Charlie Pridham wrote:

They form a mat of roots near the surface, but sadly I suspect you are
too cold for an open position planting,

Well, we've had a dozen frosts so far since autumn, so yes that's not
quite the natural environment of the tree-fern. Most of the tree-ferns
I have seen, in Queensland and in New Zealand, have been growing beneath
the canopy provided by tall trees in forests, so that they don't get
sunlight directly upon them.

It would be a pity to buy a couple of expensive big tree-ferns, only to
see them come a cropper in the winter. So, that suggests seeing how big
non-tree ferns can be. I guess lots of ordinary-height ferns with maybe
a clump or two of gunneras could look good. And if they all flop in
winter, oh well that's the British garden for you. Glory in spring and
summer: death in winter!

Thanks for the bamboo suggestion. The previous owner has had a go at it
on the other side of my septic tank. Trouble is he planted a variety
that loses all its leaves in winter. Anyway, a lawnful of bamboo would
be without context and rather "too much" I think for this property
surrounded by typically English fields.

Eddy.

On 9/1/08 14:23, in article , "Eddy"
wrote:

Thanks, Sacha. Ferns do well in this area, the hedgerows harbour them,
and there are several big clumps on the border of my soakaway-lawn
already. I know they erupt from big fleshy "pods" - with delicate roots
on the underside of these. I wonder if these hair-like roots WOULD
penetrate a few feet if they sensed the moisture beneath?

I like the idea of several groups of tree-ferns, in twos and threes of
different heights, with lots of more ordinary ferns inbetween and
scattered around. This would look less "unkempt" than a wildflower
lawn - which, anyway, I believe needs to be mown and maintained if the
wildflowers are not to be overtaken by the grasses. I had a go at
wildflower garden at another property, in West Wales, a couple of years
ago, and the first year it was beautiful. Despite cutting it as advised
in autumn, the next year it was predominantly buttercupt - magnificently
buttercups for several weeks in fact, and by the third year only one or
two individual wildflower plants had managed to stand the competition
from ranunculus and grasses!

Eddy.


I think wildflower lawns are things of great beauty but it's not just a
question of chucking in some seeds, no. They do need a particular regime of
care, AIUI. Charlie seems to think tree ferns wouldn't like your climate
but I wonder if they'd survive if wrapped in straw for the winter. Sally
who has just waved to you from Ludlow might know, or your local nursery.
Otherwise, it might be as well to make a virtue out of necessity and see
what you can find in the way of ferns that you like. Googling around, I
found these people but this isn't a recommendation because I've never had
any dealings with them. Their range is pretty large, though and they have a
special 'Ferns for wet places' section, too and comments on how to cope with
tree ferns in the UK climate. The Equisetums sound interesting:
http://www.fernnursery.co.uk/


--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

Sacha wrote:
I think wildflower lawns are things of great beauty but it's not just a
question of chucking in some seeds, no. They do need a particular regime of
care, AIUI. Charlie seems to think tree ferns wouldn't like your climate
but I wonder if they'd survive if wrapped in straw for the winter. Sally
who has just waved to you from Ludlow might know, or your local nursery.
Otherwise, it might be as well to make a virtue out of necessity and see
what you can find in the way of ferns that you like. Googling around, I
found these people but this isn't a recommendation because I've never had
any dealings with them. Their range is pretty large, though and they have a
special 'Ferns for wet places' section, too and comments on how to cope with
tree ferns in the UK climate. The Equisetums sound interesting:
http://www.fernnursery.co.uk/

Yes, gorgeous tree-ferns at www.fernnursery.co.uk, Sacha. I bookmarked
that site a year ago while exploring Lincolnshire where my family hails
from. They give some noteworthy advice with regard to tree-ferns on one
of their pages: in the heat of the UK summer don't go two days without
watering the whole tree, bark & crown included; and in winter wrap it
against the cold. Now, I'll tell you a secret: we left our "paradise"
in West Wales because it was "a terrible beauty", i.e. stunning gardens
that had to be maintained intensively and doing so nearly killed us!
Ain't going down that path again. I think keeping a tree-fern in our
situation would be like taking on an exotic pet. But that still leaves
the idea of a collection of reasonably big ferns. If I can just find
one or two things that will give greater height, that would be good.
Have just found a site that suggests that gunneras need "deep" soil, so
it looks like they're going to have to be rejected. On the other hand,
have just found a couple of pdf files in the USA specifically talking
about what to plant in a "leach-field" or soakaway, and they advise "any
shallow-rooted herbaceous plants that are NOT water-loving". So I'll
try googling that!

