Ivydene Gardens Plants: Ground-Cover Plant Name: G
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. Having transferred the Extra Index row entry to the relevant Extra Index row for the same type of plant in a gallery below; then
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The plants normally selected by most landscapers and designers are by nature low-growing, rampant, spreading, creep-crawly things and yet the concept of ground cover demands no such thing. The ideal description of a groundcover plant includes:-
Ground Cover a thousand beautiful plants for difficult places by John Cushnie (ISBN 1 85626 326 6) provides details of plants that fulfill the above requirements. Using these groundcover plants in your planting scheme (either between your trees/shrubs in the border or for the whole border) will - with mulching your beds to a 4 inch depth and an irrigation system - provide you with a planted garden with far less time required for border maintenance. Plants for 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.
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. |
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Plant Name Major source of honey in the UK Yes/No |
Type The key ingredients a bird needs from your garden are |
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 |
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 |
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Gaillardia x grandiflora Gaillardia species |
Deciduous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
36 x 18 (90 x 45) |
Grey to |
Yellow, Red and Brown in |
"Blanket Flower". Short-lived and needs staking. Cultivars are often raised from seed. |
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Galanthus nivalis No HB |
Herbaceous Bulb below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
4 x 4 |
Bright Green |
Honey-scented White in |
"Common Snowdrop".
The Hardy Plant Society Galanthus Group was formed in 2011.
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Galax urcecolata |
Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
6 x 12 |
Mid-Green in Spring and Summer, Red-Bronze in Autumn and Winter |
White in |
Slowly spreading, dense mat, ground cover. From southeastern USA. |
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Galium odoratum |
18 x indefinite (45 x indefinite) |
Emerald Green |
Scented White in |
"Sweet Woodruff". This plant provides a lovely effect under trees, well-developed rose bushes, rhododendrons, and along garden paths. It gives a feeling of shady forest and is also a good bulb cover. |
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Garrya elliptica |
Evergreen Shrub above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
144 x 144 (360 x 360) |
Dark Sea-Green |
Silver-Grey catkins in |
"Silk-Tassel Bush, Californian Garrya". Dense shrub from California and Oregon. It can be trained in espalier form. It has silvery catkins with golden anthers. Male and female catkins are borne on different bushes. Plant in May in a sheltered position. In May trim back long shoots a little and cut out dead wood. |
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No HB, ST, LT, SOL |
Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
48 x 60 (120 x 150) |
Glossy Dark Green |
Pink suffused White in |
"Salal, Shallon". From northwestern North America, this suckering shrub produces purple fruit after flowering. |
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Gaultheria forrestii |
Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
60 x 60 (150 x 150) |
Glossy Dark Green |
Fragrant White in |
Black fruit. |
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Gaultheria procumbens |
Evergreen Alpine below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
4 x 12 |
Glossy Dark Green |
Pink flushed White |
"Checkerberry". Scarlet berries. Provides good ground cover in shade as a dense turf-like carpet. "Wintergreen" has leathery leaves that are aromatic when broken. This will tolerate considerable drought. |
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Gaultheria x wisleyensis |
Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
36 x 36 (90 x 90) |
Dark Green |
White in |
Purple-Red fruit. Bred in England. Gaultheria x wisleyensis 'Pink Pixie' |
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Gaura lindheimeri |
Deciduous Perennial 2-6 feet in height |
60 x 36 (150 x 90) |
Dark Green |
White in |
Bushy with erect stems for dry soil. Companions - Tuck in among stronger plants; plant in front of a dark background, sedums, grasses, nepeta, iris, oenothera, oregano; admirably used in full-sun parking strips here in Pacific Northwest |
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Genista aetnensis |
Deciduous Shrub above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
300 x 300 (750 x 750) |
Bright Green |
Golden-Yellow in |
"Mount Etna Broom". An open-canopied tree that casts the lightest of shade, for the branches are almost leafless. Abundant, bright yellow, pea flowers open in July.
