Ivydene Gardens Plants: Ground-Cover Plant Name: Q
The following Extra Index of Wildflowers is created in the Borage Wildflower Gallery, to which the Wildflowers found in the above list will have that row entry copied to. Having transferred the Extra Index row entry to the relevant Extra Index row for the same type of plant in a gallery below; then
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The plants normally selected by most landscapers and designers are by nature low-growing, rampant, spreading, creep-crawly things and yet the concept of ground cover demands no such thing. The ideal description of a groundcover plant includes:-
Ground Cover a thousand beautiful plants for difficult places by John Cushnie (ISBN 1 85626 326 6) provides details of plants that fulfill the above requirements. Using these groundcover plants in your planting scheme (either between your trees/shrubs in the border or for the whole border) will - with mulching your beds to a 4 inch depth and an irrigation system - provide you with a planted garden with far less time required for border maintenance. Plants for Dry Gardens by Jane Taylor. Published by Frances Lincoln Limited in 1993. ISBN 0-7112-0772-0. Jane Taylor and her husband grew plants in their garden of 2.5 acres of acidic shale mine waste on ground most of which could not retain water or nutrients and would scarcely sustain even the most tenacious of weeds.
Each ground cover plant of this 1000 has further details from her book, if it is in there. Plants for Ground-Cover by Graham Stuart Thomas. Published by J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd in 1970 - reprinted (with further revisions) in 1990. ISBN 0-460-12609-1. This gives details on many more ground cover plants with inclusion (in the Index) of figures denoting the Hardiness Zones for each species in the United States of America. |
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Plant Name Major source of honey in the UK Yes/No |
Type The key ingredients a bird needs from your garden are |
Height x Spread in inches (cms) Spacing distance between plants of same species in inches (cms) |
Foliage Some poisonous ground cover plants are indicated, but there are others in Cultivated Poisonous Plants and |
Flower Colour in Month(s). Use Pest Control using Plants to provide a Companion Plant to aid your selected groundcover plant or deter its pests |
Comments United States Department of Agriculture |
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Quercus ilicifolia Quercus species |
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. 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. |
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Quercus phillyreoides |
Evergreen Tree |
360 x 360 (900 x 900) |
Bronze young leaves, Dark Green later |
Acorns in Autumn |
"Oak". |
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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". |
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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. Quercus robur Acorns. |
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Site design and content copyright ©December 2006. Page structure changed September 2012. Height x Spread in feet changed to Height x Spread in inches (cms) May 2015. Data added to existing pages December 2017. Zone and Companion Data added April 2022. The 1000 Ground Cover plants detailed above will be compared in the Comparison Pages of the Wildflower Shape Gallery and in the flower colour per month comparison pages of Evergreen Perennial Gallery starting in November 2022. Chris Garnons-Williams.
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 I normally round this to
I have included within these pages on 1000 Ground Cover Plants information from other pages within this PLANTS Topic like
and links to Rock Garden Plants Suitable for Small Gardens Index Gallery. Any of these 1000 Ground Cover Plants may well have further details about them in the remainder of the pages in this PLANTS Topic linked to from the PLANTS PAGE MENU above. |
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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 |
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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. |
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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. |
Botanical Plant Name |
Common Name |
Sun Aspect,
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 different improvement mixes are
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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:-
Sun Aspect:-
Additional Cultivation Details:-
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Due to the brilliance of the following in Other Table 4 in killing off trees
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.
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. 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. |
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B. |
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BANKS. |
Cerastium tomentosum |
Snow in Summer is a wildflower in Pink 2 Family |
Full Sun |
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. |
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BANKS. |
Bergenia cordifolia 'Purpurea' |
Elephant's Ears |
Full Sun or Part Shade |
Leave dead leaves on plant to provide ground-cover and then they get recycled via the ground back into the roots as nutrients. |
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BANKS. 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 |
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 |
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. |
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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 |
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.
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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 |
Lyme Grass, Sand Ryegrass, Sea Lyme Grass |
Full Sun |
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.
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. |
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EDGE OF Before and after removing grass or weeds, spray the ground with 1 gallon of water per square yard. |
Taraxacum officinale |
Dandelion |
Full Sun. |
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. "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. |
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F. |
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GRASS SUBSTITUTE OVER LARGE AREAS |
Sagina glabra |
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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.
