February-March

"Heartleaf Bergenia".
Pruning Group 16 but do not remove the dead leaves.
Full Sun and Partial Shade
Fully Hardy Zone 4
Dry, Clay or Chalk
Clump-forming
Ground-cover
The ideal foil for masonry and paved paths.

Winter-flowering plants such as Cyclamen coum variants, early-flowering crocuses, winter-flowering heaths, snowdrops and winter aconites combine with this plant as well as evergreen heucheras, euonymus and dogwoods with coloured winter stems.

Front of Border, Rest of Border, Back of Shady Border, Container, Woodland and Coastal Conditions.

Bergenia 'Silberlicht'

Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

12 x 20
(30 x 50)

Mid-Green

White fading to pink in
March-May on large heads

Pruning Group 16 but do not remove the dead leaves.
Full Sun and Partial Shade
Fully Hardy Zone 4-8
Dry, Clay or Chalk
Clump-forming
Front of Border, Rest of Border, Back of Shady Border, Container, Woodland and Coastal Conditions.
Ground-cover
Strong grower.

Bergenias like to expand their clumps, so remove the oldest pieces to keep them neat and not too congested

Betula ermanii

Betula species
No HB

Deciduous Tree above 72 inches (180 cms) in height

720 x 240 (1800 x 600)

Dull Dark Green

...

"Erman Birch".
Pruning Group 1.
Sensitive to Sea Wind and shallow rooting.
Full Sun and Partial Shade.
Fully Hardy.
Chalk, Sand or Peaty Soil.
Rounded.

Trees for Lawn for large garden, Pollution Barrier and flower arranging.

Betula nana

Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

24 x 48
(60 x 120)

Mid-Green in Spring and Summer, Yellow or Red in Autumn

...

"Arctic Birch, Dwarf Birch". Abundant over large areas above the Arctic Circle. It forms extensive thickets on the tundra, in bogs or on low hills. Further south it is restricted to high, bleak regions. Sensitive to Sea Wind.
Pruning Group 1.
Full Sun and Partial Shade.
Zones 1-7, Fully Hardy.
Chalk, Sand or Peaty Soil.
Spreading / creeping.
Use in damp, boggy areas.

Rest of Border, Pollution Barrier and flower arranging.

Betula papyrifera

Deciduous Tree above 72 inches (180 cms) in height

720 x 240 (1800 x 600)

Dark Green in Spring and Summer, Yellow in Autumn

...

"Paper Birch, Canoe Birc". Famed for its tough papery, white or cream bark.
Pruning Group 1.
Sensitive to Sea Wind and shallow rooting.
Full Sun and Partial Shade.
Zones 2-9, Fully Hardy.
Chalk, Sand or Peaty Soil.
Rounded.

Trees for Lawn for large garden, Pollution Barrier and flower arranging.

Betula pendula 'Tristis'

Deciduous Tree above 72 inches (180 cms) in height

720 x 240 (1800 x 600)

Mid Green in Spring and Summer, Yellow in Autumn

Top catkin is female, lower 3 are male catkins

"Silver Birch, White Birch".
Pruning Group 1.
Sensitive to Sea Wind and shallow rooting.
Full Sun and Partial Shade.
Zones 2-9, Fully Hardy.
Clay, Sand or Peaty Soil.
Narrow Weeping with erect trunk.

Trees for Lawn for large garden, Pollution Barrier and flower arranging.

Betula pendula 'Youngii'

Deciduous Tree above 72 inches (180 cms) in height

300 x 360 (750 x 900)

Light Green

...

"Young's Weeping Birch".
Pruning Group 1.
Sensitive to Sea Wind and shallow rooting.
Full Sun and Partial Shade.
Zones 2-9, Fully Hardy.
Clay, Sand or Peaty Soil.
Dome-shaped weeping tree with thread-like branches reaching the ground. Smooth white bark fissured black.

Trees for Lawn for large garden, Pollution Barrier and flower arranging.

In the foreground of its multi-stem, the bronze-flushed Dryopteris erythrosora tone with the birch's stem, while the creamy-white flowers of Astilbe 'Deutschland' harmonize with the birch's base.

Betula utilis var jacquemontii

Deciduous Tree above 72 inches (180 cms) in height

480 x 240 (1200 x 600)

Dark Green in Spring and Summer, Gold in Autumn

...

"White-barked Himalayan Birch".
Pruning Group 1.
Shallow rooting. Eye-catching bark during winter. White bark.
Full Sun and Partial Shade.
Zones 7-9, Fully Hardy.
Any Soil.
Oval.

Trees for Lawn for large garden, Pollution Barrier and flower arranging.

Blechnum penna-marina
(Blechnum alpinum,
Lomaria alpina)

Evergreen Fern below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

6 x indefinite (15 x indefinite)

Glossy Dark Green

...

Native to grassland and bogs in both lowland and alpine regions in Australia, New Zealand and Chile.
Pruning Group 15.
Partial and Full Shade.
Fully Hardy. Zone 5
Acid. Lime-Free and Peaty Soil. Needs moist ground.
Mound-Forming spreader.

Back of Shady Border, Rock Garden, Woodland.

Blechnum penna marina subsp alpina.

See further details and photos in Fern Nursery page and Fern Gallery.
The Fern Nursery garden is open on Saturdays from May until September. They have events, talks and ferns photo gallery.

Blechnum spicant

Evergreen Fern below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

12 x 24
(30 x 60)

Dark Green

...

"Hard Fern". Native to damp, acid woodland in Europe (including the British Isles), western Asia, and North America.
Pruning Group 15.
Partial and Full Shade.
Fully Hardy. Zone 5
Acid. Lime-Free and Peaty Soil.
Clump-Forming. Needs moist ground.