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Genista hispanica |
Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
30 x 54 (75 x 135) |
Mid-Green |
Yellow in |
"Spanish Gorse". From southwestern Europe, this dwarf shrub is ideal for rock gardens and dry, sunny banks. Ideal for a low barrier being a low, wide-spreading, prickly green mound. It can be pruned hard back, if it becomes straggly or open with age. Companions - sages, cistus and halimiums. The dense habit complements silver-leaved plants and make striking contrasts with purple and blue foliage shades. |
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No HB, ST, LT, SOL |
Deciduous Shrub below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
18 x 24 (45 x 60) |
Blue-Green |
Bright Yellow in |
Mound-forming from the Balkans, with its outline built up from interlacing, arching green stems. Excellent plant for rock gardens, banks and for trailing over walls. |
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Genista pilosa 'Procumbens' |
Evergreen Alpine below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
8 x 36 |
Dark Green |
Bright Yellow |
Prostrate stems. European species. Ideal for covering dry banks, for it spreads to form a dense prostrate mat of stems set with tiny green leaves and sprinkled with yellow flowers in summer Genista pilosa with Sandy their collie dog. Photo taken by Christine or Ron Foord in June 1994. |
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Genista tinctoria No HB, ST, LT, SOL |
Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
36 x 36 (90 x 90) |
Bright Deep Green |
Long spires of Rich Yellow flowers in |
"Dyer's Broom, Woadwaxen". Used as a source of yellow dye with flowers arranged in conical panicles to 3 inches (8cm) long. Often common on clay soils. The whole plant is poisonous. The FDA Poisonous Plant database provides access to references in the scientific literature describing studies and reports of the toxic properties and effects of plants and plant parts. |
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Herbaceous Perennial 2-6 feet in height |
24 x 18 (60 x 45) |
Mid-Green |
Blue in |
"Willow Gentian". Clump-forming and long blooming. It performs best in a woodland setting, particularly in the shade of beech or oak. It associates with tricyrtis, yellow-green hostas and ground-covering ivies, kirengeshomas, hydrangeas, late-flowering lilies, white-variegated grasses, and plants with white or yellow berries. Its flowers stand out dramatically against the yellow-green foliage of Rubus cockburnianus 'Goldenvale'. Gentiana companions - ferns, hosta, hakonechloa, pulmonaria, astrantia, geranium, hydrangea, rodgersia |
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Gentiana asclepiadea 'Alba' |
Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
24 x 18 (60 x 45) |
Mid-Green |
Green-tinged White in |
"White Willow Gentian" |
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Evergreen Alpine below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
1 x 4 |
Dark Green |
White throated Sky-Blue |
"Spring Gentian, Star Gentian". Carpet-forming in a small rock garden.
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Gentiana x macaulayi |
Semi-Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
2 x 12 |
Dark Green |
Pale Blue in |
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Geranium |
Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
12 x 24 (30 x 60) |
Mid-Green deeply cut foliage |
Bright Blue in |
"Cranesbill". Sterile, spreads. Spawling groundcover with underground rhizomes. Geranium companions - The larger ones are a good cover for spring bulb foliage as it cures, the smaller varieties can be used in the rock garden or foreground of the perennial border "Geranium 'Bob's Blunder' is totally hardy and happy even in my thick clay. Pewtered bronze leaves and big soft pink and white flowers with rounded form 2cm wide May-Nov, 30 x 50cm. " from Cotswold Garden Flowers |
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Geranium endressii |
Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
18 x 24 (45 x 60) |
Light Green |
Bright Pink in |
"Cranesbill". Vigorous, self-sows and cut back after flowering. |
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Geranium x oxonianum |
Evergreen Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
24 x 24 (60 x 60) |
Light Green |
Salmon-Pink in |
"Druce's Cranesbill". Vigorous, self-sows and cut back after flowering This clump-forming plant is used in a woodland garden and for naturalizing, also in a mixed border, or beneath roses. It blends well with silver, glaucous, or purple-flushed foliage - artemisias, glaucous hostas, heucheras and bergenias. The Hardy Geranium Group was formed in 1974 when interest in the plants was booming. There are now approx. 70 species and 700 cultivars in British gardens. They range in height from a few cm. to 1m. and in colour from white through pink, mauve and pale blue to deep magenta, violet and blue. There is a geranium for every site in the garden: hot and sunny or dry shade. |
