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

Quercus ilicifolia

Quercus species
No HB, ST, LT, SOL

Deciduous Tree

240 x 180 (600 x 450)

Dark Green above, Grey-hairy beneath in Spring and Summer, turn Red or Yellow in Autumn

Acorns in Autumn

"Bear Oak". It has holly-leaved spiny leaves on a small, shrubby tree that produces an abundance of acorns in a dry garden.
Zone 4.

It should be noted that the Turkey oak (Quercus cerris) and the evergreen oak (Quercus ilex) have the potential to be invasve species in the UK and should not be planted in the wild.

Quercus phillyreoides

Evergreen Tree

360 x 360 (900 x 900)

Bronze young leaves, Dark Green later

Acorns in Autumn

"Oak".

Quercus pontica

Deciduous Tree

240 x 180 (600 x 450)

Bright Mid-Green in Spring and Summer, Yellow-Brown in Autumn

Acorns in Autumn

"Armenian Oak".

Quercus robur 'Concordia'

Deciduous Tree

360 x 360 (900 x 900)

Bright Yellow in Spring, Green in Summer and Autumn

Acorns in Autumn

"Common Oak, English Oak, Pedunculate Oak". Lifespan of 600-700 years with spreading / creeping, densely leafed branches that provide good shade.
Full Sun
Zones 3-10
Damp, deep, well-drained soil. They have extensive root systems and do not like to be transplanted. Prune only to remove damaged limbs.

Quercus robur Acorns.

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

DISCLAIMER: Links to external sites are provided as a courtesy to visitors. Ivydene Horticultural Services are not responsible for the content and/or quality of external web sites linked from this site.  

Height in inches (cms):-

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

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

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

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

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

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

GROUND-COVER PLANTS FOR LARGE AREAS -
WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO FACTORY SITES, SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS AND AREAS UNDER MUNICIPAL CONTROL

Since "Michael Sankus is Senior Tree Officer at Medway Councill with 34 years experience in arboriculture, principally working in planning or with responsibilities for managing tree maintenance contracts. I also have years of experience in lecturing on the subject of arboriculture. I am a LANTRA qualified Professional Tree Inspector and Professional Member of the Arboricultural Association of which I am also an elected Trustee, Chair of the Professional Committee and Chair of the South-East Branch." and Medway Council has planted a tree, pounded its roots with a waker plate and covered the roots with tarmac to make sure that tree was killed - IT IS NOT ADVISABLE FOR STAFF OR CONTRACTORS TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES OR THE MAIN UK GOVERNMENT TO READ ANYTHING ON THIS WEBSITE SINCE THEIR COMPREHENSION IS LIKELY TO BE ZERO AND THEY WILL STILL KILL ANY PLANTING THAT THEY DO OR ARE MAINTAINING - A TREE DIES OF HONEY FUNGUS IN CITY WAY ROCHESTER, INFECTS OTHERS AND STILL OVER 9 MONTHS LATER NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE ABOUT IT
 

The ground-cover in the 1000 Ground-covers in pages A-XYZ are mostly designed for private gardens.

There are really large gardens still in private hands - many of them open to the public (National Trust and Royal Horticultural Society) - together with outlying areas approaching the parkland, which are crying out for tidying and bringing under control by labour-saving methods. In addition there are ever increasing big buildings, factory sites, huge blocks of offices and flats. The grounds around hospitals, schools and institutions are a necessary adjunct, together with the public parks, municipal gardens, amenity areas of new towns/villages, spare areas and embankments alongside the mown verges of trunk roads and other highways; all have grass as the main surface unless it be concrete or tar. Few plants other than grass will stand the regular wear and tear of pedestrians, but there are places off the beaten track where suitable groundcover would not only provide a welcome change from mown grass but would also involve far less maintenance.

Gangs of men mowing steep banks along our new trunk roads are costly and the grass could be replaced by groundcover that would not require maintenance for many years. The ground-cover can be selected to take care of different conditions like hot sun, dense shade, sand, chalk or bog.
 

The Elvis & Kresse A4 Notebook is bound in decommissioned fire hose with its biro, so the note book will be kept dry in the rain.

After the Ground Cover has been sown or planted, then scatter some Green Manure Crimson Clover Seeds over the area to provide nitrogen to the other plants. Leave it to flower and set seed, then you will have a permanent green manure of this plant. You can also do this anytime between Apr-Sep, if you feel that the other ground cover needs feeding. You do not have to cover the whole area as when that flowers it will set seed and gradually colonize the whole area over time.
 

Ground-cover area

Medway Council can supply crushed concrete and other Councils may have recycling resources to do this as well.

OCL may well be able to supply the mixes I recommend in this table for the different applications and lay those mixes for those locations, probably as a sprayed slurry. 1 part of recycled glass powder can be added to any of the mixes to provide a source of silica - a major component of sand to improve the soil structure.
The plants could be planted,
or
the seed could be sown in the holes created friom the Lawn Spike Aerator Shoes/Sandals attached to boots worn by the sower,
2 days later.
If a sprayed slurry of the mix is supplied, then there is no need to water before or after its application.
Watering the grass if it is to be removed, makes it easier to remove.
 

Botanical Plant Name

Common Name

Sun Aspect,
Soil,
Soil Moisture

Replacing grass in public areas with groundcover reduces maintenance costs and improves the mental health and wellbeing of people.

Comments

Local Councils in England recycle paper, cardboard, metal, glass, garden waste, and concrete.

• The garden waste is composted into Recycled Green Waste,
• used horse bedding into Recycled Equine Wood Fibre,
• used glass, which is melted sand, into Tumbled Glass Mulch and recycled glass powder,
• the cohesion, angle of internal friction and UCC values of clayey soil increases with the addition of recycled glass powder up to an optimum value of 8%. Instead of using 8mm recycled glass on slopes of clay soil, one used recycled glass powder, then that slope could support the addition of that improvement mix and the ground cover, and
• waste tree and shrub trunks and branches into wood chips.
• used metal into cans for dog food or fizzy drinks.

The different improvement mixes are

• replacing missing or adding materials that those plants require,
• different fungi, worms and other soil life will be created in each different mix, thus limiting the possibility of one bug infecting all the areas using the new mixed materials,
• gets rid of the waste in using it for improving soil purposes and
• the created vegetation will produce oxygen for us to breathe and reduce street noise levels.

Surface soil moisture is the water that is in the upper 10 cm (4 inches) of soil, whereas root zone soil moisture is the water that is available to plants, which is generally considered to be in the upper 200 cm (80 inches) of soil:-

• Wet Soil has Saturated water content of 20-50% water/soil and is Fully saturated soil
• Moist Soil has Field capacity of 10-35% water/soil and is Soil moisture 2–3 days after a rain or irrigation
• Dry Soil has Permanent wilting point of 1-25% water/soil and is Minimum soil moisture at which a plant wilts
• Residual water content of 0.1-10% water/soil and is Remaining water at high tension
• Available Water Capacity for plants is the difference between water content at field capacity and permanent wilting point

Sun Aspect:-

• Full Sun: At least 6 full hours of direct sunlight. Many sun lovers enjoy more than 6 hours per day, but need regular water to endure the heat.
• Part Shade: 3 - 6 hours of sun each day, preferably in the morning and early afternoon. The plant will need some relief from the intense late afternoon sun, either from shade provided by a nearby tree or planting it on the east side of a building.
  Dappled Sun - DS in Part Shade Column: Dappled sunlight is similar to partial shade. It is the sun that makes its way through the branches of a deciduous tree. Woodland plants and underplantings prefer this type of sunlight over even the limited direct exposure they would get from partial shade.
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight each day, with filtered sunlight during the rest of the day. Full shade does not mean no sun.

