Ivydene Gardens Shrub - Evergreen Plant Gallery: |
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Single-stemmed Palm, Cycad, or similar tree Tree/Shrub Form |
|||||||
|
SHRUB - EVERGREEN GALLERY PAGES Introduction FOLIAGE COLOUR FORM SHAPE FRUIT COLOUR FLOWER BED PICTURES
|
EVERGREEN SHRUB GALLERY PAGES 7 Flower Colours (Red, Pink and Purple in same Page) per Month in Colour Wheel below. Click on Black or White box in Colour of Month. |
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|||||||
Brown = |
Blue = |
Green = |
Red = |
Black = |
|||
|
|||||||
Wet Soil |
Moist Soil |
Dry Soil |
|||||
|
|||||||
|
|||||||
|
|||||||
Evergreen Shrub Name |
Flower Colour Flower |
Flowering Months Seed Thumbnail |
Height x Spread in inches (cms) Form and Form Thumbnail |
Foliage Colour Foliage Thumbnail |
Use |
||
A |
|||||||
Abutilon mega-potamicum Sand or Chalk. If your soil is particularly free draining, improve it by adding some well rotted manure or garden compost. |
Lantern shape with Yellow petals, |
July, August, September, |
72 x 72 Arching Form. Pruning Group 9. Pruning Group 13 for wall-trained on a South or West facing wall or fence. |
Bright Green Arching shoots carry bright green semi evergreen foliage and spectacular flowers that resemble miniature Chinese lanterns |
When growing Abutilon in patio containers, use a loam based compost such as John Innes No. 2. Repot the plants at their original soil level and firm well into the new container. Water well and position in sun or semi shade. Ideal for conservatories and perfect in patio containers which can be moved to a frost free position in winter. |
||
Andromeda |
See Andromeda in Heather Shrub Gallery |
|
|||||
B |
|||||||
Sand, Chalk. Tolerates Clay if free-draining. Part Shade |
Fragrant Orange-Yellow followed by spherical, blue-glaucous, black fruit |
April, May Bird (berries and shelter), bee, butterfly nectar, butterfly caterpillar and moth caterpillar plant |
144 x 144 Erect form. Rounded Shape. Pruning Group 8. |
Bright, shiny, very prickly holly-like, dark green leaves. New foliage tinged red turning green with age. |
Use for vandal-proof 6 feet high hedging, back of border or in pots. Attracts wildlife to feed or nest. |
||
C |
|||||||
Calluna |
See Calluna in Heather Shrub Gallery and below |
|
|||||
Camellia Acid, Peaty and Sand |
Red flowers appear along the branches, particularly towards the ends, and have very short stems. |
April |
336 x 300 Upright form. Pruning Group 8. |
Glossy alternate, leathery, Dark Green |
Use as speciman in lawn or informal hedge. It looks good with Skimmia japonica 'Rubella' and Pieris japonica 'Mountain Fire'. |
||
Choisya Well-drained Chalk or Sand. Use in protected site in sun or part shade, although in shade it may not flower. |
Fragrant, star-shaped, White |
April, May |
96 x 96 Erect or Upright form. Pruning Group 8. |
Bright Green Choisya ternata 'Sundance' has good yellow evergreen foliage. |
The glossy, evergreen leaves provide an excellent backdrop for medium-sized perennials and pale-grey or purple foliage plants. |
||
Cistus x It will tolerate chalky soil and salty air. |
3.5 inch (9 cm), pinky-purple, papery flowers |
June, July, August |
36 x 36 Erect form. Pruning Group 8 or 9. |
Gummy-feeling, narrow, Dark Green |
Try this rounded, sun-loving, evergreen rock rose towards the front of a sheltered, sunny, well-drained border, or in a container. Ideal planted alone or in drifts on hot sunny bank. |
||
D |
|||||||
Daboecia |
See Daboecia in Heather Shrub Gallery and below |
|
|||||
Dryas Sand, Stony and limey soil |
8 petals of Creamy-White |
June, July followed by fluffy seed heads |
4 x 36 Mat-forming form. |
Dark Green, leathery and silver underneath |
Carpeting plant for rock garden, wall or border edge. |
||
E |
|||||||
Erica |
See Erica in Heather Shrub Gallery and below |
|
|||||
Chalk and Sand. Thrive especially well in coastal areas. |
Red flowers and produces an aromatic honey fragrance |
June, July |
72 x 96 Arching form. Pruning Group 9. |
Glossy dark green |
Escallonia Macrantha is the best evergreen Hedging and Screening plant for the South West of England |
||
Euonymus Clay or Sand |
... |
... |
48 x 48 Mound-forming form. Pruning Group 8. |
Toothed glossy dark green variegated with Yellow |
Exhibits rich autumn colours and grows well in most environments, which is why it is the perfect hedging choice. |
||
Euonymus Clay or Sand. Full Sun or Part Shade |
Light Yellow |
May, June |
144 x 72 Erect form. Pruning Group 8. |
Toothed glossy dark green |
Use for hedging |
||
Euphorbia Chalk. Full Sun. This plant can also resist high salinity. |
Yellow-Green Flowers in spherical, terminal cymes 10-30cm (4-12in) long. |
April, May, June, July |
48 x 48 Upright form. Pruning Group 1. |
Linear to oval, grey-green to 13cm (5inches) long. 'Milk' sap tends to cause burning sensation on your skin! so wear rubber gloves when handling it. |
Garden varieties are valued in Mediterranean or desert landscaping for not being highly demanding and for looking good despite lack of watering in sunny areas. |
||
Euryops Sand. Full Sun |
Flowers are held in clusters, bright yellow like lovely little daisies. |
June, July |
12 x 12 Dome-shaped form. Trim lightly after flowering to restrict growth. |
Silvery-grey leaves which are broadly needle-like |
Use as groundcover and infill between other shrubs or yellow-flowered roses |
||
F |
|||||||
Fremontodendron californicum Chalk. Full Sun. Dry or Moist |
Bright Yellow saucer shaped flowers (6cm across) 2 inches |
May, June, July, August, September, October |
240 x 144 Upright form. Pruning Group 1 or Pruning Group 13 if wall-trained. Branches covered in fine spines which may irritate your skin. |
Dark Green |
It's also a good wall shrub, doing well in the rubble around the foundations of a house and trained against a south-facing wall. Branches will require training to encourage a nice fan shape. |
||
G |
|||||||
Gaultheria Acidic sand or Peaty. Part Shade. Moist soil. |
Pink suffused White, heather-bell shaped flowers in racemes at the end of the previous year's growth and in the angles of terminal leaves, followed by bunches of dark purple berries. |
June, July Its tight growing habit allows for great songbird cover while the spring blooming, white to pink, bell-like flowers are a nectar bonanza for native insects. |
48 x 60 Spreading Form. |
Glossy Dark Green |
The plant forms dense thickets, and spreads by underground stems. This shrub is useful for ground cover in moist, shady peaty soils, and can be used as covert for game. |
||
H |
|||||||
Halimiocistus wintonensis 'Merrist Wood Cream' Sand. Full Sun - shelter from cold drying winds. Dry soil. |
Creamy-Yellow |
June, July |
24 x 36 Spreading clump-forming form. Pruning Group 9. |