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Geranium macrorrhizum |
Semi-Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
12 x 24 (30 x 60) |
Light Green colouring brightly in the autumn |
Magenta flowers on 12 (30) high stems in |
"Cranesbill, Bigroot Geranium". Effective ground cover in shade, and suitable for large areas. |
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Geranium macrorhizum 'Ingwersen's Variety' |
Semi-Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
20 x 24 (50 x 60) |
Soft Pink in |
"Cranesbill". |
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Geranium maderense |
Evergreen Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
54 x 54 (135 x 135) |
Bright Green |
Magenta in |
"Cranesbill". |
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Geranium nodusum |
Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
18 x 18 (45 x 45) |
Glossy Bright Green |
Purplish-Pink in |
"Cranesbill". Agressive. Use in woodland or the wild garden. |
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No HB, ST, LT, SOL |
Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
32 x 18 (80 x 45) |
Soft Green with Purplish-Brown marks |
Maroon or White in |
"Dusky Cranesbill, Mourning Widow". Clump-forming. Cut back after flowering This plant is vigorous enough to be naturalized in turf and in a woodland garden. The sombre maroon flowers of this plant are not easily visible from a distance, but combining them with Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae drwaws attention to them without being overwhelmed. Companions to geranium phaeum, geranium wlassovianum, geranium pratense and geranium 'Nimbus' do well in the summer border; pair them with hemerocallis, geum, crosmia, euphorbia, delphinium, anthriscus, helenium, heliopsis. |
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Geranium clarkei |
Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
18 x indefinite (45 x indefinite) |
Mid-Green |
Greyish-Pink in |
"Meadow Cranesbill". Cut back after flowering. |
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Geranium psilostemon |
Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
48 x 48 (120 x 120) |
Mid-Green, Crimson-tinted in Spring, and Red in Autumn |
Magenta Red in |
"Armenian Cranesbill". Cut back after flowering. Use in the middle of border where it associates well with glaucous, silver or purple foliage, and makes a good contrast with yellow-green foliage. Companions to try with geranium psilostemon are acanthus, helianthus, paeonia, aconitum, and taller astilbes |
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Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
12 x 12 (30 x 30) |
Velvety, Grey-Green |
Purple-veined White in |
"Cranesbill". Use for the front of the border or in a rock garden.
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Geranium riversleaianum |
Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
12 x 36 (30 x 90) |
Grey-Green |
Deep Magenta in |
"Cranesbill". Long bloomer and short-lived. Companions for this plant are yellow achilleas, agapanthus, alchemillas, crocosmias, daylilies and euphorbias. |
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Geranium sanguinem var. striatum No HB, ST, LT, SOL |
Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
4 x 12 |
Dark Green |
Pale Pink in |
"Bloody Cranesbill". Full Sun to Part Shade and drought tolerant. With its sprawling mound of deeply cut, dark green leaves, this shows the tracery of the silvery-leaved Artemisia alba 'Canescens' as an edging or in the rock garden. It associates well with heucheras, plemoniums, dicatamnus, violas in dusky pink, mauve, purple and blue. |
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Geranium sanguinem var. striatum 'Splendens' No HB, ST, LT, SOL |
Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
6 x 12 |
Dark Green |
Bright Pink in |
"Cranesbill". Very spreading form of above. |
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Gladiolus (See Gladiolus Gallery) |
Corm Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
from 4 to 60 (10 to 150 cms) x 6 (15 cms) |
White, Yellow, Red, or Orange in |
The Nanu Group hybrids and cultivars flower in July, and are ideal for cutting and corsages. Geranium communis subsp. byzantinus - suitable for dry soils -and Gladioli are divided into 2 sections, the early-flowering (blooming from Jun-Jul) and the late-flowering (blooming in Aug-Sep). They like a deep, well-dug, firm loam, and a warm spot well exposed to the sun and sheltered from cutting winds. Line the hole or pocket in which the bulbs are to rest with a little coarse sand. Plant in March or April, 4-6 inches (10-15) apart, in rows 15-20 inches (38-50) apart. In heavy (clay) soils plant the corms from 3-4 inches (7.5-10) deep, and in light (sand, chalk) from 5-6 inches (12.5-15) deep.When planting in the mixed border, plant in groups of from 9-13 corms. Each flower spike, especially in the case of the tall-growing kinds, will need staking securely. If seed is not an object, the first flower stems should be cut down every third year, when many of the bulbs will throw up a second flower-stem. The bulbs are taken up in October or November and stored. Prepare for planting in the following March or April by rubbing off the old roots and soil adhering at the bottom of the bulbs, and save the debris. |
