|
Type |
Description |
Examples |
Preparation
and Aftercare |
|
Trees |
Woody
perennial usually with a clean main stem with branches above. Most trees
are deciduous but there are some evergreens. |
Acer
Birch (Betula)
Eucalyptus
Laburnum |
Choose your
planting site with care. Consideration should be given to the final
height and spread of the tree/conifer. Double Dig
the site and soak the plant prior to planting. Add bone meal to the
bottom of the hole. Plant to the same level as it was in the pot or to
the soil mark on bare-rooted plants. Tall trees/conifers should be
staked to avoid it being rocked by the wind. Water thoroughly. |
|
Conifers |
Similar to
trees but there are a number of biological differences. Most are
evergreen but some are deciduous. |
Abies
Cedrus
Ginko
Juniper |
|
Shrubs |
Generally
smaller than trees with either a very short main stem or multiple stems.
They are long term
plants grown for their flowers, foliage or fruits. They come on many
shapes and sizes and can be grown in almost any part of the garden.
Shrubs can be evergreen or deciduous. |
Forsythia
Ribes
Pieris
Rhodedendron
Cistus
Weigela
Cotoneaster
Pyracantha |
Before
planting dig the soil
thoroughly, remove all weeds and incorporate lots of well-rotted organic
matter. Add fertiliser
and improve the drainage if required. Make a hole
two or three times the width of the plant and deep enough to to keep at
same level as in the pot. |
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Hardy Annuals |
Annuals are
herbaceous plants that
live for just one year. They will die after flowering and setting seed
or will be thrown away at the end of the summer. Hardy Annuals can stand
the cold so are sown outdoors in Spring to flower during early summer. |
Sweet Peas
Nigella
Nasturtiums
Pot Marigolds |
It is
important that the soil is not too rich or it will encourage leafy
growth instead of flowers. Add plenty of
well-rotted organic matter when planting. Tall plants
may need staking to support them. The ground should be clear of all weeds and kept well
watered.
Deadheading will encourage more flowers although you may
want some plants to self-seed around the garden. In autumn once the
plants
begin to die down pull them up and put on the compost heap.
|
|
Half Hardy Annuals |
Like Hardy
Annuals these plants live for just one season and will die after
flowering and setting seed. However, they cannot stand the cold so
should be planted out after all risk of frost has passed. |
Ageratum
Nicotiana
Petunias |
|
Biennials |
Biennials are
herbaceous plants that complete their life-cycle in two years. Growing
in the first year and flowering in the next. |
Wallflowers
Sweet William
Foxgloves |
|
Bedding Plants |
Bedding Plants are usually used to fill gaps in the
borders for a temporary affect. Once flowering is complete they can be
disposed of. They mainly consist of Half Hardy Annuals. |
Lobelia
Petunia
Impatiens |
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Hardy Perennials |
Perennials die
down each autumn and grow again the following spring. Hardy Perennials
can stay in the ground all year and only require to be split every three
to five years |
Delphiniums
Hostas
Geraniums
Achillea
Helebores |
The site
should be well prepared and lots of well-rotted organic matter incorporated. Remove all
weeds and ensure the soil is well drained. Water well before planting. Plant in
autumn or spring. Apply a
general fertiliser in the spring. Deadhead those
not required for their seed heads. Cut back dead
growth to ground level in the autumn. |
|
Half Hardy Perennials |
Half Hardy
Perennials will also die down in autumn and grow again the following
spring, however, they cannot stand frost so will have to be protected
over the winter or taken into a greenhouse |
Pelargoniums
Fuchsias |
|
Climbers |
Climbers are
shrubs which are adapted to growing up vertical structures. Climbers add a
vertical element to a garden, they can be trained against a wall, fence
or trellis, over arches and pergolas, through trees or used as ground
cover. There are many
different types of climbers from annuals, deciduous perennials and
evergreens. Choose one to
suit your soil type, aspect and climate. |
Clematis
Sweet Peas
Hedera (Ivy)
Honeysuckle
Wisteria |
Most climbers
do not require any pruning however, clematis and wisteria perform much
better when strict pruning is carried out. Wisteria: once a framework has been established and
flowering is over, cut-back the long whippy growth to about 15cm
followed by a further pruning to 2-3 buds in mid-winter. Clematis: early large flowering species should have some
of the old growth cut back after flowering. Early flowering species such
as montana and alpina can be cut back hard every few years. Late
flowering species should be pruned to 15-30cm from the ground during
January/February. Do not plant climbers too close to a structure and
prepare the ground well. Clematis should be planted deeper than it was in the pot
to avoid clematis wilt.
