Ivydene Gardens Plants: Ground-Cover Plant Name: G
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.
 

Gaillardia x grandiflora

Gaillardia species
No HB, ST, LT, SOL

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

36 x 18 (90 x 45)

Grey to
Mid-Green

Yellow, Red and Brown in
July-October

"Blanket Flower". Short-lived and needs staking. Cultivars are often raised from seed.
Full Sun
Zone 4
Any fertile, well-drained dry soil. Make good cut flowers. Best planted in groups of 4-5 in the middle or front of the herbaceous border. Deadhead regularly.

Galanthus nivalis

No HB

Herbaceous Bulb below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

4 x 4
(10 x 10)

Bright Green

Honey-scented White in
January-March

"Common Snowdrop".
Snowdrops thrive in the shade, in well-drained moist, gritty loam, and are excellent for beds, the rock garden, or for naturalising in grass or lawns. Plant in Aug-Sep, 3 inches (7.5) deep and 3 inches apart; lift every fourth year only. Like all snowdrops, these are best transplanted in green leaf or during the 2 or 3 months afterwards.

The single flowers of Galanthus nivalis combine with evergreen perennials and small shrubs such as
Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald 'n' Gold'.

The Hardy Plant Society Galanthus Group was formed in 2011.

Often found in bloom in woods and fields. Garden varieties that have double flowers or flowers that are highly modifired compared with the wild type of flower are unsuitable for bees.

Galax urcecolata
(Galax aphylla)

Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

6 x 12
(15 x 30)

Mid-Green in Spring and Summer, Red-Bronze in Autumn and Winter

White in
May-June

Slowly spreading, dense mat, ground cover. From southeastern USA.
Part Shade, Full Shade
Zone 5
Moist, humus-rich, lime-free soil under trees or among shrubs. 3 (7.5) across, leaves were once used in USA flower-arrranging.

Galium odoratum

Herb below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

18 x indefinite (45 x indefinite)

Emerald Green

Scented White in
June-August

"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.

Garrya elliptica
'James Roof'
No HB
The pollen-producing catkins on the male forms are sometimes visited by early honeybees for pollen.

Evergreen Shrub above 72 inches (180 cms) in height

144 x 144 (360 x 360)

Dark Sea-Green

Silver-Grey catkins in
January-March

"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.
Full Sun, Part Shade in mild-temperate climate
Zones 8-9
Rich, well-drained soil. Slow growing, require little pruning, dislike being transplanted.

Gaulhteria 'Shallon'

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
June-July

"Salal, Shallon". From northwestern North America, this suckering shrub produces purple fruit after flowering.
Part Shade in sheltered position
Zones 7-9
Well-drained, humus-rich, acid soil. This will tolerate considerable drought.

Gaultheria forrestii

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

60 x 60 (150 x 150)

Glossy Dark Green

Fragrant White in
June-July

Black fruit.

Gaultheria procumbens

Evergreen Alpine below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

4 x 12
(10 x 30)

Glossy Dark Green

Pink flushed White
in June-August

"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.

Gaultheria x wisleyensis

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

36 x 36 (90 x 90)

Dark Green

White in
June-July

Purple-Red fruit. Bred in England.
Part Shade in sheltered position
Zones 7-9
Well-drained, humus-rich, acid soil

Gaultheria x wisleyensis 'Pink Pixie'
photo taken by Kavanagh on 5 March 2013

Gaura lindheimeri

Deciduous Perennial 2-6 feet in height

60 x 36 (150 x 90)

Dark Green

White in
June-October

Bushy with erect stems for dry soil.
Zone 4-9

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

Genista aetnensis

Deciduous Shrub above 72 inches (180 cms) in height

300 x 300 (750 x 750)

Bright Green

Golden-Yellow in
July-August

"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.

Genista are good rock garden and low maintenance plants that blend quietly into the landscape most of the year except for springtime or summertime, when their flowers become eye-catchers. Though deciduous, they give an evergreen effect because of their densely packed twigs or spines.
The whole plant of Genista is poisonous.

Genista hispanica

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

30 x 54 (75 x 135)

Mid-Green

Yellow in
May-June

"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.
Genista prefer Full Sun
Zones 6-10
Not-too-rich, well-drained soil. Good seaside plants
This neat bush grows in a dry border or gravel bed.

Companions - sages, cistus and halimiums. The dense habit complements silver-leaved plants and make striking contrasts with purple and blue foliage shades.

Genista lydia

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
May-June

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.
Zones 7-9

Genista pilosa 'Procumbens'

Evergreen Alpine below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

8 x 36
(20 x 90)

Dark Green

Bright Yellow
in June-July

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
Zones 5-9

Genista pilosa with Sandy their collie dog. Photo taken by Christine or Ron Foord in June 1994.

