Short Term Plantings - Topic 2 (Planting Styles), Element 7 Flashcards
What are short-term plantings?
Plantings intended to last only for a season or a growing season, rather than year after year.
What is traditional bedding in horticulture?
Transient planting consisting of hardy and half-hardy annuals and short-lived perennials, popular since the Victorian era.
What is carpet bedding?
An extreme type of bedding display where intricate patterns are created with low growing annuals.
How is carpet bedding visually appreciated?
Best viewed from above or on a slope facing the viewer.
What defines three-dimensional bedding?
Closely planted floral structures that create focal points, often seen at major flower shows.
What is the difference between beds and bedding?
A bed is an area of open soil delimited by an edge, while bedding refers to a collection of plants used for a temporary display.
What are the two broad structural categories of beds?
- Island beds
- Borders
What are the components of bedding designs?
- Edging plants
- Groundwork (infill) plants
- Dot plants
What is the purpose of annual meadows?
To provide an impactful display of colour during the summer.
How are bulbs used in short-term displays?
They provide spring and sometimes autumn displays, planted en masse for swathes of colour.
What is a negative impact of short-term plantings?
Use of resources such as energy, peat, growing media, water, land, and plastic.
What are key characteristics of bedding plants?
- Bright flowers or foliage
- Floriferous
- Consistent in size and features
- Propagate easily
- Cost-effective propagation
- Fast-growing
- Transplant well
What types of annuals are used for short-term displays?
- Hardy annuals
- Half-hardy annuals
What defines half-hardy annuals?
Long-lived plants susceptible to damage from frosts, often discarded after display.
What are some examples of hardy annuals?
- Lobularia maritima
- Calendula officinalis
- Iberis umbellata
- Limnanthes douglasii
- Centaurea cyanus
- Nigella damascena
- Lathyrus odorata
- Nemophila menziesii
What are the uses of hardy perennials in short-term plantings?
Provide focal points and striking foliage for winter bedding schemes.
What are short-lived perennials?
Plants that live for more than two years but are often discarded after one growing season.
What is the role of bulbs in late winter to early spring displays?
Provide colour and texture while deciduous plants are dormant.
What are some examples of bulbs suitable for spring displays?
- Galanthus nivalis
- Iris reticulata
- Narcissus species
- Tulipa species
What is a common characteristic of tender perennials used in bedding?
They die once frosts occur, commonly used in winter and spring bedding schemes.
What plants are often treated as annuals despite being perennials?
Short-lived perennials, such as Echinacea purpurea and Gaillardia x grandiflora.
What is a positive impact of short-term plantings on wildlife?
Provide nectar and pollen for pollinating insects.
True or False: Bedding schemes can only include annuals.
False
Fill in the blank: The highly coloured and elaborate planting schemes associated with bedding developed during the _______ era.
Victorian
What is the significance of flowering times in short-term plantings?
They dictate the transition from spring to summer bedding and ensure interest through the season.
What is the primary purpose of using tropical plants in bedding schemes?
To create a striking focal point or centerpiece due to their large, interesting colors.
What is the common name for Nerine bowdenii?
Bowden Lily
It has bright pink firework-like flowers.
When do Colchicum speciosum flowers appear?
In Autumn
The foliage appears in Spring.
Name a plant suitable for Spring bedding.
Myosotis sylvatica
Other options include Primula (Polyanthus type) and Hyacinthus orientalis.
Which plant is commonly used for Summer bedding?
Salvia splendens
Other examples include Petunia x hybrida and Tagetes patula.
Define ‘groundwork’ in the context of summer bedding.
Plants that play the main role in the display, uniform in height and grown for colour
Classic plants include Pelargonium zonale.
What are ‘dot plants’?
Focal points that are taller than groundwork and grown for flower colour
Classic plants include Canna indica.
What is the purpose of edging plants?
To frame the main display with a single or double row of lower plants
Examples include Lobelia erinus and Viola x wittrockiana.
What types of plants are suitable for winter bedding?
Hardy foliage and winter-flowering species
These are discussed in relation to container planting.
What characterizes carpet bedding?
Use of bushy foliage plants that may need to be pinched out several times
Examples include Antennaria dioica and Chamaemelum nobile ‘Treneague’.
What is a key feature of containers and baskets in planting?
Allows for experimentation and displays in unconventional locations
Containers can create focal points and rhythm in a garden.
What plants are recommended for a summer patio pot?
Vibrant bedding plants
Alternatively, herbs, small shrubs, and evergreens can be used for a longer-lasting display.
Fill in the blank: For a showy display, combine Pelargonium ‘Apple Blossom Rosebud’ at the _______.
centre
Surround it with Jacobaea maritima ‘Cirrus’ and edge with Lobelia erinus ‘Sapphire’.
What is a key objective for hanging baskets?
To cover the container so it doesn’t show
Trailing plants are very popular for this purpose.
What type of plants are suitable for window boxes?
Similar to those for other containers
Tougher plants are needed for higher window boxes to resist wind.
What types of species are found in wild meadows?
A mix of grasses and perennial eudicot species
Annual meadows consist mainly of annual eudicots.
List some traditional UK ‘cornfield’ annual species suitable for an annual meadow.
- Centaurea cyanus
- Papaver rhoeas
- Agrostemma githago
- Glebionis segetum
These species are known for their historical presence in British agriculture.
True or False: Environmental costs are associated with rearing, transporting, and maintaining short-term displays.
True
The lesson explores ways to reduce these environmental impacts.
What are the characteristics of plants suitable for short-term plant displays?