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. |
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K. |
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L. |
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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. 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 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 roots stretch so deep into the soil, that they are almost impossible to remove completely, without it growing back from the root remaining. |
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O. |
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R. |
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ROAD VERGE BACKED BY FOREST, TREES OR INFORMAL HEDGE Soak the Anemone tomentosa corms in plain water for 3-6 hours prior to planting. |
Anemone tomentosa |
Grape-leaf Anemone, Japanese Anemone, Windflower Beth Chatto Education Trust connects with the outdoor environment |
Full Sun but prefers Part Shade 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. 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. |
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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. 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.
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Petasites japonicus giganteus |
Butterbur, Sweet Coltsfoot |
Full Sun or Part Shade |
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.
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UNDER TREES IN COOLER PARTS OF THE UK AND 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 |
Great Woodrush |
Part Shade |
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. |
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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' |
Yellow Archangel |
Part Shade or Full Shade |
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
- all are lowly spreaders and carpeters of vigour and reliability. |
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W,X,Y,Z |
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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 - |
Symphytum x uplandicum |
Russian Comfrey |
Full Sun, Part Shade in the pothole |
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. |
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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
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. |
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Hedging Plant |
Growth rate |
Type |
Habit |
Planting Distance |
Pruning - number of pruning 'trims' per year |
Comments |
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Buxus sempervirens |
slow |
evergreen |
erect growth |
12 inches |
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. |
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Carpinus betulus (Hornbeam) |
medium |
deciduous |
rounded shape |
12 inches |
2 x year |
Rather like beech but faster growing - looks good when mixed in with beech |
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Cotoneaster lacteus |
medium |
evergreen |
weeping |
18 inches |
1 x year |
Rather lax habit but can be 'tied in' to canes or wires. Flowers and berries well in spite of being trimmed. |
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Ligustrum ovalifolium 'Aureum' |
medium |
evergreen |
rounded shape |
12 inches |
2/3 year |
A first-class hedge with good colour |
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Prunus x 'Cistena' |
slow |
deciduous |
rounded shape |
12 inches |
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. |
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Prunus laurocerasus |
fast |
evergreen |
rounded shape |
24 inches |
2 x year |
Unlikely to flower when trimmed, but the extrafloral nectaries may encourage you to plant one of the many cultivars |
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Pyracantha |
medium |
evergreen |
erect growth |
24-36 inches |
1 a year |
Can make a stunning hedge when lightly trimmed, with berries well into the winter. An ideal hedge |
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Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) |
medium |
evergreen |
erect growth |
12 inches |
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. |
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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'. |
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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:-
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. |
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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:
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" . |
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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:-
Unfortunately, Britain is not big enough!! |
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From Annuals and Biennials chapter in Plants for Ground-cover by Graham Stuart Thomas - Gardens consultant to the National Trust. Published by J.M. Dent and Sons Ltd in 1970, Reprinted (with further revisions) 1990. ISBN 0-460-12609-1:- "I think there is a case to be considered for annuals and biennials in ground-cover schemes so long as they will sow themselves freely. |
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Use |
Plant |
Comments |
Lawn and ground-cover under conifer trees |
