Ivydene Gardens Plants: Ground-Cover Plant Name: L
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.
Each ground cover plant of this 1000 has further details from her book, if it is in there. |
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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 |
Laburnum alpinum 'Pendulum' |
Deciduous Tree 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
72 x 72 (180 x 180) |
Glossy Dark Green |
Bright Yellow in |
"Scotch Laburnum". Poisonous seeds. A good small tree for a cottage garden, which can also be trained as a hedge. |
Lamium galeobdolon No HB, ST, LT, SOL |
Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
24 x indefinite (60 x indefinite) |
Mid-Green marked Silver |
Brown-spotted Yellow in |
"Yellow Archangel". Good Ground Cover among shrubs or taller perennials as a weed-excluding or living mulch. Invasive in woods. Rabbit Resistant - see other Rabbit Resistant Plants. Lamium companions - Under trees and shrubs with pulmonaria, spring bulbs, dicentra, asarum, helleborus, hosta, ferns, iris foetidissima, polygonatum, smilacina. The colourful leaves of these plants make them useful for highlighting shaded or quiet corners and for contrasting with the solid green leaves of surrounding plants. Lamiums prefer shady spots but tolerate full sun if the soil holds enough water. |
Lamium galeobdolon No HB, ST, LT, SOL |
Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
20 x indefinite (50 x indefinite) |
Silver |
Brown-spotted Yellow in |
"Deadnettle". |
Lamium maculatum No HB, ST, LT, SOL |
Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
8 x 36 |
Matt Mid-Green mottled silvery White or Pink |
Purple, White or Pink in |
"Deadnettle". Good carpet, rooting Ground Cover among shrubs or taller perennials. Do not allow it to dry out. Lights up a border. |
Lamium maculatum No HB, ST, LT, SOL |
Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
8 x 36 |
Silver narrowly margined Green |
Pale Pink in |
"Deadnettle". Good Ground Cover among shrubs or taller perennials. Mildew prone, requires shade. Cultivars with almost entirely silver leaves, such as 'White Nancy' and 'Beacon Silver' tolerate shade and are effective with white-variegated or darkest green foliage. Associate with heucheras, saxifrages, ivies, asarums, tiarellas, sedges, hostas and bugles. |
Lamium maculatum |
Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
6 x 36 |
Silver narrowly margined Green |
Pure White in |
"Deadnettle". Good Ground Cover among shrubs or taller perennials. Tolerate sun if kept moist. |
Larix kaempferi |
Deciduous Conifer above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
1200 x 180 (3000 x 450) |
Grey-Green |
... |
"Japanese Larch". Fast-growing Japanese species. |
Lathyrus gmelinii Lathyrus species are particularly useful to bumblebees |
Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
36 x 12 (90 x 30) |
Mid-Green |
Brown-striped, Orange-Yellow in |
"Everlasting Pea". Cut Lathyrus down in the autumn after first frost, when the foliage dies back. |
Lathyrus vernus |
Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
18 x 18 (45 x 45) |
Mid to Dark Green |
Purplish-Blue in |
"Spring Vetchling". Non-invasive, makes a large clump in a woodland, scrub and on rocky ledges in most of Europe.
Lathyrus companions - trillium, rhododendron, narcissus, aquilegia, meconopsis, euphorbia, pulmonaria, primula, chaerophyllum, 'Negrita' and 'Queen of the Night' tulips. |
Laurus nobilis |
Evergreen Tree above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
480 x 360 (1200 x 900) |
Glossy Dark Green |
Greenish-Yellow in |
"Bay Laurel, Sweet Bay, Laurel". Broadly conical tree which is suitable to clipping and shaping. Tolerant of drought, but apt to scorch in very hot, exposed desert sites. Photo of Laurus nobilis 'Angustifolia Bay' taken by Garnon-williams on 11 June 2013. |
Lavandula angustifolia Lavandula angustifolia |
Evergreen Subshrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
24 x 24 (60 x 60) |
Deep Purple in |
"Lavender, English Lavender". Lavandula angustifolia makes an edging or attractive low hedge and can be trimmed after flowering. This plant makes a telling contrast with gold-variegated sage - Salvia officinalis 'Icterina'. The partnership is useful equally in a herb garden, at the front of a border, or alongside a path, where passers-by will brush against the plants, releasing their aromatic scent.