Oval to lance-shaped, white-woolly, grey-green leaves to 5cm (2inches) long |
Grow at front of border, base of a sunny wall, or in a rock garden. See the Cistus & Halimium Website (including x Halimiocistus) |
||
Heathers |
See Heathers in Heather Shrub Gallery and below |
|
|||||
Stubby spikes of white flowers |
June, July |
24 x 36 |
Grey-Green |
Use as separate plants with upright plants in between to create different plant heights and shape groundcover. Read Hebes here and there by Graham Hutchins |
|||
Chalk and Sand. Full Sun. Dry Soil. Perfect for a windy spot by the sea! |
Small White flowers in racemes |
June, July, August |
72 x 72 Dense Round form. Pruning Group 9 ; requires little or no pruning. |
Dense Mid-Green foliage
|
Suitable as a specimen shrub or a low hedge. |
||
Hebe Chalk and Sand. Full Sun. Dry Soil. |
Pink-tinged Purple |
July, August, September, |
36 x 36 Dense Round form. Pruning Group 9 ; requires little or no pruning. |
Dull Dark Green
|
Suitable as a specimen shrub or a low hedge. |
||
Hebe |
Bright Pink |
July, August, September, |
48 x 48 Open Round form. Pruning Group 9 ; requires little or no pruning. |
The parallel-sided, spear-shaped, shiny, green leaves are up to 3.5 inches (9 cm) long. |
A fine choice for containers or as a low hedge. |
||
Hebe 'Youngii' Chalk and Sand. Full Sun. Dry Soil |
Violet-Blue |
June, July The flowers are a magnet for bees and butterflies. |
8 x 24 |
The tiny leaves are shiny mid-green, with a red edge. |
Useful for the rock garden, edging, or ground cover. |
||
Helianthemum Chalk, Sand. Full Sun. Dry Soil. Plants must have very good drainage, particularly through the winter. |
Terracotta-Orange, saucer-shaped flowers borne in short racemes |
June, July, |
12 x 12 |
Small-paired Grey-Green leaves |
Suitable for rock garden, raised bed, front of border, or ground cover on sunny bank. Combine with companions like Lavenders, Euphorbias and Origanums. |
||
Helianthemum lunulatum Chalk, Sand. Full Sun. Dry Soil. |
Clear Yellow |
June, July |
6 x 10 |
Grey-Green |
Suitable for rock garden, raised bed, front of border, ground cover on sunny bank, or a position in an alpine house. |
||
Helianthemum Chalk, sand. Full sun. Dry Soil. |
Golden-Yellow |
June, July See the Helianthemum collection of Andrew Roberts. |
12 x 12 |
Grey-Green |
Suitable for rock garden, raised bed, front of border, or ground cover on sunny bank. |
||
Sand, Chalk and Clay. Full Sun. Moist Soil. |
Dark Yellow flowers with a slight sweet perfume |
September, October |
48 x 48 |
The soft young leaves are covered with grey woolly hairs. |
Forming a dense grey mound it can be used as groundcover and as specimans in front of yew hedge |
||
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Chalk. Full Sun. Moist Soil |
Crimson |
August, September, October Further details about Hibiscus plants are from the International Hibiscus Society. |
144 x 96 Rounded form. Pruning Group 9. Growing Hibiscus Indoors provides details for growing these in a pot in your home. |
Glossy Dark Green |
If your area is subject to freezing temperatures, your Chinese hibiscus must either be treated as an annual or brought indoors for the late fall through early spring months. |
||
Hypericum Chalk, Sand. Full Sun or Part Shade. Dry Soil |
Yellow |
... |
... |
Green |
Makes a dense mound of small, grey-green leaves on upright branching stems in rock gardens. |
||
Hypericum moserianum |
Yellow |
June, July, |
12 x 24 |
Mid Green variegated |
This makes a valuable groundcover plant where space is limited. It grows equally well in sun and shade, but needs protection from cold, drying winds. |
||
Hypericum polyphyllum Any, Sand. Full Sun. Dry Soil. |
Fragrant Bright Yellow |
June, July, August |
18 x 24 |
Blue-Green |
Grow in rock garden, Patio Pots, Banks and Slopes, Cottage Garden, as Ground Cover and as Low Maintenance plant. Shelter from cold, drying winds and excessive winter wet. |
||
I |
|||||||
Iberis saxatilis Chalk or Alkaline Sand. Full Sun. Dry Soil. |
Fragrant White, Purple-tinged |
May, June Pruning Group 10, after flowering. Trim lightly after flowering to maintain compactness. |
6 x 12 |
Dark Green |
Groundcover with different spring, summer and autumn bulbs between each shrub |
||
J |
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
K |
|||||||
Kalmia Acid Clay and Peaty, or Acid Sand and Peaty. Part Shade. Wet Soil. |
Pale to Deep Red |
June |
24 x 60 |
Dark Green |
Use in peat or heather garden. |
||
Kalmia Acid Clay and Peaty, or Acid Sand and Peaty. Part Shade. Wet Soil. |
White |
June |
24 x 60 |
Dark Green |
Use in peat or heather garden. |
||
L |
|||||||
Lavatera Sand and Chalk. Full Sun. Dry Soil. |
Hollyhock-like Flowers to 8cm (3 inches) in width, light pink |
July, August, September |
72 x 72 |
Deeply lobed, and bright green. After pruning apply 5-7cm mulch of well-rotted garden compost or manure round the base of the plant. |
Grow in shrub border. In cold areas of the country it is best grown against a warm wall to minimise wind and frost damage. |
||
Lonicera Chalk, Sand. Full Sun, or Part Shade to be less prone to aphids. Moist Soil. |
Fragrant Creamy-White flowers which grow in pairs. |
April, May, June Not suitable for seaside gardens. |
132 x 120 Rounded Form. Pruning Group 2. |
Glossy Dark Green |
Good for hedging and topiary. Trim hedges twice during the summer. Its densely packed leaves, borne on long stems, are tiny so it forms a very dense hedge. |
||
Lupinus Free-draining Acid Sand. Full Sun or Part Shade. Dry Soil. |
Clear Yellow |
June, July, August Westcountry Nurseries holds The National Collection of Lupins and have very detailed cultivation information. |
72 x 72 |
Grey-Green |
Native UK plant. Grow in a border or wild garden. Will self-seed. |
||
M |
|||||||
Chalk or Alkaline Sand. Part or Full Shade. Dry Soil. Mulch to protect roots from frost. |
Fragrant Yellow |
November, December, January, February, |
84 x 120 |
Dark Green |
The flowers shoot out from the ends of leaves, on smaller plants in pots they tend to shoot from the centre of the plant. |
||
Myrtus Chalk. Full Sun. Moist Soil. |
White |
August, September, |
120 x 120 |
Glossy Dark Green with a fragrant essential oil. |
A useful and pretty shrub for a sunny border or for growing against a south or west-facing wall. |
||
N |
|||||||
Nandina Sand or Chalk. Full Sun. Moist Soil. |
White |
August |
72 x 60 |
Reddish-Purple when juvenile and in Winter; Light Green in Summer and Autumn |
Grow in a sheltered site in a shrub border so that it's flowers, fruit and elegant foliage can be admired. Companions:- Hosta plantaginea, Hemerocallis, Kniphofia caulescens |
||
O |
|||||||
Olearia |
Fragrant White. The flowers are carried at the branch tips. |
August |
72 x 72 |