Poa annua |
The needles under a cedar tree were weekly swept away and the grass, despite fertilizers, top dressing, re-seading and re-turfing, simply would not grow. The needles were left alone and within 12 months the area became self-sown with a close and permanent sward of Poa nnua. This little grass regenerates itself constantly so that it makes a lawn, though each plant has only a short life. |
Oxalis rosea |
This is highly successful in the shade of conifers or any other tree |
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Cyclamen hederifolium |
This is a perennial, though sowing itself freely when suited and it is here because plants to grow under cedars and yews, somewhat away from the trunks, are very few. |
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Temporary ground-cover under trees |
Tropaeolum or Eschscholtzia |
A sheet of 'Gleam' nasturtiums or eschscholtzia; both are free-flowering and easily pulled up, though like all annuals it may be a year or two later before all dispersed seeds have germinated. Silene armeria and Iberis amara are equally successful, with Sett Alyssum (Lobularia maritima) creating a dwarf ground-cover carpet in late summer. |
Ground-cover under trees with high rainfall |
Claytonia sibirica (Montia sibirica) |
This grows under trees where the grass is thin at high altitude and high rainfall. It covers the area - interpersed with primroses and Oxalia acetosella - with a mass of pinky-white stars a few inches (cms) above the ground. Claytonia perfoliata is an annual; it is usually classed as a weed but is excellent cover in cool, acid soil, but far less conspicuous in flower |
Streamsides, river banks and fringes of boggy ground |
Impatiens glandulifera (Impatiens roylei, Annual Balsam) |
It is a rapid colonizer because its seeds are ejected with some force from the ripe pods. It seeds with great abandon and grows to 72 (180) or more; its many pink flowers make a great show. |
Full sun and drier soils than by streamsides |
Angelica archangelica |
It very quickly produces great green heads in spring, ripening quickly, with the result that the ground is thickly covered with seedlings in late summer. Oenothera biennis (Evening Primrose) will colonize any sunny waste place and produce yellow blooms for weeks in the summer Lychnis coronaria is a prolific seeder with rosettes of silvery basal leaves. Erysimum linifolium (Wallflower) produces lilac flowers |
Plants that seed about with abandon |
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From Appendix II Lists of plants for special conditions in Plants for Ground-cover by Graham Stuart Thomas - Gardens consultant to the National Trust. Published by J.M. Dent and Sons Ltd in 1970, Reprinted (with further revisions) 1990. ISBN 0-460-12609-1:- |
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Plant |
Plant |
Plant |
1. Plants requiring lime-free soils
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Arctostaphylos. |
Erica. |
Philesia. |
2. Plants which will thrive in limy soils
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Acaena. |
Cotula. |
Paeonia. |
3. Plants which tolerate clay.
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Acanthus. |
Euonymus fortunei. |
Rodgersia. |
4. Plants which will grow satisfactorily in dry, shady places. Apart from ill-drained clay, this combination of conditions is the most difficult to cope with in the garden. * indicates those which will not tolerate lime. |
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Alchemilla conjuncta. |
Fragaria. |
Reynoutria. |
5. Plants which thrive on moist soils. Genera marked * are suitable for boggy positions. |
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Ajuga. |
Cornus stolonifera. |
*Onoclea. |
6. Plants which grow well in shady positions. The bulk of these are woodland plants, growing well under shrubs and trees, but those marked * are not so satisfactory under trees, though thriving in the shade given by buildings. For those requiring lime-free soil, compare with List 1. |
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Adiantum. |
Carex. |
Epigaea. |
Helxine. |
Onoclea. |
Shortia. |
7. Plants which will thrive in hot, sunny places on dry soils. Those marked * require lime-free soil. |
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Acaena. |
Dimorphotheca. |
Lychnis coronaria. |
8. Plants which thrive in maritime districts. Many of the following will stand wind and salt-spray, particularly those marked *. Those marked ** will provide shelter for others and shelter is highly important in seaside gardening. For genera requiring, lime-free soil, compare with List 1. |
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Acaena. |
Aubretia. |
Ceanothus. |
*Genista. |
Pulsatilla. |
*Sedum. |
9. Plants which create barriers. The following by their dense or prickly character will deter small animals and human beings as well as weeds. |
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Arundinaria anceps. |
Mahonia japonica. |
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10. Plants for town gardens. Genera marked * prefer acid soil; those marked £ will thrive in impoverished soils. Soil in towns is usually deficient in humus. |
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£Acanthus. |
Euonymus. |
Ribes. |
EXPLAINATION OF WHY SOIL IN UK TOWNS IS USUALLY DEFICIENT IN HUMUS.
Humus is dark, organic material that forms in soil when plant and animal matter decays.