Lavender needs to be grown in full sun and does best on light (sandy) or chalky well-drained soils. Along with the orange and rosemary, it is 1 of the 3 most important honey plants in parts of Spain. |
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Lavandula angustifolia |
Evergreen Herb below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
18 x 24 (45 x 60) |
Blue-Purple in August-September |
"Lavender, English Lavender". As a ground cover, english lavender is an excellent choice being a natural choice for borders and in rock and herb gardens. |
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Lavandula angustifolia |
Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
24 x 24 (60 x 60) |
Grey-Green |
Lavender-Pink in |
"Lavender, English Lavender". Lavandula angustifolia associates with mauve, pink, purple, or blue flowers, and with purple or silver foliage, and contrasts well with yellow-green foliage and flowers. All lavender varieties provide cut flowers and are more or less weed-proof, but are apt to become rather open with age unless clipped over every spring; removing most of the previous year's growth and maintaining a natural rounded form.. |
Lavandula dentata |
Evergreen Herb 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
60 x 60 (150 x 150) |
Dark Green |
Slightly fragrant Purple-Blue in August-September |
"Fringed Leaved Lavender". Densely packed, soft spikes of flowers remain on this shrub from autumn through to late spring in warm climates. Native of the western Mediterranean and Atlantic islands. Use as an edging plant to soften the harsh lines of paving. |
Lavandula stoechas |
18 x 18 (45 x 45) |
Powerfully aromatic, Grey-Green leaves |
Fragrant Deep Purple in |
"French Lavender, Spanish Lavender". Native to the western Mediterranean. Neat. A dense, bushy shrub. Weed in Australia. |
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Lavatera maritima |
Evergreen Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
60 x 36 (150 x 90) |
Vine-shaped, Grey-Green leaves |
Pink, or White in |
Suitable for dry garden. All Lavatera are Rabbit Resistant - see other Rabbit Resistant Plants. |
Lavatera thuringiaca 'Barnsley' |
Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
72 x 72 (180 x 180) |
Green |
Pale Pink in |
Full Sun It rapidly fills gaps in a border, where it blends with purple, silver or glaucous foliage, and makes an excellent partner for old roses or a backdrop of clematis. Frost can cut growth to below ground level, so apply a 4 inch (10cm) mulch of chopped leaves in the early autumn to protect the roots. As long as they are not severely frosted, plants will regenerate from the roots, although they do then revert to the original clone, the deeper coloured 'Rosea'. |
Ledum groenlandicum |
Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
36 x 48 (90 x 120) |
Dark Green above, densely rusty-felted beneath |
White in |
"Labrador Tea". From Greenland and northern North America. Resembles a small version of rhododendron. |
Leptospermum scoparium |
Evergreen Shrub above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
120 x 120 (300 x 300) |
Dark Green |
Dark Red in |
"New Zealand Tea-tree, Manuka". From New Zealand and Tasmania. It self-ows. |
Leucanthemum x superbum |
Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
36 x 24 (90 x 60) |
Glossy Dark Green |
White in |
"Shasta Daisy". Clump-forming. |
Leucanthemum x superbum |
Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
36 x 30 (90 x 75) |
Glossy Dark Green |
White in |
Full Sun Leucanthemum Companions - achillea, nepeta, echinacea, rudbeckia, allium, heliopsis, grasses. Divide clumps every 2 or 3 years to help retain flowering potential. |
Leucojum aestivum |
Herbaceous Bulb below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
18 x 3 |
Glossy Dark Green |
Chocolate-scented White in |
"Summer Snowflake". Leucojum aestivum 'Gravetye Giant' grows well in moist borders and beside water. It is best fronted by shorter neighbours to disguise the imbalance between foliage and flowers. Associate with Jonquilla narcissi, trollius, early-flowering Candelabra primulas, snake's head fritillaries and with the contrasting foliage of early-leafing ferns, corydalis, brunneras and symphytums. All Leucojum are Rabbit Resistant - see other Rabbit Resistant Plants. |
Leucojum vernum No HB and is a useful early source of pollen for the honeybee |
Herbaceous Bulb below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
12 x 3 |
Glossy Dark Green |
Green-tipped White in |
"Spring Snowflake". Leucojum are hardy bulbs, with pretty bell like blossoms, which thrive in part shade in any garden soil, and are useful for edges or the rock garden. Plant in September, 3 or 4 inches (7.5-10) deep and 5 inches (12.5) apart; lift every 7 years. |
Leucothoe fontanesiana |
Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
48 x 120 (120 x 300) |
Dark Green |
White in |
"Switch Ivy, Pearl Flower, Drooping Leucothoe". From southeastern states of the USA. Superb foliage plant with arching stems and beautiful in flower. |
Deciduous Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
72 x 72 (180 x 180) |
Dark Green |
White with Red bracts in