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Glaucium flavum |
Biennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
18 x 18 (45 x 45) |
Blue-Green |
Bright Golden Yellow or Orange in |
"Yellow Horned Poppy". Unruly. Seedpods are 10-12 inches (25-30 cms) long. Companions - Yucca, artemisia, helictotrichon, salvia patens, euphorbia rigida, ruta graveolens; the dry border |
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Glechoma hederacea 'Variegata' |
Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
6 x 72 |
Soft Pale Green marbled pure White |
Lilac-Mauve in |
"Variegated Ground Ivy". Spreads / creeps vigorously on straggling, mat-forming stems up to 40 inches (100cms) or more in length. Reverted shoots of variegated cultivars should be removed. |
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Glyceria maxima |
Aquatic Perennial Grass 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
32 x indefinite (80 x indefinite) |
Deep Green |
Green to Purplish-Green Spikelets in |
"Hay Grass" originates from the Northern Hemisphere. Creeping, bog grass with sharp-edged leaves. |
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Glyceria maxima 'Variegata' |
Aquatic Perennial Grass 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
32 x indefinite (80 x indefinite) |
Cream, Green, and White evenly striped |
On 36 (90) long Green to Purplish-Green Spikelets in |
Grow in water 0.5 feet deep , but is best in any garden soil that is reliably moist in full sun. Variegated version of above. |
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Gunnera manicata |
Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
72 x 84 (180 x 210) |
Deep Green |
Inconspicuous Greenish-Red flowers in |
"Brazilian Giant Rhubarb". A giant bog plant for margins of lakes. The big basal crown needs protection from frost in winter. Clump-forming. Gunnera companions - Large species are best grown as focal points, with lower-growing perennials in mass plantings (petasites, darmera, rodgersia, primula), or with big group of Japanese iris, ligularia, and ferns; the damp garden. Its leaves in the background will be echoed by the much smaller umbrella-like foliage of Darmera peltata in front of it. |
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Gymnocarpium dryopteris |
Deciduous Fern below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
8 x indefinite (20 x indefinite) |
Pale Yellowish-Green when young, become Rich Green with age |
... |
"Oak Fern". Will spread rapidly through a border if conditions are suitable. Delicate, carpet-forming fern making groundcover in cool, shady coniferous, deciduous or mixed woodland or among mature shrubs. The classic partner for this fern is Ornithogalum nutans, whose noddong silvery white flowers stand above the fern's emerald-green new foliage. Growth of the fern to produce a carpet of foliage is usually sparser, if there is too much lime in the soil |
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Gymnocarpium robertianum |
Deciduous Fern below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
14 x indefinite (35 x indefinite) |
Light Green and dainty |
... |
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Height in inches (cms):- 25.4mm = 1 inch I normally round this to Details of smaller Gaultheria, Genista, Gentiana and Geranium and which container to grow the plant in:-
I have included within these pages on 1000 Ground Cover Plants information from other pages within this PLANTS Topic like
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. |
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Light Sandy Soil is usually fairly infertile, and it also dries out quickly. In such cases, use drought-tolerant plants, such as ones that grow in dry soil conditions (see plants in the Dry section of the Moisture column of the soil type, aspect and moisture list page) and also do the following actions, since any nutrients in the soil are usually washed out very quickly. Acid soil is most common in places that experience heavy rainfall and have moister environments. Areas in red have acidic soil, areas in yellow are neutral and areas in blue have alkaline soil in the World Map. Find Me Plants has further details on other plants for acidic soils, when you set Soil Type in Part 1: Surveying the planting area to Sandy/Gritty, or Light Sand or Stony/Sub-Soil. Action to assist in Light Sandy soil maintenance:-
Gardening in Sandy Soil by C.L. Fornari. A very useful book and one you can have on a Kindle in December 2017. A Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin with this Index:-