Back of Shady Border, Rock Garden, Woodland.

See further details and photos in Fern Nursery page and Fern Gallery.
The Fern Nursery garden is open on Saturdays from May until September. They have events, talks and ferns photo gallery.

Bocconia cordata
(Macleaya cordata)

Deciduous Rhizome Perennial above 72 inches (180 cms) in height

96 x 36
(240 x 90)

Grey to Olive Green

Buff-White in
July-August

"Plume Poppy".
Pruning Group 14.
Full Sun.
Fully Hardy.
Any. Dry Chalk, Lime-Free and Sandy Soil.
Erect. Can be invasive.

Back of Shady Border, Hedge, specimen.

Borago officinalis

Yes HB, ST, LT, SOL

Annual Herb 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

36 x 12
(90 x 30)

Spacing 18-24
(45-60)

Green

Blue in
July-October

"Borage". Self-seeding.
Pruning Group 14.
Full Sun or Partial Shade.
Fully Hardy.
Dry.
Any. Chalk and Sandy Soil.
Mat-forming.
Rock Garden, Raised Bed.
Once established in a garden, it will come up year after year from self-sown seed.

Bee Forage Plants and UK Butterfly with Egg, Caterpillar, Chrysalis and Butterfly Usage of Plants.
Very usefull plant in your front garden bed or instead of your front garden lawn. Low maintenance and provides nectar and pollen for the bees. The leaves are used in place of borage and the flowers for garnishing salads.

Brachyglottis
'Dunedin Hybrids'
(Senecio 'Dunedin Hybrids')

Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

60 x 72
(150 x 180)

Mid to Dark Green

Bright Yellow in
July-November

Ideal for coastal gardens, as they will grow in very sandy soils and are tolerant of salt winds. It can be pruned in spring to remain compact, or allowed to bear its cheerful yellow daisies in summer, to be pruned as they fade.
Pruning Group 8.
Full Sun.
Fully Hardy.
Dry.
Chalk and Sandy Soil.
Mound-Forming.
Rest of Border.

Brachyglottis compacta
(Senecio compacta)

Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

36 x 72
(90 x 180)

Dull Dark Green

Bright Yellow in
July-August

This has wavy leaf margins showing the white felting of the underside.
Pruning Group 8.
Full Sun.
Frost Hardy.
Dry.
Chalk and Sandy Soil.
Mound-Forming.
Rest of Border.

Brachyglottis monroi
(Senecio monroi)

Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

36 x 72
(90 x 180)

Olive-Green above, White beneath

Bright Yellow in
July-September

Compact, dense shrub with grey-green leaves very crimped at the margins and white-felted beneath. It is exceptionally tolerant of coastal winds.
Pruning Group 8.
Full Sun.
Fully Hardy.
Dry.
Chalk and Sandy Soil.
Mound-Forming.
Rest of Border.

Brunnera macrophylla 'Dawson's White'

Deciduous Rhizome below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

18 x 24
(45 x 60)

Green edged Creamy White

Bright Blue in
May-Jun

Partial Shade.
Rabbit Resistant - see other Rabbit Resistant Plants.
Fully Hardy. Zone 3-9
Moist or dry.
Chalk and Sandy Soil.
Stemless.
Ground cover. Grow in Woodland, and middle or Back of Shady Border, since the leaves scorch in full sun. Seeds itself.

Underplant early-flowering yellow roses in a rose garden. Associate with primroses and cowslips, with gold-edged hosta foliage, white or yellow flowering tulips and with Bowles' golden grass.

Brunnera companions - Thalictrum, dicentra, epimedium, trollius, muscari, narcissus, ranunculus ficaria, hyacinthoides, trillium, ophalodes; good under deciduous trees and shrubs (spring sun, summer shade)

Buddleia davidii 'Black Knight'

Buddleja species
No HB, ST, LT, SOL
The Buddleja davidii cultivars are popular with butterflies but are little use to honeybees for nectar as the flower-tubes are too long, although they sometimes collect pollen

Deciduous Shrub above 72 inches (180 cms) in height

180 x 180 (450 x 450)

Grey-Green

Deep Violet in
July-October

"Butterfly Bush". Pruning Group 6.
Buddleia davidii seeds into the crumbling mortar of old walls alongside wallflowers (Cheiranthus) and gold dust (Alyssum), growing into lusty bushes.
All Buddleia can be used for Flower Arranging - see other Flower Arranging Plants.
Full Sun.
Zones 5-10, Fully Hardy. Dry.
Chalk and Sandy Soil.
Arching Form.
Back of Shady Border. Attractive to Butterflies, who feed on the nectar.

See Butterfly Species.
Egg, Caterpillar, Chrysalis and Butterfly Usage of Plants.

Buddleia davidii has seeds and leaves that are slightly poisonous.

Buddleia davidii 'Royal Red'

Deciduous Shrub above 72 inches (180 cms) in height

180 x 180 (450 x 450)

Grey-Green

Purple-Red in
July-October

"Butterfly Bush". Pruning Group 6.
Full Sun.
Zones 5-10, Fully Hardy. Dry.
Chalk and Sandy Soil.
Arching Form.
Back of Shady Border. Attractive to Butterflies, who feed on the nectar.

See Butterfly Species.

Egg, Caterpillar, Chrysalis and Butterfly Usage of Plants.

Buddleia davidii 'White Profusion'

Deciduous Shrub above 2 feet in height

180 x 180 (450 x 450)

Grey-Green

Yellow eyed White in
July-October

"Butterfly Bush". Pruning Group 6.
Full Sun.
Zones 5-10, Fully Hardy. Dry.
Chalk and Sandy Soil.
Arching Form.
Back of Shady Border. Attractive to Butterflies, who feed on the nectar.