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"Himalayan Honeysuckle, Partridge Berry".Remarkable for its bottle-green, hollow stems, smooth, heart-shaped leaves and drooping bunches of white flowers, surrounded by claret-coloured bracts. Later these turn to reddish-purple, juicy berries in October, which are taken by the birds. Take out old branches in March and cut back the rest for sturdy plants. Photo of Leycesteria formosa 'Purple Rain' taken by Kavanagh from the Mixed Borders at RHS Wisley on Monday 29 July 2013. |
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Libertia grandiflora |
36 x 24 (90 x 60) |
Dark Green - Narrowly sword-like, upright leaves arranged in fans make a striking feature in themselves. Mulch with spent mushroom compost, or bark in the autumn to reduce frost damage. |
White in |
"New Zealand Satin Flower" forms weed-excluding clumps of narrow, dark green leaves. They will grow even in the dry shade beneath high-limbed pines, where their stark white flowers on 36 (90) high stems stand out against the dark trunks of the trees. Flowers followed by spherical seed pods which turn black when mature. From stream banks and open woodland in New Zealand. Companions - nepeta, sedum, bronze carex, haloragis. |
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Ligularia dentata |
Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
48 x 36 (120 x 90) |
Mid-Green |
Orange-Yellow in |
"Golden Groundsel". Clump-forming. From wet mountain meadows in Burma, central and western China, and Japan. Statuesque foliage plants for a bog garden or moist border, with the bonus of summer flowers Grow this in waterside plantings where it should receive morning sun, but needs some shade in the afternoon to prevent the leaves wilting. It associates well with purple foliage and contrasts with the foliage of daylilies, irises, ferns and grasses. |
Ligularia dentata |
Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
36 x 36 (90 x 90) |
Brownish-Green above, Deep Maroon-Purple beneath |
Deep Orange in |
Part Shade Companions - grasses, ferns, largehostas, aruncus dioicus, telekia, petasites, iris pseudacorus as a foliage contrast, shrubby cornus, inula, rumex, lysimachia ciliata 'Firecracker', carex elata 'Aurea'. Ligularia planted en masse, they never fail to amaze visitors. |
Ligularia |
Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
48 x 24 (120 x 60) |
Dark Green |
Golden-Orange in |
With its richly coloured flowers it makes it one of the most striking plants for a moist border in late summer. |
Ligustrum delavayanum |
Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
72 x 120 (180 x 300) |
Dark Green |
White in |
"Privet". Plant Ligustrum from Nov-Mar; clip hedges several times in summer and cut out dead wood. Whole plant is poisonous, to cattle as well. |
Ligustrum japonicum |
Evergreen Shrub above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
120 x 96 (300 x 240) |
Glossy very Dark Green |
Sprays of White flowers in |
"Japanese Privet". Bushy and dense from Asia. Can be used as a hedge plant. It grows to medium size if unclipped, or can be clipped back Whole plant is poisonous, to cattle as well. |
Ligustrum vulgare |
Deciduous Shrub above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
120 x 120 (300 x 300) |
Dark Green |
White in |
"Common Privet, European Privet". Bushy shrub from Europe, North Africa and temperate Asia. If using as a hedge, prune back hard for the first few years of growth then trim regularly. Whole plant is poisonous, to cattle as well. It has tannic acid in its bark. |
Limonium latifolium Limonium species is a useful late source of nectar, for it is available when most other sources, except heather, are over. |
Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
24 x 18 (60 x 45) |
Mid to Dark Green, tough, coarse foliage |
Many minute Mauve flowers on branching 12 (30) stems in |
"Sea Lavender". From steppes and dry grassland in southeast Europe. Photo of Limonium platyphyllum taken in the Dry Garden at Hyde Hall on 4 May 2019 by Garnons-Williams |
Linnaea borealis |
Evergreen Alpine below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
3 x 36 |
Glossy Dark Green above , Buff to Pale Green below |
Pale Pink in |
"Twinflower". Sub-Shrub that forms a low carpet of paired, shiny leaves with bell-shaped flowers in good conditions, otherwise sparse. |
Linum arboreum |
Evergreen Shrub below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
12 x 12 (30 x 30) |
Bluish-Green |
Deep Yellow in |
"Flax" makes a low mound of leaves contrasting with the satiny, bright yellow cup-shaped flowers on dry sandy soil. |
Linum narborense |
Biennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
18 x 18 (45 x 45) |
Mid-Green |
Rich Blue in |
"Narbonne Flax". Clump-forming, short-lived and long-blooming. Cutting the plants back to about 8 inches (20 cm) after flowering will often promote rebloom. The blue flowers of this background plant contrasts with the yellow-flowered, prostrate broom Genista sagittalis. An attractive spurge Euphorbia characias gives bold architectural form to the planting beside them both. |
Liquidamber styraciflua |
Deciduous Tree above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
960 x 480 (2400 x 1200) |
Green in Spring and Summer, Blackish-Red in Autumn |
