Geranium ‘Rozanne’

Geranium ‘Rozanne’
“Geranium”
GERANIACEAE

Herbaceous Perennial

Zone: 5 – 8
Native habitat : Europe

Conditions
Soil: high-organic
Moisture: well-drained, medium moisture
Light: full sun to part shade
Exposure: general
Plant size (h x w): 1′ – 2.5′ x 1′ – 2.5′
Other:

Aesthetic
Shape/stem: clump forming, vigorous, spreading,
Leaf: neat, dense, lobed, slightly marbled, deep green
Flower: bowl-shaped, bright violet-blue, 5cm, white centre,
plenty and long lasting  Bloom: late spring to fall (first frost)

Treatment (how to…)
Plant: general; water while establishing, will spread rather quickly if given the space so keep this in mind
Maintain:  no maintenance; cut down old growth when looks bad late fall
Propagate: basal cutting, division (spring),  does not go to seed

 Uses
Landscape: container, front bed, mixed boarder, down a driveway, ground-cover, underplanting, cottage, informal, townhouse, fall interest, wildflower, filler for holes in beds
Companion planting: nice with peonies, nice under roses or shrubs, nice interplanted with very early spring blooming perennials; colours of silver, white and pastel pink pair well
Medicinal: none known

Vulnerabilities
Pests and disease: none
Deer resistant: yes
Other animals: rabbit resistant

Interest
Local info,: not native
Pot size (to purchase):
Nature: plant of the centenary
Identification (key features): neat, dense, spreading mound with lobed, slightly marbled, deep green foliage and bowl-shaped, bright violet-blue with white centre flowers that last from spring to frost
Interesting facts: Named plant of the centenary by the RHS: Thousands of people voted for the Plant of the Centenary from a shortlist of 10 – one for each decade the RHS Chelsea Flower Show has been held
Cultivars/Species: 
Comments:

Cedrus (libani subspecies) atlantica ‘Glauca Pendula’

Cedrus (libani subspecies) atlantica ‘Glauca Pendula’
“Weeping blue atlas cedar”
PINACEAE

Evergreen Conifer Shrub

Zone: 6 – 9
Native habitat : north Africa

Conditions
Soil: deep, moderately fertile
Moisture: well drained, average to drought tolerant
Light: full sun
Exposure: general
Plant size (h x w): to 42′ wide
Other:


Aesthetic
Shape/stem: spreading, pendulous, elegant arching structure
Leaf: short bluish needles in tufted clusters on short shoots
Flower: insignificant
Bloom: insignificant
Other:

Treatment (how to…)
Plant: general; stake for height if desired ( will grow only to the height to which the leader is supported )
Maintain: low maintenance, prune dead and damaged, train if needed to direct growth / leaning in right direction or by pegging up
Propagate: cutting, grafting

Uses
Landscape: over a rock wall or draping down a slope, screen (train up as a curtain along a fence)
Companion planting: nice when planted against a dark green backdrop 
Medicinal: unknown

Vulnerabilities
Pests and disease: none significant
Deer resistant: yes
Other animals:

Interest
Local info,: not native
Pot size (to purchase): 2 g or bigger
Nature: pendulous shrub conifer
Identification (key features):
Cultivars: C. l. ssp. a. ‘Glauca’ – has 30 – 45 needles per cluster and reaches 100′-120′ x 60′-80′ – breaks in wind
Comments: a true cedar; don”t plant straight species as it looses branches in the wind

 

Yucca filamentosa ‘Golden Sword’

Yucca filamentosa ‘Golden Sword’
“Yucca”
ASPARAGACEAE

Evergreen Shrub

Zone:  5 – 10
Range: New Jersey, S.E. USA

Conditions
Soil: average
Moisture: well-drained, drought is best to average water
Light: full sun
Exposure: ocean-side
Plant size (h x w): 22″ x 3′ – 3.5′
Other: slow growing

Aesthetic
Shape/stem: rosette, clumping, upright, stemless
Leaf: fleshly, smooth, yellow-centered, lance shaped, leathery, sharp leaf tip
Flower:  tall panicles, bell shaped, cream
Bloom: July
Other: suckers about; rhizomes spreading; large