Bright Green juvenile turning Dark Green above, White to Yellow woolly beneath. Trim lightly to maintain a compact habit. |
Isolate close to a path or lawn in a shrub border to show off it's flowers and fragrance. Could grow as border hedge in Coastal areas to provide wind protection. |
||
Olearia x |
White. Flower heads of white daisy flowers |
August, |
60 x 72 |
Glossy Dark Green above, White-felted beneath |
Isolate close to a path or lawn in a shrub border to show off it's flowers. Grow as border hedge in Coastal areas to provide wind protection. |
||
Olearia x Chalk and Alkaline Sand. Full Sun. Dry Soil. |
White Flowers to 6cm (2½in) across with yellow centres in corymbs to 7cm (3in) across. |
May |
72 x 72 |
Dark Green above, Pale Green and densely-felted beneath |
Isolate close to a path or lawn in a shrub border to show off it's flowers. Grow as border hedge in Coastal areas to provide wind protection. |
||
P |
|||||||
Prunus |
Fragrant White |
May, June Bees, hoverflies, ants and wasps are attracted to the flowers and several species of birds eat the berries. Laurel provides cover for birds and small mammals. |
72 x 72 |
Leaves are dark green, leathery, shiny, (5–)10–25(–30)cm long and 4–10cm broad. |
It is often used for hedges, as a screening plant, and as a massed landscape plant. Grow as a dense security hedge about 3 feet wide and shoulder height to make cutting the hedge easier from the ground. |
||
Q |
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
R |
|||||||
Rosmarinus |
Purple-Blue to White |
May, June, July Pollinated by bees. Seeds ripen from August to October. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure. |
60 x 60 Dense Upright to Rounded Form |
Aromatic Dark Green |
Trim hedges after flowering. Suitable for Coastal gardens. Grow in a herb garden, against a sunny wall or this compact form of rosemary makes a fabulous, low, evergreen, flowering hedge for a sunny, well-drained site dividing the Flower Garden from the Vegetable or Fruit garden. |
||
S |
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
T |
|||||||
Thymus Alkaline Sand. Full Sun. Dry Soil. |
Large clusters of pale magenta-pink flowers. |
June, July Attractive to bees. |
6 x 8 |
Dark Green, finely hairy beneath and at the margins |
Grow half-way down a sandy slope to prevent roots from being drowned in winter, or an alpine house if winter wet protection is not available. |
||
Thymus |
Pale to Deep Purple, occasionally Off-White |
July, August |
2 x 24 |
Dark Green fringed with minute hairs |
Plant in paving crevices, where it releases its fragrance when trodden on. Use equal parts loam, leaf mould and grit for the planting area. |
||
U |
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
V |
|||||||
Vaccinium Acid, Peaty or Sand. Full Sun or Part Shade. Moist Soil. |
White to Deep Pink followed by red berries. Lingonberry is a food that is traditionally associated with its native Scandinavia. |
June, July It is noted for attracting wildlife. |
10 x indefinite |
Glossy Dark Green |
They need a harsh winter in order to survive, so they really cannot be grown in the warmer climates of the world. Grow in borders beneath the canopy of trees or taller plants, as they tolerate shade well. |
||
W |
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
XYZ |
|||||||
Yucca Chalk or Alkaline Sand. Full Sun. Dry Soil. |
Purple-tinged |
August, |
72 x 72 |
Blue-Green maturing to Dark Green |
Use as speciman plant to display the upright 2 feet long densely-rosetted, ferocious spine-tipped, lance-shaped leaves. |
||
|
|||||||
Site design and content copyright ©July 2009. Page structure amended January 2013. Feet changed to inches (cms) July 2015. Completed change from adding a page to mapping and thus changing that page to the desired plant description page and index details, October 2018. 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. |
|||||||
Ceanothus Fertile, well drained, dry chalk soil, in a full sun position for the best results. Mulch in late winter or spring with bulky organic matter, such as garden compost or well-rotted manure. |
Blue |
May Bees love Ceanothus. |
From 60 to 240 x 36 to 144 (150-600 x 90-360) |
Dark Green |
Ceanothus is often best planted against a south-facing wall. The top three darkest ceanothus cultivars are 'Dark Star', 'Puget Blue' and 'Concha'. |
|
|||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
Some heathers besides having flowers have foliage colours that change from 1 season to the next season in the UK -
and the Index for the heathers shown in each of these Comparison Pages is in 1 or more Index Pages in the relevant Heather Evergreen Shrub Index Gallery instead of being in the same Comparison page, due to their being too many to include within the available space. |
|||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
Flower Colour |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Heather |
Flower Colour |
Flowering Months |
Height x Spread in inches (cms) |
Foliage Colour |
|||||||||||
Spring |
Summer |
Autumn |
Winter |
||||||||||||
Andromeda polifolia |
"A dwarf plant of the northern hemisphere found in Europe, North America ad Japan. The majority of the species grown in gardens emanate from the Japanese population where they are found on well separated mountains, each having distinctive groups of plants." |
||||||||||||||
Andromeda polifolia 'Alba' |
White - H0 |
May, |
6 x 16 |
Dark Grey |
Dark Grey |
Dark Grey |
Dark Grey |
||||||||
Bruckenthalia spiculifolia |
"A dwarf, heather like shrub with tiny dense foliage with flowers displayed above the plant in short compact racemes. Ideal for the heather garden with a flowering season earlier than most Daboecia and Erica cinerea." "Erica spiculifolia (Bruckenthalia) - Bruckenthalia's beautiful name has been changed to plain old Erica." from Heaths and Heathers. See Erica spiculifolia below. |
||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Calluna vulgaris are listed in the Calluna vulgaris B Gallery Pages |
"Calluna prefers light acid soils. It will grow in any lime free soil but growth is less vigourous in heavier soils. Calluna will perform better in open sunny situations, this being particularly true for those exhibiting foliage colour variations." |
||||||||||||||
'Boskoop' - H3 |
Lavender - H3 |
August, Sep-tember |
12 x 18 |
Rich Gold |
Rich Gold |
Rich Gold |
Orange with Red tints |
||||||||
'Bunsall' - H2 |
Mauve - H2 |
August, Sep-tember |
12 x 18 |
Yellow |
Yellow |
Yellow |
Orange and Brown |
||||||||
'Coccinea' - H10 |
Purple - H10 |
August, Sep-tember, |
10 x 10 |
Dark Grey-Green |
Dark Grey-Green |
Dark Grey-Green |
Dark Grey-Green |
||||||||
'County Wicklow' - H16 |
Shell Pink (H16) |
August, Sep-tember, October, November |
12 x 18 |
Medium Green |
Medium Green |