... |
"Sweet Gum". From eastern USA and Mexico. |
Liriope muscari |
12 x 18 (30 x 45) |
Dark Green |
Violet-Mauve in |
"Lilyturf" is a spreading, weed-excluding plant forming dense tufts of dark grassy leaves, decorated with 12 (30) grape hyacinth-like spikes of bright purple flowers. Glossy black berries, long-blooming. Dense clumps. Wild in China, but long cultivated in Japan. |
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Liriope spicata |
Semi-Evergreen Rhizome below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
12 x 12 (30 x 30) |
Glossy Dark Green |
Pale Lavender in |
"Creeping Lilyturf" is invasive, glossy black berries. The most effective species for ground cover. From China and Vietnam. These plants are excellent as borders along paths, under trees, and in rock gardens, or as fill-in ground cover in small areas. Associates well with Nerine bowdenii. |
Lithodora diffusa No HB, ST, LT, SOL |
Evergreen Alpine below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
6 x 24 |
Deep Green |
Azure-Blue in |
Evergreen Shrub that quickly forms a low hummock from the Mediterranean. |
Lithodora rosmarinifolia |
Evergreen Sub-Shrub below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
12 x 16 (30 x 40) |
Dark Green |
Gentian-Blue in |
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Lithodora zahnii |
Evergreen Shrub below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
12 x 16 (30 x 40) |
Dark Grey-Green |
Blue or White in |
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Lobelia cardinalis 'Bees' Flame' |
Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
30 x 12 (75 x 30) |
Reddish-Purple |
Bright Crimson in |
Clump-forming. Short-lived Companions - dahlia, tall ferns, aconitum, hemerocallis, grasses, iris siberica foliage; Lobelia laxiflora with heuchera and cotinus. |
Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
36 x 12 (90 x 30) |
Bronze-tinged, Bright Green |
Scarlet-Red in |
"Cardinal Flower". North American native, requires constant moisture |
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Loiseleuria procumbens |
Evergreen Shrub below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
3 x 12 |
Glossy Dark Green |
Rose-Pink to White in |
"Alpine Azalea, Trailing Azalea". |
Lomatia tinctoria |
Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
36 x 60 (90 x 150) |
Dark Green |
Fragrant Creamy-White in |
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Lonicera fragrantissima Lonicera species |
Deciduous Climber 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
72 x 120 (180 x 300) |
Dull Dark Green above, Blue-Green beneath |
Very Fragrant Creamy-White in |
"Honeysuckle, Winter Honeysuckle". All Lonicera are Rabbit Resistant - see other Rabbit Resistant Plants. |
Lonicera heckrottii |
Deciduous Climber above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
180 x 144 (450 x 360) |
Blue-Green |
Orange and Pink in |
"Honeysuckle". Most honeysuckles are content in any fertile soil. |
Lonicera henryi |
Evergreen Climber above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
360 x indefinite (900 x indefinite) |
Glossy Dark Green |
Yellow throated, Purplish-Red in |
"Honeysuckle". Contrast it with Humulus lupulis 'Aureus'. The hop dies back in winter, allowing the honeysuckle, which should be planted some distance away, to be prunmed or retrained. The hop's vigorous new shoots need to be trained out sideways from the time they emerge, and thinned occasionally later. |
Lonicera hildebrandiana |
Evergreen Climber above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
360 x indefinite (900 x indefinite) |
Dark Green |
Very Fragrant Creamy-White in |
"Giant Burmese Honeysuckle". Lonicera plants are useful for any informal, medium-to-large area where they cannot strangle shrubs or climb trees. After flowering, cut away old wood and trim back shoots. |
Evergreen Climber above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
360 x 240 (900 x 600) |
Dark Green |
White then Yellow in |
"Japanese Honeysuckle, Hall's Honeysuckle" is valued by gardeners in droughty areas for its vigour and willingingness to adapt to difficult conditions, including poor soil, hot winds and sun.It is fine on a fence or pergola, but it can be a danger to a tree, choking the host branches with its twining stems. |
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132 x 120 (330 x 300) |
Glossy Dark Green |
Creamy-White in |
"Honeysuckle, Box Honeysuckle". |
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Lonicera nitida |
Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
60 x 60 (150 x 150) |
Bright Yellow |
Creamy-White in |
"Honeysuckle". Annual pruning back to a billowing mound or a geometric shape will encourage feathery shoots to develop in the following season. It can then support climbers such as tropaeolums and clematis, in contrasting or harmonious colours - contrasting flower of Clematis 'Venosa Violacea' to bright yellow foliage of this Lonicera. |
Lonicera periclymenum 'Belgica' |
Deciduous Climber above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
264 x indefinite (660 x indefinite) |
Mid-Green |
White that turn Yellow in |