Genista tinctoria
'Royal Gold'

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
June-August

"Dyer's Broom, Woadwaxen". Used as a source of yellow dye with flowers arranged in conical panicles to 3 inches (8cm) long.
Zones 3-9

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.

Gentiana asclepiadea

Herbaceous Perennial 2-6 feet in height

24 x 18 (60 x 45)

Mid-Green

Blue in
August-September

"Willow Gentian". Clump-forming and long blooming.
Part Shade
Zone 6-9
Humus-rich, moist, acidic, well-drained soil.

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

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
August-September

"White Willow Gentian"
Part Shade
Zone 6-9
Humus-rich, moist, acidic, well-drained soil.

Gentiana verna

Evergreen Alpine below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

1 x 4
(2 x 10)

Dark Green

White throated Sky-Blue
in April-July

"Spring Gentian, Star Gentian". Carpet-forming in a small rock garden.

"It needs a soil composed of equal parts of leaf-mould, good turfy loam and half a part of sharp sand, in the pan or alpine trough, and once planted it should not be disturbed. Do not break the soil ball more than you can help when planting an established specimen. The best place is in full sun but with moisture, conditions which are often more easily provided in the garden on the outside window-sill than in the rock garden. A mountain, even in summer, is a wet place; and though the high-growing Swiss relations of Gentiana verna get their moisture from the thawing snowcap, the hills of Britain provide plenty of water going for the climber even in August. It is not a marsh plant: it just does not like the sun-baked dryness of the Arabis-Aubretia-Sedum and some annuals to give summer colour type of rock garden. In winter the plant should not be over-watered. Good drainage, good humus, and watering in summer without swamping or getting the soil sour, are the secrets of Gentian growing, and, above all, fitting the right species to the right soil. It is also suitable for a miniature pan garden being one of the most beautiful of all English wild flowers - from Alpines without a Garden by Lawrence D. Hills. Published by Faber & Faber in 1953.

Part Shade
Zone
Humus-rich, moist, acidic, well-drained soil.

Gentiana x macaulayi
'Wells's Variety'

Semi-Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

2 x 12
(5 x 30)

Dark Green

Pale Blue in
September-November

Part Shade
Zone
Humus-rich, moist, acidic, well-drained soil.

Geranium
'Johnson's Blue'

Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

12 x 24 (30 x 60)

Mid-Green deeply cut foliage

Bright Blue in
July-September

"Cranesbill". Sterile, spreads. Spawling groundcover with underground rhizomes.
All Geraniums are Rabbit Resistant - see other Rabbit Resistant Plants. The dwarf kinds are suitable for the rock garden, and thrive in ordinary gritty soil. An autumnal dressing of granite chips will help them to survive the winter. Plants may be increased by division from Oct-Mar.
Grows perfectly well in Full Sun, but are more luxuriant and last longer when in Part Shade in cool soil.
Zone 5-9
Any good fertile soil.
In a wild part of the garden plant Euphorbia griffithii 'Fireglow' and surround it with Geranium 'Johnson's Blue to have deep yellow surrounded by blue.

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

Geranium endressii

Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

18 x 24 (45 x 60)

Light Green

Bright Pink in
July-October

"Cranesbill". Vigorous, self-sows and cut back after flowering.
All Geraniums can be used for Flower Arranging - see other Flower Arranging Plants.
Grows perfectly well in Full Sun, but are more luxuriant and last longer when in Part Shade in cool soil.
Zone 3-9
Any good fertile moist soil - from the western half of the Pyrenees, mainly in France.

Geranium x oxonianum
'Wargrave Pink'

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

24 x 24 (60 x 60)

Light Green

Salmon-Pink in
June-September

"Druce's Cranesbill". Vigorous, self-sows and cut back after flowering
Dappled Shade
Zone 3-9
Any good fertile moist soil

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.

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
May-July

"Cranesbill, Bigroot Geranium". Effective ground cover in shade, and suitable for large areas.
Grows perfectly well in Full Sun, but are more luxuriant and last longer when in Part Shade in cool soil. It will thrive even in complete shade.
Zone 4-9
It will grow in dry soil.

Geranium macrorhizum 'Ingwersen's Variety'

Semi-Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

20 x 24 (50 x 60)

Glossy Light Green

Soft Pink in
July

"Cranesbill".
Part Shade
Zone 4-9
Suitable for large areas and dry soil.

Geranium maderense

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

54 x 54 (135 x 135)

Bright Green

Magenta in
March-September

"Cranesbill".
Full Sun
Zone 10
Grow in pot and since the UK is too cold for it in the autumn, it dies off; or bring it into the conservatory until the following summer..