See Butterfly Species.

Egg, Caterpillar, Chrysalis and Butterfly Usage of Plants.

Buddleia globosa

Butterflies attracted by the flowers.

No HB, ST, LT, SOL
This is well-worked for nectar and is a good honeybee plant

Deciduous Shrub above 72 inches (180 cms) in height

216 x 216 (540 x 540)

Dark Green

Orange-Yellow flowers in spherical clusters in Summer

"Orange Ball Tree". Pruning Group 2.
Full Sun.
Zones 7-10, Fully Hardy. Dry.
Chalk and Sandy Soil.
Rounded Form.
Plant Buddleia globosa in March or October, the others from Nov-Mar.

Buddleia officinalis

Butterflies attracted by the flowers.

Evergreen Shrub above 72 inches (180 cms) in height

96 x 96
(240 x 240)

Dark Green above, Grey beneath

Yellow-eyed, Lilac-Pink in
January-March

Pruning Group 6.
Full Sun.
Fully Hardy. Dry.
Chalk and Sandy Soil.
Upright Form.
Back of Shady Border.

Buphthalmum salicifolium

Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

24 x 18
(60 x 45)

Dark Green, narrow and dense

Deep Yellow daisies in
June-September

"Willow-leaf Oxeye, Yellow Oxeye". Native to central and southern Europe.
Full Sun.
Fully Hardy. Zone 3-7
Dry.
Chalk and Sandy poor Soil.
Clump-forming.
Front of Border, Wild Garden or Grassy Bank. It has a very long flowering period. Ox-eye daisy is long-lasting as a cut flower.

Buphthalmum companions - Ligularia, larger ferns, lysimachia ciliata 'Firecracker', carex elata.
Its yellow flowers combine well with purple-leaved plants, such as heucheras with scarlet flowers, or dwarf purple berberis.

Bupleurum fruticosum

Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

72 x 96
(180 x 240)

Blunt-ended, Blue-Green

Rounded umbels of Yellow-green flowers in
July-September

"Shrubby Hare's-ear". It is very tolerant of salt winds.
Pruning Group 9.
Full Sun.
Zones 7-10, Fully Hardy.
Dry.
Chalk or Sand.
Spreading / creeping Form.
Back of Shady Border.

Buxus microphylla

Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

30 x 60
(75 x 150)

Dark Green in Spring, Summer and Autumn, Bronze in Winter

Yellow-Green in May

"Small-leaved Box, Japanese Box".
Pruning Group 8; trim edging plants in summer.
Partial Shade, Full Sun
Zones 6-10, Fully Hardy.
Moist.
Chalk Soil.
Rounded Form.
Edging (Low Hedge) and Rock Garden. If grown in full sun, mulch the ground with 4 inches of compost and keep the soil moist, otherwise the foliage can scorch.

Buxus sempervirens 'Elegantissima'

No HB

Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

60 x 60
(150 x 150)

Green, White margined

Yellow-Green in May

"Common Box, European Box".
Pruning Group 8; trim hedges in summer.
Partial Shade, Full Sun
Zones 5-10, Fully Hardy.
Moist.
Chalk Soil.
Rounded Form.
A thick formal Hedge with plants spaced 18 inches (45 cm) apart. Also, suitable for topiary as specimen plants in lawns or hedges. If grown in full sun, mulch the ground with 4 inches (10 cms) of compost and keep the soil moist, otherwise the foliage can scorch.

North Carolina State University states for Buxus sempervirens that " it causes only low toxicity if eaten, and, Symptoms - respiratory failure.". Thus it is very poisonous.

Buxus sempervirens 'Suffruticosa'

Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height

36 x 60
(90 x 150)

Bright Green

Yellow-Green in May

Very slow-growing "Common Box". Ideal parterre plant, clipped into bold patterns of crisp compartments
and filled with more informal planting like herbs - common and purple sage and curry plant.
Pruning Group 8; trim hedges in summer.
Partial Shade, Full Sun
Zones 5-10, Fully Hardy.
Moist.
Chalk Soil.
Rounded Form.
An excellent thick formal Hedge with plants spaced 1.5 feet apart. Also, suitable for topiary as specimen plants in lawns or hedges. Rock Garden. If grown in full sun, mulch the ground with 4 inches of compost and keep the soil moist, otherwise the foliage can scorch.

Site design and content copyright ©December 2006. Page structure changed September 2012. Height x Spread in feet changed to Height x Spread in inches (cms) May 2015. Data added to existing pages December 2017. Zone and Companion Data added April 2022. The 1000 Ground Cover plants detailed above will be compared in the Comparison Pages of the Wildflower Shape Gallery and in the flower colour per month comparison pages of Evergreen Perennial Gallery starting in November 2022. Chris Garnons-Williams.

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.  

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

I have included within these pages on 1000 Ground Cover Plants information from other pages within this PLANTS Topic like

• Poisonous Plants
• Flower Arranging
• Rabbit Resistant
• Bee Forage
• Attracts Bird/Butterfly

and links to Rock Garden Plants Suitable for Small Gardens Index Gallery.

Any of these 1000 Ground Cover Plants may well have further details about them in the remainder of the pages in this PLANTS Topic linked to from the PLANTS PAGE MENU above.
 