Treatment (how to…)
Plant:  plant crown in spring; transplant in spring
Maintenance: low maintenance; remove old leaves as needed; cut flower stem if looks poor; (Never coppice)
Propagation: divide in spring, sucker division or cutting, seed (will rarely get fertilized and go to seed)

Use
Use: add contrast, specimen, architecture, dry bed or area, Mediterranean
Companion:  adds good contrast to plants with smaller foliage; can go well with other succulents or tropical plants 
Other: top of leaves can be sharp so keep this in mind where you choose to plant this (no children playing or where someone gardening may get it in the eye)

Vulnerabilities
Pests and disease: none significant
Deer resistant: likely,  yes
Other animals:

Interest
Local info,: not native;
Nature: hardy foliage plant; stemless and drought tolerant
Pot size to purchase: buy larger because it slow to grow
Identification (key features):  clumping rosette, little hairs off leaves (filamentosa), sharp point to leaves, leaves long, thick, sword-like
Interesting facts: is classified as a shrub because it has a neck to it bellow the basal leaves, some other species have big trunks; AGM winner
Comments:

Petasites species

Petasites spp.
“Clotsfoot” “Butterbur”
ASTERACEAE

Herbaceous Perennial – Groundcover

Zone: vary
Native habitat : Asia, Europe, North America

Conditions
Soil: humus rich, fertile, deep
Moisture: well drained, moist, bogs
Light: part shade to full shade
Exposure: general
Plant size (h x w): 1′ – 3.5′ x spreads quickly and as far as you let it
Other:

 Aesthetic
Shape/stem: spreading, thick stem
Leaf: large leaves, (32″ width for P. japonicus), umbrellas, usually heart or kidney shaped
Flower: clusters of fertile and sterile flowers, dioecious, flowers on stout stems before leaves
Bloom: March
Other: thick, creeping, underground rhizome

Treatment (how to…)
Plant: general,
Maintain: low maintenance, remove old leaves before onset of new ones in winter
Propagate: division (spring)

Vulnerabilities
Pests and Disease: none significant; 
Deer resistant: unknown
Other animals:

                        
Uses
Landscape: ground cover, wetland, bog, wildlife garden
Companion planting: en mass with itself, bamboo, other bog plants, tall grasses, gallium, short groundcover in front
Medicinal: some medical uses, ((but contains toxic elements and must be made into medicine properly))
Other:

Interest
Local info,:
Pot size (to purchase):
Identification (key features) :  the size of leaf and look will very between species, but in general leaves are pretty large and kidney or heart shaped rising up individually from base, and flowers will always appear on erect stalk before leaves; found in damp and dark areas

Nature: damp and shade loving perennial with large leaves and thick, deep rhizomes; quick to spread
Interesting facts:
Cultivars:
Comments: 

Impatiens omeiana

Impatiens omeiana
Perennial “Impatiens”
BALSAMINACEAE

Herbaceous Perennial – Groundcover

Zone: 7 – 9
Native habitat : China

Conditions
Soil: humus rich
Moisture: well drained, moist
Light: part shade to full shade
Exposure: general; hardy, will recover even twice from late spring frost damage
Plant size (h x w): 15″ – 20″ x spreads
Other:

 Aesthetic
Shape/stem: creeping (by stolons), bronze stems
Leaf: dramatic whorls, narrow, purple-green, green-yellow veins
Flower: small, orange-yellow/amber
Bloom: September, October
Other:
    
Treatment (how to…)
Plant:  general, leave room for it to spread
Maintain: low maintenance, deadhead
Propagate: layering, division

Vulnerabilities
Pests and Disease: none significant; 
Deer resistant: no
Other animals:

Uses
Landscape: ground cover, woodland garden, shade garden
Companion planting: in mass with itself, would look nice under rhododendron or other small trees/shrubs, with ferns
Medicinal: none known
Other:

Interest
Local info,: not native
Pot size (to purchase):
Identification (key features) :  distinct whorled leaves, waved margin, green-ish yellow veins
Nature: foliage plant, spreading, hardy ornamental impatiens 
Interesting facts:
Cultivars:
Comments: 

Lithodora diffusa ‘Grace Ward’

Lithodora diffusa ‘Grace Ward’
Syn. Lithosperma
“Blue lithospermum”
BORAGINACEAE

Evergreen Shrub

Zone: 6 – 9
Native habitat: Europe, garden origin

Conditions
Soil: average
Moisture: well-drained
Light: full sun
Exposure: general
Plant size (h x w): 3″ – 6″  x 24″
Other: 