Geranium nodusum

Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

18 x 18 (45 x 45)

Glossy Bright Green

Purplish-Pink in
June-November

"Cranesbill". Agressive. Use in woodland or the wild garden.
Grows perfectly well in Full Sun, but are more luxuriant and last longer when in Part Shade in cool soil. It will thrive even in complete shade.
Zone 4-8
Moist or dry soil. Comes from mountain woodlands from central France to the Pyrenees, to central Italy and central former Yogoslavia.

Geranium phaeum

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
June-July

"Dusky Cranesbill, Mourning Widow". Clump-forming. Cut back after flowering
Grows perfectly well in Full Sun, but are more luxuriant and last longer when in Part Shade in cool soil. It will thrive even in complete shade.
Zone 3-9
Moist soil - from the mountains of southern and central Europe, naturalized throughout most of Britain.

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.

Geranium clarkei
'Kashmir White'

Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

18 x indefinite (45 x indefinite)

Mid-Green

Greyish-Pink in
July-September

"Meadow Cranesbill". Cut back after flowering.
Full Sun, Part Shade
Zone 4-9
Any good fertile soil. From Kashmir.

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
June-July

"Armenian Cranesbill". Cut back after flowering.
Grows perfectly well in Full Sun, but are more luxuriant and last longer when in Part Shade in cool soil.
Zone 4-9
Moist, well-drained soil. From northeastern Turkey and southwestern Caucasus.

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

Geranium renardii

Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

12 x 12 (30 x 30)

Velvety, Grey-Green

Purple-veined White in
May-July

"Cranesbill". Use for the front of the border or in a rock garden.
Grows perfectly well in Full Sun, but is more luxuriant and lasts longer when in Part Shade in cool soil.
Zone 5-8
Poor, rather dry soils aid flowering and produce greyer foliage. From the Caucasus.

Associate it as an edging with Geum rivale 'Leonard's Variety' behind it as a harmonizing group.

Geranium riversleaianum
'Russell Pritchard'

Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

12 x 36 (30 x 90)

Grey-Green

Deep Magenta in
June-October

"Cranesbill". Long bloomer and short-lived.
Full Sun
Zone 8-9
Well-drained dry soil

Companions for this plant are yellow achilleas, agapanthus, alchemillas, crocosmias, daylilies and euphorbias.
If this plant weaves among Salvia officinalis 'Tricolor', its magenta flowers match the flushed tips of the sage's young shoots.

Geranium sanguinem var. striatum

No HB, ST, LT, SOL

Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

4 x 12
(10 x 30)

Dark Green

Pale Pink in
July-September

"Bloody Cranesbill". Full Sun to Part Shade and drought tolerant.
Zone 4-9
Use well-drained soil at front of border and gaps in paths. From most of Europe.

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.

Geranium sanguinem var. striatum 'Splendens'

No HB, ST, LT, SOL

Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

6 x 12
(15 x 30)

Dark Green

Bright Pink in
June-July

"Cranesbill". Very spreading form of above.

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)

Mid to Dark Green

White, Yellow, Red, or Orange in
March-September

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
Geranium imbricatus are fully hardy.

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.

Glaucium flavum

Biennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

18 x 18 (45 x 45)

Blue-Green

Bright Golden Yellow or Orange in
July-September

"Yellow Horned Poppy". Unruly. Seedpods are 10-12 inches (25-30 cms) long.
Zone 6-9

Companions - Yucca, artemisia, helictotrichon, salvia patens, euphorbia rigida, ruta graveolens; the dry border

Glechoma hederacea 'Variegata'

Evergreen Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

6 x 72
(15 x 180)

Soft Pale Green marbled pure White

Lilac-Mauve in
July-September
- reluctant to flower

"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.
Full sun or Shade
Zone 6
Found on moist heavy soils in woodland and rough ground in Europe, including Britain. Commonly used as a houseplant and also in containers among annuals in the summer.

Glyceria maxima
(Glyceria aquatica)

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
August-September

"Hay Grass" originates from the Northern Hemisphere. Creeping, bog grass with sharp-edged leaves.
Zone 5
Grow in water 0.5 feet deep or in any garden soil that is reliably moist in full sun. It is useful for preventing soil erosion on river and pond banks, so as it gets further away from permanent wet feet it is likely to not spread much further away from the water source.

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
August-September

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.

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
July in immense spikes

"Brazilian Giant Rhubarb". A giant bog plant for margins of lakes. The big basal crown needs protection from frost in winter. Clump-forming.
Full Sun, Part Shade
Zone 8-10
Rich, permanently moist soil - native to colder parts of southern Brazil.

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.

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.
Moist Shade
Zone 3
well-drained, humus-rich acid to neutral soil.

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

Gymnocarpium robertianum

Deciduous Fern below 24 inches (60 cms) in height

14 x indefinite (35 x indefinite)

Light Green and dainty

...

"Limestone polypody" spreader / creeper that originates from Northern Temperate Region.