"Early Dutch Honeysuckle". The berries and leaf of Lonicera periclymenus are acrid and bitter, since they contain a glucoside. Strongly emetic; makes mouth sore. |
Lonicera periclymenum 'Graham Thomas' |
Deciduous Shrub above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
264 x indefinite (660 x indefinite) |
Mid-Green |
White that turn Yellow in |
"Common Honeysuckle". This harmonizes with cream Lilium Roma', both growing well in full sun or part shade. The less formal Lilium martagon var. album might better match the honeysuckle's semi-wild habit. |
Lonicera periclymenum 'Serotina' |
Deciduous Climber above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
264 x 240 (660 x 600) |
Mid-Green |
Dark Purple in |
"Late Dutch Honeysuckle". |
Lonicera pileata |
Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
24 x 48 (60 x 120) |
Bright Green in Spring, Dark Green in Summer, Autumn and Winter |
Creamy-White in |
"Honeysuckle". Small-leaved ivies (hedera) make handsome hanging plants indoors. Several containers staggered at different heights can provide privacy or eliminate an unattractive view. Hang some inside and outside the same window to create a sense of depth. |
Lonicera sempervirens |
Evergreen Climber above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
144 x indefinite (360 x indefinite) |
Dark Green above, Blue-Green below |
Red/Yellow/Orange in |
"Coral Honeysuckle". |
Lonicera tellmanniana |
Deciduous Climber above 72 inches (180 cms) in height |
180 x 180 (450 x 450) |
Deep Green |
Yellowish-Orange in |
"Honeysuckle". It has a single flush of flowers. It contrasts well with purple flowers andharmonizes with cream, yellow, orange or red flowers. Ideal trained on a shady wall, provided the root run is cool and moist. This and Hedera colchica 'Sulphur Heart' make a pleasing partnership, but are best planted some distance apart to avoid root competition. The ivy will cling to a wall, so plant at least 2 fence panels away from the house, allowing the honeysuckle to be trained over it in fence panel 2 with its roots in fence panel 1 from the house. |
Lunaria rediviva |
Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
30 x 12 (75 x 30) |
Light to Mid-Green |
Fragrant Lilac-White in |
"Perennial Honesty, Money Plant, Moonwort". Self seeds prolifically. Clump-forming, flat elliptical seedpods. Cut to basal growth after leaves die in autumn. Valuable in wildflower gardens. Companions - helleborus, primula, hosta, phlox stolonifera, pulmonaria, polygonatum, spring bulbs, ferns; under tall shrubs or trees. |
Lupinus 'Thundercloud' Lupinus species |
Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
36 x 30 (90 x 75) |
Mid-Green |
Deep violet-Blue in |
"Lupin". Best in acid soil. This is one of the best purple-flowering lupins to associate with blue cranesbills or contrast with yellow-green flowers or foliage, and with soft yellow flowers such as some achilleas. Companions - Papaver orientale (both in terms of contrast of shape as well as colour combinations), alchemilla mollis, salvia nemerosa, salvia x superba, geranium; yellow lupine with sisyrinchium striatum, anchusa. Feed lupins with bonemeal and do not mulch. Weed out self-sown seedlings, which over generations revert to plants with blue, gappy spikes. Screen with late-flowering perennials such as asters or Japenese anemones against the tired after flowering lupins. |
Evergreen Shrub 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
30 x 24 (75 x 60) |
Grey-Green |
Clear Yellow in |
"Tree Lupin". An ideal 'filler' for new gardens is this fast-growing, loose-habited shrub with green, fingered leaves and spikes of sweetly-scented flowers. Associate with brooms and cistus to contrast with flowers of different shapes such as the plates of Achilleas. Purple smoke bush, backlit by the sun, contrasts with the yellow vertical spikes of the lupin and the alchemilla mollis in front. A single white-flowered species of rose provides the background. Lupinus is a good cut flower for fresh arrangements. All parts of the plant are poisonous. |
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Luzula nivea |
24 x 18 (60 x 45) |
Deep Green |
White in |
"Snowy Woodrush". Underplant with shrubs. From mountain woods and scrubland throughout central Europe. |
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Luzula sylvatica |
Evergreen Grass 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
30 x 18 (75 x 45) |
Glossy, broad, hairy Dark Green |
Chestnut-Brown in |
"Greater Woodrush" originates in Central and Northern Europe. Slowly spreading to form thick tussocks, looking rather like the top of a pineapple. Eventually makes a weed-proof carpet in damp or dry shade and is a handsome ground cover with wild spring flowers. Common in damp woods and moorland among rocks, usually on acid soil in Britain and Europe. |
Luzula sylvatica 'Aurea' |
Evergreen Grass 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
30 x 18 (75 x 45) |
Yellow-Green in Summer, Bright shiny Yellow in Winter |
Chestnut -Brown in |
Useful dense ground cover. |
Lychnis chalcedonica |
Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
36 x 12 (90 x 30) |
Mid Green |
Scarlet in |