Aesthetic
Shape/stem: spreading, mound
Leaf: small, dark green, simple, alternate, leathery, linear, entire with curving down margins,
Flower: numerous deep blue purple, 5 petals, saver form,
Bloom: late spring through summer
Other:

Treatment (how to…)
Plant: general;
Maintain:  low maintenance, prune after flowering to keep neat, sheer off spent flowers keeping within the green; give it line ever once and a while
Propagate:  cutting, seed

 Uses
Landscape: alpine, container, erosion control, ground cover, rock garden, bed edge, mixed shrub boarder, mixed perennial boarder, mass planting
Companion planting: blue bloom contrasts nice with white blooms, some ideas: lavender, Artemesia, Campanula ‘Dickson Gold’, Dianthus ‘Frosty Fire’, Euphorbia polychroma ‘Bon Fire’, Nepita faassenii ‘Persian Blue’, Sempervivum arachnoideum ‘Cobweb’,  Papaver ‘Summer Breeze Series – Yellow’
Medicinal: none known
Other: attracts bees
Vulnerabilities
Pests and disease: none significant; if stressed may potentially see mites
Deer resistant: not known
Other animals:

Interest
Local info,: not native
Pot size (to purchase): 
Nature: spreading low immanence ground cover evergreen
Identification (key features): Low, spreading; leaves very small, pubescent, elliptic, rounded tips; flowers small, 5 deep blue, petals.
Interesting facts:
Cultivars/Species:
Comments:

 

Phlox subulata

Phlox subulata
“Creeping phlox” “Moss phlox”
POLEMONIACEAE

Herbaceous Perennial

Zone: 3 – 8
Native habitat : Eastern North America (Colorado,…)

Conditions
Soil: fertile, alkaline
Moisture: well drained, average
Light: full sun to part shade
Exposure: general
Plant size (h x w): 4″-8″ x 2′ – 3′
Other:

Aesthetic
Shape/stem: dense mat/cushion/creeping
Leaf: narrow, simple, alternating leaves, flexible, elliptic, small
Flower: salverform, cyme, 5 petals, white, pink, purple, red, bicolour; soft-sweet fragrance; many flowers dainty
Bloom: late spring
Other: (does get a second flush of flowers but not many)

Treatment (how to…)
Plant: general
Maintain: low maintenance, after flower cut down by half or leave it be
Propagate: seed, layering, division

Vulnerabilities
Pests and Disease: none significant; may see blight cast, caterpillars, leaf miner, mildew
Deer resistant: no
Other animals:

Uses
Landscape: ground cover, container, rock garden, perennial boarder, spring interest
Companion planting: in mass with itself and other cultivars of it; ornamental grass, rudbeckia, agastache, coreopsis
Medicinal: none known
Other:

Interest
Local info,: not native
Pot size (to purchase):
Identification (key features) :  loose mound with linear, pointed, thick, green leaves, cluster at nodes
Nature: Semievergreen versatile, matting, very low maintenance, ground cover phlox
Interesting facts:
Cultivars: P. s. ‘Candy Stripe’ – is more drought tolerant
Comments: 

Lamiastrum galeobdolon ‘Variegatum’

Lamiastrum galeobdolon ‘Variegatum’
syn. Lamium galeobdolon
“Variegated yellow archangel”
LAMIACEAE

Herbaceous Perennial – Invasive Weed

Native habitat : Europe / Eurasia

Invasive

Conditions
Soil: any – including clay
Moisture: well drained – can be drought tolerant
Light: part sun to full shade (dry shade tolerated but will slow it down)
Plant size (h x w): 1′ – 2′ x which can spread indefinitely
Other: very fast growing, hard to contain, hard to get rid of

 Aesthetic
Spreads by stolon and seed; elliptical to triangular leaves, toothed, acute tip, fine hairs, green, variegated with silver markings, opposite, square stems, mat, creeping; flowers yellow hooded upper petal and lipped lower petal, in clusters on stem nodes, flowering April to May

Removal/Maintenance
Is not easy to get rid of: only way to get it out is to remove all of the bed to 2′ deep, wash all the plants roots and then put them back in                                                                     with new soil; cut down flower heads