Additional Cultivation Details:-

• Acid Site - An acid soil has a pH value below 7.0. Clay soils are usually acid and retentive of moisture, requiring drainage. The addition of grit or coarse sand makes them more manageable. Peaty soil is acidic with fewer nutrients and also requires drainage.
• Alkaline Soil - An alkaline soil has a pH value above 7.0. Soils that form a thin layer over chalk restrict plant selection to those tolerant of drought.
• Bank / Slope problems include soil erosion, surface water, summer drought and poor access (create path using mattock to pull an earth section 180 degrees over down the slope). Then, stabilise the earth with 4 inches (10cms) depth of spent mushroom compost under the chicken wire; before planting climbers/plants through it.
• Cold Exposed Inland Site is an area that is open to the elements and that includes cold, biting winds, the glare of full sun, frost and snow - These plants are able to withstand very low temperatures and those winds in the South of England.
• Dust and Pollution Barrier - Plants with large horizontal leaves are particularly effective in filtering dust from the environment, with mature trees being capable of filtering up to 70% of dust particles caused by traffic. Plants can also help offset the pollution effects of traffic. 20 trees are needed to absorb the carbon dioxide produced by 1 car driven for 60 miles.
• Front of Border / Path Edges - Soften edges for large masses of paving or lawn with groundcover plants. Random areas Within Paths can be planted with flat-growing plants. Other groundcover plants are planted in the Rest of Border.
• Seaside Plants that deal with salt-carrying gales and blown sand; by you using copious amounts of compost and thick mulch to conserve soil moisture.
• Sound Barrier - The sound waves passing through the plant interact with leaves and branches, some being deflected and some being turned into heat energy. A wide band of planting is necessary to achieve a large reduction in the decibel level.
• Wind Barrier - By planting a natural windbreak you will create a permeable barrier that lets a degree of air movement pass through it and provide shelter by as far as 30 times their height downwind.
• Woodland ground cover under the shade of tree canopies.
• This gives a very clear overall description of the
  Cultural Needs of Plants
  from Chapter 4 in Fern Grower's Manual by Barbara Joe Hoshizaki & Robbin C. Moran. Revised and Expanded Edition. Published in 2001 by Timber Press, Inc. Reprinted 2002, 2006. ISBN-13:978-0-88192-495-4.
  "Understanding Fern Needs
  Ferns have the same basic growing requirements as other plants and will thrive when these are met. There is nothing mysterious about the requirements - they are not something known only to people with green thumbs - but the best gardeners are those who understand plant requirements and are careful about satisfying them.
  What, then, does a fern need?
  • All plants need water. Water in the soil prevents roots from drying, and all mineral nutrients taken up by the roots must be dissolved in the soil water. Besides water in the soil, most plants need water in the air. Adequate humidity keeps the plant from drying out. Leaves need water for photosynthesis and to keep from wilting.
  • All green plants need light to manufacture food (sugars) by photosynthesis. Some plants need more light than others, and some can flourish in sun or shade. Most ferns, however, prefer some amount of shade.
  • For photosynthesis, plants require carbon dioxide, a gas that is exhaled by animals as waste. Carbon dioxide diffuses into plants through tiny pores, called stomata, that abound on the lower surface of the leaves. In the leaf, carbon dioxide is combined with the hydrogen from water to form carbohydrates, the plant's food. This process takes place only in the presence of light and chlorophyll, a green pigment found in plant cells. To enhance growth, some commercial growers increase the carbon dioxide level in their greenhouses to 600ppm (parts per million), or twice the amount typically found in the air.
  • Plants need oxygen. The green plants of a plant do not require much oxygen from the air because plants produce more oxygen by photosynthesis than they use. The excess oxygen liberated from the plants is used by all animals, including humans. What do plants do with oxygen? They use it just as we do, to release the energy stored in food. We use energy to move about, to talk, to grow, to think - in fact, for all our life processes. Although plants don't talk or move much, they do grow and metabolize and must carry on all their life processes using oxygen to release the stored energy in their food.
  • Roots need air all the time. They get it from the air spaces between the soil particles. Overwatering displaces the air between soil particles with water, thereby removing the oxygen needed by the roots. This reduces the root's ability to absorb mineral nutrients and can foster root-rot. These gases need free access to the roots:-
    Nitrogen Cycle -
    Nitrogen is the most commonly limiting nutrient in plants. Legumes use nitrogen fixing bacteria, specifically symbiotic rhizobia bacteria, within their root nodules to counter the limitation. Rhizobia bacteria fix nitrogen which is then converted to ammonia. Ammonia is then assimilated into nucleotides, Amino Acids, vitamins and flavones which are essential to the growth of the plant. The plant root cells convert sugar into organic acids which then supply to the rhizobia in exchange, hence a symbiotic relationship between rhizobia and the legumes.
    Oxygen Cycle -
    No nutrient absorption occurs at the root zone unless oxygen is present.
    Carbon Dioxide -
    Plant roots uptake carbon dioxide to provide carbon for parts of the foliage.
    Outside the shop of Gillingham Street Angels in Chatham, Medway Council has installed a new tree in a 2 x 2 metre area with stakes. Some soil was placed in that 2 x 2 metre area after the tree was planted and then a wacker plate was used to vibrate that soil down at 3.2 metres per second at 520 Kg per square metre right up to the trunk of the new tree. Any tree roots under that would have been crushed by that vibrating 1146 pound pressure, which is more than half a ton. When planting these trees in the next 2 years, try not to kill every one. Soil for plants must have air in it for the roots to use to go places; so do not use waker plates to kill them off. If this is to be done to each of the trees to be planted in Medway, then
  • Plants need minerals to grow properly. The minerals are mined from the soil by the plant's root system. If a certain mineral is missing, such as calcium needed for developing cell walls, then the plant will be stunted, discoloured, or deformed.
  • Some plants tolerate a wide range of temperatures, whereas others are fussy. If the temperature is too high or low, the machinery of the plant will not operate satisfactorily or will cease entirely.
• The basic needs of plants are not hard to supply, but growing success depends on attending to these needs with care and exactitude. The remainder of this chapter is devoted to a discussion of these requirements, with the exception of mineral needs, which are discussed in Chapter 5."
   

A.

Due to the brilliance of the following in Other Table 4 in killing off trees

• Gloucester Council wasting £134,000 on planting whips in grass,
• Medway Council has planted trees in grass as reported on Page 29 of Medway Matters Spring 2023,
• London has planted whips in grass and
• Medway Council has planted a tree in a pavement, destroyed its roots by vibrating 520 Kg onto them and then covered those same crushed roots with tarmac. I wonder if Michael Sankus authorised that procedure.

Michael Sankus is Arboriculturist & Volunteer - Senior Tree Officer at Medway Council. Volunteer at Arboricultural Association. I am the Senior Tree Officer at Medway Council with 34 years experience in arboriculture, principally working in planning or with responsibilities for managing tree maintenance contracts. I also have a number of years experience in lecturing on the subject of arboriculture. I am a LANTRA qualified Professional Tree Inspector and Professional Member of the Arboricultural Association of which I am also an elected Trustee, Chair of the Professional Committee and Chair of the South-East Branch.
I cannot see the point of providing further information about Ground-Cover for large areas for use by local authorities in the UK, when the above authorities have wasted over £1,000,000 on killing trees, instead of growing them for the benefit of their part of the population.

If you wish to waste your money and make yourself angry, then do remember to employ someone from Britain to do something and they will execute those 2 functions with perfection by doing it completely wrong due to their lack of education and stupidity, with 20% of adults being functionally illiterate:-

"Even in the UK, a developed nation with a well-established, state-funded education system and the 2 highest-ranked universities in the world, 1 in 5 adults are still functionally illiterate.  
Trying to imagine a world without reading might seem impossible for those of us who take it for granted, but, in the UK at least, with a fall in education funding for the seventh year running, the continued closure of public libraries, and the news that there are currently more illiterate teenagers in Britain than there are illiterate adults, this terrifying world doesn’t seem as far away as it should be.  So, with that in mind, here, today, in 2019, in a world that’s split the atom and stepped foot on the moon, let’s talk about what life is like for the 781 million people who still can’t read." from Illiteracy in Britain 2022: How does te UK compare to the world?
"9,000,000 adults in the UK are functionally illiterate, and 1 in 4 British 5-year-olds struggles with basic vocabulary. 75% of white working-class boys fail to achieve the government’s benchmark at the age of 16." from Britain's battle to get to grips with literacy is laid bare in H is for Harry by Harriet Sherwood in The Observer On Sunday 3 Mar 2019.
"Public spending per head on education in 2019-20 was highest in Scotland at around £1,690, followed by £1,530 in Northern Ireland and £1,480 in London. It was lowest in the South East and South West of England at around £1,230. Education spending peaked in around 2010 at 5.5% of GDP or £104 billion (2019-2020 prices). It has fallen since then." from Education Spending in the UK published on Monday 15 November 2021 by the House of Commons Library.
"There was 9.65 million pupils attending schools in the UK in 2010-11 and 10.6 million pupils attending schools in the United Kingdom in 2021/22" from Number of pupils attending schools in the United Kingdom from 2010/11 to 2021/22. These pupils are receiving less money towards their education in 2021/22 than those of 2010/11 and we are surprised that if you pay peanuts, you get uneducated monkeys.

I used to visit a 90 year old lady on a weekly basis and we would take her dog for a walk, have lunch in a cafe and come back. Her advice was 'if you cannot do anything about the subject, then we will not discuss it' over our cups of tea in the morning and when we got back. I must admit that the more corruption I find out about government, the more upset I get, because I know that it is only going to get worse and there is absolutely nothing I can do to stop it or alter it.
It would not be advisable for you to visit or do any business with anyone in the UK.

B.

BANKS.
Hot, hungry, sunny bank.
Mulch with 2 parts of bark with 1 part of sharp sand to 3 (7.5) depth before planting the plugs in the mulch. The mulch is to retain rainwater.
Spray the mulch before and after seeding or planting plugs with 1 gallon of water per square yard.

Cerastium tomentosum

Snow in Summer is a wildflower in Pink 2 Family

Full Sun
Sand, Scree
Dry

Commonly grown rock garden and wall plant. Native to South-East Europe and the Caucasus.

Its questing roots throw up masses of small silvery-grey leaves - excellent contrast with bergenias - to disappear under a sheet of white flowers in May-August.

BANKS.
Bottom edges of banks.
Mulch with 2 parts of bark with Mulch with 2 parts of bark with 1 part of sharp sand to 3 (7.5) depth before planting the plugs in the mulch. The mulch is to retain rainwater.
Spray the mulch before and after seeding or planting plugs with 1 gallon of water per square yard.

Bergenia cordifolia 'Purpurea'

Elephant's Ears

Full Sun or Part Shade
Any soil that is not boggy
Dry to Moist

Large, rounded, leaves purplish in winter with mauve-carmine flowers in large heads on 18-24 (45-60) stems in Apr-May. Clump-forming. Attracts bees.

Leave dead leaves on plant to provide ground-cover and then they get recycled via the ground back into the roots as nutrients.

BANKS.
Sunny bank.
Spray the ground with water.
Then, mix 1 part of Tumbled Glass Mulch with 3 parts of wood chips - like Recycled Equine Wood Fibre and 4 parts of Recycled Green Waste. Lay 4 (10) thick mulch of this and plant the Coronilla varia plants in it.
Spray the mulch with water.