The following comes from History of Early American Landscape Design as the History of the Border in America:-

"The use of borders as boundaries and enclosures is closely related to their use along the edges of walks, a common practice throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Lining the edges of walks with borders, which were often three- to four-feet - 36-48 inches (90-120cms) - wide, created an elongated space that could accommodate a greater variety of plant material than could beds, which were often limited in diameter for ease of maintenance. In 1807, Thomas Jefferson described his garden at Monticello in a letter and a sketch, with just such an argument for borders, allowing him “to indulge” in a “variety of flowers”. The 1832 plans for Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts, likewise included ten-foot borders filled with shrubs, perennials, and bulb flowers. George William Johnson, writing in 1847, cautioned against overly narrow borders that would convey a sense of “meanness” to the scene as opposed to the “grandeur” of an ample border."

Many of the descriptions in the Comments of these Ground Cover plants in pages A to Z state borders, which are taken from American literature.
In the UK border and bed seem to be interchangeable. But, if we amalgamated it so that a border became a 18-48 inch (45-120cm) wide bed alongside a lawn, a path, a walk, this might be suitable for both America and UK.
We could say that in the UK that a border is an edge planted with edging plants, which I suppose could be up to 48 inches (120 cms) wide.

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:-

• Mulch the beds with a 4 inch (100mm) deep layer of Spent Mushroom Compost to improve fertility and drainage; preferably in the Autumn in between the existing plants, and top it up each year after that with a Bark Mulch instead (available from garden centres or Gardenscape). This will stop the Light Sandy soil from drying out through the action of sun and wind on its surface, and to provide carbon to aid in soil formation and fertility. Adding clay in water solution as a spray will also greater improve the soil structure.
• If starting a new lawn or bed, add the 4 inch layer of Spent Mushroom Compost mulch and rotovate that in. If you also add an inch deep of clay, before rotovating that in as well, then that will provide part of the glue in creating a better soil from the sand. Heel and rake the ground for a new turf (or to be seeded) lawn, before laying or seeding it. Insert plants in new bed, before installing the irrigation system and then applying a 4 inch layer of this mulch on top of it.
• Spread 5Kg of Dolodust (Dolomitic Lime), with 2Kg of Maxicrop Seaweed Meal over a 25 square yard or 25 square metre lawn area, each April. This will improve the fertility of the lawn by providing calcium and the trace elements (See What is Soil Texture Page and How are chemicals stored and released from soil Page in the Soil Section for further details). Spreading the same amount of Dolomitic Lime and Maxicrop Seaweed Meal on the flower/vegetable beds at the same time would also be beneficial.

Sources of further information:-

• Notcutts Catalogue of 1994 - retail catalogue of their plants for sale. It has Plants for a Purpose pages including one on Light sandy dry soil including trees for gravel workings.
   
• The Royal Horticultural Society Gardeners' Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Editor-in-Chief Christopher Brickell. Published by Dorling Kindsley Limited. Reprinted and updated 1990, 2/1990, 3/1990. ISBN 0-86318-386-7. The Planter's Guide suggests lists of plants that are suitable for growing in particular situations, or that have special uses or characteristics including Plants for Sandy Soil.
   

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:-

• The benefits of Sandy Soil
  • Drainage
  • Root Penetration
  • Air Circulation
  • Digging
• The disadvantages of gardening in sand
  • Rapid water loss
  • Nutrient loss
• Strategies for Success: using amendmentss
  • Soil amendments
  • Green amendments
  • Amending new beds
  • Amending established beds
• Fertilizing
• Mulch
  • Mulching materials
  • How much mulch
  • Problems with mulch
• Choosing plants
  • Sandy soils and pH
  • Moisture-loving plants in sandy soil
  • Vegetables in sandy soil
• Plants for sandy soils - I have bought the book and read it, but unfortunately I have not added its recommended plants.
  I would at least recommend that its list is carefully looked at by the Americans; for whom it was written.
  • Ground covers and Grasses
  • Annuals
  • Perennials
  • Shrubs and Trees

Action to assist in other soil types in:-

• Read 'Explaination of how soil works' and 'Negative impacts on the soil food web' for Any and Peat
• Chalk
• Clay
• Acid (Lime-Free)

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:-

• 5% more nitrogen,
• 7% more phosphorous and
• 11% more potasium than the surrounding topsoil.

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

• the cow. A cow's digestive system is designed to make use of roughage such as grass and hay. Cow manure is arguably the most effective and long lasting of all the fertilizing agents at the farmer's disposal and has been found to have a carry over effect of at least 4 years. It is also one of the most balanced and it contains no grass seeds, since they have been completely digested.
• Pig manure is rich in potassium, attractive to earthworms and beneficial on sandy soils.
• Horse manure increases soil activity and stimulates strong healthy growth, but it does contain grass seed and other seeds."
   

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

• Yarrow (Achillea chrysocoma),
• pearl everlasting (Anaphalis),
• mouse ear (Cerastium),
• Raoulia,
• catchfly (Silene uniflora 'Robin Whitebreast') and the
• bunnies' ears (Stachys byzantina 'Silver Carpet')

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.

• Acaena buchanii and Acaena magellanica being silver-leaved species of the pirri-pirri-bur form pretty vigorous ground cover. Add a few groups of grey-leaved grasses for their contrasting shape to make an interesting picture. The ground-covering Festuca glauca and Koeleria glauca are especially suitable, to which can be added the tall, also grey-leafed blue oat grass Helictotrichon sempervirens, for a striking feature.
• Gypsophila, with its delicate flowers, can best be planted next to a plant which has a strong leaf structure, for example Geranium renardii.
• For a taller feature among the grey-leafed ground cover you can choose one of the beautiful cultivars of the common German flag, Iris germanica. The tall, sword-shaped leaves which are grey-green, stand out very well here.
• The Yucca has a similar structure, forming a stout clump of leaves with tall sprays of white flowers.
• The tall mulleins, especially Verbascum bombyciferum, with splendid rosettes of grey, felty leaves and yellow flowers like huge torches that can easily reach 60 inches (150 cms), a real must.
• Annuals that deserve a place in this predominantly grey planting include Gazania pinnata with yellow flowers and the white Senecio cineraria.