Eddy.


Eddy.

On 9/1/08 15:24, in article , "Eddy"
wrote:

Sacha wrote:
I think wildflower lawns are things of great beauty but it's not just a
question of chucking in some seeds, no. They do need a particular regime of
care, AIUI. Charlie seems to think tree ferns wouldn't like your climate
but I wonder if they'd survive if wrapped in straw for the winter. Sally
who has just waved to you from Ludlow might know, or your local nursery.
Otherwise, it might be as well to make a virtue out of necessity and see
what you can find in the way of ferns that you like. Googling around, I
found these people but this isn't a recommendation because I've never had
any dealings with them. Their range is pretty large, though and they have a
special 'Ferns for wet places' section, too and comments on how to cope with
tree ferns in the UK climate. The Equisetums sound interesting:
http://www.fernnursery.co.uk/

Yes, gorgeous tree-ferns at www.fernnursery.co.uk, Sacha. I bookmarked
that site a year ago while exploring Lincolnshire where my family hails
from. They give some noteworthy advice with regard to tree-ferns on one
of their pages: in the heat of the UK summer don't go two days without
watering the whole tree, bark & crown included; and in winter wrap it
against the cold. Now, I'll tell you a secret: we left our "paradise"
in West Wales because it was "a terrible beauty", i.e. stunning gardens
that had to be maintained intensively and doing so nearly killed us!
Ain't going down that path again. I think keeping a tree-fern in our
situation would be like taking on an exotic pet.

If you're wearing the t-shirt, you certainly don't need to do that again!


But that still leaves
the idea of a collection of reasonably big ferns. If I can just find
one or two things that will give greater height, that would be good.
Have just found a site that suggests that gunneras need "deep" soil, so
it looks like they're going to have to be rejected. On the other hand,
have just found a couple of pdf files in the USA specifically talking
about what to plant in a "leach-field" or soakaway, and they advise "any
shallow-rooted herbaceous plants that are NOT water-loving". So I'll
try googling that!


Our Gunnera is planted near our soakaway in a sort of wooded bit of the
garden, known to its original owner as The Rhododendron Walk. It's a bit of
a mix of soil and shale there, so I don't think they're over-fussy. But
perhaps Charlie's idea of judiciously chosen bamboos and then some lovely
ferns would do it. Perhaps you could have a sort of stone 'folly' ruin and
plant ferns among the crevices. ;-)

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

Sacha wrote:
Our Gunnera is planted near our soakaway in a sort of wooded bit of the
garden, known to its original owner as The Rhododendron Walk. It's a bit of
a mix of soil and shale there, so I don't think they're over-fussy. But
perhaps Charlie's idea of judiciously chosen bamboos and then some lovely
ferns would do it. Perhaps you could have a sort of stone 'folly' ruin and
plant ferns among the crevices. ;-)

Thanks, Sacha. It's amazing what people hide when they're selling a
property, and amazing too what one fails to detect no matter how closely
you scrutinise a property before you buy it. We visited this place SIX
times before buying it, just to check it out thoroughly. Maybe we
should have smelt a bit of a rat because on each occasion we noticed our
beautifully and closely the lawn had obviously just been cut! We just
put it down to the owner being manic about his lawn. Of course it
turned out that with the "richness" flowing beneath it, it needs cutting
every seven days except in winter!

Anyway, as to how to turn it into a trouble-free zone, I'm grateful for
everybodys' help. As a result I have stumbled upon the following very
helpful page - tailored just for this situation. Just a case of
googling each species now and looking for the right combination, and,
for me, some which are reasonably tall!

from:
http://www.clallam.net/EnvHealth/ass...s.pdf#cooliris

Drainfield Landscaping Suggestions

SHALLOW ROOTED PLANTS

Following are just some examples of plants with shallow roots,
ideal for creating either a solid mix or a lovely variety that will be
pleasing to the eye.

