Hello Everybody,
Is there a list of common UK Native garden plants around?

I'll soon be moving into a new house with a half decent sized garden and I'd like to landscape it with species native to the UK but I've really got no idea where to start, I'll be needing short trees or shrubs less than 3 metres tall and flowering plants. Preferably I'd like the garden to flower throughout the year without having to plant annuals year after year.

Any ideas or links for inspiration would be great.

Cheers

A Google search for suppliers of wild flower seeds should cover the flower bits for you. And mixed hedges of UK native species are frequently specified by Council Planning Offices, so another search should get hold of a list of these. Most of the hedge species will be short trees and shrubs.

If you can't find anything else, get hold of a flora - I recommend one of those by Fitter et al - and flick through for the more showy species. There are many perennial species worth a place in the garden - field, bloody, wood cranesbills; primrose, oxlip, cowslip, foxglove, melancholy thistle (which isn't prickly at all), scabious, bluebell, ramsons, lily of the valley, snakeshead fritillary, wild daffodil, red and white campion, ragged robin, purple and yellow loosetrife,, marsh marigold - that's without really thinking.

In message , iliveinazoo
writes

Hello Everybody,
Is there a list of common UK Native garden plants around?

I'll soon be moving into a new house with a half decent sized garden and
I'd like to landscape it with species native to the UK but I've really
got no idea where to start, I'll be needing short trees or shrubs less
than 3 metres tall and flowering plants. Preferably I'd like the garden
to flower throughout the year without having to plant annuals year after
year.

There are not many large shrubs and trees native to the British Isles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trees_o...in_and_Ireland

There are smaller shrubs, such as heather, several Ericas, Dabeocia, bog
myrtle, montane willows, dwarf birch, bilberry, cowberry, crowberry and
bearbeary. If I recall correctly mezereon and spurge laurel are native.
Also broom, gorse (common, western and dwarf), red and blackcurrant, and
gooseberry, wayfaring tree and guelder rose, bramble and raspberry, and
burnet, field and dog roses, and sweet briars.

Any ideas or links for inspiration would be great.

Cheers





--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

In message , kay
writes

iliveinazoo;927920 Wrote:
Hello Everybody,
Is there a list of common UK Native garden plants around?

I'll soon be moving into a new house with a half decent sized garden and
I'd like to landscape it with species native to the UK but I've really
got no idea where to start, I'll be needing short trees or shrubs less
than 3 metres tall and flowering plants. Preferably I'd like the garden
to flower throughout the year without having to plant annuals year after
year.

Any ideas or links for inspiration would be great.

Cheers

A Google search for suppliers of wild flower seeds should cover the
flower bits for you. And mixed hedges of UK native species are
frequently specified by Council Planning Offices, so another search
should get hold of a list of these. Most of the hedge species will be
short trees and shrubs.

If you can't find anything else, get hold of a flora - I recommend one
of those by Fitter et al - and flick through for the more showy species.
There are many perennial species worth a place in the garden - field,
bloody, wood cranesbills; primrose, oxlip, cowslip, foxglove, melancholy
thistle (which isn't prickly at all), scabious, bluebell, ramsons, lily
of the valley, snakeshead fritillary, wild daffodil, red and white
campion, ragged robin, purple and yellow loosetrife,, marsh marigold -
that's without really thinking.

Wood anemone, hemp agrimony, tansy, yarrow, sneezewort, dames violet.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

In message , Stewart Robert Hinsley
writes
In message , kay
writes

iliveinazoo;927920 Wrote:
Hello Everybody,
Is there a list of common UK Native garden plants around?

I'll soon be moving into a new house with a half decent sized garden and
I'd like to landscape it with species native to the UK but I've really
got no idea where to start, I'll be needing short trees or shrubs less
than 3 metres tall and flowering plants. Preferably I'd like the garden
to flower throughout the year without having to plant annuals year after
year.

Any ideas or links for inspiration would be great.

Cheers

A Google search for suppliers of wild flower seeds should cover the
flower bits for you. And mixed hedges of UK native species are
frequently specified by Council Planning Offices, so another search
should get hold of a list of these. Most of the hedge species will be
short trees and shrubs.

If you can't find anything else, get hold of a flora - I recommend one
of those by Fitter et al - and flick through for the more showy species.
There are many perennial species worth a place in the garden - field,
bloody, wood cranesbills; primrose, oxlip, cowslip, foxglove, melancholy
thistle (which isn't prickly at all), scabious, bluebell, ramsons, lily
of the valley, snakeshead fritillary, wild daffodil, red and white
campion, ragged robin, purple and yellow loosetrife,, marsh marigold -
that's without really thinking.

Wood anemone, hemp agrimony, tansy, yarrow, sneezewort, dames violet.