The humus provides the organic polymers to interact with the clay domains and bacterium to stick the 2 grains of sand together. This soil molecule of 2 grains of sand, organic polymers, clay domains and bacterium will disintegrate by the action of the bacterium or fungal enymatic catalysis on the organic polymers. So if a continuous supply of humus is not present, then the soil molecules will break up into sand and clay. |
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Cultural Needs of Plants "Understanding Fern Needs
Only Earthworms provide the tunnels which transport water, gas and nutrients to and from roots. When the roots of the plant requires the mineral nutrients dissolved in soil water, oxygen and nitrogen intake and waste gases output, it gets it through the action of the earthworm continously making tunnels to provide the transport system. |
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11. Plants suitable for covering rose-beds. The following are all small plants that will not be strong-growing for the purpose, and will help to make the beds more attractive during the 7 months when Hybrid Teas and Floribundas are not in flower. Small spring-flowering bulbs can be grown through them. The more vigorous shrub roses will tolerate many others among the shorter growing plants in this 1000 ground cover table. |
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Acaena. |
Cardamine trifolia. |
Primula auricula. |
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Look for:- |
There are 180 families in the Wildflowers of the UK and they have been split up into 22 Galleries to allow space for up to 100 plants per gallery. Each plant named in each of the Wildflower Family Pages may have a link to:- its Plant Description Page in its Common Name in one of those Wildflower Plant Galleries and will have links to external sites to purchase the plant or seed in its Botanical Name, to see photos in its Flowering Months and to read habitat details in its Habitat Column. |
It is worth remembering that especially with roses that the colour of the petals of the flower may change - The following photos are of Rosa 'Lincolnshire Poacher' which I took on the same day in R.V. Roger's Nursery Field:- |
Closed Bud |
Opening Bud |
Juvenile Flower |
Older Juvenile Flower |
Middle-aged Flower - Flower Colour in Season in its |
Mature Flower |
Juvenile Flower and Dying Flower |
Form of Rose Bush |
There are 720 roses in the Rose Galleries; many of which have the above series of pictures in their respective Rose Description Page. So one might avoid the disappointment that the 2 elephants had when their trunks were entwined instead of them each carrying their trunk using their own trunk, and your disappointment of buying a rose to discover that the colour you bought it for is only the case when it has its juvenile flowers; if you look at all the photos of the roses in the respective Rose Description Page!!!! |
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Plant Selection by Flower Colour |
Blue Flowers |
Other Colour Flowers |
Red Flowers |
White Flowers |
Yellow Flowers |
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Fragrant Plants adds the use of another of your 5 senses in your garden:- |
Flower Perfume Group:- |
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Click on Black or White box in Colour of Month. |
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I have updated the plant type and plant use for the Evergreen Perennials by February 2023,
followed by continuing to insert all the plants with flowers from Camera Photo Galleries as indicated by I will continue to insert all the plants planted in chalk as indicated by then the following plants shall be added from
finally - I am inserting these from February 2023, I will continue to insert all the plants |
The following is from the current Site Map of Evergr Perenn Gallery in October 2023:- 104 from the 1000 Ground Cover Plants (up to Aster novi-belgii in Plant Selection Level 5 Plant Name - A Index page of Plants Topic) as indicated by
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Collins Aura Garden Handbooks Trees for Small Gardens by Susan Conder. Published by William Collins Sons & Co Ltd in 1988.
On page 23 it has diagrams showing how to remove a large limb. The fourth diagram is incorrect and below is why - you should leave the branch collar on the tree instead of cutting it off. In the centre of each trunk and branch there is a section of nerves used by the tree to get information from all of its branches and trunk and then sending replies of what to do about it. You could say that the Branch Collar is like a junction box, where you cut off after it but not before; otherwise the tree still thinks that branch is still there and then will make invalid decisions. These nerve fibres are the last item in the branches/trunk that rot away. Branch Collar Most gardens of new houses in England in 2023 are too small for trees, and I would recommend using top fruit and soft fruit trained onto the boundaries. If you add a chainlink fence, then you will have plenty of places to tie cordons, espaliers, fans and blackberries. If you want trees, then you can follow their method of putting them into containers as shown on pages 18 and 19, or train the trees as a a 80 (200cm) high hedge and allow 36 inches (90) from the boundary to the lawn for the hedge to grow in with bulbs and mulch between the lawn and the hedge. |
This table was copied from Case Studies Pages Case
3 - Drive Foundations What are the Soil Nutrients besides What types of organisms are found in the soil? and What Pysical changes occur in Soil because of weather? and what Chemical changes occur in Soil because of weather? leading to This leads to an 3b Pre-Building Work for Builders to treat polluted soil using phyto-remediation plants. Then, they could follow my following Suggested Action Plan for Builders after they have built their houses:-
And finally on the same day pour a depth of 11 inches (27.5 cms) depth of the builders soil mixture detailed below onto the remainder of the new garden areas and alongside the Instant Hedging.