Herbaceous annuals:
Ageratum (Ageratum housetonianum)
Wax Begonia (Begonia semperflorens)
Coleus (Coleus species)
Lobella (Lobella ertinus)
Sween Alysum (Lobularia maritima)
Geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum)
Penunia (Petunia x hybrida)
Salvia (Salvia species)
Marigold (Tagetes patula)
Zinnia (Zinnia alegans)
Herbaceous perennials:
Amaria, Seathrift (Amariac maritima)
Astlibe (Astlime x arendsu)
Basket of Gold (Aurinia saxatius) – can also be used as a ground cover
Campanuia (Campanuis species)
Snow in Summer (Cerastium tomentosum)
Lily of the Valley (Convailaris majalis)
Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus)
Cottage (and other) Pinks (Dianthus species)
Coral Bell (Haucheria sanguinia)
Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens)
Lavender (Lavenduia angustifolia) – evergreen
Moss Pink (Phoix subutata)
Ground covers (all perennial)
Carpet Bugie (Ajuga raptans)
Kennickinnick (Arctostaphylos uvi-ursa)
Irish Moss (Arenaria verns)
Bunchberry (Comus canadansis)
Blue Fescue (Fastuca ovina glauca)
Wintergreen (Gauitheria procumbens)
Salal (Gaultheria shallon)
Lydia Broom (Genista lydia)
Pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis) – shaded areas only
Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum)
Stone Crop (Sedum species)
Hens and Chicks (Sempervirum tectorum)
Periwinkle (Vinca Minor)
Thyme (Thymus species)

Thanks,
Eddy.

Sacha wrote:
Our Gunnera is planted near our soakaway in a sort of wooded bit of the
garden, known to its original owner as The Rhododendron Walk. It's a bit of
a mix of soil and shale there, so I don't think they're over-fussy. But
perhaps Charlie's idea of judiciously chosen bamboos and then some lovely
ferns would do it. Perhaps you could have a sort of stone 'folly' ruin and
plant ferns among the crevices. ;-)

Thanks, Sacha. It's amazing what people hide when they're selling a
property, and amazing too what one fails to detect no matter how closely
you scrutinise a property before you buy it. We visited this place SIX
times before buying it, just to check it out thoroughly. Maybe we
should have smelt a bit of a rat because on each occasion we noticed our
beautifully and closely the lawn had obviously just been cut! We just
put it down to the owner being manic about his lawn. Of course it
turned out that with the "richness" flowing beneath it, it needs cutting
every seven days except in winter!

Anyway, as to how to turn it into a trouble-free zone, I'm grateful for
everybodys' help. As a result I have stumbled upon the following very
helpful page - tailored just for this situation. Just a case of
googling each species now and looking for the right combination, and,
for me, some which are reasonably tall!

from:
http://www.clallam.net/EnvHealth/ass...s.pdf#cooliris

Drainfield Landscaping Suggestions

SHALLOW ROOTED PLANTS

Following are just some examples of plants with shallow roots,
ideal for creating either a solid mix or a lovely variety that will be
pleasing to the eye.

Herbaceous annuals:
Ageratum (Ageratum housetonianum)
Wax Begonia (Begonia semperflorens)
Coleus (Coleus species)
Lobella (Lobella ertinus)
Sween Alysum (Lobularia maritima)
Geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum)
Penunia (Petunia x hybrida)
Salvia (Salvia species)
Marigold (Tagetes patula)
Zinnia (Zinnia alegans)
Herbaceous perennials:
Amaria, Seathrift (Amariac maritima)
Astlibe (Astlime x arendsu)
Basket of Gold (Aurinia saxatius) – can also be used as a ground cover
Campanuia (Campanuis species)
Snow in Summer (Cerastium tomentosum)
Lily of the Valley (Convailaris majalis)
Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus)
Cottage (and other) Pinks (Dianthus species)
Coral Bell (Haucheria sanguinia)
Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens)
Lavender (Lavenduia angustifolia) – evergreen
Moss Pink (Phoix subutata)
Ground covers (all perennial)
Carpet Bugie (Ajuga raptans)
Kennickinnick (Arctostaphylos uvi-ursa)
Irish Moss (Arenaria verns)
Bunchberry (Comus canadansis)
Blue Fescue (Fastuca ovina glauca)
Wintergreen (Gauitheria procumbens)
Salal (Gaultheria shallon)
Lydia Broom (Genista lydia)
Pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis) – shaded areas only
Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum)
Stone Crop (Sedum species)
Hens and Chicks (Sempervirum tectorum)
Periwinkle (Vinca Minor)
Thyme (Thymus species)

Thanks,
Eddy.