Recycled Equine Wood Fibre is one of the different beddings in stables. Except for Rubber Matting all the used beddings could be used instead of the Recycled Equine Wood Fibre. Unfortunately, in using fresh used bedding, you would have to mix it and lay it down with the rest of the mix, but not put the Crown Vetch plants in until 6 weeks later, otherwise the acidity of the bedding would damage the plants. I am sure that the owners of the horses would be extremely grateful to you for removing their manure heap.

Coronilla varia
(Securigera varia)

Crown Vetch is toxic to horses because of the presence of nitro-glycosides. If consumed in large amounts, it can cause slow growth, paralysis, or even death.

Full Sun
Any well-drained soil
Dry to Moist

Requires full sun, on well-drained soil. It spreads very freely and is suitable for rough sunny banks, but do keep it away from any plant or shrub under 80 (200) in height.

It has long narrow, herbaceous, leaves composed of up to 25 individual oval leaflets on a central stalk. The pink, occasionally white, purple or bicoloured pea-like flowers open from May-Aug in round heads of up to 20 flowers. They are followed by long seed pods that open explosively, throwing seed a considerable distance. Best used as a 12-24 (30-60) high ground cover on poor soils or for stabilizing slopes and banks. It will grow for decades with little or no fertilizing, mowing, or weeding, since the thick foliage prevents weeds from growing amid it. It is very hard to eradicate once established.

This is replaced by Coronilla varia 'Penngift' in the USA for erosion control on sloping banks.
 

C.

CENTRAL COURTYARDS OF HOSPITALS, FACTORY SITES, SCHOOLS, MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS, ENCLOSED SPACES BY FENCING WHERE THERE ARE USUALLY NO PEDESTRIANS.

The rainwater from the buildings alongside could be directed to crates enveloped in Non Woven Geotextile to keep out the soil and roots, round the inside of this space, via a Rainwater Harvesting System. It needs an access door or gate close by, so that the Rainwater System can be maintained and the water from its tank used to spray the plants in the middle. When the soakaway crates are full, then the excess rain will flow down the underground drainage pipe to a storm drain.

Trachystemon orientalis

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Oriental Borage

Full Sun, but prefers shade
Any well-drained soil
Moist to dry

This deciduous plant is one of the answers for dry shade, where a colonizer with broad, dark green leaves is required under trees or in part shade or full shade; in well-drained poor sand or heavy clay soil. Excellent under big shrubs and trees; keep away from small plants and small shrubs. Blue, star-shaped flowers in heads before the leaves appear in Apr-Jun on 18 (45) stems.

Mix 4 parts of Tumbled Glass Mulch with 2 parts of wood chips - like Recycled Equine Wood Fibre and 4 parts of Recycled Green Waste. The soakaway crates are sunk in the ground leaving a 4 (10) exposed section. The mix fills inside this enclosed shape and overflows onto the crates, making the main part 6 (15) deep.
The plugs are planted in this 6 (15) deep part and then watered.

• Plant 3 Rosa rugosa 'Blanche Double de Coubert' in a group to provide white scented flowers in Jun-Sep. It attracts bees, grows well in coastal areas and is rabbit resistant.
• Add 1 Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' or 1 Prunus serrula to provide variety.
• Then scatter some Green Manure Crimson Clover Seeds over the area to provide nitrogen to the other plants. Leave it to flower and set seed, then you will have a permanent green manure of this plant.

COASTAL DRY SANDY SOIL AND DRY SANDY SLOPES.

Mix 4 parts of wood chips - like Recycled Wood Fibre, 2 parts 40mm crushed concrete and 1 part of Recycled Green Waste. Plant or sow the Lyme Grass in a 4 (10) layer of the above mix. Water after planting but not with sea water.
 

Sow buckwheat, millet, oats or woolly pod vetch green manure seeds in October of the year having planted the Lyme Grass as seed or plug plants. These legumes will help to provide nitrogen to the roots of the Lyme Grass, improve their resiliance and attract bees.

Elymus arenarius
(Leymus arenarius)

Lyme Grass, Sand Ryegrass, Sea Lyme Grass

Full Sun
Sand
Dry
Zone 4

Like a giant couch grass at 24 x 36 (60x90), with blue-grey and broad leaves; it is equally invasive and menacing, but useful for sandy open spaces. A deciduous spreader with 48 (120) long spikes of grey flowerheads in Jun-Aug. Frequently seen on sand dunes to stabilize them.

• Large groups of Elymus hispidus which is a stiffly-poised grass, intensely blue-silvery when grown in a hot dry place can be dotted round the edge by the road or pathway through the sand dune.
• Festuca glauca could be planted between the Elymus hispidus and the road or pathway.

Concrete has a pH of 12 to 13 and is therefore very alkaline. Carbonation occurs when carbon dioxide from the air penetrates the concrete and reacts with hydroxides, such as calcium hydroxide, to form carbonates. In the reaction with calcium hydroxide, calcium carbonate is formed: Ca(OH)2 + CO2 --> CaCO3 + H2O. Thus the carbon dioxide in the air will react with the concrete to form marble and water. The water is used by the ground cover as is the marble for its calcium content. This is a useful way of getting rid of a waste product to create a soil with calcium and water on a continuing basis together with aluminium, silicon and iron.

The water/concrete mix becomes very alkaline and this alkaline solution leads to the dissolution of the silica network in the glass through the rupture of the Si-O-Si bonds. Concrete with water can degrade glass slowly into its components for the ground cover roots to use.

D.

E.

EDGE OF
planted area in the roundabout circle,
public park,
public path,
replace 12 (30) grass strip from and between metal or wooden picket fencing,
road and pavement edges of verge,
replace 18 (45) grass strip round trees with a dandelion edge and green manure within to feed the tree,
to help increase the honeybee, short-tongued bee, long-tongued bee and solitary bee population.

Before and after removing grass or weeds, spray the ground with 1 gallon of water per square yard.
Spray the sharp sand mulch after seeding or planting plugs with 1 gallon of water per square yard.

Taraxacum officinale

Dandelion

Full Sun.
Grassland, walls,
sand-dunes,
in acid and calcareous (chalk) soils.
Moist or dry

Although this is a weed and not a ground cover, it is a major honey plant for beekeepers. It occurs everywhere and is regularly visited for nectar and pollen. It flowers almost throughout the year, but flowers most freely early in the season, before the appearance of fruit blossom, when it is of most value to the beekeeper, especially for brood rearing.

Dandelions have persistent tap roots from which grow rosettes of wavy-lobed leaves. The flower heads are followed by 1000's of seeds which drift with a slight wind, enabling the plants to spread rapidly.

To remove the grass push the SOFIALLXC Garden Tools Rake Gardening Cultivator Seeding about 1 (2.5) into the grass at the edge of the proposed strip. Use the handle to make the handle upright and then pull up the turf. Cut that strip off.
Then push the rake horizontally under the exposed turf and pull the handle upright. Cut the released turf off. Repeat process until you reach the trunk. The reason for this; is that you are less likely to damage the tree/shrub roots as you transfer the grass from its trunk and you re-use that released grass.
Stack the released turf upside down onto the surrounding circle of grass. Sow the Green Manure, with the Dandelion at the edge as seed or plug plants in the stack. Level the sown ground to the top of the surrounding turf stack with sharp sand to create a rain water storage area from the rain running down the trunk for the tree and green manure to use, and to stop the birds from eating the seed.

If the roots of the tree/shrub are visible beyond that 18 (45), then continue to remove that grass to 6 (15) on each side and beyond each visible root. See Photo 5 in row 3 of table 3 on the Welcome Page and Damage to tree Roots in Pavements in Funchal caused by people. Stack the removed turf upside down on the surrounding turf and sow dandelion seed on that extra exposed soil, before covering those exposed roots with sharp sand. At present, those exposed roots are cut by the mowing machine or strimmer, stepped on by pedestrians, driven over by vehicles and have lit cigarette butt ends dropped on them. This would provide some relief to the tree.

"Throughout the warm, summer weather, the tree will need the equivalent of 1 inch (2.5 cm) of rain per week and this water needs to be applied about twice each week (My Comments - since this is over the entire root area of this tree - which is at least the radius from the trunk of the height of the tree - then apply 0.5 inchs (1.25 cms) of irrigation twice a week to that entire area).  One way to measure water need is with the following formula: The tree needs 5 gallons minimum and 5 additional gallons per inch (2.5cm) of diameter (DBH); hence a 3 inch DBH tree needs 20 gallons of water per week to equal 1 inch of rainfall, in other words, 5 gallons minimum + (3 X 5) 15 gallons = 20 gallons." from Photo Damage to Trees.
If there is grass there then all this irrigation would only be used by that grass as detailed on the Welcome Page.

The rainwater from houses and buildings could be directed to crates enveloped in Non Woven Geotextile to keep out the soil and roots, installed under the pavements, via a Rainwater Harvesting System. The top of the overflow plastic crate in the lowest section of that road could have an overflow pipe directed into the nearest storm drain. The rainwater in the overflow crates would soak the ground alongside where the roots of the trees would take it up, thus providing a free-ish irrigation system.
Part of the public flower beds nearby could be irrigated from the Rainwater Harvesting System tank, the second day after it had rained.

F.

G.

GRASS SUBSTITUTE OVER LARGE AREAS

Sagina glabra

These 3 will all take a little pedestrian traffic and are competely weedproof when luxuriant. None of them needs mowing, wheras camomile does to keep it dense.