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

• Chapter 1 What are ground-cover plants?
• Chapter 2 Plant combinations for normal garden soil
• Chapter 3 Plant combinations for sandy soil
• Chapter 4 Plant combinations for clay soil
• Chapter 5 Woodland, heaths and wet soil
• Chapter 6 Shrubs for slopes and large beds
• Chapter 7 The A to Z of plants for ground cover.
   

Langley Boxwood Nursery produce Buxus (Box), Taxus (Yew), Laurus nobilis (Bay) and other species topiary products. It provides one day topiary courses. They also grow some of the 80 varieties of Box for sale at the nursery or mail order.
 

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
Plant Botanical Index
...A, B, C, D, E,
...F, G, H, I, J, K,
...L, M, N, O, P, Q,
...R, S, T, U, V, W,
...X, Y, Z

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
Spectacular and beautiful, not many people know the common rhododendron hides a poisonous secret – its nectar is toxic to bees. It’s common practice for beekeepers to keep their hives closed until the flowering season is over. The resulting honey from rhododendrons has also been known to contaminate honey, making it unsafe for humans to eat.
Alternative: Clematis have beautiful, wide flowers and are 100 per cent bee-friendly.

2. Azalea
Rhododendron’s sister, azaleas are also toxic to bees.
Alternative: Foxgloves (Digitalis) are a bee favourite and despite being poisonous if consumed by humans, they are both honey and bee safe.

3. Trumpet flower, or angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia suaveolens)
Though ornamental and sweet smelling, the trumpet flower’s nectar can cause brood death in bees and is best avoided.
Alternative: Try honeysuckle (Lonicera) instead for deliciously scented results.

4. Oleander (Nerium oleander)
Harmful to butterflies as well as bees, oleander has a severe effect on hives. Nectar taken to the hive concentrates as it dries out, which increases the amount of toxins and usually results in a mass hive wipeout. 
Alternative: Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) are equally as bright and arguably more attractive in small or large gardens.

5. Yellow Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)
Pleasantly aromatic and attractive as they are, bees are often poisoned by the vines and flowers of the yellow jessamine and its toxins are said to be as severe as hemlock.
Alternative: Plant Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) in tubs and along fences for a pretty, easy-to-grow substitute.

6. Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
Part of the blueberry family, the mountain laurel is an evergreen shrub with sweet, white or pink flowers when in bloom. Pretty they may be, but the honey produced by mountain laurel is toxic to humans and is often bitter tasting.
Alternative: Lilacs (Syringa) are both beautiful and wonderfully sweet smelling. Easy to grow and are loved by bees and butterflies. 

7. Stargazer lily (Lilium 'Stargazer')
Stunning but deadly to cats, stargazer lilies’ pollen is poisonous to bees.
Alternative: Hollyhocks (Alcea) are impressive and just as beautiful as the stargazer but bee-friendly.

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.
Alternative: Although not quite as exotic, hyacinths are fragrant, gorgeous and easy to grow. Hyacinth bulbs are poisonous; they contain oxalic acid. Handling hyacinth bulbs can cause mild skin irritation. Protective gloves are recommended.

9. Bog rosemary (Andromeda polifolia -
All parts of the plant contain andromedotoxin and are considered poisonous)
Not to be confused with the herb, bog rosemary is acutely poisonous and the honey produced from the nectar of Andromeda polifolia contains high enough levels of grayanotoxin to cause full body paralysis and potentially fatal breathing difficulties due to diaphragm paralysis.
Alternative: Why not try planting a classic rosemary bush (Rosmarinus officinalis) – aromatic, resilient and favoured by bees.

10. Amaryllis (Hippeastrum)
Now most commonly recognised as decorative Christmas flowers, amaryllis are gorgeous in bloom but their pollen produces toxic honey. Bulbs, chewing or ingestion of the bulbs, leaves or flowers poisons goats and sheep with Lycorine (An emetic) and small amounts of alkaloids.
Alternative: Dahlias are a highlight of late summer gardens. Beautiful and simple to grow, dahlias often flower until the first frosts of the year."

This is another list of Plants toxic to bees, which includes:-
Aesculus californica,
Angelica triqueta,
Asclepias species,
Astralagus species,
Astralagus lentiginosus,
Camellia thea,
Corynocarpus laevigata,
Astralagus miser v. serotibus,
Cuscuta species,
Cyrilla racemiflora,
Ochrama lagopus,
Solanum nigram,
Sophora microphylla,
Tillia species,
Veratrum cailfornicum,
Zygadenus cenesosus.

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)
It is made up of the filament and anther, it is the pollen producing part of the plant.
Anther This is the part of the stamen that produces and contains pollen. 
Filament This is the fine hair-like stalk that the anther sits on top of.
Pollen This is the dust-like male reproductive cell of flowering plants.

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.
Stigma
This is the part of the pistil  which receives the pollen grains and on which they germinate. 
Style
This is the long stalk that the stigma sits on top of ovary. 
Ovary
The part of the plant that contains the ovules. 
Ovule
The part of the ovary that becomes the seeds. 

Petal 
The colorful, often bright part of the flower (corolla). 
Sepal 
The parts that look like little green leaves that cover the outside of a flower bud (calix). 
(Undifferentiated "Perianth segment" that are not clearly differentiated into sepals and petals, take the names of tepals.)"