"Jerusalem Cross, Maltese Cross". Self-sows, long-lived, keep moist. Rabbit Resistant - see other Rabbit Resistant Plants. Companions - kniphofia, nepeta 'Six Hills Giant', salvia, aster, centranthus, heuchera, artemisia, geranium, phygelius, miscanthus and other grasses, perovskia. |
Lychnis coronaria |
Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
32 x 18 (80 x 45) |
Silver-Grey |
Purple-Red in |
"Dusty Miller, Rose Campion" makes rosettes of white-felted leaves, topped by flowers on grey 36 (90) high stems. Self-sows, acts more like a biennial, drought tolerant. After each set of 3 years, pull out oldest plants in favor of the much more vigorous young plants. It is best used as an edging and also succeeds in gravel gardens since it prefers good drainage - in heavier soils it tends to have a shorter life. Lychnis coronaria 'Alba' combines with a lemon daylily Hemerocallis 'Baroni'. |
Lychnis flos-cuculi |
Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
30 x 32 (75 x 80) |
Mid to Bluish-Green |
Purplish Pink or White in |
"Ragged Robin, Cuckoo Flower". Clump-forming, seeds aggressively. |
Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
18 x 18 (45 x 45) |
Grey-Green |
Pink, White or Scarlet in |
"Flower of Love, Flower of Jupiter". Short-lived, self-sows. |
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Lychnis viscaria 'Splendens Plena' |
Herbaceous Perennial below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
18 x 18 (45 x 45) |
Dark Green |
Bright Pinkish-Magenta in |
"German Catchfly". |
Lysimachia ciliata |
Herbaceous Perennial in 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
48 x 24 (120 x 60) |
Mid-Green |
Yellow in August |
"Fringed Loosestrife". North American native, invasive. Compact colonies. Companions - heuchera, plantago, hosta, siberian iris, echinacea purpurea, rudbekia, ligularia, anthemis, grasses. Plant lysimachia in pots to control spreading- plunge pots in ground leaving an inch (2.5cm) of the top above ground. |
Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea' |
Evergreen Alpine below 24 inches (60 cms) in height |
2 x indefinite (5 x indefinite) |
Bright Yellow in |
"Golden Creeping Jenny". Evergreen perennial, which turns brown in hot sun. Mat-forming. Grow Lysimachia in moist, shady places where other plants, such as grass, will not grow. A natural place would be around small pools with rock sites for the foliage to creep over. The above is Lysimachia nummularia (Moneywort) with green foliage whereas Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea' has golden yellow foliage. |
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Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
36 x 24 (90 x 60) |
Dark Green |
Yellow in |
"Yellow Loosestrife". Invasive Spreader / creeper, long-bloomer. |
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Lysimachia vulgaris No SOL |
Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
48 x 36 (120 x 90) |
Mid to Bright Green |
Yellow in |
"Yellow Loosestrife". Rapid colonizer. Part Shade. Zone 5. Bee Forage Plants and UK Butterfly with Egg, Caterpillar, Chrysalis and Butterfly Usage of Plants. The feature that makes the yellow flowers unusual is that they secrete a fatty oil from glandular hairs on the stamens in the centre of the flower and at the base of the petals inside the flower. The oil attracts an unusual mining bee. Adult females visit the flowers to collect oil, which is used for nest provisions and to provide a waterproof lining to the cells of the nest. In flight, the bee transfers oil and pollen to special structures on the hind legs to form a pollen-oil mixture. About 60 visits over 10-15 minutes are needed to collect a full load. The oil can remain in a liquid state for a long time, but it rapidly forms a solid mass on contact with bees or pollen. The full load of the pollen-oil mixture is taken back to the nest. |
Lythrum virgatum |
Herbaceous Perennial 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) in height |
36 x 18 (90 x 45) |
Dark Green |
Purple-Red in |
"Purple Loosestrife". Clump-forming. |
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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. Height in inches (cms):- 25.4mm = 1 inch I normally round this to
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. |
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CREATING A BEAUTIFUL GARDEN IS EASIER THAN YOU MIGHT THINK!
If the only garden that you have is a strip of concrete, tarmac or pavers with full sun; then you can still use this Garden on a roll by placing a section of Equigrow Organic Green Compost bags on that ground surface in rows. Cut into 2 inches (5 cms) from each side in the top of each bag and remove that plastic. Lay columns of Equigrow Soil Conditioner bags at 90 degrees to the rows and repeat the removal of that top plastic bag section. Turn the bag carefully upside down and repeat the bag cutting. You then end up with a contained flower bed the depth of those 2 bags. Then follow the instructions for the Garden on a Roll and hey presto for someone who does not have to have any knowledge about gardening, you will end up with a garden. Remember to irrigate once a day in the morning and if it is very hot that day, then again as dusk comes.
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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.