• Sagina glabra makes a dense, moss-like sward, but it is apt to bunch itself up and these higher portions are inclined to die in dry, cold periods in winter and spring. On retentive ground and in mild climates it is the nearest and best substitute for grass on the slopes of the rock garden or scree-like area.
• Helxine (Mind your own business), grows into clumps of plants and between stones. In mild climates it will give a close, bright green sward on retentive soils, only 2 (5) or high and is admirable for carpeting a woodland area.
• Selaginella helvetica can be used likewise in warmer districts,

and all 3 propagate so readily that vast stocks can be raised in a short time, perhaps using spare greenhouse space to grow these and then perform this grass substitution. This is like the conservation on the Fylde Sand Dunes Project part of which recycles old Christmas trees to provide improved coastal defence. It does this by trapping sand particles as they drift ashore and helps the sand to accumulate to eventually build new embryo dunes.

H.

I.

J.

K.

L.

M.

MOTORWAY AND DUAL CARRIAGEWAY CENTRAL RESERVATION and its Road Verge beside each Hard Shoulder.

Mix 2 parts of wood chips - like Recycled Equine Wood Fibre - with 1 part of sharp sand and use this to mulch over the consolidated area to retain rainwater to 3 (7.5) depth. Then, sow the seed in September or plant the plugs and apply a sharp sand mulch of 0.25 (0.6) to stop the birds eating the seed or pulling out the plugs.
Spray the mulch before and after seeding or planting plugs with 1 gallon of water per square yard.

For best contrast it needs grey, hairy leaves next to them.

Acanthus mollis

or/and

Acanthus spinosus.

Why not add Romneya coulteri - a thicket-former - to the mix to provide white flowers in Jun-Aug. It dies down in the winter as 20% of the mix

Bear's Breeches

Full Sun and Part Shade from trees
Scree Loam, Sand, Chalk
Dry or Moist

During summer drought the leaves will wilt. The autumn rains will regenerate them.

Acanthus is often grown in cities as it can withstand poor soil and polluted air.

Acanthus mollis has long, deeply dissected, very large and glossy green leaves with mauve flowers on 48 (120) spikes annually from May-Aug of the second year. Acanthus mollis latifolius is better than Acanthus mollis because of it big, broad, lobed, arching, shining, dark green leaves.

Acanthus spinosus has leaf edges where jagged teeth are tipped with fiercely sharp white spines that are painful to touch. The white flowers have purplish hoods and clothe only the top 4-16 (10-40) of the spike.

Acanthus roots stretch so deep into the soil, that they are almost impossible to remove completely, without it growing back from the root remaining.
The hood persists while the bead-like fruit develops. The dried flower stems are used in floral arrangements.

N.

O.

P.

Q.

R.

ROAD VERGE BACKED BY FOREST, TREES OR INFORMAL HEDGE

Soak the Anemone tomentosa corms in plain water for 3-6 hours prior to planting.
Spray the ground with 5 (12.5) depth of a mix of 4 parts of Recycled Green Waste, 2 parts of Tumbled Glass Mulch and water. Plant corms into that mulch by pressing them to end flush with the mulch top.
Spray the resulting mulch with 1 gallon of water per square yard.

Anemone tomentosa

Grape-leaf Anemone, Japanese Anemone, Windflower

Beth Chatto Education Trust connects with the outdoor environment

Full Sun but prefers Part Shade
Any wel-drained soil
Moist

Foliage tends to burn in hot, dry sunny summer conditions

A woody, spreading rootstock carries large, coarse leaves with 7 veined lobes, and lower surfaces thickly covered with white hairs. Pink flowers in open heads of 12 or more in Aug-Sep. May reach 60 (150) when growing well. Native to open grassy slopes in north and central China.
Attracts butterflies, tolerates rabbits and deer.

About 120 (360) from the road, herbaceous Macleaya microcarpa (Macleaya cordata, Bocconia cordata) the Plume Poppy could be planted with its big, lobed leaves, cool green above and grey beneath, carried on erect stems ending in a plume of biscuit-coloured small tassel-like flowers (dark red flowers followed by ruby seedheads in this photo of Macleaya microcarpa 'Spetchley Ruby' in Jun-Jul). This will then mask the area beyond and provide some noise reduction during the summer months.

These should be planted about 2 months after the Anemone tomentosa, since this plant dislikes wind and drought. It will perform well in dappled shade in open woodland conditions.

RIVER BANKS AND BOGGY STRETCHES

Spray a mix of 4 parts of Tumbled Glass Mulch with 2 parts of wood chips - like Recycled Equine Wood Fibre, 4 parts of Recycled Green Waste and water, 6 (15) thick. Then, plant a mix of different petasites in it in groups of 3 or 5 for the larger, and 7 or 9 for the smaller ones.
Spray the mulch with the river water.

When the plants have died down in the autumn, then you can sow the Green Manure Crimson Clover Seeds as detailed at the top of this table to fertilise the Petasites ground cover for its future.

Plant plugs of Phalaris arundincea (Reed Canary Grass) in its various varieties between the river and 36 (90) from that river edge - before sowing the Green Manure over the whole ground cover area - to further stabilize the river bank.

Petasites japonicus giganteus

Butterbur, Sweet Coltsfoot

Full Sun or Part Shade
favours deep fertile soil with moist soil

A very large size, deciduous rhizome which should only be used on rough river banks, and in boggy stretches, where its huge leaves, sometimes 48 (120) across on stalks up to 80 (200) tall, will smother anything. It has a vigorous root system with spikes of very pale mauve flowers.

• Petasites hybridus is slightly smaller. Petasites hybridus has a ruff of broad pale green bracts around the posy of white flowers on a 4-16 (10-40) high flower spike. Its kidney-shaped, long-stalked foliage up to 24 (60) across opens in spring before the flower spikes.
• Petasites albus and Petasites fragrans are considerably smaller, with foliage about 18 (45) high and rounded.
• Petasites fragrans is the winter heliotrope, so often planted for its sprays of vanilla-scented, mauve flowers in February. Wide roadside colonies of this may be seen in many western counties of Britain, though it will grow almost anywhere.
• The 6-16 (15-40) leaves of Petasites albus (White Butterbur) are grey beneath, revealed when the wind blows. It has scented pale yellow to white flowers in 12 (30) high clumps.

They are all colonizers of the greatest vigour, most at home in retentive soil, in full sun or part shade. The flowers of all above appear before the leaves; they are like dense heads of daisies.

S.

T.

U.

UNDER TREES IN COOLER PARTS OF THE UK AND
ON STEEP SHADED BANKS INSTEAD OF GRASS

Spray a 6 (15) deep mix of 4 parts of wood chips, 2 parts 40mm crushed concrete, 3 parts of Recycled Green Waste and water. Plant the Great Woodrush in this mulch. Water after planting. The reason for such a rich mix is that the roots of the existing trees will also benefit from this largesse.

Luzula maxima
(Luzula sylvatica)

Great Woodrush

Part Shade
Lime-free soil
Moist to boggy

This herbaceous, 12-36 (30-90) high, virtually weed-proof carpet for cooler parts of the country in damp or dry shade under trees, or on steep banks where mowing is difficult. This plant spreads by stems, and seeds from brownish flowers on 18 (45) high stems in Apr-Jun. It has greedy roots. It is common in damp woods and moorland among rocks.

UNDER TREES OR UNDER VERY LARGE SHRUBS

Spray a 6 (15) deep mix of 4 parts of wood chips, 2 parts 40mm crushed concrete, 3 parts of Recycled Green Waste and water. Plant the Lamium in this mulch. Water after planting. The reason for the extra water is that the existing vegetation is probably short of water and would appreciate this extra water, especially in August. That is when deciduous trees store that rainwater in their roots to use to create and sustain the spring foliage the following year..

Lamium galeobdolon 'Variegatum'
(Galeobdolon luteum 'Variegatum')

Yellow Archangel

Part Shade or Full Shade
Any soil
Moist

This creates a rampageous, rooting carpet of 12 x 108 (30 x 270), dark green marbled with white foliage, evergreen plant with yellow 'dead-nettle' flowers on 12 (30) stems in May-Jun, which should only be planted under trees or under very large shrubs.

Excellent carpeting plant for damp shady places like damp woodlands, usually on heavy (clay) soils in Europe, including the UK and western Asia.

Of less size, but thoroughly weed-proof are

• Symphytum grandiflorum - cool moist soil, but not boggy, herbaceous, 7 x 24 (18 x 60), dark green, wrinkled, hairy foliage with rosy-purple, sage-like flowers in whorls on 18 (45) stems in Jun - and its Hidcote hybrids,
• Lamium maculatum - evergreen, 8 x 36 (20 x 90), dark green with white central stripe foliage, Mauve-pink 'dead-nettle' flowers on 8 (20) stems in Jun,
• Geranium macrorrhizum - thrives even in complete shade, herbaceous, 12 x 24 (30 x 60), light green, hairy, fragrant foliage with pink to dark magenta flowers on 15 (38) high stems in May,
• Sedum spurium 'Green Mantle' - roots where it touches the soil, herbaceous, 3 x 24 (8 x 60), soft green, fleshy, rounded foliage without flowers to become a splendid carpeter nearest the road,
• Waldsteinia ternata - will thrive in dry soil, or cool moist or rich drained soil in full sun or in full or part shade to create thick mats as ideal cover, evergreen 4 x 24 (10 x 60), dark green, lobed, smooth foliage with bright yellow strawberry flowers on 4 (10) stems in Apr-May,
• Oxalis oregana - cool moist woodland, herbaceous,
  7 x 36 (8 x 90), rich green, like large clover, smooth foliage with pink flowers before the leaves develop fully in Apr-May - and
• Saxifraga x geum 'Monstrosa' - evergreen, 6 x 20 (15 x 50), dark green, rounded, in rosettes foliage with pinkish-white flowers in sprays on 10 (25) high stems in Jun

- all are lowly spreaders and carpeters of vigour and reliability.

