One can use hellebores as part of mixed herbaceous planting in the garden or indeed associated with shrubs. But maybe the ideal situation is to use them in areas of the garden planted for spring, possibly under deciduous trees with a herbaceous border in front. They associate beautifully with snowdrops ...
Trilliums are by nature woodlanders most species come from North America, with a few species in Asia. They can easily be split into two distinct groups. The solely American group with upright petals directly attached to the leaf base called the sessile group with some 23 species. The pedunculate group ...
Woodland plants, the herbaceous layer in a woodland, with the tree and shrub layers above it, require a number of environmental qualities to succeed in gardens. Most of the European and North American plants are spring ephemerals; ie. they come up, flower and to some extent have their period of ...
Erythronium or dogtooth violets are from the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. There are between 24 and 30 species of Erythronium. They are predominantly woodland species but many get up into the sub alpine and even alpine areas of Eurasia and Western North America. The common name comes from ...
Many ferns including a number of native ferns do very well in a moist situation. Moisture availability can be from almost standing water to free draining but moisture retentive soils. Most European or North American moisture loving ferns will take a more saturated soil than Asian species. This is rather ...
A surprising fact that I read recently was that the top export crop of New Brunswick in Easter Canada is fiddleheads, I would have thought it was Salmon or timber. Fiddleheads are the just emerging croziers of the sterile frond of the shuttlecock fern (ostrich fern) Matteucia struthiopteris, they are native to North America, Asia and most of Europe and has naturalised in the UK. Other ferns emerging croziers eaten [ Read More ]
One can use hellebores as part of mixed herbaceous planting in the garden or indeed associated with shrubs. But maybe the ideal situation is to use them in areas of the garden planted for spring, possibly under deciduous trees with a herbaceous border in front. They associate beautifully with snowdrops (Galanthus) and many other spring bulbs, rhizomes, corms and tubers such as Eranthis, Leucojum vernum, Scilla, Chinodoxa, Arum italicum var pictum, Anemone nemorosa forms [ Read More ]
Trilliums are by nature woodlanders most species come from North America, with a few species in Asia. They can easily be split into two distinct groups. The solely American group with upright petals directly attached to the leaf base called the sessile group with some 23 species. The pedunculate group contains 24 species and can be found in North America and Asia. These have flower stems and often reflexed petals.Trillium [ Read More ]
Woodland plants, the herbaceous layer in a woodland, with the tree and shrub layers above it, require a number of environmental qualities to succeed in gardens. Most of the European and North American plants are spring ephemerals; ie. they come up, flower and to some extent have their period of growth before the leaves are on the trees. Asiatic woodland flora is usually later flowering and often comes from a [ Read More ]
Below is a basic list of ferns suited for a vaiety of situations in the garden Ferns for Dry shade Asplenium scolopendrium cvs Asplenium trichomanes Dryopteris affinis cvs Dryopteris filx-mas cvs Polypodium species Polystichum aculeatum Polystichum braunii Polystichum setiferum cvs Moist/Wet shade Athyrium filix-femina cvs Athyrium nipponicum ‘Pictum’ Dryopteris clintoniana Dryopteris dilatata cvs Dryopteris goldiana Gymnocarpium sp Osmunda cinnamomea Osmunda claytoniana Matteucia species Polystichum munitum Pond Margins Dryopteris cristata Matteucia [ Read More ]
Erythronium or dogtooth violets are from the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. There are between 24 and 30 species of Erythronium. They are predominantly woodland species but many get up into the sub alpine and even alpine areas of Eurasia and Western North America. The common name comes from the shape of the bulb which is reminiscent of a canine fang. Most species are to be found in North [ Read More ]
Many ferns including a number of native ferns do very well in a moist situation. Moisture availability can be from almost standing water to free draining but moisture retentive soils. Most European or North American moisture loving ferns will take a more saturated soil than Asian species. This is rather a generalisation but Asian ferns are more adapted to receiving heavy summer rainfall as part of the monsoon, which passes [ Read More ]
A wide range of ferns as well as a number of other plants are suitable for growing in dry shade, by dry shade we mean deciduous shade or evergreen with a lifted canopy. Ferns planted underneath leylandii in dust dry conditions are unlikely to survive. The majority of ferns are forms of native species, they seem much better adapted to British weather conditions. Male ferns are often found in the [ Read More ]
Good solidly perennial strain with stunning piercing blue flowers. This plant is basically a tetraploid sheldonii (chromosome numbers have doubled) and for that reason is vigorous, perennial and produces viable seed.
A new variety of Hosta called ‘Purple Heart‘ with a purple flush to the base of the leaf blade and a purple red leaf stem. Medium sized with glossy mid green leaves and a zone to the base of the leaf. While the cultivar name probably means much more to Americans than it does to UK growers, all the same it is a very good new introduction.