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;
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 These come 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 |
Comments Contents
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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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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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Use |
Plant |
Comments |
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 |
Plant |
Plant |
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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Look for:- |
There are 180 families in the Wildflowers of the UK and they have been split up into 22 Galleries to allow space for up to 100 plants per gallery. Each plant named in each of the Wildflower Family Pages may have a link to:- its Plant Description Page in its Common Name in one of those Wildflower Plant Galleries and will have links to external sites to purchase the plant or seed in its Botanical Name, to see photos in its Flowering Months and to read habitat details in its Habitat Column. |
It is worth remembering that especially with roses that the colour of the petals of the flower may change - The following photos are of Rosa 'Lincolnshire Poacher' which I took on the same day in R.V. Roger's Nursery Field:- |
Closed Bud |
Opening Bud |
Juvenile Flower |
Older Juvenile Flower |
Middle-aged Flower - Flower Colour in Season in its |
Mature Flower |
Juvenile Flower and Dying Flower |
Form of Rose Bush |
There are 720 roses in the Rose Galleries; many of which have the above series of pictures in their respective Rose Description Page. So one might avoid the disappointment that the 2 elephants had when their trunks were entwined instead of them each carrying their trunk using their own trunk, and your disappointment of buying a rose to discover that the colour you bought it for is only the case when it has its juvenile flowers; if you look at all the photos of the roses in the respective Rose Description Page!!!! |
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Plant Selection by Flower Colour |
Blue Flowers |
Other Colour Flowers |
Red Flowers |
White Flowers |
Yellow Flowers |
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Fragrant Plants adds the use of another of your 5 senses in your garden:- |
Flower Perfume Group:- |
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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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Collins Aura Garden Handbooks Trees for Small Gardens by Susan Conder. Published by William Collins Sons & Co Ltd in 1988.
On page 23 it has diagrams showing how to remove a large limb. The fourth diagram is incorrect and below is why - you should leave the branch collar on the tree instead of cutting it off. In the centre of each trunk and branch there is a section of nerves used by the tree to get information from all of its branches and trunk and then sending replies of what to do about it. You could say that the Branch Collar is like a junction box, where you cut off after it but not before; otherwise the tree still thinks that branch is still there and then will make invalid decisions. These nerve fibres are the last item in the branches/trunk that rot away. Branch Collar Most gardens of new houses in England in 2023 are too small for trees, and I would recommend using top fruit and soft fruit trained onto the boundaries. If you add a chainlink fence, then you will have plenty of places to tie cordons, espaliers, fans and blackberries. If you want trees, then you can follow their method of putting them into containers as shown on pages 18 and 19, or train the trees as a a 80 (200cm) high hedge and allow 36 inches (90) from the boundary to the lawn for the hedge to grow in with bulbs and mulch between the lawn and the hedge. |
This table was copied from Case Studies Pages Case
3 - Drive Foundations What are the Soil Nutrients besides What types of organisms are found in the soil? and What Pysical changes occur in Soil because of weather? and what Chemical changes occur in Soil because of weather? leading to This leads to an 3b Pre-Building Work for Builders to treat polluted soil using phyto-remediation plants. Then, they could follow my following Suggested Action Plan for Builders after they have built their houses:-
And finally on the same day pour a depth of 11 inches (27.5 cms) depth of the builders soil mixture detailed below onto the remainder of the new garden areas and alongside the Instant Hedging.
A fortnight later the following type of turf containing RTF (Rhizomatous Tall Fescue), bred by Barenbrug Research USA, could be laid over the proposed lawn areas. The roots of that grass will reach the clay below and stabilise the new builders soil mix, before the proposed owners view the property a month later. The builders soil mix should within 3 months become roughly the same proportion of clay, silt and sand which is within a Sandy Clay Loam to create a sweet spot for growing plants as shown on How is material lost from the soil? Page, since it will mix with the clay below.
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Design Cases When designing a garden, it is vital to know who and for how long the resulting designed and landscaped garden is going to be maintained by. The book 'The One Hour Garden' describes what maintenance work can be done in the time that you have allotted; and therefore what besides a lawn, you can have in your garden. My redesign and construction work to be done on my 3 gardens - as shown by Case 2 - must be to reduce the maintenance time required to the time I have available. If the gardens are first weeded, pruned, mulched, mown and bare earth converted to lawns using grass seed, then construction can take place in the future - as free time allows during a week or fortnight after the maintenance has been done. In Case 4, the combination of the Structural and Planting Designs would create a garden that I would be able to maintain in one day a fortnight. I would install a 3" deep mulch in the spring on the beds, so that I can prune the shrubs/trees and hoe the odd weed; whilst the father mows the lawns, the mother tends the vegetable garden and their teenage daughters play football!! The children in Case 5 loved to look at creepy-crawlies and wildlife, so that together with low-cost the design for different areas in a terrace house garden was created.
Construction Cases Case 3 is building a drive on clay and it is important to get the part you will not see - the foundations - done correctly. Case 8 is creating a pond with its pitfalls for foundations.