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:-

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

Explanation of Structure of this Website with User Guidelines Page for those photo galleries with Photos (of either ones I have taken myself or others which have been loaned only for use on this website from external sources)

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
Bedding
Bulb
Climber
Conifer
Deciduous Shrub
Deciduous Tree
Evergreen Perennial
Evergreen Shrub
Evergreen Tree
Hedging
Herbaceous Perennial
Herb
Odds and Sods
Rhododendron nectar is toxic to bees
Rose
Soft Fruit
Top Fruit
Wild Flower

4. Choose a plant from its Flower Shape:-

Shape, Form
Index
Flower Shape

5. Choose a plant from its foliage:-

Bamboo
Conifer
Fern
Grass
Vegetable

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:-

• Create and input all plants known by Amateur Gardening inserted into their Sanders' Encyclopaedia from their edition published in 1960 (originally published by them in 1895) into these
  • Stage 1 - Garden Style Index Gallery,
    then
  • Stage 2 - Infill Plants Index Gallery being the only gallery from these 7 with photos (from Wikimedia Commons) ,
    then
  • Stage 3 - All Plants Index Gallery with each plant species in its own Plant Type Page followed by choice from Stage 4a, 4b, 4c and/or 4d REMEMBERING THE CONSTRAINTS ON THE SELECTION FROM THE CHOICES MADE IN STAGES 1 AND 2
  • Stage 4a - 12 Bloom Colours per Month Index Gallery,
  • Stage 4b - 12 Foliage Colours per Month Index Gallery with
  • Stage 4c - Cultivation, Position, Use Index Gallery and
  • Stage 4d - Shape, Form Index Gallery
  • Unfortunately, if you want to have 100's of choices on selection of plants from 1000's of 1200 pixels wide by up to 16,300 pixels in length webpages, which you can jump to from almost any of the pages in these 7 galleries above, you have to put up with those links to those choices being on
    • the left topic menu table,
    • the header of the middle data table and on
    • the page/index menu table on the right of every page of those galleries.

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,
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Pruning

Pruning Made Easy - A gardener's Visual Guide to when and how to prune everything, from flowers to trees by Lewis Hill. Published by Storey Publishing as one of its Storey's Gardening Skills Illustrated Series in 1997.
ISBN 1-58017-007-2. Lewis Hill owned Berryhill Nursery.

The illustrations combined with the text tell you precisely what to do in the above book.

I have spent a long time investigating the state of the trees in pavements within Funchal in Madeira and I have taken 100's of photos to show what happens when any tree is pruned and allowed to rot followed by the inside rot being set light to. You can look at the welcome page, and below this leads on to the start page of the 100's of photos linked to in the comments on cavity repair, for further details.
 

• This information about pruning is very useful to people not living in England in 2023, since by 2030 much of England is going to run out of water and therefore the English population that it affects will have to move out of their existing homes into another country; leading to a major financial mortgage and housing value crash in England.
  Southern Water Authority is responsible for water undertakings in Medway from 1973.
  "Twenty-five years from now we will have lost a third of our water sources through climate change, seen a reduction in the amount of water we are allowed to take from rivers and underground sources, and our population will have grown by 15%. Without action, we predict a supply and demand deficit by 2030 equivalent to around 50% of our current supply. Our Plan proposes 43 performance commitments for the five-year period from 2020 to 2025, directly aligned to 10 key outcomes to create a resilient water future." from Southern Water. Southern Water has £5,100,000,000 of debt, so how does it intend to execute these performance commitments?
  Medway has a population of 274,015 in 2014, which has grown to 280,000 by January 2023. So Medway has increased its population by more than 2% in 9 years where our water supply has shrunk by more than 18%. See further details about 'Lack of drinking water from Southern Water by 2030' in Mission Statement page.
  Since West Midlands, London, Parts of the South West, East Midlands, East of England and South East regions of England are at risk of running out of water by 2030, cemeteries and churchyards in England will then be abandoned as its 35,000,000 population has to leave.
  From South East Rivers Trust report on Water, water everywhere ... or is it? - "By 2050, the South East of England will need to find at least an additional one billion litres of water per day to meet demand in the region. That is about a fifth of the water used in the region today, and equivalent to the water use of seven million people per day.  Demand for water will exceed supply by 2030."
  Since the privatised water companies in England are so much in debt (due to asset stripping and borrowing to pay the high dividends and payments in salary and bonuses to their staff during the 30 years of privatisation), it is extremely doubtful if anything has been done about it for the last 30 years or for the next 7.
  They and the government blame the increasing population in overusing the decreasing
  a) by 33% of the rainfall water resource plus
  b) the reduction that the water companies will be allowed to take from rivers and underground sources plus
  c) the reduction in the rainfall being allowed into the ground by the new buildings, roads etc covering it.
  Further details concerning the involvement of the government in this fraud; is on the Welcome Page;
  for those from America, Canada and other countries who will experience the loss in their retirement pension value from this future market crash in the UK.

Chapter

Contents

Comments

Reasons to prune

Pruning with a purpose.
Pruning when planting or transplanting.
Pruning to train.
Pruning to control size.
Pruning for appearance.
Pruning for health.
Pruning for production.
Pruning for rejuvenation.
Pruning to create a barrier.

Tools and Equipment

Clippers and loppers.
Sharpening pruning shears.
Shearing equipment.
Tree paints and sealers.
Tool storage.

Pruning Methods

A proper pruning cut.
Pruning at different life stages.
When to prune.
Training.
Shearing.
Pinching.
Removing large limbs.
Beheading.
Disbudding.
Thinning fruit.
Basal pruning.
Root pruning.