A fortnight later the following type of turf containing RTF (Rhizomatous Tall Fescue), bred by Barenbrug Research USA, could be laid over the proposed lawn areas. The roots of that grass will reach the clay below and stabilise the new builders soil mix, before the proposed owners view the property a month later. The builders soil mix should within 3 months become roughly the same proportion of clay, silt and sand which is within a Sandy Clay Loam to create a sweet spot for growing plants as shown on How is material lost from the soil? Page, since it will mix with the clay below.
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Design Cases When designing a garden, it is vital to know who and for how long the resulting designed and landscaped garden is going to be maintained by. The book 'The One Hour Garden' describes what maintenance work can be done in the time that you have allotted; and therefore what besides a lawn, you can have in your garden. My redesign and construction work to be done on my 3 gardens - as shown by Case 2 - must be to reduce the maintenance time required to the time I have available. If the gardens are first weeded, pruned, mulched, mown and bare earth converted to lawns using grass seed, then construction can take place in the future - as free time allows during a week or fortnight after the maintenance has been done. In Case 4, the combination of the Structural and Planting Designs would create a garden that I would be able to maintain in one day a fortnight. I would install a 3" deep mulch in the spring on the beds, so that I can prune the shrubs/trees and hoe the odd weed; whilst the father mows the lawns, the mother tends the vegetable garden and their teenage daughters play football!! The children in Case 5 loved to look at creepy-crawlies and wildlife, so that together with low-cost the design for different areas in a terrace house garden was created.
Construction Cases Case 3 is building a drive on clay and it is important to get the part you will not see - the foundations - done correctly. Case 8 is creating a pond with its pitfalls for foundations.
Maintenance Cases If you are asking someone to maintain your garden, then do provide the complete picture. If as in Case 1, you intend to sell the property, then look at this - as not a maintenance but as a selling job - and get that job done instead. Case 6 is creating a vegetable garden in a back garden during the maintenance program of one day a fortnight to maintain it and the remainder of the back and front gardens. This was done over 7 years using a crop rotation system Concrete ponds are likely to crack open due to movement in the ground levels due to being in clay or vibration caused by road traffic if it is fairly close. Case 7 shows no planting shelves for the pond plants. |
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Section below on Problems for Houseowners and Builders when the new home is surrounded by clay and how to solve them. |
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Problems for Houseowners and Builders when the new home is surrounded clay and how to solve them. 8 problems caused by clay:-
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Builders do sell the original topsoil including
where the new building and its garden areas are to be built. The consolidated parent material (bedrock) is usually sand, chalk or clay with flint possibly. At the end of building; the builders rubble is covered with possibly only a 2 inch (5 cms) depth of imported topsoil, which might be the washings from the sugar beet in the sugar industry. This is covered with turf and the unsuspecting public is offered the result. As likely as not one of their gardens slopes towards the house and even with the modern depth of foundation wall, there is no guarantee that subsidence will not occur.