Action to assist in other soil types in:-
The following is from "A land of Soil, Milk and Honey" by Bernard Jarman in Star & Furrow Issue 122 January 2015 - Journal of the Biodynamic Association;_ "Soil is created in the first place through the activity of countlesss micro-organisms, earthworms and especially the garden worm (Lumbricus terrestris). This species is noticeably active in the period immediately before and immediately after mid-winter. In December we find it (in the UK) drawing large numbers of autumn leaves down into the soil. Worms consume all kinds of plant material along with sand and mineral substances. In form, they live as a pure digestive tract. The worm casts excreted from their bodies form the basis of a well-structured soil with an increased level of available plant nutrients:-
Worms also burrow to great depths and open up the soil for air and water to penetrate, increasing the scope of a fertile soil. After the earthworm, the most important helper of the biodynamic farmer is undoubetdly
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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 |
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Sun lovers - You can achieve a design with grey-leaved plants, interspersed with smaller or larger groups of taller perennials and a single shrub. Because the grey-leaved plants predominate they are used as a basis, with suggestions for plants which can be combined with them. Grey Foliage with white and yellow flowers and plants that combine with these |
all have grey leaves and either white, yellow or inconspicuous flowers. If the above plants are planted together; the effect of different heights and size of leaf will be rather messy and unclear. Plant the above as the background ground cover and the ones in the next column within that background. |
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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 |
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GROUND-COVER FOR GRAVES The following advice would be useful to an educated englishman who might know the difference between a yew and a geranium, but when you consider the lack of education in the local and main government who would interfere, then you could follow this advice in France but I would not suggest you do anything whatsoever in the UK. A local government official who teaches arboriculture, lets his staff pulverize the roots of planted tree - newly planted by those staff - and then covers the mangled remains with tarmac using the same staff - need I point out anything further!!! Graves can be of 3 types:-
Instead of grass (3.), it would be simpler to cover each grave with a carefully selected ground-cover plant. One wants something evergreen if possible, which will fill the area in a compact way. Because the turf in a cemetery or churchyard is not likely to be of perfect quality, one has to choose plants which will defeat grass and weeds for a grave that has no kerb, and at the same time something pretty static which will not spread unduly from the narrow area. Possible plants and shrubs that come to mind are
Graves with a kerb (2.) can take a much wider choice. The kerb will keep at bay plants which run undergound such as
The churchyard can also be used to provide foliage and flowers for the church:-
The above churchyard had large areas of grass to be cut - when I had mown down the grass areas not "Apart from private terraced gardens and formal parks there are cemeteries and old churchyards to be
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. 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, except for them and the government to blame the increasing population in overusing the decreasing rainfall water resource. Further details concerning the involvement of the government in this fraud; is on the Welcome Page; for those from abroad who will experience the loss in their retirement pension value from the future market crash in the UK. |
From Annuals and Biennials chapter in Plants for Ground-cover by Graham Stuart Thomas - Gardens consultant to the National Trust. Published by J.M. Dent and Sons Ltd in 1970, Reprinted (with further revisions) 1990. ISBN 0-460-12609-1:- "I think there is a case to be considered for annuals and biennials in ground-cover schemes so long as they will sow themselves freely. |
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Plant |
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Lawn and ground-cover under conifer trees |
Poa annua |
The needles under a cedar tree were weekly swept away and the grass, despite fertilizers, top dressing, re-seading and re-turfing, simply would not grow. The needles were left alone and within 12 months the area became self-sown with a close and permanent sward of Poa nnua. This little grass regenerates itself constantly so that it makes a lawn, though each plant has only a short life. |
Oxalis rosea |
This is highly successful in the shade of conifers or any other tree |