Medium Green |
Medium Green |
||||||||
Lavender - H3 |
August, Sep-tember, |
12 x 12 |
Copper |
Copper |
Copper |
Warm bronze red |
|||||||||
'John F. Letts' - H3 |
Lavender - H3 |
Sep-tember, October |
4 x 10 |
Gold |
Gold |
Bronze |
Red and Orange |
||||||||
'Orange Queen' - H3 |
Lavender - H3 |
August, Sep-tember |
14 x 18 |
Golden-Yellow |
Golden-Yellow |
Bronze |
Orange |
||||||||
'Red Pimpernel' - H13 |
Crimson - H13 |
August, Sep-tember, October, November |
8 x 18 |
Dark Green |
Dark Green |
Dark Green |
Dark Green |
||||||||
'Sirsson' - H8 |
Pink - H8 |
August, September |
12 x 20 |
Gold |
Gold |
Gold |
Orange to Red |
||||||||
'Stefanie' - H0 |
White - H0 |
Sep-tember, October, |
10 x 14 |
Bright Green |
Bright Green |
Bright Green |
Bright Green |
||||||||
'Sunset' - H11 |
Lilac-Pink - H11 |
August, Sep-tember, |
8 x 18 |
Bronzing |
Gold |
Red |
Red |
||||||||
'Velvet Fascination' - H0 |
White - H0 |
August, Sep-tember |
20 x 28 |
Soft, Silvery Grey-Green |
Soft, Silvery Grey-Green |
Soft, Silvery Grey-Green |
Soft, Silvery Grey-Green |
||||||||
'White Lawn' - H0 |
White - H0 |
August, Sep-tember |
2 x 16 |
Clear Green |
Clear Green |
Clear Green |
Clear Green |
||||||||
'Winter Chocolate' - H3 |
Lavender - H3 |
August, Sep-tember, |
8 x 18 |
New growth is Salmon |
Gold foliage with Pink tips |
Gold foliage with Pink tips |
Intense Red |
||||||||
Daboecia azorica |
"This species is found growing in the azores up to a height of 2000m, but despite this, clones so far collected are easily damaged by -5 degrees C frosts. It is distinguished from Daboecia cantabrica by being a more diminuative plant with smaller leaves and flowers with no hairs on the corolla. Plants sold under this name are usually Daboecia x scotica." |
||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Daboecia cantabrica |
"St. Daboec's heath has broad leaves, white on the underside, and large flowers which drop when finished. They will tolerate a little shade but should not be planted directly under trees. They are remarably resistant to drought. Some cultivars suffer in winter if planted in heavy ground, frost hollows, or in cold windy aspects." |
||||||||||||||
'Bicolor' - H0 and H9 |
White, Pink and Beetroot Red - H17 |
July, August, |
12 x 24 |
Mid-Green |
Mid-Green |
Mid-Green |
Mid-Green |
||||||||
Daboecia x scotica |
"This group of plants consist of hybrids between Daboecia cantabrica and Daboecia azorica. They have the compactness of Daboecia azorica and hardiness of Daboecia cantabrica. Cultural details as for Daboecia cantabrica." |
||||||||||||||
'Bearsden' - H11 |
Lilac-Pink - H11 |
June, July, August, Sep-tember, October, November |
12 x 18 |
Dark Green |
Dark Green |
Dark Green |
Dark Green |
||||||||
Erica arborea |
"A tree heath which in our UK climate may reach 3-5 metres. It is not as tolerant of lime as is commonly supposed and is best grown in acid conditions. Young plants should be shaped in the early years to avoid untidy growth. It is not generally very hardy but there are exceptions. Can be damaged by heavy snowfalls but will break from the base again." |
||||||||||||||
'Estrella Gold' - H0 |
White - H0 |
April, May |
48 x 30 |
Lime-Green tipped bright Yellow |
Lime-Green |
Lime-Green |
Lime-Green |
||||||||
Erica australis |
"Tree heaths with rather straggly growth preferring acid soils. However, their flowers, large and showy, are outstanding. Prone to snow and wind damage." |
||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Erica carnea are listed in the Erica carnea Gallery |
"One of the hardiest of all heaths and very easy to grow in almost any soil. All exhibit a dwarf carpeting habit and with few exceptions rarely require pruning. Care must be taken when pruning as Erica carnea buds as early as July in the UK. It is safer to prune immediately after the flowers have faded. Prune around the edges and very lightly over the top of the plant. The flowering times of Erica carnea vary markedly, plants in milder climates being as much as 2 months earler than in colder conditions. Generally they can be expected to show flower for 6-8 weeks within the time span stated." |
||||||||||||||
Erica |
|
January, February, |
Erica |
|
March, April |
Erica |
|
January, February, |
|||||||
Erica |
|
December, January, February |
Erica |
|
December, January, February, March, April |
Erica |
|
December, January, |
|||||||
Erica |
|
February, March, April |
Erica |
|
February, March, April |
Erica |
|
February, March, April |
|||||||
Erica |
|
March, April |
Erica |
|
January, February, March |
Erica |
|
December, January, |
|||||||
Erica |
|
February, March, April |
Erica |
|
January, February, |
Erica |
|
January, February, |
|||||||
Erica |
|
February, March, April |
Erica |
|
January, February, |
Erica |
|
December, January, February |
|||||||
Erica |
|
January, February, |
Erica |
|
January, February, |
Erica |
|
November, December, |
|||||||
Erica |
|
January, February, March |
Erica |
|
February, March, April |
Erica |
|
January, February, |
|||||||
Erica |
|
December, January, February, March, April, May |
Erica |
|
December, January, February, March, April, May |
Erica |
|
January, February, |
|||||||
Erica |
|
January, February, March |
Erica |
|
November, December, |
Erica |
|
February, March, April, May |
|||||||
Erica ciliaris |
"This species occurs naturally in moist acid sunny positions, but experience has shown that, in cultivation, it can withstand drought as well as any other Erica. This species has the largest bells of our native UK heaths." |
||||||||||||||
'Globosa' - H11 |
Lilac Pink - H11 |
August, Sep |
12 x 20 |
Mid-Green |
Mid-Green |
Mid-Green |
Mid-Green |
||||||||
Erica cinerea are listed in the Erica cinerea Gallery |
"A species commonly found on the drier parts of moors and heathlands but fares no better than other ericas during periods of drought. Whilst the majority of the cultivars have rather drab dark green foliage, they are well worth growing for the great richness and range of their flowers. Acid soil is essential to grow this species successfully." |
||||||||||||||
Erica |
See Heather Description Page |
July, August |
Erica |
|
June, July, August, September, October |
Erica |
|
June, July, August, September, October |
|||||||
Erica x darleyensis |
"One of the easiest heathers to grow. It is suitable for all soils and particularly good at smothering weeds. These cultivars are hybrids between Erica carnea and Erica erigena and, like all sterile hardy hybrids, have coloured young foliage and a long flowering period. Hardy" |
||||||||||||||
'Arthur Johnson' - H8 |
Pink - H8 , which deepen with age to heliotrope |
December, January, February, March, April |
18 x 30 |
Mid Green tipped Cream |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
||||||||