If every garden of a new house had a 12 inch depth of soil removed from its new garden area, then at the end of the building work, the Aquadyne Drainage System would be laid round the entire boundary. Next to it then plant the relevant Instant Hedge on the non-house wall sides to absorb the rainwater collected by that drainage system The mix to change clay soil into a friable useful soil in less than 4 months for the above domestic garden problem was in royal blue colour typing. Using the burgundy colour typing components, the builder could create the following soil mix for his gardens:
If water with 150 kgs of clay was first added to the Concrete TruckMixer and then the required volume of cullet followed by the required volume of waste plasterboard, the mixture is then mixed for an hour. If the cullet/waste plasterboard mixture is passed through the poultry houses to mix with the poultry litter on the litter floor before being collected into the next Concrete TruckMixer, then the houses would be cleaner and smell less. The required volume of waste from beer making could replace the Peat above and the requisite Sulphate of Iron and Sulphate of Potash could be added to the Concrete TruckMixer before that mixture from the Poultry Farm litter floor is added. That soil mixture could then be mixed for 30 minutes before applying it to the garden areas of the new houses built by the builder to an 11 inch (27.5 cms) depth. The resulting mixture would then integrate with the clay and create a deep topsoil within 3 months. All the requirements for a soil as shown in the figure above would then have mixed together and time will increase the bacteria and get a new soil structure created. The following type of turf could then be laid over the proposed lawn areas a fortnight later:- RTF (Rhizomatous Tall Fescue), bred by Barenbrug Research USA, produces rhizomes (an underground stem) that send a shoot up to the soil surface while extending new roots downwards. In fact, RTF can root to 1.5 metres deep giving it a chance to tap into water reserves that normal lawn turf cannot reach. |
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There is other compostable waste that could be used in the above mixture - The following is from a farmer who runs Riverford Organic Farmers who deliver weekly boxes of vegetables, meat etc from their farms to the homes of members of the public in Britain in his weekly epistle dated Monday 4th December 2017:- |
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"So why now, in my 57th year, have I seen the light?
So, I have seen the errors of my youth and come inside. Milan tells me we have only just started. It is shocking how much compostable material is wasted at such cost to our environment:
The reasons are:-
Time is running out; we cannot afford 100% safety when environmental destruction is 95% certain if we continue on our current path."
If the above waste was turned into compost that would last as a mulch like spent mushroom compost, which lasts for 2-3 years with 25-35% loss replenishment each year in the autumn, then it could be sold to the above home owners in bags to put alongside their hedges, in planted pots and in the flower beds throughout the year.
If you cannot be bothered to buy the commercially produced soil conditioner and collect your own seaweed to be harvested from beaches, then the following could still provide these other benefits in the same time slots as in above paragraph:- |
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China sells a lot of seaweed. The Cornish Seaweed Company sells edible Cornish Seaweed and The following is from No Dig Vegetable Garden Website:-
What's the best way to use seaweed on the garden?
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Finally, we should not forget about Noise Reduction for the new residents of the estate just built. See last row in the midlle table for further details. Nor should we forget about the changes required for the infrastructure (see Pre-Building Work for Builders with Polluted Soil Page) . |
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PLANTS PAGE PLANT USE Ground-cover Height Poisonous Cultivated and UK Wildflower Plants with Photos
Following parts of Level 2a, Explanation of Structure of this Website with User Guidelines Page for those photo galleries with Photos (of either ones I have taken myself or others which have been loaned only for use on this website from external sources) To see what plants that I have described in this website see THE 2 EUREKA EFFECT PAGES FOR UNDERSTANDING SOIL AND HOW PLANTS INTERACT WITH IT OUT OF 10,000:-
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Plant Selection by Plant Requirements
Photos - with its link; provides a link to its respective Plant Photo Gallery in this website to provide comparison photos. ------------ Ground-cover Height |
REFINING SELECTION Plant Selection by Flower Shape Plant Selection by Foliage Colour
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The following details come from Cactus Art:- "A flower is the the complex sexual reproductive structure of Angiosperms, typically consisting of an axis bearing perianth parts, androecium (male) and gynoecium (female). Bisexual flower show four distinctive parts arranged in rings inside each other which are technically modified leaves: Sepal, petal, stamen & pistil. This flower is referred to as complete (with all four parts) and perfect (with "male" stamens and "female" pistil). The ovary ripens into a fruit and the ovules inside develop into seeds. Incomplete flowers are lacking one or more of the four main parts. Imperfect (unisexual) flowers contain a pistil or stamens, but not both. The colourful parts of a flower and its scent attract pollinators and guide them to the nectary, usually at the base of the flower tube.
Androecium (male Parts or stamens) Gynoecium (female Parts or carpels or pistil)
It is made up of the stigma, style, and ovary. Each pistil is constructed of one to many rolled leaflike structures.