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Cyclamen hederifolium |
This is a perennial, though sowing itself freely when suited and it is here because plants to grow under cedars and yews, somewhat away from the trunks, are very few. |
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Temporary ground-cover under trees |
Tropaeolum or Eschscholtzia |
A sheet of 'Gleam' nasturtiums or eschscholtzia; both are free-flowering and easily pulled up, though like all annuals it may be a year or two later before all dispersed seeds have germinated. Silene armeria and Iberis amara are equally successful, with Sett Alyssum (Lobularia maritima) creating a dwarf ground-cover carpet in late summer. |
Ground-cover under trees with high rainfall |
Claytonia sibirica (Montia sibirica) |
This grows under trees where the grass is thin at high altitude and high rainfall. It covers the area - interpersed with primroses and Oxalia acetosella - with a mass of pinky-white stars a few inches (cms) above the ground. Claytonia perfoliata is an annual; it is usually classed as a weed but is excellent cover in cool, acid soil, but far less conspicuous in flower |
Streamsides, river banks and fringes of boggy ground |
Impatiens glandulifera (Impatiens roylei, Annual Balsam) |
It is a rapid colonizer because its seeds are ejected with some force from the ripe pods. It seeds with great abandon and grows to 72 (180) or more; its many pink flowers make a great show. |
Full sun and drier soils than by streamsides |
Angelica archangelica |
It very quickly produces great green heads in spring, ripening quickly, with the result that the ground is thickly covered with seedlings in late summer. Oenothera biennis (Evening Primrose) will colonize any sunny waste place and produce yellow blooms for weeks in the summer Lychnis coronaria is a prolific seeder with rosettes of silvery basal leaves. Erysimum linifolium (Wallflower) produces lilac flowers |
Plants that seed about with abandon |
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From Appendix II Lists of plants for special conditions in Plants for Ground-cover by Graham Stuart Thomas - Gardens consultant to the National Trust. Published by J.M. Dent and Sons Ltd in 1970, Reprinted (with further revisions) 1990. ISBN 0-460-12609-1:- |
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Plant |
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1. Plants requiring lime-free soils
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Arctostaphylos. |
Erica. |
Philesia. |
2. Plants which will thrive in limy soils
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Acaena. |
Cotula. |
Paeonia. |
3. Plants which tolerate clay.
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Acanthus. |
Euonymus fortunei. |
Rodgersia. |
4. Plants which will grow satisfactorily in dry, shady places. Apart from ill-drained clay, this combination of conditions is the most difficult to cope with in the garden. * indicates those which will not tolerate lime. |
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Alchemilla conjuncta. |
Fragaria. |
Reynoutria. |
5. Plants which thrive on moist soils. Genera marked * are suitable for boggy positions. |
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Ajuga. |
Cornus stolonifera. |
*Onoclea. |
6. Plants which grow well in shady positions. The bulk of these are woodland plants, growing well under shrubs and trees, but those marked * are not so satisfactory under trees, though thriving in the shade given by buildings. For those requiring lime-free soil, compare with List 1. |
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Adiantum. |
Carex. |
Epigaea. |
Helxine. |
Onoclea. |
Shortia. |
7. Plants which will thrive in hot, sunny places on dry soils. Those marked * require lime-free soil. |
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Acaena. |
Dimorphotheca. |
Lychnis coronaria. |
8. Plants which thrive in maritime districts. Many of the following will stand wind and salt-spray, particularly those marked *. Those marked ** will provide shelter for others and shelter is highly important in seaside gardening. For genera requiring, lime-free soil, compare with List 1. |
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Acaena. |
Aubretia. |
Ceanothus. |
*Genista. |
Pulsatilla. |
*Sedum. |
9. Plants which create barriers. The following by their dense or prickly character will deter small animals and human beings as well as weeds. |
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Arundinaria anceps. |
Mahonia japonica. |
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10. Plants for town gardens. Genera marked * prefer acid soil; those marked £ will thrive in impoverished soils. Soil in towns is usually deficient in humus. |
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£Acanthus. |
Euonymus. |
Ribes. |
EXPLAINATION OF WHY SOIL IN UK TOWNS IS USUALLY DEFICIENT IN HUMUS.
Humus is dark, organic material that forms in soil when plant and animal matter decays.