Ornamental trees and shrubs

Pruning a bare-root shrub.
Pruning container-grown or balled-and-burlapped plants.
Pruning flowering trees.
Pruning Flowering Shrubs.
Pruning a viburnum.
Pruning a lilac.
Restoring an old flowering tree or shrub.
Turning a shrub into a tree.
Pruning shrubs that produce fruit or berries.
Plants with coloured bark.
Shrubs and trees that need special care in pruning.
Pruning roses.
General rose maintenance.
Pruning a hybrid tea rose.
Pruning shrub and species roses.
Pruning climbers and ramblers.
Pruning tree roses.
Choosing a tree or shrub.

From shrubs and trees for the smaller garden by Frances Perry. Published by C. Arthur Pearson Ltd in 1961:-

When pruning trees.
Never leave dead, damaged or diseased branches. Remove these as soon as possible or the trouble may spread. Paint with a wood preservative such as Stockholm Tar any cuts over 0.5 inch (1 cm) in diameter. Pine tar is a product from our trees. By treating wood with pine tar, you are adding natural substances that the tree itself uses to protect itself from e.g. mildew and algae. Impregnation with pine tar also prevents moisture penetration like Imprex 845, instead allowing the wood to breathe. This helps prevent the wood from drying out and cracking.
Remember cherries, prunus and even rhododendrons can contract Silver Leaf disease. Never leave dead wood lying about and in an infected area paint the wounds and prune between May and July (when the spores of Silver Leaf are inactive).
Remove large branches in at least two sections to prevent damage farther down to the trunk or lower branches.
NEVER LEAVE STUMPS.

Shrub pruning.
Shrubs should be carefully examined once a year.
Start by checking over the bush and removing broken, dead or diseased branches. Old, worn-out and weak shoots should next receive attention and must be taken out entirely or shortened back to a younger or stronger shoot. One important object of thinning is to admit light and air and many shrubs which have become leggy grow out again freely from the older stems when cut hard back at the right season.
Further pruning of deciduous shrubs will be closely related to their method and time of flowering, a point on which the gardener must satisfy himself with every species he grows.
a. Shrubs flowering in early spring on wood made the previous year. Examples - Jsminum nudiflorum, Forsthia suspensa, Clematis montana and Prunus triloba plena. As soon as the blooms fade, cut back the flowering shoots, almost to the old wood. New shoots will soon break and thus receive the longest possible season in which to grow and ripen. These in turn will carry the next season's flowers.
b. Shrubs flowering from April to July on wood made the previous year. Examples - Lilacs, ribes, spiraeas and philadelphus. These require very little pruning and often flower well for years with little attention. Thin crowded shoots and remove weak twigs, and if the bush is traggly and over-tall (a common fault with lilacs and philadelphus) remove a few of the worn-out branches at ground level and shorten back the top flowering shoots to strong young growths on the main branches. This may spoil next season's flowers but the plant will eventually benefit and be brought back to more reasonable proportions.
c. Shrubs flowering in late summer on growths of the current year. Examples - Bufddleia davidii, Tamarix pentandra, Clematis jackmannii and Ceanothus 'Gloire de Versailles.' In order to encourage strong flower shoots, cut back all last year's flowering stems to within a few inches (cms) of the old wood in January or February, that is before growth commences.

Evergreen shrubs.
Do not prune evergreens in winter, but in spring, just before the recommencement of growth, or, with plants like Berberis stenophylla (which blooms in April) immediately after the flowers fade.
Autumn flowering heaths may be improved by having the old flowering shoots trimmed back in spring. Cutting them over with shears is usually sufficient.

Pruning and clipping hedges.
Freshly planted hedges must not be allowed to run up until a thick dense bottom has formed. Cut the plants back hard and repeatedly until this is achieved. Height will come later but in future years it will be found difficult to induce new shoots from the bottom of a thin hedge.
Prune evergreen hedges hard in spring when the fresh new growths quickly mask the scars of cutting. Very old yew or holly hedges should not be treated too drastically. Reduce them gradually, the top one year and one side in each of the next 2 years.
Young, fast-growing hedges need 3 or 4 clippings during the season, and mature hedges 1 or 2 - in spring and late summer. The clipping of beech, hornbeam and similar deciduous hedges is best performed in winter or in August. At the latter season beech produces short new growths which retain their leaves during the winter.
Ivy on walls or fences may be clipped with shears or a hedge trimmer in April, but it is better to use secateurs in August to remove any long, loose shoots.
Shrubs grown for the beauty of their stems in winter, notably Salix britzensis, Salix vitellina and certain Cornus species should be treated like the deciduous shrubs in category c. The object is to obtain as much new growth as possible each year and to that end the previous year's shoots are spurred back hard in March to within 1 or 2 eyes of the old wood.

Pruning hints.
Prune so that the maximum time is allowed for fresh growth before a new flowering season comes round. All tools used for pruning should be kept very sharp."

Shade trees

Basic tree shapes.
Choosing the proper tree.
Pruning at planting time.
Maintenance pruning.
Basal pruning.
Care of mature trees.
Tree surgery.
Cavity repair.

Cavity repair.
"1. Clean out the cavity carefully. Remove all dirt, old bark, insects, and rotten wood right down to soil wood, much as a dentist cleans out a tooth prior to filling it, If possible, flush out the area with clean water." Fine.

"2. Smooth out the rough edges with a heavy-grit file" No, that would tend to remove the remains of the branch collar and further damage the tree.

"3. Fill the hole with a good tree-cavity sealer. Asphalt compounds, such as those used in patching driveways and roofs, are suitable..."
No, asphalt as well as concrete are solid and may shrink slightly as they dry out leaving a gap where the water, insects can get back in and rot the tree.