The following details come from Nectary Genomics:- NECTARIES. An organ known as the floral nectary is responsible for producing the complex mixture of compounds found in nectar. Nectaries can occur in different areas of flowers, and often take on diverse forms in different species, even to the point of being used for taxonomic purposes. Nectaries undergo remarkable morphological and metabolic changes during the course of floral development. For example, it is known that pre-secretory nectaries in a number of species accumulate large amounts of starch, which is followed by a rapid degradation of amyloplast granules just prior to anthesis and nectar secretion. These sugars presumably serve as a source of nectar carbohydrate. WHY STUDY NECTAR? Nearly one-third of all worldwide crops are dependent on animals to achieve efficient pollination. In addition, U.S. pollinator-dependent crops have been estimated to have an annual value of up to $15 billion. Many crop species are largely self-incompatible (not self-fertile) and rely almost entirely on animal pollinators to achieve full fecundity; poor pollinator visitation has been reported to reduce yields of certain species by up to 50%." The following details about DOUBLE FLOWERS comes from Wikipedia:- There is further photographic, diagramatic and text about Double Flowers from an education department - dept.ca.uky.edu - in the University of Kentucky in America. "Meet the plant hunter obsessed with double-flowering blooms" - an article from The Telegraph. |
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Top ten plants that are bad for bees from Countryfile Magazine "Lavender, alliums, fuschias, sweet peas - keen gardeners know the very best flowers to entice bees to their gardens. But what about plants that are bad for bees? Here is our expert guide to the top ten plants that you should avoid to keep bees happy and buzzing, plus the perfect alternatives. 1. Rhododendron 2. Azalea 3. Trumpet flower, or angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia suaveolens) 4. Oleander (Nerium oleander) 5. Yellow Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) 6. Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) 7. Stargazer lily (Lilium 'Stargazer') 8. Heliconia Exotic and interesting, heliconia, or lobster-claws as its sometimes called, is very toxic to bees. You should not prune your heliconias, as the 'stem' is actually made up of rolled leaf bases and the flowers emerge from the top of these 'pseudostems'. However, each stem will only flower once, so after flowering you can cut that stem out. This is recommended, to encourage more flowering, to increase airflow in between the stems of your plant, and also to generally tidy it up and improve the appearance. 9. Bog rosemary (Andromeda polifolia - 10. Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) This is another list of Plants toxic to bees, which includes:- |
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PLANT USE Plant Selection Level 1 |
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There are other pages on Plants which bloom in each month of the year in this website:-
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You may not have room in your garden for trees, but you can plant them in containers.
If you still have not enough room for trees, Plant Selection by Garden Use
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Choose 1 of these different Plant selection Methods:-
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Pruning The illustrations combined with the text tell you precisely what to do in the above book. |
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Chapter |
Contents |
Comments |
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Reasons to prune |
Pruning with a purpose. |
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Tools and Equipment |
Clippers and loppers. |
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Pruning Methods |
A proper pruning cut. |
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Ornamental trees and shrubs |
Pruning a bare-root shrub. |
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Shade trees |
Basic tree shapes. |
Cavity repair. "2. Smooth out the rough edges with a heavy-grit file" No, that would tend to remove the remains of the branch collar and further damage the tree. "3. Fill the hole with a good tree-cavity sealer. Asphalt compounds, such as those used in patching driveways and roofs, are suitable..." I suggest the following:- Solutions to stop creating holes in trees. When a branch is cut off, remember to cut it off on the other side of the Branch Collar. (See Figure 1 - Optimum position of the final pruning cut in "Guide to Tree Pruning" by the Arboricultural Association which shows the branch collar within and outside the tree. My Comments: I disagree with their recommendation not to apply wound paint as you can see the result if you do not paint trees which are dehydrated, starved and gassed as these trees in the pavements of Madeira are.) Once that is done, then immediately apply Boron and 2 coats of protective sealant as used for holes in trees above." from Photo Damage to Trees in Madeira Page 1. I also saved the yew tree in my local churchyard. |
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Pruning evergreens |
What is an evergreen. |
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Pruning hedges |
Starting a new hedge. |
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Artistic pruning |
Topiary. |
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Pruning fruit trees |
Pruning a bare-root fruit tree at planting time. |
A solution for grass round trees depriving them of water and nutrients; using the expertise of DLF. |
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Pruning small fruits |
Grapes. |
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Nut trees |
Planting a nut tree. |
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Vines and ground covers |
Pruning a woody vine. |
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Garden plants and houseplants |
Reasons to prune perennials. |
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Bonsai |
Choosing your specimen. |
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