The humus provides the organic polymers to interact with the clay domains and bacterium to stick the 2 grains of sand together. This soil molecule of 2 grains of sand, organic polymers, clay domains and bacterium will disintegrate by the action of the bacterium or fungal enymatic catalysis on the organic polymers. So if a continuous supply of humus is not present, then the soil molecules will break up into sand and clay. |
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Cultural Needs of Plants "Understanding Fern Needs
Only Earthworms provide the tunnels which transport water, gas and nutrients to and from roots. When the roots of the plant requires the mineral nutrients dissolved in soil water, oxygen and nitrogen intake and waste gases output, it gets it through the action of the earthworm continously making tunnels to provide the transport system. |
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11. Plants suitable for covering rose-beds. The following are all small plants that will not be strong-growing for the purpose, and will help to make the beds more attractive during the 7 months when Hybrid Teas and Floribundas are not in flower. Small spring-flowering bulbs can be grown through them. The more vigorous shrub roses will tolerate many others among the shorter growing plants in this 1000 ground cover table. |
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Acaena. |
Cardamine trifolia. |
Primula auricula. |
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PLANTS PAGE PLANT USE Ground-cover Height Poisonous Cultivated and UK Wildflower Plants with Photos
Following parts of Level 2a, 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) |
Plant Selection by Plant Requirements
Photos - with its link; provides a link to its respective Plant Photo Gallery in this website to provide comparison photos. ------------ Ground-cover Height |
REFINING SELECTION Plant Selection by Flower Shape Plant Selection by Foliage Colour
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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 |
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Top ten plants that are bad for bees from Countryfile Magazine "Lavender, alliums, fuschias, sweet peas - keen gardeners know the very best flowers to entice bees to their gardens. But what about plants that are bad for bees? Here is our expert guide to the top ten plants that you should avoid to keep bees happy and buzzing, plus the perfect alternatives. 1. Rhododendron 2. Azalea 3. Trumpet flower, or angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia suaveolens) 4. Oleander (Nerium oleander) 5. Yellow Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) 6. Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) 7. Stargazer lily (Lilium 'Stargazer') 8. Heliconia Exotic and interesting, heliconia, or lobster-claws as its sometimes called, is very toxic to bees. You should not prune your heliconias, as the 'stem' is actually made up of rolled leaf bases and the flowers emerge from the top of these 'pseudostems'. However, each stem will only flower once, so after flowering you can cut that stem out. This is recommended, to encourage more flowering, to increase airflow in between the stems of your plant, and also to generally tidy it up and improve the appearance. 9. Bog rosemary (Andromeda polifolia - 10. Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) This is another list of Plants toxic to bees, which includes:- |
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The following details come from Cactus Art:- "A flower is the the complex sexual reproductive structure of Angiosperms, typically consisting of an axis bearing perianth parts, androecium (male) and gynoecium (female). Bisexual flower show four distinctive parts arranged in rings inside each other which are technically modified leaves: Sepal, petal, stamen & pistil. This flower is referred to as complete (with all four parts) and perfect (with "male" stamens and "female" pistil). The ovary ripens into a fruit and the ovules inside develop into seeds. Incomplete flowers are lacking one or more of the four main parts. Imperfect (unisexual) flowers contain a pistil or stamens, but not both. The colourful parts of a flower and its scent attract pollinators and guide them to the nectary, usually at the base of the flower tube.
Androecium (male Parts or stamens) Gynoecium (female Parts or carpels or pistil)
 It is made up of the stigma, style, and ovary. Each pistil is constructed of one to many rolled leaflike structures.
The following details come from Nectary Genomics:- "NECTAR. Many flowering plants attract potential pollinators by offering a reward of floral nectar. The primary solutes found in most nectars are varying ratios of sucrose, glucose and fructose, which can range from as little a 8% (w/w) in some species to as high as 80% in others. This abundance of simple sugars has resulted in the general perception that nectar consists of little more than sugar-water; however, numerous studies indicate that it is actually a complex mixture of components. Additional compounds found in a variety of nectars include other sugars, all 20 standard amino acids, phenolics, alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenes, vitamins, organic acids, oils, free fatty acids, metal ions and proteins. NECTARIES. An organ known as the floral nectary is responsible for producing the complex mixture of compounds found in nectar. Nectaries can occur in different areas of flowers, and often take on diverse forms in different species, even to the point of being used for taxonomic purposes. Nectaries undergo remarkable morphological and metabolic changes during the course of floral development. For example, it is known that pre-secretory nectaries in a number of species accumulate large amounts of starch, which is followed by a rapid degradation of amyloplast granules just prior to anthesis and nectar secretion. These sugars presumably serve as a source of nectar carbohydrate. WHY STUDY NECTAR? Nearly one-third of all worldwide crops are dependent on animals to achieve efficient pollination. In addition, U.S. pollinator-dependent crops have been estimated to have an annual value of up to $15 billion. Many crop species are largely self-incompatible (not self-fertile) and rely almost entirely on animal pollinators to achieve full fecundity; poor pollinator visitation has been reported to reduce yields of certain species by up to 50%." |
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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. |
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THE 2 EUREKA EFFECT PAGES FOR UNDERSTANDING SOIL AND HOW PLANTS INTERACT WITH IT OUT OF 10,000:-
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Choose 1 of these different Plant selection Methods:-