I suggest the following:-
"Solution to holes in trees.
Remove ... rot within the hole. Then blast the remaining rot with a high pressure water hose to try and clear more of the rot. Spray with Boron (a water based preservative kills only wood boring insects - not spiders, birds or bats) as a treatment for insect, wet and dry rot attack. While it is still wet, apply a layer of Expanding Foam to the bottom of the hole. Immediately place bottles on this and allow to set for 5 minutes. Apply another layer of expanding foam and another layer of bottles. The aim of the bottles is to occupy space, they are not there as a deterrent. That is why the foam has to be in contact with the inside of the tree not the glass bottle. The poisons in the foam will kill anything eating it and the foam does stick better when wet with water. Keep up this operation until the hole is covered. 
Leave to set and then paint the foam surface twice with a recommended water-based, but not oil-based, sealant.

Solutions to stop creating holes in trees.
When a branch is cut off, remember to cut it off on the other side of the Branch Collar - see figure in next row. (See Figure 1 - Optimum position of the final pruning cut in "Guide to Tree Pruning" by the Arboricultural Association which shows the branch collar within and outside the tree. My Comments: I disagree with their recommendation not to apply wound paint as you can see the result if you do not paint trees which are dehydrated, starved and gassed as these trees in the pavements of Madeira are.) 
Once that is done, then immediately apply Boron and 2 coats of protective sealant as used for holes in trees above." from Photo Damage to Trees in Madeira Page 1.

I also saved the yew tree in my local churchyard.

Branch Collar

Pruning evergreens

What is an evergreen.
Needled evergreens.
Shearing basics.
How to shear.
Shearing specimen evergreens.
A shearing timetable.
Shearing dwarf evergreens.
Creating a dwarf evergreen.
Shearing windbreaks and screens.
Pruning needled evergreens.
Broadleaf evergreens.
Renewal pruning.

Pruning hedges

Starting a new hedge.
Shearing a hedge.
Making an arch in your hedge.
Reviving an old hedge.
Formal hedges.
Hedges for barriers.
Flower- and berry-producing hedge plants.
Hedges needing careful maintenance.
Annual hedges.
Low-maintenance hedges.

Artistic pruning

Topiary.
Topiary frames.
Espalier.
Creating a cordon.
English fences.
Pollarding and coppicing.
Pruning a Japanese-style garden.

Pruning fruit trees

Pruning a bare-root fruit tree at planting time.
Pruning a young fruit tree.
Fruit-tree pruning styles.
Prune for quality fruit.
Repair pruning.
Prune to manage your tree's size.
Prune to keep your tree healthy.
Managing suckers.
Dealing with sunscald.
When to prune fruit trees.
Pruning dwarf fruit trees.
Pruning to make trees bear.
The old orchard.
Pruning sanitation.
Pruning spur-type fruit trees.
Specific trees: apple; apricot; cherry; citrus; fig; peach and nectarine; pear; plum; quince; tropical and semitropical fruits.
Cutting grafting wood.

A solution for grass round trees depriving them of water and nutrients; using the expertise of DLF.
If the turf was uplifted during August/September using a fork for a distance of 24 inches (60 cms) round the base of the tree trunk in the grass and placed upside down beyond that 24 inches, that would expose the roots of that tree. 10 grammes of PM105 which is equal parts of Alsike White Clover, Red Clover, White Clover, Yellow Trefoil and Birdsfoot Trefoil could be added to a bucket, with 50 grammes of Rehofix MK1500 Bulking Granules (these are corn skin granules and biodegradable and used as a carrier for the PM105). This mixture could be mixed with 12 grammes of Groweb Tackifier (a gelling agent that when mixed with water, swells becoming highly viscous, binding the seed and the Rehofix and sand to the soil surface. It also stops anybody else from taking the seeds, whether it is wind, bird, or human). This is then distributed onto the exposed soil between the trunk and the water ring created by the overturned turf slabs. Then 2 bags of sharp sand are spread over the sown seed to prevent birds from eating the seeds and to cover the exposed roots of the tree. This is followed by spraying 2 gallons of water on top of the sand, and the wildflower seeds can then grow through the sand with the clover. The clover are legumes and would fertilise the tree roots. Since there is usually quite a bit of rain from October to March, irrigation of these wildflowers would be unnecessary and having grown during that autumn/winter period, these plants would probably be okay for the following spring/summer growing conditions. The replacement of the turf with these wildflowers would stop that area of turf from drinking all the rain that falls on it and if any fertiliser was applied on top of it, from it using all of it and the tree getting none.

Pruning small fruits

Grapes.
Pruning bare-root grapes at planting time.
The Kniffen system.
Pruning an old grapevine. The bush fruits: blueberry, cranberry, currant and gooseberry, elderberry.
The bramble fruits.
Maintenance pruning of brambles.
Strawberries.

Nut trees

Planting a nut tree.
Early training of nut trees.
Almond.
Black Walnut and Butternut.
Chestnut.
Filbert.
Hickory.
Pecan.
Walnut.

Vines and ground covers

Pruning a woody vine.
Pruning a wisteria.
Pruning clematis.
Climbing roses.
Rejuvenating an overgrown vine.
Working a remodeling or painting job around a vine.
Twining vine.
Clinging vines.
Annual vines.
Pruning ground covers.

Garden plants and houseplants

Reasons to prune perennials.
Perennial herb plants.
Perennial food plants.
Pruning Houseplants.
Prune to rejuvenate.
Hanging baskets.
Pruning for winter storage.
Root pruning.

Bonsai

Choosing your specimen.
Containers.
Equipment.
Soil mixture.
Planting.
Pruning at planting time.
Early training.
Maintenance pruning.
Care of your bonsai.
Root pruning and repotting.