Uses
Often used as a ground cover but its herbaceous so not a great fit for Victoria;
*if you are going to use it is should always be contained, container or hanging basket; its so fast growing and spreads like crazy, once its planted its there to say
Do not put roots right into the compost, kill in the sun
Medicinal: 

Vulnerabilities
Pests and disease: slugs and snails eat it
Deer resistant: yes
Other animals:  rabbit resistant

Interest
Local info,: introduced; invasive especially in native areas
Identification (key features):

Comments:
L. maculatum “Spotted deadnettle”
zone: 5 – 9
6″ – 18″ x spreading indefinately
pink flowers, leaves with central stripe, mottled, rounded toothed
used in containers
be sure it is dead before composting

 

Aegopodium podagraria ‘Variegatum’

Aegopodium podagraria ‘Variegatum’
“Gout Weed” “Bishops weed” “Ground Elder” “English masterwort”
APIACEAE

Herbaceous Perennial – Groundcover- Invasive Weed

Native habitat : Eurasia

Highly invasive

Conditions
Soil: any – can tolerate poor
Moisture: well drained – can be drought tolerant
Light: full sun to full shade (best in part-shade)
Plant size (h x w): 6″ – 8″ x which can spread indefinitely
Other: very fast growing, hard to contain

Aesthetic
Spreads by rhizomes and seed; leaflets oval and serrated, basal foliage, light green with creamy white margins; flowers tiny white flat-topped, umbel, flower may to june

Removal/Maintenance
Is not easy to get rid of: only way to get it out is to remove all of the bed to 2′ deep, wash all the plants roots and then put them back in with new soil
Cut down flower heads

Uses
Often used as a ground cover but its herbaceous so not a great fit for Victoria; can compete with tree roots (but you will likely never get it out of that area after)
*if you are going to use it is should always be contained, container or mechanical barrier; its so fast growing and spreads like crazy, once its planted its there to say
Do not put roots right into the compost, kill in the sun
Medicinal: eat young leaves in the past

Vulnerabilities
Pests and disease: none significant
Deer resistant: yes
Other animals:  rabbit resistant

Interest
Local info,: introduced; invasive especially in native areas
Identification (key features):

 

Spiraea japonica ‘Goldflame’

Spiraea japonica ‘Goldflame’
“Burkwood viburnum”
ROSACEAE

Deciduous Shrub

Zone: 4 – 9
Native habitat : Japan

Conditions
Soil: fertile
Moisture: well drained, even moisture (to thrive)
Light: full sun (in Victoria, other climates may burn) to part shade (preferable)
Exposure: general
Plant size (h x w): 3′ x 4″
Other:

Aesthetic
Shape/stem: mounded, oval
Leaf: simple, pinnate, alternate, ovate, double serrate, green/green-yellow, new spring foliage yellow-orange-red, turns redish in fall
Flower: comyb of perfect flowers with 5 petals, generally looking pale, sickly and incipid, 4″
Bloom: late March
Other: grows to be 3′ in a year in best conditions

Treatment (how to…)
Plant: regular care, grows quickly to full form
Maintain: low maintenance and unfussy, can cut hard back every year to shape (early January), coppice or remove 1/3 of oldest stems yearly (if not yearly pruned looks messy)
Propagate: cutting

Uses
Landscape: informal hedge, ground cover, mixed boarder, accent, spring interest
Companion planting: possible suggestions: creeping juniper, Loroepetalum, Aster lateriflorus, Heuchera
Medicinal: non known
Other: if you prune it into a ball it wont flower

Vulnerabilities
Pests and disease: none significant, may be susceptible to that of its family
(Rosaceae: leaf spot, powdery mildew, root rot, aphids, scale)
Deer resistant: yes, likely
Other animals:

Interest
Local info,: not native
Pot size (to purchase):  1 gallon
Nature: easy going small deciduous shrub with great folliage colour interest
Identification (key features): Leaves start bronze-red and then turn yellow-green in summer, yellow/red/orange in fall; Winter branches fine, upright with many dry terminal fruit clusters, bark reddy-brown, smooth.
Interesting facts:
Cultivars: is a cultivar; other,
S. j. ‘Golden Princess’ – 36″ – 48″ x 36″ – 48″,
S. j. ”Magic Carpet’ – more compact, more intense colour, mounding form, 18″ – 24″
Comments: