5/6.Herbaceous plants Flashcards
Aconitum napellus
Tall
Description:
- Erect perennial with 5-7 lobed leaves
- Bears tall spikes of indigo-blue flowers in mid-late summer
Uses:
- Grow in a woodland garden or at the back of a mixed or herbaceous border
- Can also be grown for cutting but all parts of the plant are toxic so care is needed
Verbena bonariensis
Tall
Description:
- Stiff upright stems with few leaves
- Flat -topped clusters of small, lilac-purple flowers are borne on branched stems from mid-summer to early autumn
- These are very attractive to bees and butterflies
Uses:
- Use in a naturalistic planting scheme
- In a wildlife garden
- In a mixed border on light soil
Veronicastrum virginicum
Tall
Description:
- Upright, leafy stems are topped with candelabra-like racemes of lilac-blue flowers from midsummer
- Tall, and elegant, their silhouette will remain interesting well into winter.
Uses:
- Use at the back of a mixed or herbaceous border
- In a naturalistic planting scheme
Echinacea purpurea
Medium
Description:
- Erect stiff stems bear large purplish- red daisy flowers with slightly reflexed petals and a golden-brown cone-shaped centre, from mid-summer to autumn.
- Very attractive to butterflies and bees
Uses:
- Use in a naturalistic planting scheme, a wildlife garden, or in a mixed or herbaceous border
Sedum ‘Matrona’
Medium
Description:
- Upright perennial
- Large, fleshy, ovate grey-green leaves tinged purple near the margins
- Dense clusters of pale pink flowers in late summer and early autumn
- Very attractive to bees and butterflies
Uses:
- Grow in a naturalistic planting scheme
- In a gravel or Mediterranean garden
- In a wildlife garden
- In a mixed or herbaceous border
Bergenia purpurascens
Medium
Description:
- Has large, thick, leathery, evergreen leaves which are purple-red beneath, turning deep purple or beetroot-red in winter
- Upright stems bear clusters of funnel- shaped rich purple- red flowers in mid-late spring
Uses:
- Use as ground cover in a gravel garden, in a mixed border or in lightly shaded bed or border
Herbaceous perennial, key features
- A plant that re-grows every year after dying down to survive underground
- Mostly deciduous
- Some evergreen or ‘Hardy perennials’ - Hellebores
- Variety of colour, texture and form
- Often have attractive foliage as well as flowers
Herbaceous perennial, key uses
- In a mixed boarder
- In a traditional boarder
- In an island bed
- naturalistic plantings
- Woodland garden
- Cottage garden
- Ground cover planting
- In containers
- Waterside/bog garden
Considerations for Herbaceous perennial in a Traditional herbaceous boarder
- Usually backed by a wall or tall formal hedge
- Plant in bold drift with tallest plant at the back, mid sized in the center and low growing at the front
- High maintenance - staking, dead heading, weeding, feeding, pest/disease cont
- 4-5 Years, plants need lifting and dividing
- Boarder is bare in winter months
- E.g Arley hall/ Newby hall
Considerations for Herbaceous perennial in a Island boarder
- Can be seen/accessed from all sides
- Plant tall plants in the center
- Maintenance is fairly easy due to access and good air flow (fewer pests/disease)
- Plants can be planted compactly
Considerations for Herbaceous perennial in a Mixed boarder
- Provide all year round interest
- Mix of evergreen and deciduous
- Mixed with shrubs, small tree’s and bulbs
- Low growing herbaceous plants provide ground cover at front of boarder
- Low maintenance - general deadheading/ cutting back
Considerations for Herbaceous perennial in a Naturalistic plantings
- Ecological - suited to environment
- Imaginative/ relaxed style
- Can still use ‘exotic’ plants - ie non-native
- Plant drifts of perennials and grasses
- Plants must have strong flower forms and long lasting seed heads
- Light soil needed not heavy/clay
Factors to consider when choosing herbaceous plants for a bed or boarder - Location
- Soil type, drainage and pH
- Aspect, sun and shade
- Exposure
- Frost
- Backgrounds
Factors to consider when choosing herbaceous plants for a bed or boarder - Plant
- Height
- Plant form
- Foliage texture and colour
- Flower form /colour
- Length of season of interest
- Growth rate – not too invasive
- Hardiness
Soil preparation of a herbaceous boarder or bed
Weed - Clear area of all weeds, use herbicide is required
Cultivate - Use single or double digging method, incorporate organic matter e.g well rotted manure
Rake - Level and tred to remove air pockets
Feed - Apply fertiliser if required
Tilth - Rake level to a fine tilth
Planting of a herbaceous boarder or bed
Plan - Create planting plan
Pest/disease - Check, prune if required
Water - Thoroughly
Setting out - Dig hole twice the size of container
Plant - Place plant in hole and backfill to correct level - firm well
Food - Fork top soil to loosen and add slow release food
Water - Thoroughly
Maintenance of a herbaceous boarder or bed
Weed - Dig up any weeds using hand fork
Water - Water well until established - once established water in dry weather
Feed - Mulch in Autumn/spring - 5cm layer of organic matter
Support - Stalk tall or fragile plants once they reach 20cm tall (Hazel, birch, metal or bamboo)
Pest/disease - Slugs, vine weevil, Botrisis, Powdery mildew
Prune - Regularly dead head
Maintenance of a herbaceous boarder or bed - during dormancy
- If possible leave until late winter to allow birds/insects to enjoy seedheads
Weed - Weeds beds and boarders, Make good lawn edges
Water - N/A
Feed - Mulch in spring as new growth appears
Support - Remove stakes and store
Pest/disease - Clear up dead leaves
Prune - Cut back old stems, Remove and replace any dead plants
Lifting and dividing of herbaceous plants
- Every three to five years to maintain health and vigour
- Lift plants gently with a garden fork, working outwards from the crown’s centre to limit root damage
- Small, fibrous-rooted plants can be lifted and pulled apart gently by hand
- Large, fibrous-rooted perennials require two garden forks inserted into the crown back-to-back
- Plants with woody crowns require cutting with a spade or knife
- Plant divisions as soon as possible and water them in well. Or pot up to build up size, overwintering in a frost-free environment.
Describe staking herbaceous perennials in a bed or border
- Insert stakes early in the season whilst the plant are about 20cm tall to avoid damaging the plant
- Using either Hazel, birch or metal stakes (Individual stems using bamboo canes)
- The canes are tied in using discrete coloured twine and the flowers then hide the cane
Plants suitable for a woodland garden
- Aconitum napellus
- Echinacea purpurea
- Glechoma hederacea
- Digitalis purpurea