"Eddy" wrote in message
...
Thanks, Fuschia & Shazzbat. Rhubarb! Hee, hee, hee. I would never
have imagined it. A surfeit of rhubarb to give me endless bellyache! I
had ulcers some years ago and rhubarb, which is very acidic, is one of
the things I have to avoid!

But the custard, being made almost entirely of milk, must be alkaline,
surely they cancel each other out PH-wise?

I don't think I could countenance a rhubarb-less existence.

Steve

In article C3AA62C9.6214D%
, Sacha says...
On 9/1/08 10:26, in article ,
"Eddy" wrote:

Thanks, Fuschia & Shazzbat. Rhubarb! Hee, hee, hee. I would never
have imagined it. A surfeit of rhubarb to give me endless bellyache! I
had ulcers some years ago and rhubarb, which is very acidic, is one of
the things I have to avoid! Mind you, if rhubarb was resilient and
evergreen, i.e. it looked good all through the year, it would fit the
bill!

Eddy.


Try the giant rhubarb, the inedible one! Gunnera manicata
http://tinyurl.com/2rd8mr

I've got one of those! Magnificent plants. Mine dies down
after the first heavy frost and is now covered in fleece
until Spring. I bought it in a 4" pot. The first year it
didn't grow much, so last Spring I moved it to a place that
is permanently wet and it is thriving. Just a bit
disconcerting when the frosts knock it back to the ground -
there is always the fear that it may not recover.

There is a garden centre near us that has a monster sized
specimen. I think they said it was 20 something years old.
Do they still need Winter protection when they have fully
matured?
--
David in Normandy

On 9/1/08 17:15, in article ,
"David in Normandy" wrote:

In article C3AA62C9.6214D%
, Sacha says...
On 9/1/08 10:26, in article ,
"Eddy" wrote:

Thanks, Fuschia & Shazzbat. Rhubarb! Hee, hee, hee. I would never
have imagined it. A surfeit of rhubarb to give me endless bellyache! I
had ulcers some years ago and rhubarb, which is very acidic, is one of
the things I have to avoid! Mind you, if rhubarb was resilient and
evergreen, i.e. it looked good all through the year, it would fit the
bill!

Eddy.


Try the giant rhubarb, the inedible one! Gunnera manicata
http://tinyurl.com/2rd8mr

I've got one of those! Magnificent plants. Mine dies down
after the first heavy frost and is now covered in fleece
until Spring. I bought it in a 4" pot. The first year it
didn't grow much, so last Spring I moved it to a place that
is permanently wet and it is thriving. Just a bit
disconcerting when the frosts knock it back to the ground -
there is always the fear that it may not recover.

There is a garden centre near us that has a monster sized
specimen. I think they said it was 20 something years old.
Do they still need Winter protection when they have fully
matured?

Ours is a good two to three feet over Ray's head and he's about 6'1". He
just puts the old leaves over the crown each year but it's probably
important to say that ours has some shelter from a wall and from tree
canopy. It dies back naturally, with or without frost. And of course, it's
in the south west. But while its spread has been a bit restricted by the
things around it, its height appears to know few bounds!

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

On 9/1/08 16:33, in article ,
"Eddy" wrote:

Sacha wrote:
Our Gunnera is planted near our soakaway in a sort of wooded bit of the
garden, known to its original owner as The Rhododendron Walk. It's a bit of
a mix of soil and shale there, so I don't think they're over-fussy. But
perhaps Charlie's idea of judiciously chosen bamboos and then some lovely
ferns would do it. Perhaps you could have a sort of stone 'folly' ruin and
plant ferns among the crevices. ;-)

Thanks, Sacha. It's amazing what people hide when they're selling a
property, and amazing too what one fails to detect no matter how closely
you scrutinise a property before you buy it. We visited this place SIX
times before buying it, just to check it out thoroughly. Maybe we
should have smelt a bit of a rat because on each occasion we noticed our
beautifully and closely the lawn had obviously just been cut! We just
put it down to the owner being manic about his lawn. Of course it
turned out that with the "richness" flowing beneath it, it needs cutting
every seven days except in winter!

We have friends with a similar 'problem' in Jersey but it's just down to
their garden being partly on a steep hillside and a lot of water seeping
down that to a stream at the bottom. In those conditions most lawns would
need cutting each week, I would think. Six times does indeed indicate a
thorough approach. ;-) I must admit that I usually know within 30 seconds
whether I like a house or not and then I've done another visit if I do, then
the "has it got dry rot or a collapsing roof" survey thing and then bought
it. Or not.