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Ornamental Grasses |
Ornamental
grasses thrive in open positions in full sun in the herbaceous border,
as a specimen plant or in containers |
Hare's Tail
Grass Miscanthus
Pampas Grass
Stipa Gigantea |
Soil should
hold moisture but be well drained and not too fertile. Do not deadhead
as they can often look pretty during winter months. Cut down to ground
level in the spring.
Propagate by division or seed. |
|
Bulbs, Corms, Rhizomes |
These are
herbaceous plants. There are
bulbous plants for lots of different situations but nearly all require
good drainage and many thrive in sunny sites. Many bulbous plants are threatened in the wild so it is
important to buy bulbs from cultivated sources. |
Allium
Agapanthus
Crocus
Fritillaria
Snowdrop
Gladioli
Hyacinths
Iris
Daffodil
Tulip |
Plant spring
flowering bulbs between August and October and summer flowering bulbs
from mid spring. Incorporate
well-rotted organic matter and a balanced fertiliser at planting time.
Heavy soils will benefit from the addition of grit. Plant 2-3 times deeper than their length. Deadhead regularly and apply a low nitrogen, high
potassium fertiliser in subsequent years. Lift and divide if they become overcrowded.
|
|
Evergreens |
An evergreen
retains it's leaves throughout the year. |
Bamboo
Ceanothus
Hebe
Holly
Skimmia |
Trees, shrubs,
climbers, conifers and perennials all have evergreen species.
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Hedges |
Hedges are
trees or shrubs which are planted close together to form a continuous
row. They are usually cut to maintain a particular shape and height.
Visit Crocus.co.uk for invaluable advice on choosing and planting hedges.
Just type "Hedges" into their "find me info on" box and a list of
articles and suitable plants will appear. |
Berberis
Ceanothus
Euonymus
Forsythia
Holly
Lavender
Thuja
Viburnum |
Choose healthy
plants either bare rooted or container grown. Clear the ground of all
weeds. The addition of organic matter or fertilisers is not required
unless the soil is particularly sandy. Water the plants well before
planting, the plant at regular intervals in holes big enough not to
constrict the roots. Water in well
and apply a mulch. Some species benefit from
being pruned immediately after planting. Shoots should be reduced to
about 10cm. Most deciduous plants should be reduced to about one-third
in the autumn after planting. Evergreens and informal hedges should not
be cut-back until they are at least a year old. |
|
Ground Cover |
Low growing,
spreading shrubs which can cover a large area of ground. They suppress
weeds and require very little attention. |
Ivy
Vinca
Hellebore
Nepeta
Cistus |
Clear the
ground of weeds and dig over the soil. Add well-rotted organic matter
and fertiliser if required. Water the plants thoroughly before planting.
Dig a hole twice as big as the pot. Plant at the same level as it was in
the pot. Firm well, water and mulch.
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Alpines |
Small shrubs
or perennials that grow naturally in mountainous areas. Often used in
rockeries. |
Alyssum
Arabis
Gentiana
Lewisia
Sedum |
Alpines should be sited in full sun away from trees and in
extremely well drained soil, if in doubt, add lots of extra grit. Alpines do
very well in sink gardens or raised beds which show off small specimens. Many
thrive in cracks between bricks in walls or between paving slaps in pathways.
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Water Plants |
Usually
perennials that have adapted to growing in water (aquatics) or wet soil (bog
plants).
Visit our section on Aquatic
Gardening for more information.
|
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Vegetables |
Plants that
are grown to provide food. The edible part can be roots, stems or
leaves.
Visit our section on Vegetables for more information. |
|
Fruit |
Plants that
are grown for their fruit. They can be trees, shrubs or perennials.
Visit our section on Fruit
for more information.
|