'Darley Dale' - H16 |
Open |
November, December, |
15-18 x 36 (37.5-45 x 90) |
Mid Green with Cream tips |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
||||||||
'Dunreggan' - H0 |
White - H0 |
January, February, |
18 x 20 |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
||||||||
'Epe' - H11 |
Lilac Pink - H11 |
January, February, |
12 x 24 |
Medium Green |
Medium Green |
Medium Green |
Medium Green |
||||||||
'George Rendall' - H8 |
Open |
November, December, |
15 x 26 |
Mid Green tipped red initially, fading to pink and cream |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
||||||||
'Ghost Hills' - H8 |
Mauve - H2 deepen on aging to heliotrope |
November, December, |
18 x 36 |
Light Green with Cream tips |
Light Green |
Light Green |
Light Green |
||||||||
'Jack H. Brummage' - H10 |
Reddish Purple - H10 |
January, February, |
12 x 24 |
Golden Orange-Yellow |
Golden Orange-Yellow |
Golden Orange-Yellow |
Golden Orange-Yellow becoming Bronze-tinted |
||||||||
'James Smith' - H10 |
Deep Pink to reddish Purple - H10 |
December, January, February, March, April |
14 x 22 |
Medium Green tipped Pink and Cream |
Medium Green |
Medium Green |
Medium Green |
||||||||
'Kramer's Rote' - H14 |
Magenta - H14 |
January, February, |
15 x 24 |
Dark Bronze/Green |
Dark Bronze/Green |
Dark Bronze/Green |
Dark Bronze/Green |
||||||||
'Margaret Porter' - H4 |
Lilac - H4 |
December, January, February, March, April, May |
8-10 x 18 |
Mid Green with Cream tips |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
||||||||
'Mary Helen' - H8 |
Pink - H8 |
February, March, April |
10 x 18 |
Yellow/Gold |
Yellow/Gold |
Yellow/Gold |
Yellow/Gold foliage bronzing |
||||||||
'Silberschmelze' - H0 |
Ashen White - H0 |
December, January, February, March, April, May |
14 x 32 |
Mid Green with Cream tips |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
Mid Green tinged Red |
||||||||
'White Glow' - H0 |
White - H0 |
December, January, February, March, April, May |
10 x 20 |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
||||||||
'W.G. Pine' - H12 |
Pink to Heliotrope - H12 |
December, January, February, March, April |
8 x 20 |
Dark Green tipped Red |
Dark Green |
Dark Green |
Dark Green |
||||||||
Erica erigena |
"A species useful in alkaline soils and providing some of the better 'architectural' heaths. Not as hardy as Erica carnea and Erica x darleyensis and damage is caused by frosts greater than -10 degrees C. Damage can also be caused by heavy snow as branches are rather brittle." |
||||||||||||||
'Irish Silver' - H4 |
Lilac - H4 |
April, May, June |
16 x 16 |
Dark Green |
Dark Green |
Dark Green |
Dark Green |
||||||||
'Superba' - H16 |
Shell Pink - H16 |
April, May, June |
60 x 24 |
Dark Green |
Dark Green |
Dark Green |
Dark Green |
||||||||
Erica lusitanica |
"A tree heath found naturally on acid soil in Portugal, Northern Spain and South West France and has the lngest flowering period of any tree heath. Capable of withstanding a considerable amount of drought." |
||||||||||||||
White - H0 |
March, April, May |
40 x 28 |
Medium Green |
Medium Green |
Medium Green |
Medium Green |
|||||||||
'George Hunt' - H0 |
White - H0 |
March, April |
28 x 18 |
Bright Yellow |
Bright Yellow |
Bright Yellow |
Bright Yellow |
||||||||
Erica mackaiana |
"Another lime hater found naturally in boggy ground in western Ireland and north-west Spain. It provides neat ground cover, but is suspect in very dry conditions. It produces new shoots from the roots, which can be detached to form new plants." |
||||||||||||||
'Maura' - H12 |
Heliotrope - H12 |
July, August, |
10 x 14 |
Mid Grey-Green |
Mid Grey-Green |
Mid Grey-Green |
Mid Grey-Green |
||||||||
Erica manipuliflora |
"An eastern Mediterranean species which is lime tolerant, and happily grows on magnesium deficient soils (unlike Erica vagans). There are 2 distinct populations now classified as sub-species" |
||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Erica spiculifolia |
"Erica spiculifolia (Bruckenthalia) - Bruckenthalia's beautiful name has been changed to plain old Erica. This is probably the hardiest heath of all. When all others are damaged, Bruckenthalia remains unharmed. Needs good drainage, acid soil and sun. The flowers are held above the plants in short compact racemes. It is an early season bloomer and sometimes blooms again in the fall. They rot off at the base branch by branch if too wet. Zone 4 (-30 below) - probably Zone 3 - and warmer." from Heaths and Heathers. "A dwarf, heather like shrub with tiny dense foliage with flowers displayed above the plant in short compact racemes. Ideal for the heather garden with a flowering season earlier than most Daboecia and Erica cinerea." from The Handy Guide to Heathers by David and Anne Small. |
||||||||||||||
'Balkan Rose' - H12 |
Heliotrope - H12 |
June, |
6 x 12 |
Dark Gray Green |
Dark Gray Green |
Dark Gray Green |
Dark Gray Green |
||||||||
Erica x stuartii |
"A natural hybrid between Erica mackaiana and Erica tetralix in Connemara and Donegal, Ireland. It is apparently absent fromnorthe-west Spain, the only site where the 2 parents co-exist." |
||||||||||||||
'Connemara' - H14 |
Magenta - H14 |
July, August, Sep-tember |
10 x 20 |
Dark Grey Green |
Dark Grey Green |
Dark Grey Green |
Dark Grey Green |
||||||||
Erica terminalis |
"A tree heath found from southern Spain to southern Italy which nevertheless is the hardiest of all tree heaths. It quickly forms an erect bush, which if pruned frequently in the early years forms a good shape suitable for low hedging and specimen planting. Lime tolerant." |
||||||||||||||
Erica terminalis - H11 |
Lilac Pink - H11 |
July, August, Sep-tember |
72-96 x 36 (180-240 x 90) |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
||||||||
Erica tetralix |
"The third most widespread native UK heath, often found in boggy areas. In the garden, however, it is tolerant of drier conditions but does require acid soil. The flowers of this very hardy species are typically held in terminal umbels." |
||||||||||||||
'Delta' - H7 |
Rose-Pink - H7 |
July |
4 x 8 |
Grey Green |
Grey Green |
Grey Green |
Grey Green |
||||||||
Erica umbellata |
"A very useful and colourful species as it flowers between Erica carnea and Erica cinerea. It will grow in alkaline soils but requires a well-drained soil. It can withstand drought and is fairly hardy provided the soil is free draining. It flowers profusely especially if it is not trimmed" |
||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Erica vagans |
"A native UK species found on the serpentine and gabbro rocks of the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall, but will be successful in any soil containing a high content of magnesium. It provides a very useful range of colours during September and October. The faded bells of many cultivars become an attractive russet in winter." |