V.

W,X,Y,Z

WASTE GROUND WITH RUBBLE AND POTHOLES

Spray this 6 (15) deep mix of 3 parts of wood chips, 4 parts of Mature Cow Manure, 1 part of Recycled Green Waste. and water. Plant the Russian Comfrey in the above mix. Water after planting. The reason for such a rich mix is that the soil is likely to be very poor -
the recycled green waste will provide the trace elements,
the mature cow manure will provide the nitrogen for the groundcover and the nitrogen to decompose the wood chips to create a continuing supply of humus.

Symphytum x uplandicum

Russian Comfrey

Full Sun, Part Shade in the pothole
Any Soil
Dry to boggy

Russian Comfrey is a sterile hybrid and, therefore, cannot self-seed – which greatly reduces the concern one has about comfrey’s invasiveness. However, it exhibits very vigorous growth and, as such, can spread.

2 years after planting this Russian Comfrey, 3, 5 or 7 taller groundcover plants for full sun in a group can be planted. Different groups can provide variety in foliage colour, flower colour, deciduous or evergreen, months of flowering in that waste area. Comfrey obtains all of its nitrogen from the soil, which it returns when dug in during the planting of these new groundcover plants.

Chapter 3 Hedges from The Beekeeper's Garden by Ted Hooper and Mike Taylor. Published in 1988 by Alphabooks. ISBN 0-7136-3023-X.

The usual reason for surrounding the apiary with its own hedge is to push the outgoing forager bees up above head height to prevent them coming into contact with your neighbours. Secondary advantages gained by the use of an apiary hedge are

1. Providing a sheltered hive exit and, even more important, a sheltered entrance so that the bees, returning heavily laden on bright but windy days, are not blown to the ground, which they may be unless they can decelerate through calm air.
2. A reduction of the wind chill factor. This can mean a reduction in the amount of stores used up in a severe winter. During the spring it will allow the colonies to send out foragers at a lower temperature than if they were unprotected.
3. Preventing the guard bees overlooking the rest of the garden and being attracted by movement of people walking around or working nearby.

If the garden is protected by a boundary hedge the colonies may be placed in a convenient corner and should be sited about 40 inches (100cms) from the hedge, and facing into it. This will push the bees up before they leave your premises, but they may curl back over the hive and fly at a low level across your own garden. Should you wish to push them up in your garden as well, it will be necessary to provide a hedge at the back of the hives. One way of doing this is to erect a fence of not more than 2 inch (5cm) mesh wire or plastic netting supported by posts. A Clematis montana or some similar plant like runner beans could be planted to climb over the wire. The bare stems provide sufficient cover in winter, and when in leaf and flower the coverage is quite dense enough to prevent 'fly-through' during the busy summer season.

A good hedge will protect an area effectively up to ten times its own height. If you cannot afford the space for a hedge, why not use Wind Break Netting?

The plants listed in the following table are those suitable as ground cover and which can be trimmed for shape and height.

Hedging Plant

Growth rate

Type

Habit

Planting Distance

Pruning - number of pruning 'trims' per year

Comments

Buxus sempervirens

slow

evergreen

erect growth

12 inches
(30 cms)

1 x year

Not so popular now due to its slow growth, but makes an excellent aromatic hedge, perhaps attaining 60 inches (150 cms) in 7-8 years. Try one of the variegated cultivars and use Wind Break Netting for the first 6 years of its hedge growth.

Carpinus betulus (Hornbeam)

medium

deciduous

rounded shape

12 inches
(30 cms)

2 x year

Rather like beech but faster growing - looks good when mixed in with beech

Cotoneaster lacteus
(Cotoneaster parneyi)

medium

evergreen

weeping

18 inches
(45 cms)

1 x year

Rather lax habit but can be 'tied in' to canes or wires. Flowers and berries well in spite of being trimmed.

Ligustrum ovalifolium 'Aureum'
(Golden Privet)

medium

evergreen

rounded shape

12 inches
(30 cms)

2/3 year

A first-class hedge with good colour

Prunus x 'Cistena'

slow

deciduous

rounded shape

12 inches
(30 cms)

1 x year

Similar to Prunus cerasifera 'Pissardii' - which could also be used - but more dense in growth and less vigorous, Leaves bright red, flowers white.

Prunus laurocerasus
(Cherry Laurel)

fast

evergreen

rounded shape

24 inches
(60 cms)

2 x year

Unlikely to flower when trimmed, but the extrafloral nectaries may encourage you to plant one of the many cultivars

Pyracantha
(Firethorn)
'Orange Charmer' or 'Mojave'

medium

evergreen

erect growth

24-36 inches
(60-90 cms)

1 a year

Can make a stunning hedge when lightly trimmed, with berries well into the winter. An ideal hedge

Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary)

medium

evergreen

erect growth

12 inches
(30 cms)

1 x year

Choose one of the more upright cultivars such as 'Miss Jessp's Variety', or 'Pyramidalis'. Very light trimming to encourage its erect habit. Coastal or mild areas only.

Barcham - The Container Tree Specialists have developed the following Light Pot which then provides a solution to the problem of spiralling roots in a container grown shrub or tree:-

"The Light Pot was patented in 2003 and is our solution to traditional problems caused by using Black pot solutions for containerising trees.

Our answer to solving these problems came from a horticultural trial in Australia that produced a totally unintended result. There, eucalyptus growers were finding their container stock root system being scorched by the heat build up of an unrelenting sun beating down on black plastic containers.

The rationale was that one wears a white t- shirt on a hot day to keep cool so why not use white pots to reflect the heat of the sun? This worked well, the pot temperature lowered, but when they looked at the root system they noticed that the roots all grew vertically down the confines of the container instead of spiralling.

The white containers allowed a small amount of light penetration into the root zone and this triggers a phototropic and geotropic reaction, in that the roots grew away from the light and obeyed the pull of gravity. When these trees were planted out the roots were not impeded by each other's growth and were able to explore the soil effectively, allowing rapid and sustained establishment.

This was the answer to our problem at Barcham. We developed a white pot, similar to an aggregate bag that could support handles and retain its integral strength all the way to the planting site, to deliver an unwounded root system fit for sustained establishment. In 2003 we developed the white pots further.

We incorporated a permeable and degradable mulch mat and root barrier into the design to aid our customers planting in paved areas. We patented the design and trademarked the containers 'Light Pots'."

Using their Trees for a Purpose Pages and their sales team, then trees suitable for your garden can be sourced, purchased and planted.

Many years ago , I bought a small Blue Juniper tree, removed it from its container and planted it. 10 years later it died. When I removed it from the ground, I found that the roots, which had spiralled in the original container and then never unwound themselves. They had thickened until they occupied all the space between themselves, and very little new root had gone away from this original rootball. Thus the tree had insufficient roots to take up sufficient water and had then died. That problem will not occur with the plants grown in those 'Light pots', since they will continue to grow downwards and away from the rootball after they have been planted, especially if you spread the roots out when you plant the tree onto a cone of earth.

Using the guidelines and the excellent video in the General Planting Information Page from their Expert Advice Section shows how easy it is to plant and care for one of their trees grown in their 'Light Pot'.
Make the bark mulch (or Spent Mushroom Compost mulch, providing the tree can withstand the chalk that is the Compost) at least 4 inches thick with 3 cans of water every 2 days during the summer, especially in August (the tree is storing the water from August in its roots to provide enough water for the new foliage next spring). This mulch will require topping up every six months for the first 2 years. Do not put grass instead of the mulch after that time, but use spring, summer, autumn and winter bulbs which will come through the mulch. The bulb roots will not take very much water or nutrients from the soil. Leave the dying bulb foliage until it has turned brown before removing the dessicated foliage remains, to provide the nutrients for the bulb to flower next year. Potash fertilizer put down after they have flowered will also help that process.

In this economic climate of 2006-2013, (the current date is Wednesday 6 April 2022 and I am still waiting - perhaps nurseries in the USA or China?) I can fully understand why mail-order nurseries throughout the world are unwilling to receive free advertising of their plants through the sharing of photos and growing details for the home-owner, but being an idiot:-

I am requesting the donation of the use of the following colour photos and cultivation details of plants from nurseries, botanical gardens, garden societies, or gardening enthusiasts from anywhere in the world for display in this website:-

• Flower - to show the shape and colour of the whole flower.
• Foliage - to show the shape of the leaf and its colour. If its colour changes in the year, then a picture of each changed colour.
• Form - to show the natural shape/growth habit of the whole plant. If the plant is deciduous, then one with foliage and one without.
• Fruit - to show the shape and colour of the whole fruit/nut/seed produced after it has flowered.
• Water Bed - to show the overall effect of a group of plants together, preferably with the names of each of the plants displayed.

Each main photograph will be displayed in a 150 x 150 pixels graphic item. Each thumbnail photograph will be displayed in 50 x 50 pixels graphic item. Freeway allocates 72 pixels per inch. The photographs require to be in JPEG Format and send to Chris Garnons-Williams at 1 Eastmoor Farm Cottages, Moor Street, Rainham, Kent, ME8 8QE England.

Please give the Latin name of the plant and your contact details (It would be preferable that it is either your website or email address rather than your phone number). These will then appear with the relevant photograph. If you happen to be a Nursery, then this link could provide a means for people getting that plant.

The Plant List contains a working list of plants of the world. The species included are grouped into 16167 genera, 620 families and 4 major groups. The Rosaceae Family has Genera Rosaceae in it. The Plant List includes 723 scientific plant names of species rank for the genus Rosa. My Rose Photo Gallery details 353 Roses and where to get them. There are more than 13,000 cultivars of roses currently for sale in the world - I can accomodate all of them if I get the photos and their English descriptions. It could take a little time to include those and any other plants, but without data I cannot educate the public who can understand English.
 