1. Choose a plant from 1 of 53 flower colours in the Colour Wheel Gallery.
2. Choose a plant from 1 of 12 flower colours in each month of the year from 12 Bloom Colours per Month Index Gallery.
3. Choose a plant from 1 of 6 flower colours per month for each type of plant:- Aquatic
4. Choose a plant from its Flower Shape:- Shape, Form
5. Choose a plant from its foliage:- Bamboo
6. There are 6 Plant Selection Levels including Bee Pollinated Plants for Hay Fever Sufferers in
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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:-
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There are other pages on Plants which bloom in each month of the year in this website:-
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Pruning The illustrations combined with the text tell you precisely what to do in the above book.
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Chapter |
Contents |
Comments |
Reasons to prune |
Pruning with a purpose. |
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Tools and Equipment |
Clippers and loppers. |
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Pruning Methods |
A proper pruning cut. |
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Ornamental trees and shrubs |
Pruning a bare-root shrub. |
From shrubs and trees for the smaller garden by Frances Perry. Published by C. Arthur Pearson Ltd in 1961:- When pruning trees. Shrub pruning. Evergreen shrubs. Pruning and clipping hedges. Pruning hints. |
Shade trees |
Basic tree shapes. |
Cavity repair. "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..." I suggest the following:- 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 |
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Pruning evergreens |
What is an evergreen. |
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Pruning hedges |
Starting a new hedge. |
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Artistic pruning |
Topiary. |
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Pruning fruit trees |
Pruning a bare-root fruit tree at planting time. |
A solution for grass round trees depriving them of water and nutrients; using the expertise of DLF. |
Pruning small fruits |
Grapes. |
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Nut trees |
Planting a nut tree. |
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Vines and ground covers |
Pruning a woody vine. |
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Garden plants and houseplants |
Reasons to prune perennials. |
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Bonsai |
Choosing your specimen. |
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BULB FLOWER SHAPE GALLERY PAGES |
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Number of Flower Petals |
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Flower Shape - Simple |
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Flower Shape - Simple |
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Flower Shape - Elabor-ated |
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Flower Shape - Elabor-ated |
Stars with Semi-Double Flowers |
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Natural Arrange-ments |
Bunches, Posies and Sprays (Group) |
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FURTHER BULB FLOWER SHAPE GALLERY PAGES |
History, Culture and Characteristics
Alphabetical Guide - Pages 154-543 provides an Alphabetical Guide to these bulbs, with each genus having a description with details of culture, propagation and details of each of its species and varieties:- Agapanthus is on pages 159-160 with Anemone on pages 169-175. with these Appendices:- |
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Bulbs for Small Garden by E.C.M. Haes. Published by Pan Books in 1967:-
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Bulbs in the Small Garden with Garden Plan and its different bulb sections |
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Bulb Form |
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Bulb Use |
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Bulb in Soil |
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Bulb Height from Text Border |
Brown= 0-12 inches (0-30 cms) |
Blue = 12-24 inches (30-60 cms) |
Green= 24-36 inches (60-90 cms) |
Red = 36+ inches (90+ cms) |
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Bulb Soil Moisture from Text Background |
Wet Soil |
Moist Soil |
Dry Soil |
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Flowering months range abreviates month to its first 3 letters (Apr-Jun is April, May and June). Click on thumbnail to change this comparison page to the Plant Description Page of the Bulb named in the Text box below that photo. |
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Click on Black or White box in Colour of Month. |
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I have updated the plant type and plant use for the Evergreen Perennials by February 2023,
followed by continuing to insert all the plants with flowers from Camera Photo Galleries as indicated by I will continue to insert all the plants planted in chalk as indicated by then the following plants shall be added from
finally - I am inserting these from February 2023, I will continue to insert all the plants |
The following is from the current Site Map of Evergr Perenn Gallery in October 2023:- 104 from the 1000 Ground Cover Plants (up to Aster novi-belgii in Plant Selection Level 5 Plant Name - A Index page of Plants Topic) as indicated by
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