- Bright flowers or foliage
- Floriferous (lots of flowers)
- Consistent in size and features
- Propagate easily
- Propagation cost-effective
- Fast-growing
- Transplant well
These characteristics help create attractive and eye-catching displays.
What types of plants are suitable for seasonal displays?
- Annuals
- Half-hardy annuals
- Bulbs
- Shrubs
- Short-lived perennials
These categories encompass a variety of plants used in seasonal plantings.
True or False: Hardy annuals can be used as bedding plants.
True
Hardy annuals can also serve as container plants or features in permanent meadow or grassland plantings.
What is a key feature of hardy annuals in short-term displays?
The design and theme can be easily altered from one year to another
This flexibility allows experimentation with color, texture, and form.
Fill in the blank: _______ are known for their bright orange daisy-like flowers and aromatic leaves.
Calendula officinalis
Commonly known as Pot Marigold.
What are the maintenance requirements important for short-term planting?
- Water requirements
- Regular irrigation availability
- Disease resistance
- Performance in specific growing conditions
These factors influence the success of short-term plantings.
What are half-hardy annuals often susceptible to?
Frosts
Many half-hardy annuals are actually long-lived plants that can suffer damage from cold temperatures.
Provide examples of hardy annuals used for short-term displays.
- Lobularia maritima ‘Snowdrift’
- Calendula officinalis
- Iberis umbellata
- Centaurea cyanus
- Nigella damascena
- Lathyrus odoratus
- Limnanthes douglasii
- Nemophila menziesii
These plants are known for their suitability in short-term displays.
What are the advantages of using hardy perennials in short-term displays?
- Provide a focal point
- Useful in Winter bedding schemes
- Often have striking foliage color
- Provide height to plantings
Hardy perennials can enhance the visual interest of displays.
True or False: Tender perennials can survive frost without any protection.
False
Tender perennials typically die once the frost occurs.
What is the main benefit of using bulbs in short-term plantings?
They provide color and texture when little else is on show
Bulbs that flower from late Autumn to early Spring are particularly valuable.
Which of the following plants can be used for Spring bedding?
A. Hyacinthus orientalis
B. Tagetes patula
C. Myosotis sylvatica
D. Salvia splendens
A. Hyacinthus orientalis
C. Myosotis sylvatica
These plants are appropriate for Spring bedding as they flower at the right time.
Fill in the blank: _______ is often referred to as the classic late Winter bulb.
Galanthus nivalis
Known as Snowdrop.
What defines short-lived perennials?
They can survive past the end of the growing season but are often discarded and replaced
Examples include Echinacea purpurea and Gaillardia × grandiflora.
What is the purpose of using architectural plants in bedding schemes?
To provide lush foliage and bold colors
Examples include Musa basjoo and Canna ‘Amundsen’.
Which plants are appropriate for Spring bedding?
osotis sylvatica, Erysimum ‘Bowles’s Mauve’, Primula (polyanthus type)
These plants flower at the right time of year and meet various criteria for Spring bedding.
What are three plants suitable for Summer bedding?
Nigella damascena, Salvia splendens, Tagetes patula
These plants are selected for their suitability for Summer bedding.
What are ‘dot plants’ in a bedding scheme? Name two examples.
Canna indica, Ricinus communis, Phormium tenax
Dot plants are the largest, most architectural plants chosen for a bedding scheme.
What constitutes ‘groundwork’ in a bedding scheme? Name 3 examples.
Salvia splendens, Pelargonium zonale, Tagetes erecta
Groundwork consists of the larger, floriferous plants that cover the main area of the bed.
What plants are used for ‘edging’ in a bedding scheme?
Begonia semperflorens, Lobelia erinus, Viola × wittrockiana
Edging plants are lower-growing and delineate the bedding scheme.
True or False: Edging and groundwork plants can be used interchangeably.
True
The use of edging and groundwork plants depends on the specific design of the bedding scheme.
What type of plants are used for Winter bedding?
Hardy foliage and Winter-flowering species
These plants are essential for Autumn and Winter displays.
Fill in the blank: Foliage plants are usually used for _______.
carpet bedding
Carpet bedding requires bushy, low-growing, compact plants.
Which plants are appropriate for carpet bedding?
Antennaria dioica, Tagetes patula, Chamaemelum nobile ‘Treneague’, Echeveria secunda, Spiraea japonica MAGIC CARPET
These plants are bushy and suitable for the low-growing requirements of carpet bedding.
What is the advantage of using containers for planting?
Allows experimentation and enables plants to be displayed in otherwise unsuitable locations
Containers can be focal points and create rhythm in garden design.
What types of plants are suitable for Summer container displays?
Vibrant bedding plants, herbs, small shrubs, evergreens
These plants provide texture and color for longer-lasting displays.
Name a set of plants for Winter/Spring baskets?
Set 1: Viola ‘Super Beaconsfield’, Viola ‘Floral Dance White’, Fuchsia ‘Thalia’, Hedera helix (variegated cultivars)
This set includes plants suitable for the colder seasons.
What is a key objective for hanging baskets?
To cover the container so it doesn’t show
Trailing plants are popular for achieving this effect.
What are three wildflower plants that are suitable for an annual meadow?
Centaurea cyanus, Papaver rhoeas, Agrostemma githago, Glebionis segetum; Ammi majus, Cosmos bipinnatus, Eschscholzia californica, Papaver rhoeas
These mixes provide bright color and value for pollinators.
What is a consideration for plants in window boxes?
They need to be tougher to resist wind cut
The height above ground influences the durability required for plants in window boxes.