||||||||||||||
'Holden Pink' - H16 |
Shell Pink - H16 |
August, Sep-tember, October |
10 x 24 |
Medium Green |
Medium Green |
Medium Green |
Medium Green |
||||||||
'Leucantha' - H0 |
Off White - H0 |
August, Sep-tember, October |
16 x 28 |
Medium Green |
Medium Green |
Medium Green |
Medium Green |
||||||||
'Lyonesse' - H0 |
White - H0 |
August, Sep-tember, October |
10 x 20 |
Bright Green |
Bright Green |
Bright Green |
Bright Green |
||||||||
'St Keverne' - H8 |
Pink - H8 |
August, Sep-tember, October, November |
8 x 18 |
Dark Green |
Dark Green |
Dark Green |
Dark Green |
||||||||
Erica x veitchii |
"Hybrids between Erica arborea and Erica lusitanica which are generally not quite hardy, severe damage occurring at -15 degrees C to some of the cultivars." |
||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Erica x watsonii |
"A sterile hybrid occurring naturally between Erica ciliaris and Erica tetralix, first found in Cornwall in 1831. The form and habit amongst the cultivars varies considerably, but generally they have a long flowering period and are hardy." |
||||||||||||||
'Claire Elise' - H14 |
Magenta Pink - H14 |
July, August, September, October |
8 x 18 |
Dark Green with striking dark Red tips |
Dark Green |
Dark Green |
Dark Green |
||||||||
'Dorothy Metheny' - H4 |
Pale Lilac - H4 deepening with age |
June, July, August, September, October |
12 x 18 |
Bright Green with Yellow tips |
Bright Green |
Bright Green |
Bright Green |
||||||||
Erica x williamsii |
"A naturally occurring sterile hybrid between Erica vagans and Erica tetralix first found near St. Keverne, Cornwall in 1860 and known nowhere else but on the Lizard Peninsula. It will tolerate some alkaline soils." |
||||||||||||||
'Gold Button' - H11 |
Lilac Pink - H11 |
August, September |
2 x 4 |
Golden-Yellow |
Golden-Yellow |
Golden-Yellow |
Golden-Yellow |
||||||||
The 2 rows in the Shrub Heather Index Gallery Pages of "Height x Spread in inches (cms) (1 inch = 2.5 cms, 12" = 1 foot = 30 cms) and Comment" state the Heather Description from 'Handy Guide to Heathers Descriptions & Suppliers of over 1000 varieties" by David & Anne Small, published in 1992 by Denbeigh Heather Nurseries (ISBN 0-9519160-0-9). This gives the official Heather Society flower colour(s) and foliage colour(s). |
Table from Shrub Heather Index Gallery (o) in front of Page Name or Index Page No in this Main Menu Table indicates that all pages linked to from that cell have content. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
HEATHER EVERGREEN SHRUB |
Index Page No. |
Introduction |
Index Page No. |
Click on Colour below to change to its Heather Flower Colour Page with Flower and Flower Stalk |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CULTIVAR GROUP with Flowers |
|
FLOWERING SEASON |
|
(o) H0 |
Index Page No. |
(o) H1 Amethyst |
Index Page No. |
H2 |
Index Page No. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(o) 1 |
(o) January |
(o) |
(o) 1 |
(o) 1 |
1 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 |
(o)February |
(o) |
(o) H3 |
(o) 1 |
H4 |
1 |
H5 |
1 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(o) 1 |
(o) March |
(o) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(o) 1 |
(o) April |
(o) |
H6 |
1 |
(o) H7 |
(o) 1 |
(o) H8 |
(o) 1 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Erica Hardy Heaths:- |
|
(o) May |
(o) 1 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(o) 1 |
(o) June |
(o) 1 |
(o) H9 |
(o) 1 |
(o) H10 |
(o) 1 |
(o) H11 |
(o) 1 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Erica andevalensis now treated as Erica mackayana ssp andevalensis |
1 |
(o) July |
(o) 1 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(o) 1 |
(o) August |
(o) 1 |
(o) H12 Heliotrope |
(o) 1 |
H13 Crimson |
1 |
(o) H14 Magenta |
(o) 1 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(o) 1 |
(o) September |
(o) 1 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(o) 1 |
(o) October |
(o) 1 |
H15 Salmon |
1 |
(o) H16 |
(o) 1 |
(o) H17 Multi-Coloured |
(o) 1 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(o) Erica azorica |
(o) 1 |
(o) November |
(o) 1 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(o) |
(o) December |
(o) 1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(o) 1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(o) 1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(o) 1 |
The 2 rows of "Height x Spread in inches (cms) (1 inch = 2.5 cms, 12" = 1 foot = 30 cms) and Comment" state the Heather Description from 'Handy Guide to Heathers Descriptions & Suppliers of over 1000 varieties" by David & Anne Small, published in 1992 by Denbeigh Heather Nurseries (ISBN 0-9519160-0-9). This gives the official Heather Society flower colour(s) and foliage colour(s). |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(o) 1 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The Shrub Heather Index Gallery describes other heathers. |
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"Anyone during the summer months, who has walked over the moor lands throughout the British Isles will appreciate the magnificent mass of colour provided by Heathers. Heathers are native to not only the British Isles, but also much of mainland Europe to northern Italy and as far north as Iceland. Due to seed of our native Calluna vulgaris (Scotch Heather) being accidentally introduced on packaging materials, it has also become naturalised in parts of Nova Scotia and Eastern Canada.

We had better point out that there are more heather species (Erica) in South Africa than anywhere else in the world. Many of these have been introduced and sold as pot grown house plants, which if after flowering they are planted out in the garden, then they will die during the winter months. So do make sure the heather you are purchasing is hardy enough to be grown outdoors in the garden.

Most of the heathers require a fertile, moist, but not waterlogged, acid soil. By incorporating plenty of composted bark, or peat, we grow them quite successfully in a sandy loam of pH 6.5, which is almost neutral. If you garden on soils with a high lime content, it is better to create beds raised 15/20cm above your normal soil level and infill this with half and half John Innes No. 3 compost and composted bark, or peat. Heathers can also be grown in tubs, or troughs, but Calluna’s and Erica cinerea hate hot feet, but both species like an open sunny site and will not produce so many flowers if grown in dense shade. The winter flowering heather, Erica carnea, is a mountain plant consequently it will tolerate drier soils and warmer sites and will grow in fertile soils of pH 7 with less bark, or peat being used.