Anyway, as to how to turn it into a trouble-free zone, I'm grateful for
everybodys' help. As a result I have stumbled upon the following very
helpful page - tailored just for this situation. Just a case of
googling each species now and looking for the right combination, and,
for me, some which are reasonably tall!

from:
http://www.clallam.net/EnvHealth/ass...s.pdf#cooliris

snip


All I'm going to say to that very useful list is that if you get
Convallaria to grow it's quite possible that I shall never speak to you
again. I have failed with it in every garden I've ever had, wherever
situated. I'm now so paranoid about this that I have asked a member of our
staff to plant it for me and I haven't even touched it!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

In article ,
says...
Sacha wrote:
Our Gunnera is planted near our soakaway in a sort of wooded bit of the
garden, known to its original owner as The Rhododendron Walk. It's a bit of
a mix of soil and shale there, so I don't think they're over-fussy. But
perhaps Charlie's idea of judiciously chosen bamboos and then some lovely
ferns would do it. Perhaps you could have a sort of stone 'folly' ruin and
plant ferns among the crevices. ;-)

Thanks, Sacha. It's amazing what people hide when they're selling a
property, and amazing too what one fails to detect no matter how closely
you scrutinise a property before you buy it. We visited this place SIX
times before buying it, just to check it out thoroughly. Maybe we
should have smelt a bit of a rat because on each occasion we noticed our
beautifully and closely the lawn had obviously just been cut! We just
put it down to the owner being manic about his lawn. Of course it
turned out that with the "richness" flowing beneath it, it needs cutting
every seven days except in winter!

Anyway, as to how to turn it into a trouble-free zone, I'm grateful for
everybodys' help. As a result I have stumbled upon the following very
helpful page - tailored just for this situation. Just a case of
googling each species now and looking for the right combination, and,
for me, some which are reasonably tall!

from:
http://www.clallam.net/EnvHealth/ass...s.pdf#cooliris

Drainfield Landscaping Suggestions

SHALLOW ROOTED PLANTS

Following are just some examples of plants with shallow roots,
ideal for creating either a solid mix or a lovely variety that will be
pleasing to the eye.

Herbaceous annuals:
Ageratum (Ageratum housetonianum)
Wax Begonia (Begonia semperflorens)
Coleus (Coleus species)
Lobella (Lobella ertinus)
Sween Alysum (Lobularia maritima)
Geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum)
Penunia (Petunia x hybrida)
Salvia (Salvia species)
Marigold (Tagetes patula)
Zinnia (Zinnia alegans)
Herbaceous perennials:
Amaria, Seathrift (Amariac maritima)
Astlibe (Astlime x arendsu)
Basket of Gold (Aurinia saxatius) ? can also be used as a ground cover
If you want to go the perennial route don't forget all the himalayan
primulas, if the like you within a season they will seed in such
prefussion as to choke out all competition
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

Sacha says...
Ours is a good two to three feet over Ray's head and he's about 6'1". He
just puts the old leaves over the crown each year but it's probably
important to say that ours has some shelter from a wall and from tree
canopy. It dies back naturally, with or without frost. And of course, it's
in the south west. But while its spread has been a bit restricted by the
things around it, its height appears to know few bounds!



They have a real wow factor when they are that size. The
first one I ever saw was in a private garden next to
Warwick castle around 20 years ago. I think it may have
been one of those Yellow-book open garden days. I remember
walking under it's canopy of huge leaves absolutely awe
struck. Since then I always wanted one. This is the first
place we've lived where the garden is big enough to handle
one (without it dominating the entire garden).

I'll continue each year with the leaf folding and fleece to
be on the safe side. I'd hate to lose it.
--
David in Normandy

In message , Eddy
writes
Sacha wrote:
Our Gunnera is planted near our soakaway in a sort of wooded bit of the
garden, known to its original owner as The Rhododendron Walk. It's a bit of
a mix of soil and shale there, so I don't think they're over-fussy. But
perhaps Charlie's idea of judiciously chosen bamboos and then some lovely
ferns would do it. Perhaps you could have a sort of stone 'folly' ruin and
plant ferns among the crevices. ;-)

Thanks, Sacha. It's amazing what people hide when they're selling a
property, and amazing too what one fails to detect no matter how closely
you scrutinise a property before you buy it. We visited this place SIX
times before buying it, just to check it out thoroughly. Maybe we
should have smelt a bit of a rat because on each occasion we noticed our
beautifully and closely the lawn had obviously just been cut! We just
put it down to the owner being manic about his lawn. Of course it
turned out that with the "richness" flowing beneath it, it needs cutting
every seven days except in winter!