The following has as much relevance to chemistry as the actions currently carried out about climate change by the UK government:-

HELL EXPLAINED BY A CHEMISTRY STUDENT

The following is an actual question given on a Washington State University (in USA) chemistry mid-term exam paper. The "answer" by one student was so "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet:-

Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (Absorbs heat)?

Student's answer:

First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Most of those religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions, and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell, because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.

This gives 2 possibilities:

1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.

2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.

So, which is it? If we accept the postulate, given to me by Teresa during my Freshman Year, that, "It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you", and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number 2 must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct....... leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being; which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting "Oh my God".

THIS STUDENT RECEIVED THE ONLY "A"

.

We must congratulate the UK government for either leaving us with the same winters as Canada when the Gulf Stream stops flowing or having large areas of the country flooded by the increase in the sea level from the ice on the North and South Poles melting, by 2026; especially since Britain will require 1,300 new airliners over the next 20 years to cater for the growth of passengers from Britain of 229 million in 2005 to 500 million by 2021 (According to The Times on 23rd November 2006).

Environmental cost of this increase is:-

• At present, the average fuel consumption per passenger of an aircraft is 5 litres per 100 kilometres.
• A mature beech (Fagus sylvatica) tree produces the same amount of oxygen for this consumption per 100 kilometres.
• Assuming that the average flight distance per passenger of an aircraft is 500 kilometres, then for the increase of 229 million to 500 million passengers by 2021, we will need 1,355 million extra mature beech trees.
• Assuming that beech trees with a mature height of 25 metres and width of 15 would be planted 25 metres apart, then 4,144 trees could be planted per square mile.
• This means that we would only require 326,979 square miles of trees or an area of 572 miles by 572 miles.

Unfortunately, Britain is not big enough!!

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.
These suggestions may be useful for large areas outside our gardens where a 'show' for a summer or two is needed, while shrubs and perennial ground-covers are being increased for later permanent planting.. They are easy to control if one studies the life-cycle with a view to allowing seed to develop if required or to remove it before it is shed.

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

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.

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

• Phytolacca american Poke Weed) has great spikes of shing black seeds
• Geranium pratense, a soft blue flower, 36 (90) high, with a basal clump of divided leaves
• Myrrhis odorata (Sweet Cicely), old garden herb
• Borago laxiflora with pale blue flowers
• on neutral, well-drained soil, Lupinus hartwegii and Lupinus polyphyllus, with Lupinus arboreus (Tree Lupin) are useful
• temporary ground-cover of Lupinus angustifolius and Lupinus luteus, which are used agriculturally to enrich the land as a 'green manure'.
• Verbascum nigrum, produces yellow or white 36 (90) high spikes in summer and it makes good basal rosetttes while it sows itself freely.
• Foxgloves (Digitalis) and honesty (Lumaria) seed themselves freely and in a way will act as a ground-cover on account of their large basal leaves.

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:-

Plant

Plant

Plant

1. Plants requiring lime-free soils

On limy soils it is wiser not to attempt to grow the genera in this list. They are mainly woodland plants and thrive best in soil in which humus has been mixed.
Species of Ceanothus, Berberis, Chaenomeles, Cytisus, Iris, Lupinus, Pimelia and Myosotideum are not so dependent on humus so long as the soil is acid or neutral.

Arctostaphylos.
Azalea - this is poisonous to bees and its honey to humans.
Berberis thunbergii and varieties.
Blechnum.
Boykinia.
Bruckenthalia.
Calluna.
Camelia.
Carex pendula.
Cassiope.
Chaenomeles.
Claytonia sibirica.
Clethra.
Comptonia.
Cornus canadensis.
Cyathodes.
Cytisus scoparius prostratus (Sarothamnus).
Daboecia.
Dicentra.
Empetrum.
Epigaea.

Erica.
Galax.
Gaultheria.
Gaylussacia.
Houstonia.
Hydrangea macrophylla.
Iris douglasiana.
Iris innominata.
Leiophyllum.
Leucothoe.
Linnaea.
Lithospermum diffusum.
Lupinus.
Luzula.
Meconopsis.
Mitchella.
Myosotideum.
Ourisia.
Pachysandra.
Paxistima.
Pernettya.

Philesia.
Pieris.
Pimelia.
Pyrola.
Rhododendron - this is poisonous to bees and its honey to humans.
Sarothamnus, see Cytisus.
Schizocodon.
Shortia.
Skimmia.
Smilacina.
Soldanella.
Tanakaea.
Vaccinium.
Woodwardia.

2. Plants which will thrive in limy soils

While it may be taken that any genus not mentioned in 1 will tolerate lime, many, such as Rosa, prefer the soil to be neutral. The following will thrive in soil that is actively limy, even over chalk, though they will grow equally well without lime.

Acaena.
Acanthus.
Achillea.
Adiantum.
Ajuga.
Alchemilla.
Alyssum saxatile.
Anaphalis.
Anchusa.
Anemone.
Antennaria.
Arabis.
Armeria.
Asplenium.
Athyrium.
Aubretia.
Aucuba.
Ballota.
Berberis (except Berberis thunbergii and varieties).
Bergenia.
Brunnera macrophylla.
Caltha.
Campanula.
Cardamine.
Ceanothus.
Centaurea.
Cerastium.
Ceratostigma.
Choisya.
Cistus.
Clematis.
Convallaria.
Convolvulus.
Cornus alba.
Cotoneaster.

Cotula.
Crambe.
Crataegus.
Cyclamen.
Daphne.
Dianthus.
Dryas.
Dryopteris.
Epimedium.
Erigeron.
Erodium.
Euonymus fortunei.
Euphorbia.
Festuca.
Forsythia.
Fuchsia.
Genista hispanica.
Geranium.
Gymnocarpium.
Gypsophila.
Halimum.
Hebe.
Hedera.
Helianthemum.
Helleborus.
Hemerocallis.
Houttuynia.
Hydrangea villosa.
Hypericum.
Hyssopus.
Iris foetidissima.
Jasminum.
Juniperus.
Lamium.
Lathyrus.
Lavandula.
Liriope.
Lonicera.
Mahonia.
Nepeta.
Osmanthus.
Othonnopsis.

Paeonia.
Peltiphyllum (Darmera).
Phlomis.
Phlox.
Polygonatum.
Polygonum.
Potentilla.
Primula.
Prunus.
Pulmonaria.
Pulsatilla.
Pyracantha.
Pyrus.
Reynoutria.
Ribes.
Rodgersia.
Rosmarinus.
Rubus.
Salvia.
Sambucus.
Santolina.
Sarcooca.
Scabiosa.
Sedum.
Senecio.
Sorbaria.
Spiraea.
Stachys.
Symphoricarpos.
Symphytum.
Taxus.
Tellima.
Teucrium.
Thymus.
Vancouveria.
Viburnum.
Vinca.
Viola.
Waldsteinia.
Zauschneria.

3. Plants which tolerate clay.

Few plants establish quickly on very heavy soils over clay, though many of the following will luxuiriate in maturity, provided the area is reasonably well-drained.

Acanthus.
Aesculus.
Ajuga.
Alchemilla.
Anemone x hybrida.
Anemone tomentosa.
Aruncus.
Asarum.
Astilboides.
Aucuba.
Berberis.
Bergenia.
Brunnera.
Caltha.
Chaenomeles.
Clematis.
Convallaria.
Cornus alba.
Cornus stolonifera.
Cotoneaster.
Crataegus.
Daphne.
Epimedium.

Euonymus fortunei.
Forsythia.
Geranium.
Hedera.
Helleborus.
Hemerocallis.
Hosta.
Lamium.
Lonicera.
Mahonia.
Malus.
Peltiphyllum.
Petasites.
Phillyrea.
Polygonatum.
Polygonum.
Prunella.
Prunus.
Pyrus.
Reynoutria.
Ribes.

Rodgersia.
Rosa.
Rubus.
Salix.
Sambucus.
Sarcocca.
Sorbaria.
Spiraea.
Symphoricarpus.
Symphytum.
Telekia.
Tellima.
Trachystemon.
Vancouveria.
Viburnum.
Vinca.
Waldsteinia.

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.

Alchemilla conjuncta.
*Arctostaphylos.
Arundinaria.
Asperula.
Asplenium.
Aster macrophyllus.
Aucuba.
*Blechnum spicant.
*Camellia.
*Carex.
*Cornus canadensis.
Cyclamen.
Dryopteris filix-mas.
Duchesnea.
Epimedium.
Euphorbia robbiae.
Fatshedera.

Fragaria.
*Gaultheria shallon.
Geranium nodosum.
Hedera.
Hypericum. androsaemum.
Iris foetidissima.
*Linnaea.
Lonicera nitida.
Lonicera pileata.
Lunaria.
Mahonia.
Myrrhis.
Pachyphragma.
*Pachysandra.
Phyllostachys.
Polypodium.
Prunus laurocerausus varieties.

Reynoutria.
Ribes.
Rubus.
Sarcocca.
Skimmia.
Thalictrum.
Trachystemon.
*Vaccinium vitis-idaea.
Vancouveria.
Vinca minor.
Walsteinia.
Xanthorhiza.

5. Plants which thrive on moist soils.

Genera marked * are suitable for boggy positions.

Ajuga.
Aruncus.
*Astilbe.
Astilboides.
Athyrium.
Blechnum chilense.
*Caltha.
Clethra (no lime).
Cornus alba.