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  

Details of smaller Gaultheria, Genista, Gentiana and Geranium and which container to grow the plant in:-

• A. The plant can be grown in sinks, trough, pans or scree beds
• B. The plant is best accommodated in a trough or sink.
• C. Suitable for peat beds and raised beds (suitable for alpine rhododendrons) - remember that rhododendrons are toxic to honey bees

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.
 

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.
   

GROUND-COVER FOR GRAVES
from Plants for Ground-cover by Graham Stuart Thomas. Published by J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd in 1970 - reprinted (with further revisions) 1990 ISBN o-460-12609-1.

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:-

1. covered with a slab of stone, or other masonry or pebbles,
2. surrounded by a stone or brick kerb, or
3. just grass.

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

• Epimedium perralderianum,
• Erica carnea of the more compact kinds such as 'Vivellii' or 'Ruby Glow',
• Galax aphylla,
• Saxifraga geum 'Monstrosa',
• Armeria maritima 'Laucheana',
• Asarum europeum,
• Sarcocca humilis and
• Aucuba japonica 'Nana Rotundifolia'.

Graves with a kerb (2.) can take a much wider choice. The kerb will keep at bay plants which run undergound such as

• Gaultheria procumbens,
• Pachysandra terminalis,
• the excellent deciduous Asperula odorata,
• the little oak fern Gymnocarpium dryopteris,
• Polypodium vulgare and
• Cornus canadensis.
  After a time these would exhaust the fertility of the soil and would need top dressing or taking up, manuring and replanting.
• Some flat trailers could also be used,
  • the more compact ivies like 'Silver Queen', 'Feastii', 'Marmorata', Sagittaefolia and its variegated form
  • Waldsteinia ternata,
  • Dryas x suendermanii,
  • Hypericum rhodopeum,
  • Juniperus procumbens and others, and
  • Cotoneaster microphyllus cochleatus
  • These are all evergreen;
     
  • if deciduous plants can be tolerated, then choose
  • Oxalis oregana,
  • Oxalis acetosella 'Rosea',
  • Potentilla alba,
  • Tiarella cordifolia,
  • Sedum spurium 'Green Mantle' and
  • Campanula portenschlagiana 'Bavarica'.
     
  • Rather higher cover is provided by the
  • long-flowering, exquisite Dicentra formosa varieties,
  • Hosta lancifolia and
  • Hosta undulata univittata, all deciduous.
     
  • Through or around some of these deciduous kinds could be planted
  • snowdrops (Galanthus 'Atkinsii' followed by Galanthus 'S. Arnott'),
  • winter aconite,
  • Crocus tomasinianus and the big later kinds,
  • Erythroniums and
  • miniature daffodils,
  • all to flower during the first 3 months of the year, with
  • Leucojum autumnale,
  • Crocus kotchyanus and
  • Galanthus olgae for the end of the year.
     
• Teucrium chamaedys would be a nice bushy little plant, needing an annual clip over in spring; it can be used like box edging."
  
  Where there is only a small gap between graves with a kerb, or between graves with bare soil, then this could be used
  to make the graveyard neater and far less time consuming for its maintenance crew.
  Sometimes there are dips in the ground under the turf and it makes it difficult to mow. Once that area has been
  strimmed, then a spade of sand can be applied over that area and brushed in. This can be repeated each time
  that turf area is to be mown until the dip has disappeared.
  The used flowers and foliage can be laid under the taller shrubs/trees and covered over by a 0.5 (1) layer of mown
  grass, not only to get rid of them but also to feed those plants. The mown grass will turn light brown and make it
  look like earth. Only apply this thickness of mown grass otherwise when it is decomposing in the first fortnight
  it will get hot and may burn the live plants close by.

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
maintained and the weedy areas, there was a greater area to be maintained, but not the workforce to do it.

"Apart from private terraced gardens and formal parks there are cemeteries and old churchyards to be
considered. There is usually sufficient labour for the larger cemeteries, since they are part of an urban
scheme, but going about the UK one finds dilapidated churchyards simply crying out for the grass and
weeds to be cut - Do not bother, the cost of getting through the amount of corruption in the UK is just
not worth it.
As a saving in labour certain ground-cover could be of immense benefit - we all know
how difficult it is to mow among gravestones and other obstacles:-

• The most efficient ground-cover plants -
  Pachysandra terminalis,
  flat junipers,
  Arctostaphylos nevadensis
  Hypericum calycinum
  could be planted in large formal areas and provide the answer beautifully.
• In the outlying areas -
  Symphytum grandiflorum,
  Trachystemon orientale and
  Geranium macrorrhizum
  would be more suitable.
• As an adjunct to paved paths or other features of a formal design few things are more telling
  than the dense greenery of -
  bergenias,
  junipers and
  pachysandra."
   

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.

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,
  Oct,
  Nov,
  Dec