FLOWERING TIMES Erica erigena is a strong growing shrub, which will attain between 75 cm and 2 metres and flowers during April and May. It has sported a number of foliage and flower cultivars, but they will not tolerate wet feet and exposed sites, but the hybrids between this species and Erica carnea are named Erica x darleyensis and these - although almost as tough as Erica carnea - are much stronger growers growing between 45 and 70cms in height. The x darleyensis cultivars produce flowers from white through to dark amethyst - all flower from December to May. The tree heather, Erica arborea forms a small tree in Southern Europe where its roots are used to make briar pipes, but it is very tender. However, the variety alpina has been growing in our nursery showground for many years where - if left to its own devices - would attain 2-3 metres in height. It is massed with honey scented white flowers in April-May. Erica cinerea is a superb low growing shrub which, according to cultivar, is massed with flowers of varying colours from June to September. Daboecia cantabrica also flowers at this time with attractive urn shaped flowers. The sub species scotica is lower growing and freer flowering. Although there is only one species in Calluna vulgaris; over 600 named cultivars have been introduced, varying from dwarfs of 7cms to those which attain 60cms and with foliage of green, silver, or yellow. The flowers also vary from white to beetroot-red and appear from late June to September. Erica vagans, the Cornish Heath brings the season to a close; its stiff, upright branches produce masses of white, lavender, or pink flowers in September-October. PRUNING |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
For a few years I set about collecting as many examples of the Ericaceae as I could, already having, of course, Calluna, Erica, Daboecia and Rhododendron to start my collection. The first obvious additions were the other heath-type genera Andromeda, Cassiope, Pltyllodoce and Bruckenthalia (now Erica), and these were followed quickly by such familiar and readily available shrubs as Pieris, Enkianthus, Gaultheria and Vaccinium, and the strawberry tree, Arbutus unedo. However, thereafter other genera became increasingly difficult to find, and proved very challenging, but at one stage I did manage to put together a collection of 43 genera. Alas, not all proved to be as undemanding as the heathers, and today only a small percentage of these remain. For those blessed with acid soil, I can recommend trying various species of Enkianthus (flowers and autumn colour), Kalmia (unusually attractive flowers), Lyonia (flowers and autumn colour), Vaccinium and Gaultheria (foliage and berries) and Zenobia pulverulenta (for its unusual silvery-green foliage and scented, pure white flowers). My all-time favourites are the blueberries (Vaccinium), which provide everything one could want in a shrub: neatness with minimal pruning, abundant flowers, intense autumn colour, and of course attractive, edible berries, which are both extremely good for you and delicious. " from John Griffiths in Heathers: Yearbook of the Heather Society. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Clay soil will absorb 40% of its volume in water before it turns from a solid to a liquid. This fact can have a serious effect on your house as subsidence. A mixture of clay, sand, humus and bacterium is required to make soil with a good soil structure for your plants. The rain or your watering can provides the method for transportation of nutrients to the roots of your plants. Soil organisms link this recycling of nutrients from the humus to the plant. Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen as gas is used and expired by the roots of plants into a soil which has airspace in it in order for those plants to grow. Understanding the above provides you with an action plan for you to do with your own soil.
A more in-depth explaination of how soil works:- "Plants are in Control Most gardeners think of plants as only taking up nutrients through root systems and feeding the leaves. Few realize that a great deal of energy that results from photosynthesis in the leaves is actually used by plants to produce chemicals they secrete through their roots. These secretions are known as exudates. A good analogy is perspiration, a human's exudate. Root exudates are in the form of carbohydrates (including sugars) and proteins. Amazingly, their presence wakes up, attracts, and grows specific beneficial bacteria and fungi living in the soil that subsist on these exudates and the cellular material sloughed off as the plant's root tips grow. All this secretion of exudates and sloughing off of cells takes place in the rhizosphere, a zone immediately round the roots, extending out about a tenth of an inch, or a couple of millimetres. The rhizosphere, which can look like a jelly or jam under the electron microscope, contains a constantly changing mix of soil organisms, including bacteria, fungi, nematodes, protozoa, and even larger organisms. All this "life" competes for the exudates in the rhizosphere, or its water or mineral content. At the bottom of the soil food web are bacteria and fungi, which are attracted to and consume plant root exudates. In turn, they attract and are eaten by bigger microbes, specifically nematodes and protozoa who eat bacteria and fungi (primarily for carbon) to fuel their metabolic functions. Anything they don't need is excreted as wastes, which plant roots are readily able to absorb as nutrients. How convenient that this production of plant nutrients takes place right in the rhizosphere, the site of root-nutrient absorption. At the centre of any viable soil food web are plants. Plants control the food web for their own benefit, an amazing fact that is too little understood and surely not appreciated by gardeners who are constantly interfereing with Nature's system. Studies indicate that individual plants can control the numbers and the different kinds of fungi and bacteria attracted to the rhizosphere by the exudates they produce. Soil bacteria and fungi are like small bags of fertilizer, retaining in their bodies nitrogen and other nutrients they gain from root exudates and other organic matter. Carrying on the analogy, soil protozoa and nematodes act as "fertilizer spreaders" by releasng the nutrients locked up in the bacteria and fungi "fertilizer bags". The nematodes and protozoa in the soil come along and eat the bacteria and fungi in the rhizosphere. They digest what they need to survive and excrete excess carbon and other nutrients as waste. The protozoa and nematodes that feasted on the fungi and bacteria attracted by plant exudates are in turn eaten by arthropods such as insects and spiders. Soil arthropods eat each other and themselves are the food of snakes, birds, moles and other animals. Simply put, the soil is one big fast-food restaurant. Bacteria are so small they need to stick to things, or they will wash away; to attach themselves they produce a slime, the secondary result of which is that individual soil particles are bound together. Fungal hyphae, too, travel through soil particles, sticking to them and binding them together, thread-like, into aggregates. Worms, together with insect larvae and moles move through the soil in search of food and protection, creating pathways that allow air and water to enter and leave the soil. The soil food web, then, in addition to providing nutrients to roots in the rhizosphere, also helps create soil structure: the activities of its members bind soil particles together even as they provide for the passage of air and water through the soil. Without this system, most important nutrients would drain from soil. Instead, they are retained in the bodies of soil life. Here is the gardener's truth: when you apply a chemical fertilizer, a tiny bit hits the rhizosphere, where it is absorbed, but most of it continues to drain through soil until it hits the water table. Not so with the nutrients locked up inside soil organisms, a state known as immobilization; these nutrients are eventully released as wastes, or mineralized. And when the plants themselves die and are allowed to decay in situ, the nutrients they retained are again immobilized in the fungi and bacteria that consume them. Just as important, every member of the soil food web has its place in the soil community. Each, be it on the surface or subsurface, plays a specific role. Elimination of just one group can drastically alter a soil community. Dung from mammals provides nutrients for beetles in the soil. Kill the mammals, or eliminate their habitat or food source, and you wont have so many beetles. It works in reverse as well. A healthy soil food web won't allow one set of members to get so strong as to destroy the web. If there are too many nematodes and protozoa, the bacteria and fungi on which they prey are in trouble and, ultimately, so are the plants in the area. And there are other benefits. The nets or webs fungi form around roots act as physical barriers to invasion and protect plants from pathogenic fungi and bacteria. Bacteria coat surfaces so thoroughly, there is no room for others to attach themselves. If something impacts these fungi or bacteria and their numbers drop or disappear, the plant can easily be attacked.