Cornus stolonifera.
Filipendula palmata.
Filipendula purpurea.
Gunnera.
Heracleum.
Houttuynia.
*Ligularia.
*Lysichitum.
Matteuccia.

*Onoclea.
Osmunda.
Peltiphyllum (Darmera).
Petasites japonicus.
*Primula florindae.
Primula various.
Ranunculus.
Rheum.
Rodgersia.
*Trollius

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.

Adiantum.
Aegopodium.
Anemone.
*Arabis.
Arundinaria.
Asarum.
Asperula.
Asplenium.
Athyrium.
Aucuba.
*Berberis.
*Bergenia.
Blechnum.
Boykinia.
Brunnera.
Camellia.
Cardamine.

Carex.
Cassiope.
Chiastophyllum.
*Choisya.
Claytonia.
Comptonia.
Convallaria.
Cornus canadensis.
Cortusa.
Corydalis.
*Cotoneaster.
Cyathodes.
Cyclamen.
Cystopteris.
Dicentra.
Dryopteris.
Duchesnia.

Epigaea.
Epimedium.
Euonymus.
Euphorbia robbiae.
Fragaria.
*Fuchsia.
Galax.
Gaultheria.
Gaylussacia.
Geranium, most.
Gymnocarpium.
*Hebe.
Hedera.
Helleborus.

Helxine.
X Heucherella.
Hosta.
Houstonia.
Hydrangea.
Hypericum androsaemum.
Hypericum calycinum.
*Iberis sempervirens.
Iris foetidissima.
Jasminum nudiflorum.
*Jasminum others.
Juniperus x media.
Lamium.
Leucothoe.
Linnaea.
Lomaria.
Lonicera pileata.
Lunaria.
Luzula.
Lysimachia.
Mahonia.
Maianthemum.
Matteuccia.
Meconopsis.
Milium.
Mitchella.
Myrrhis.
Omphalodes.

Onoclea.
Ourisia.
Oxalis.
Pachyphragma.
Pachysandra.
Paxistima.
Patrinia.
Petasites.
Philesia.
Phyllostachys.
Pieris.
Polygonatum.
Polygonum.
Polypodium.
Polystichum.
Prunus laurocerasus.
Pseudosasa.
Pulmonaria.
Pyrola.
Rhododendron, larger-leaved kinds, it is toxic to bees and the honey from it is toxic to humans.
Ribes.
Rubus.
Sarcocca.
Saxifraga.
Schizocodon.
Selaginella.
 

Shortia.
Skimmia.
Smilacina.
*Soldanella.
Symphytum.
Tanakea.
Tellima.
Thalictrum minus.
Tiarella.
Tolmeia.
Trachystemon.
Vaccinium macrocarpum.
Vaccinium vitis-idaea.
Vancouveria.
*Viburnum davidii.
Vinca.
Viola.
Waldsteinia.
Woodwardia.

7. Plants which will thrive in hot, sunny places on dry soils.

Those marked * require lime-free soil.

Acaena.
Acantholimon.
Acanthus.
Achillea.
Alyssum.
Ampelopsis.
Antennaria.
Anthemis.
Arabis.
*Arctostaphylos.
Armeria.
Artemisia.
Aubretia.
Ballota.
Bolax.
Bupleurum.
Calamintha.
Campanula alliariifolia.
Campsis.
Ceanothus.
Centaurea.
Cerastium.
Ceratostigma.
*Chaenomeles.
Choisya.
Cissus.
Cistus.
Clematis flammula.
Clematis x jouiniana.
Convolvulus.
Coronilla.
Cotula.
Crambe.
*Cytisus.
Dianthus

Dimorphotheca.
Elaeagnus.
Elymus.
Ephedra.
Erigeron glaucus.
Erodium.
Erysimum.
Eschscholtzia.
Fascicularia.
Festuca.
Filipendula hexapetala.
Genista.
Geranium x magnificum.
Geranium renardii.
Gypsophila.
Halimocistus.
Halimium.
Hebe.
Helianthemum.
Hypericum calycinum.
Hypericum rhodopeum.
Hyssopus.
Iberis amara.
Iberis sempervirens.
Iris graminea.
*Iris innominata.
Iris japonica.
Iris ruthenica.
Jasminum parkeri.
Juniperus.
Lathyrus.
Lavandula.
Leptospermum.
Limonium.
Lupinus arboreus.

Lychnis coronaria.
Moltkia.
Muehlenbeckia.
Nepeta.
Oenothera biennis.
Ophiopogon.
Osteospermum, (see Dimporphotheca).
Othonnopsis.
Oxalis rubra.
Paronychia.
Parthenocissus.
Pennisetum.
Pterocephalus.
Ptilotrichum.
Raoulia.
Reynoutria.
Romneya.
Rosmarinus.
Ruta.
Salvia'
Santolina.
Saponaria.
Satureia.
Scabiosa graminifolia.
Sedum.
Senecio.
Silene.
Stachys olympica.
Teucrium.
Thymus.
Trachystemon.
*Vaccinium oxycoccus.
Viola labradorica.
Zauschneria.

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.

Acaena.
Acantholimon.
Achillea.
Alchemilla.
Alyssum.
Antennaria.
Anthemis.
Arabis.
*Arctostaphylos.
*Armeria.
*Artemisia.
Arundinaria.
Asperula.
Asplenium.
Athyrium.
 

Aubretia.
*Aucuba.
*Berberis.
Bergenia.
Beschorneria.
Betula.
Blechnum.
Bolax.
Bruckenthalia.
**Bupleurum.
Calamintha.
*Calluna.
Camellia.
Campanula.
Campsis.

Ceanothus.
Centaurea.
*Cerastium.
Ceratostigma.
Choisya.
**Cistus.
Clematis.
Convolvulus.
Coprosma.
Cornus alba.
Cornus stolonifera.
Coronilla.
**Cotoneaster.
*Crambe.
**Crataegus.
*Cytisus.
*Daboecia.
*Dianthus.
*Dimorphotheca.
Dryas.
Dryopteris.
*Elaeagnus.
*Elymus.
Ephedra.
*Erica.
*Erigeron glaucus.
*Eriogonum.
*Eryngium.
Erysimum.
**Escallonia.
*Euonymus.
Euphorbia.
Fascicularia.
Festuca.
Filipendula hexapetala.
Forsythia.
*Fuchsia.
Garrya.

*Genista.
Geranium.
*Gypsophila.
Halimiocistus.
*Halimium.
**Hebe.
Hedera.
Helianthemum.
Hemerocallis.
Heuchera.
*Hydrangea.
Hypericum.
Hyssopus.
Iberis.
Ilex.
Iris.
Jasminum.
*Juniperus.
Lathyrus.
Lavandula.
*Leptospermum.
*Limonium.
Liriope.
**Lonicera.
*Lupinus arboreus.
Mahonia.
Myosotideum.
Osteospermum, (see Dimorphotheca).
*Othonnopsis.
Oxalis.
Penstemon.
Petasites fragrans.
Phlox.
Phyllostachys.
Polygonum.
Polypodium.
Polystichum.
*Potentilla.

Pulsatilla.
Pyrus.
Reynoutria.
*Romneya.
*Rosa.
*Rosmarinus.
Rubus.
Ruta.
**Salix.
Salvia.
Santolina.
Satureia.
Saxifraga.

*Sedum.
**Senecio.
Silene.
Skimmia.
Sorbaria.
Spiraea.
Stachys.
Symphoricarpus.
Teucrium.
Thymus.
Vaccinium.
Vinca.
Waldsteinia.

9. Plants which create barriers.

The following by their dense or prickly character will deter small animals and human beings as well as weeds.

Arundinaria anceps.
Berberis.
Chaenomeles.
Clematis montana.
Clethra.
Cornus alba.
Cornus stolonifera.
Cotoneaster conspicuus.
Cotoneaster conspicuus 'Decorus'.
Crataegus.
Forsythia suspensa sieboldii.
Gaultheria shallon.
Juniperus x media.
Lonicera nitida.

Mahonia japonica.
Pernettya.
Pyrus.
Rosa 'Macrantha'.
Rosa 'Max Graf'.
Rosa x paulii.
Rosa x polliniana.
Rosa 'Raubritter'.
Rosa rugosa.
Rosa virginiana.
Rosa woodsii fendleri.
Spiraea douglasii.
Spiraea menziesii.

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.

£Acanthus.
£Alchemilla.
Anemone.
£Asperula odorata.
£Aucuba.
£Bergenia.
Campanula.
Clematis montana.
Corydalis.
*Dicentra.
£Epimedium.

Euonymus.
£Fatshedera.
£Ferns.
£Geranium.
£Hebe.
£Hedera.
*Hosta.
Nepeta.
Parthenocissus.
Polygonatum.
£Potentilla.

Ribes.
Salix.
Saxifraga, Robertsonia section.
Spiraea.
Tellima.
£Vancouveria.
£Vinca.
Waldsteinia.

EXPLAINATION OF WHY SOIL IN UK TOWNS IS USUALLY DEFICIENT IN HUMUS.
That is because when a flower bed is weeded, then the weeds are thrown away. This means that the minerals that weed used up from the soil are also thrown away, and the soil has not received any replacement.

Humus is dark, organic material that forms in soil when plant and animal matter decays.
When plants drop leaves, twigs, and other material to the ground, it piles up. This material is called leaf litter. When animals die, their remains add to the litter. Over time, all this litter decomposes. This means it decays, or breaks down, into its most basic chemical elements. Many of these chemicals are important nutrients for the soil and organisms that depend on soil for life, such as plants. The thick brown or black substance that remains after most of the organic litter has decomposed is called humus. Earthworms often help mix humus with minerals in the soil. Humus contains many useful nutrients for healthy soil. One of the most important is nitrogen. Nitrogen is a key nutrient for most plants. Agriculture depends on nitrogen and other nutrients found in humus.When humus is in soil, the soil will crumble. Air and water move easily through the loose soil, and oxygen can reach the roots of plants. Humus can be produced naturally or through a process called composting. When people compost, they collect decaying organic material, such as food and garden scraps, that will be turned into soil.