Anyway, as to how to turn it into a trouble-free zone, I'm grateful for
everybodys' help. As a result I have stumbled upon the following very
helpful page - tailored just for this situation. Just a case of
googling each species now and looking for the right combination, and,
for me, some which are reasonably tall!

from:
http://www.clallam.net/EnvHealth/ass...s.pdf#cooliris

Drainfield Landscaping Suggestions

SHALLOW ROOTED PLANTS

Following are just some examples of plants with shallow roots,
ideal for creating either a solid mix or a lovely variety that will be
pleasing to the eye.
To help you find them, some (hopefully) correct spellings. (It looks as
if someone had an accident with a scanner and OCR program.)

Herbaceous annuals:
Ageratum (Ageratum housetonianum)
Wax Begonia (Begonia semperflorens)
Coleus (Coleus species)
Lobella (Lobella ertinus)
Lobelia erinus
Sween Alysum (Lobularia maritima)
Sweet Alyssum or Sweet Alison
Geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum)
Penunia (Petunia x hybrida)
Salvia (Salvia species)
Marigold (Tagetes patula)
Zinnia (Zinnia alegans)
Herbaceous perennials:
Amaria, Seathrift (Amariac maritima)
Armeria maritima
Astlibe (Astlime x arendsu)
Astilbe x arendsii
Basket of Gold (Aurinia saxatius) – can also be used as a ground cover
Aurinia saxatilis (which is usually treated as a rockery plant)
Campanuia (Campanuis species)
Bellflower (Campanula spp.)
Snow in Summer (Cerastium tomentosum)
Lily of the Valley (Convailaris majalis)
Convallaria majalis
Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus)
Cottage (and other) Pinks (Dianthus species)
Coral Bell (Haucheria sanguinia)
Heuchera sanguinea
Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens)
Lavender (Lavenduia angustifolia) – evergreen
Lavandula angustifolia
Moss Pink (Phoix subutata)
Phlox subulata
Ground covers (all perennial)
Carpet Bugie (Ajuga raptans)
Bugle (Ajuga reptans)
Kennickinnick (Arctostaphylos uvi-ursa)
Bearberry on this side of the pond (Arctostaphylos uvi-ursi); I expect
it needs an acid soil.
Irish Moss (Arenaria verns)
I don't know this one, but I'd expect it to be Arenaria vernus
Bunchberry (Comus canadansis)
Creeping Dogwood (Cornus canadensis or Chamaepericlymenum canadense)
Blue Fescue (Fastuca ovina glauca)
Wintergreen (Gauitheria procumbens)
Gaultheria procumbens; I expect it needs an acid soil.
Salal (Gaultheria shallon)
I expect it needs an acid soil.
Lydia Broom (Genista lydia)
Pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis) – shaded areas only
Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum)
Stone Crop (Sedum species)
Hens and Chicks (Sempervirum tectorum)
Sempervivum tectorum
Periwinkle (Vinca Minor)
Thyme (Thymus species)

Thanks,
Eddy.

You presumably want stuff that is vigorous enough to compete with the
weeds that will enjoy the rich soil. (You could grow nettles to provide
food for butterfly caterpillars :-) ) A lot of this stuff doesn't strike
as meeting the bill, especially as some of them are shade plants.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

David in Normandy wrote:
I'll continue each year with the leaf folding and fleece to
be on the safe side. I'd hate to lose it.

Very interesting hear you talk about your giant, David. Have you ever
discovered or noticed how deep its roots go?

Eddy.

Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:
To help you find them, some (hopefully) correct spellings. (It looks as
if someone had an accident with a scanner and OCR program.)

Stewart, what invaluable help! You've saved me, and perhaps others,
sitting there in front of the screen typing in the gobbledegook and
being flummoxed by the results.

I think I'll even post your corrections back to that website. They
ought to be glad of them.

I just hope that because they can't spell 'em, it doesn't mean it's not
the ideal list for a soakaway! I'll have to be careful!

Thanks.

Eddy.