Negative impacts on the soil food web Chemical fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, and fungicides affect the soil food web, toxic to some members, warding off others, and changing the environment. Important fungal and bacterial relationships don't form when a plant can get free nutrients. When chemically fed, plants bypass the microbial-assisted method of obtaining nutrients, and microbial populations adjust accordingly. Trouble is, you have to keep adding chemical fertilizers and using "-icides", because the right mix and diversity - the very foundation of the soil food web - has been altered. It makes sense that once the bacteria, fungi, nematodes and protozoa are gone, other members of the soil food web disappear as well. Earthworms, for example, lacking food and irritated by the synthetic nitrates in soluble nitrogen fertilizers, move out. Since they are major shredders of organic material, their absence is a great loss. Soil structure deteriorates, watering can become problematic, pathogens and pests establish themselves and, worst of all, gardening becomes a lot more work than it needs to be. If the salt-based chemical fertilizers don't kill portions of the soil food web, rototilling (rotovating) will. This gardening rite of spring breaks up fungal hyphae, decimates worms, and rips and crushes arthropods. It destroys soil structure and eventually saps soil of necessary air. Any chain is only as strong as its weakest link: if there is a gap in the soil food web, the system will break down and stop functioning properly. Gardening with the soil food web is easy, but you must get the life back in your soils. First, however, you have to know something about the soil in which the soil food web operates; second, you need to know what each of the key members of the food web community does. Both these concerns are taken up in the rest of Part 1" of Teaming with Microbes - The Organic Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food Web by Jeff Lowenfels and Wayne Lewis ISBN-13:978-1-60469-113-9 Published 2010. This book explains in non-technical language how soil works and how you can improve your garden soil to make it suitable for what you plant and hopefully stop you using chemicals to kill this or that, but use your grass cuttings and prunings to mulch your soil - the leaves fall off the trees, the branches fall on the ground, the animals shit and die on the land in old woodlands and that material is then recycled to provide the nutrients for those same trees, rather than being carefully removed and sent to the dump as most people do in their gardens leaving bare soil. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tree and Shrub Plant Care Young plants need extra phosphorus (P the second number on the fertilizer bag) to encourage good root development. Apply recommended amount for each plant per label directions; in the soil at time of planting. Unless a site is completely exposed, light conditions will change during the day and even during the year. The northern and eastern sides of a house receive the least amount of light, with the northern exposure being the shadiest. The western and southern sides of a house receive the most light and have the hottest exposure due to the intense afternoon sun. Types of tree and shrub pruning include: pinching, thinning, shearing and rejuvenating.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A water ring is a mound of compacted soil that is built around the circumference of a planting hole once a shrub/tree has been installed. The water ring helps to direct water to the outer edges of a planting hole, encouraging new roots to grow outward, in search of moisture. The height of the mound of soil will vary from a couple of inches for 10 ltr potted shrubs, to almost a foot for balled and burlapped trees, especially those planted on a slope. Mulching over the ring will help to further conserve moisture and prevent deterioration of the ring itself. Once a plant is established, the water ring may be leveled, but the mulch should continue beneath the plant during each spring and summer. Water when normal rainfall does not provide the preferred 1 inch (2.5 cms) of moisture most plants prefer per week from March to October. The first two years after a plant is installed, regular watering is important. It is better to water once a week and water deeply using drip irrigation (thoroughly soaking the soil until water has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 inches (15-18 cms)), than to water frequently for a few minutes. With container grown plants, apply enough water to allow water to flow through the drainage holes, or preferably put the pot inside a larger pot on pot legs to raise it 1 inch above the bottom of the outside pot with a wick from the bottom of the outer pot up through to the middle of the inner pot and replenish the 1 inch (2.5 cms) depth of water in the outside pot. The outside pot has a hole 2 inches (5 cms) above its base to allow for drainage of excess irrigation water or rain. Water plants early in the day or later in the afternoon to conserve water and cut down on plant stress. Do water early enough so that water has had a chance to dry from plant leaves prior to night fall. This is paramount if you have had fungus problems. Do not wait to water until plants wilt. Although some plants will recover from this, all plants will die if they wilt too much (when they reach the permanent wilting point). Mulches can significantly cool the root zone and conserve moisture. Waterlogged soil occurs when more water is added to soil than can drain out in a reasonable amount of time. This can be a severe problem where water tables are high or soils are compacted. Lack of air space in waterlogged soil makes it almost impossible for soil to drain. Few plants, except for bog plants, can tolerate these conditions. Drainage can be improved by creating a French Drain (18 inch x 12 inch - 45 x 30 cms - drain lined with Geotextile like Plantex or Weed Control Fabric filled with coarse gravel and the weed control fabric overlaid on the top before mulching the top with 3 inch depth of Bark) in the boggy area and extending this drain alongside an evergreen hedge. The hedge will abstract the water over the whole year. Over-watered plants have the same wilted leaves as under-watered plants. Fungi such as Phytophthora and Pythium affect vascular systems, which cause wilt. Further details about how soil works is in the Soil Topic. |
Topic
|
|
|
|
STAGE 4C CULTIVATION, POSITION, USE GALLERY
Cultivation Requirements of Plant |
|
Outdoor / Garden Cultivation |
|
Indoor / House Cultivation |
|
Cool Greenhouse (and Alpine House) Cultivation with artificial heating in the Winter |
|
Conservatory Cultivation with heating throughout the year |
|
Stovehouse Cultivation with heating throughout the year for Tropical Plants |
|
|
|
Sun Aspect |
|
|
|
Soil Type |
|
|
|
Soil Moisture |
|
|
|
Position for Plant |
|
Ground Cover 0-24 inches (0-60 cms) |
|
Ground Cover 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) |
|
Ground Cover Over 72 inches (180 cms) |
|
1, 2, |
|
|
|
Use of Plant |
|
|
|
STAGE 4D Plant Foliage |
|
|
|
Flower Shape |
|
Number of Flower Petals |
|
|
|
Flower Shape - Simple |
|
|
|
Flower Shape - Elaborated |
|
|
|
Natural Arrangements |
|
|
|
STAGE 4D |
|
|
|
|
|
Form |
|
|
|
|
|
STAGE 1
Fragrant Plants adds the use of another of your 5 senses in your garden:- |
|
|
|
STAGE 2 Fan-trained Shape From Rhododendrons, boxwood, azaleas, clematis, novelties, bay trees, hardy plants, evergreens : novelties bulbs, cannas novelties, palms, araucarias, ferns, vines, orchids, flowering shrubs, ornamental grasses and trees book, via Wikimedia Commons |
|
Ramblers Scramblers & Twiners by Michael Jefferson-Brown (ISBN 0 - 7153 - 0942 - 0) describes how to choose, plant and nurture over 500 high-performance climbing plants and wall shrubs, so that more can be made of your garden if you think not just laterally on the ground but use the vertical support structures including the house as well. The Gardener's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Climbers & Wall Shrubs - A Guide to more than 2000 varieties including Roses, Clematis and Fruit Trees by Brian Davis. (ISBN 0-670-82929-3) provides the lists for 'Choosing the right Shrub or Climber' together with Average Height and Spread after 5 years, 10 years and 20 years. |
|
|
|
STAGE 2
|
|
|
|
STAGE 4D Trees and Shrubs suitable for Clay Soils (neutral to slightly acid) Trees and Shrubs suitable for Dry Acid Soils Trees and Shrubs suitable for Shallow Soil over Chalk Trees and Shrubs tolerant of both extreme Acidity and Alkalinity Trees and Shrubs suitable for Damp Sites Trees and Shrubs suitable for Industrial Areas Trees and Shrubs suitable for Cold Exposed Areas Trees and Shrubs suitable for Seaside Areas Shrubs suitable for Heavy Shade Shrubs and Climbers suitable for NORTH- and EAST-facing Walls Shrubs suitable for Ground Cover Trees and Shrubs of Upright or Fastigiate Habit Trees and Shrubs with Ornamental Bark or Twigs Trees and Shrubs with Bold Foliage Trees and Shrubs for Autumn Colour Trees and Shrubs with Red or Purple Foliage Trees and Shrubs with Golden or Yellow Foliage Trees and Shrubs with Grey or Silver Foliage Trees and Shrubs with Variegated Foliage Trees and Shrubs bearing Ornamental Fruit Trees and Shrubs with Fragrant or Scented Flowers Trees and Shrubs with Aromatic Foliage Flowering Trees and Shrubs for Every Month:- |