Maintenance Cases If you are asking someone to maintain your garden, then do provide the complete picture. If as in Case 1, you intend to sell the property, then look at this - as not a maintenance but as a selling job - and get that job done instead. Case 6 is creating a vegetable garden in a back garden during the maintenance program of one day a fortnight to maintain it and the remainder of the back and front gardens. This was done over 7 years using a crop rotation system Concrete ponds are likely to crack open due to movement in the ground levels due to being in clay or vibration caused by road traffic if it is fairly close. Case 7 shows no planting shelves for the pond plants. |
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Section below on Problems for Houseowners and Builders when the new home is surrounded by clay and how to solve them. |
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Problems for Houseowners and Builders when the new home is surrounded clay and how to solve them. 8 problems caused by clay:-
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Builders do sell the original topsoil including
where the new building and its garden areas are to be built. The consolidated parent material (bedrock) is usually sand, chalk or clay with flint possibly. At the end of building; the builders rubble is covered with possibly only a 2 inch (5 cms) depth of imported topsoil, which might be the washings from the sugar beet in the sugar industry. This is covered with turf and the unsuspecting public is offered the result. As likely as not one of their gardens slopes towards the house and even with the modern depth of foundation wall, there is no guarantee that subsidence will not occur.
If every garden of a new house had a 12 inch depth of soil removed from its new garden area, then at the end of the building work, the Aquadyne Drainage System would be laid round the entire boundary. Next to it then plant the relevant Instant Hedge on the non-house wall sides to absorb the rainwater collected by that drainage system The mix to change clay soil into a friable useful soil in less than 4 months for the above domestic garden problem was in royal blue colour typing. Using the burgundy colour typing components, the builder could create the following soil mix for his gardens:
If water with 150 kgs of clay was first added to the Concrete TruckMixer and then the required volume of cullet followed by the required volume of waste plasterboard, the mixture is then mixed for an hour. If the cullet/waste plasterboard mixture is passed through the poultry houses to mix with the poultry litter on the litter floor before being collected into the next Concrete TruckMixer, then the houses would be cleaner and smell less. The required volume of waste from beer making could replace the Peat above and the requisite Sulphate of Iron and Sulphate of Potash could be added to the Concrete TruckMixer before that mixture from the Poultry Farm litter floor is added. That soil mixture could then be mixed for 30 minutes before applying it to the garden areas of the new houses built by the builder to an 11 inch (27.5 cms) depth. The resulting mixture would then integrate with the clay and create a deep topsoil within 3 months. All the requirements for a soil as shown in the figure above would then have mixed together and time will increase the bacteria and get a new soil structure created. The following type of turf could then be laid over the proposed lawn areas a fortnight later:- RTF (Rhizomatous Tall Fescue), bred by Barenbrug Research USA, produces rhizomes (an underground stem) that send a shoot up to the soil surface while extending new roots downwards. In fact, RTF can root to 1.5 metres deep giving it a chance to tap into water reserves that normal lawn turf cannot reach. |
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There is other compostable waste that could be used in the above mixture - The following is from a farmer who runs Riverford Organic Farmers who deliver weekly boxes of vegetables, meat etc from their farms to the homes of members of the public in Britain in his weekly epistle dated Monday 4th December 2017:- |
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"So why now, in my 57th year, have I seen the light?
So, I have seen the errors of my youth and come inside. Milan tells me we have only just started. It is shocking how much compostable material is wasted at such cost to our environment:
The reasons are:-
Time is running out; we cannot afford 100% safety when environmental destruction is 95% certain if we continue on our current path."
If the above waste was turned into compost that would last as a mulch like spent mushroom compost, which lasts for 2-3 years with 25-35% loss replenishment each year in the autumn, then it could be sold to the above home owners in bags to put alongside their hedges, in planted pots and in the flower beds throughout the year.
If you cannot be bothered to buy the commercially produced soil conditioner and collect your own seaweed to be harvested from beaches, then the following could still provide these other benefits in the same time slots as in above paragraph:- |
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China sells a lot of seaweed. The Cornish Seaweed Company sells edible Cornish Seaweed and The following is from No Dig Vegetable Garden Website:-
What's the best way to use seaweed on the garden?
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Finally, we should not forget about Noise Reduction for the new residents of the estate just built. See last row in the midlle table for further details. Nor should we forget about the changes required for the infrastructure (see Pre-Building Work for Builders with Polluted Soil Page) . |
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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) To see what plants that I have described in this website see THE 2 EUREKA EFFECT PAGES FOR UNDERSTANDING SOIL AND HOW PLANTS INTERACT WITH IT OUT OF 10,000:-
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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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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:- 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:- 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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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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PLANT USE Plant Selection Level 1 |
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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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You may not have room in your garden for trees, but you can plant them in containers.
If you still have not enough room for trees, Plant Selection by Garden Use
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Choose 1 of these different Plant selection Methods:-
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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 |
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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. |
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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 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. |
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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. |
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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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