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.
Because the idiots in the UK do not know about this, this is why they weed a bed, throw away the weed, not provide anything in return and expect the soil to take care of itself.
When you go to view gardens open to the public how many times can you see bare earth between plants in a flower bed? There needs to be either a green manure or an organic mulch between the plants, so that leaf litter etc can decompose and become humus to provide the minerals and humus for the plants. That is what you see when you visit a forest where the fallen leaves, branches, animals and birds are left to their own devices, except when a newly qualified university student came to look after a local authority controlled wooded park, when she got the local population to help her and her staff to remove all the undergrowth, leaving bare earth!

Cultural Needs of Plants
from Chapter 4 in Fern Grower's Manual by Barbara Joe Hoshizaki & Robbin C. Moran. Revised and Expanded Edition. Published in 2001 by Timber Press, Inc. Reprinted 2002, 2006. ISBN-13:978-0-88192-495-4.

"Understanding Fern Needs
Ferns have the same basic growing requirements as other plants and will thrive when these are met. There is nothing mysterious about the requirements - they are not something known only to people with green thumbs - but the best gardeners are those who understand plant requirements and are careful about satisfying them.
What, then, does a fern need?
 

1. Water - All plants need water. Water in the soil prevents roots from drying, and all mineral nutrients taken up by the roots must be dissolved in the soil water. Besides water in the soil, most plants need water in the air. Adequate humidity keeps the plant from drying out. Leaves need water for photosynthesis and to keep from wilting.
2. Light - All green plants need light to manufacture food (sugars) by photosynthesis. Some plants need more light than others, and some can flourish in sun or shade. Most ferns, however, prefer some amount of shade.
3. Photosynthesis - For photosynthesis, plants require carbon dioxide, a gas that is exhaled by animals as waste. Carbon dioxide diffuses into plants through tiny pores, called stomata, that abound on the lower surface of the leaves. In the leaf, carbon dioxide is combined with the hydrogen from water to form carbohydrates, the plant's food. This process takes place only in the presence of light and chlorophyll, a green pigment found in plant cells. To enhance growth, some commercial growers increase the carbon dioxide level in their greenhouses to 600ppm (parts per million), or twice the amount typically found in the air.
4. Oxygen - Plants need oxygen. The green plants of a plant do not require much oxygen from the air because plants produce more oxygen by photosynthesis than they use. The excess oxygen liberated from the plants is used by all animals, including humans. What do plants do with oxygen? They use it just as we do, to release the energy stored in food. We use energy to move about, to talk, to grow, to think - in fact, for all our life processes. Although plants don't talk or move much, they do grow and metabolize and must carry on all their life processes using oxygen to release the stored energy in their food.
5. Air with roots - Roots need air all the time. They get it from the air spaces between the soil particles. Overwatering displaces the air between soil particles with water, thereby removing the oxygen needed by the roots. This reduces the root's ability to absorb mineral nutrients and can foster root-rot. These gases need free access to the roots:-
   • Nitrogen Cycle -
     Nitrogen is the most commonly limiting nutrient in plants. Legumes use nitrogen fixing bacteria, specifically symbiotic rhizobia bacteria, within their root nodules to counter the limitation. Rhizobia bacteria fix nitrogen which is then converted to ammonia. Ammonia is then assimilated into nucleotides, Amino Acids, vitamins and flavones which are essential to the growth of the plant. The plant root cells convert sugar into organic acids which then supply to the rhizobia in exchange, hence a symbiotic relationship between rhizobia and the legumes.
   • Oxygen Cycle -
     No nutrient absorption occurs at the root zone unless oxygen is present.
   • Carbon Dioxide -
     Plant roots uptake carbon dioxide to provide carbon for parts of the foliage.
6. Minerals - Plants need minerals to grow properly. The minerals are mined from the soil by the plant's root system. If a certain mineral is missing, such as calcium needed for developing cell walls, then the plant will be stunted, discoloured, or deformed.
7. Temperature - Some plants tolerate a wide range of temperatures, whereas others are fussy. If the temperature is too high or low, the machinery of the plant will not operate satisfactorily or will cease entirely.
   
   The basic needs of plants are not hard to supply, but growing success depends on attending to these needs with care and exactitude. The remainder of this chapter is devoted to a discussion of these requirements, with the exception of mineral needs, which are discussed in Chapter 5."

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.
6000 species of Earthworm have no special respiratory organs. Gases are exchanged through the moist skin and capillaries, where the oxygen is picked up by the hemoglobin dissolved in the blood plasma and carbon dioxide is released. Water, as well as salts, can also be moved through the skin by active transport.
When the earthworms are denied access to the air above ground as in the case of pavements, driveways and patios; then they die and the system round them dies as well. Since the roots are not getting their requirements; then they also die off, and you are left with insufficient live root to support the tree or other plants.

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.

Acaena.
Alyssum saxatile.
Arabis.
Aubretia.
Campanula carpatica.
Campanula portenschlagiana.

Cardamine trifolia.
Corydalis lutea.
Corydalis ochroleuca.
Dianthus.
Lysimachia nummularia.
Phlox subulata.

Primula auricula.
Primula vulgaris sibthorpii.
Pulsatilla.
Saponaria ocymoides.
Saxifraga.
Viola.

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
Rose Description Page is
"Buff Yellow, with a very slight pink tint at the edges in May-October."

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!!!!

Plant Selection by Flower Colour

Blue Flowers

Bedding.
Bulb.
Climber.
Evergr Per.
Evergr Shrub.
Wild Flower.
 

Orange Flowers

Bedding.
Wild Flower.

Other Colour Flowers

Bedding.
Bulb.
Climber.
Evergr Per.
Evergr Shrub.
Wild Flower.

Red Flowers

Bedding.
Bulb.
Climber.
Decid Shrub.
Evergr Per.
Evergr Shrub.
Herbac Per.
Rose.
Wild Flower.

White Flowers

Bedding.
Bulb.
Climber.
Decid Shrub.
Decid Tree.
Evergr Per.
Evergr Shrub.
Herbac Per.
Rose.
Wild Flower.
 

Yellow Flowers

Bedding.
Bulb.
Climber.
Decid Shrub.
Evergr Per.
Evergr Shrub.
Herbac Per.
Rose.
Wild Flower.
 

Fragrant Plants adds the use of another of your 5 senses in your garden:-
Sense of Fragrance from Roy Genders

Fragrant Plants:-
Trees and Shrubs with Scented Flowers.

Trees and Shrubs with Scented Leaves.

Trees and Shrubs with Aromatic Bark.

Shrubs bearing Scented Flowers for an
Acid Soil.

Shrubs bearing Scented Flowers for a
Chalky or Limestone Soil.

Shrubs bearing Scented leaves for a
Sandy Soil.

Herbaceous Plants with Scented Flowers.

Herbaceous Plants with Scented Leaves.

Annual and Biennial Plants with Scented Flowers or Leaves.

Bulbs and Corms with Scented Flowers.

Scented Plants of Climbing and Trailing Habit.

Winter-flowering Plants with Scented Flowers.

Night-scented Flowering Plants.

Scented Aquatic Plants.

Plants with Scented Fruits.

Plants with Scented Roots.

Trees and Shrubs with Scented Wood.

Trees and Shrubs with Scented Gums.

Scented Cacti and Succulents.

Plants bearing Flowers or Leaves of Unpleasant Smell.
 

Flower Perfume Group:-

Indoloid Group.

Aminoid Group with scent - Hawthorn.

Heavy Group with scents -
Jonquil and
Lily.

Aromatic Group with scents - Almond,
Aniseed, Balsamic,
Carnation, Cinnamon, Clove,
Spicy and
Vanilla.

Violet Group.

Rose Group.

Lemon Group with scent -
Verbena.

Fruit-scented Group with scents -
Apricot,
Fruity,
Green Apple,
Orange, Pineapple,
Ripe Apple , Ripe Banana and
Ripe Plum.

Animal-scented Group with scents -
Cat,
Dog,
Ferret,
Fox,
Goat,
Human Perspiration,
Musk,
Ripe Apple and
Tom Cat.

Honey Group.

Unpleasant Smell Group with scents -
Animal,
Fetid,
Fishy,
Foxy,
Fur-like,
Garlic,
Hemlock,
Manure,
Nauseating,
Perspiration,
Petrol,
Putrid,
Rancid,
Sickly,
Skunk,
Stale Lint,
Sulphur and
Urinous.

Miscellaneous Group with scents -
Balm,
Brandy,
Cedar,
Cloying,
Cowslip,
Cucumber,
Damask Rose, Daphne,
Exotic,
Freesia,
Fur-like,
Gardenia,
Hay-like,
Heliotrope, Honeysuckle,
Hops,
Hyacinth,
Incense-like, Jasmine,
Laburnham,
Lilac,
Lily of the Valley, Meadowsweet, Mignonette,
Mint,
Mossy,
Muscat,
Muscatel,
Myrtle-like,
Newly Mown Hay, Nutmeg,
Piercing,
Primrose,
Pungent,
Resinous, Sandalwood, Sassafras,
Seductive,
Slight,
Soft,
Stephanotis,
Sulphur,
Starch,
Sweet,
Sweet-briar,
Tea-rose,
Treacle and
Very Sweet.