Thrift, sea campion, birds-eye primrose, honeysuckle, traveller's joy,
sweet cicely, spignel
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

kay wrote:
iliveinazoo;927920 Wrote:
Hello Everybody,
Is there a list of common UK Native garden plants around?

I'll soon be moving into a new house with a half decent sized garden
and I'd like to landscape it with species native to the UK but I've
really got no idea where to start, I'll be needing short trees or
shrubs less than 3 metres tall and flowering plants. Preferably I'd
like the garden to flower throughout the year without having to
plant annuals year after year.

Any ideas or links for inspiration would be great.

Cheers

A Google search for suppliers of wild flower seeds should cover the
flower bits for you. And mixed hedges of UK native species are
frequently specified by Council Planning Offices, so another search
should get hold of a list of these. Most of the hedge species will be
short trees and shrubs.

If you can't find anything else, get hold of a flora - I recommend one
of those by Fitter et al - and flick through for the more showy
species. There are many perennial species worth a place in the garden
- field, bloody, wood cranesbills; primrose, oxlip, cowslip,
foxglove, melancholy thistle (which isn't prickly at all), scabious,
bluebell, ramsons, lily of the valley, snakeshead fritillary, wild
daffodil, red and white campion, ragged robin, purple and yellow
loosetrife,, marsh marigold - that's without really thinking.

Just to mention that there are real native bluebells and invasive Spanish
bluebells, which are not native.


Ian

"iliveinazoo" wrote in message
...

Hello Everybody,
Is there a list of common UK Native garden plants around?

I'll soon be moving into a new house with a half decent sized garden and
I'd like to landscape it with species native to the UK but I've really
got no idea where to start, I'll be needing short trees or shrubs less
than 3 metres tall and flowering plants. Preferably I'd like the garden
to flower throughout the year without having to plant annuals year after
year.

Any ideas or links for inspiration would be great.

Cheers




If you're into 'nativeness', surely you should be looking at species which
are native to your *part* of the UK?

Try http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/l...stcode-plants/
the Natural History museum's postcode plant finder.

On Sat, 25 Jun 2011 22:30:46 +0000, kay wrote:

iliveinazoo;927920 Wrote:
Hello Everybody,
Is there a list of common UK Native garden plants around?

I'll soon be moving into a new house with a half decent sized garden
and I'd like to landscape it with species native to the UK but I've
really got no idea where to start, I'll be needing short trees or
shrubs less than 3 metres tall and flowering plants. Preferably I'd
like the garden to flower throughout the year without having to plant
annuals year after year.

Any ideas or links for inspiration would be great.

Cheers

A Google search for suppliers of wild flower seeds should cover the
flower bits for you. And mixed hedges of UK native species are
frequently specified by Council Planning Offices, so another search
should get hold of a list of these. Most of the hedge species will be
short trees and shrubs.

If you can't find anything else, get hold of a flora - I recommend one
of those by Fitter et al - and flick through for the more showy species.
There are many perennial species worth a place in the garden - field,
bloody, wood cranesbills; primrose, oxlip, cowslip, foxglove, melancholy
thistle (which isn't prickly at all), scabious, bluebell, ramsons, lily
of the valley, snakeshead fritillary, wild daffodil, red and white
campion, ragged robin, purple and yellow loosetrife,, marsh marigold -
that's without really thinking.

For smaller border edging and around hedgerows I'd add Speedwell.

Teasels in the back because they are really pretty, insects love them in
flower and birds love the seed heads.

Ohh and Corncockle, let the Buttercups in too, Poppies, Stonecrops, Wood
Avens (probably difficult to avoid getting this), Dog Rose, Creeping
Cinquefoil, Bush Vetch (or any of the scrambling ones), Sweet Violet,
Evening Primrose, Scarlet pimpernel, Lesser Periwinkle, Borage or one of
the Comfreys, Forget-me-not, Wild Thyme, Woody Nightshade (yes, that ones
poisonous), Great Mullein, Ivy-Leaved Toadflax, Valerian, Harebell, Corn
Marigold, Feverfew, Star of Bethlehem, Snowdrops, Lords and Ladies, Green
Winged Orchid, Common Spotted Orchid, Pendulous Sedge, Cotton Grass,
Tufted Hair-Grass, Hart's Tongue.

You should be able to grow a lot of those, but it all really depends on
your soil type and how you are going to manage the conditions.

I do a lot of conservation volunteering and creating conditions to
encourage the natives can be slow work. The learning curve is not too
steep until you get into species identification and then trying to learn
of of the species of insect, plant, amphibian, mammal that you encounter.
I spent an hour with a field lens, a botanist and an identification guide
book getting a lesson in telling the difference between species of
dandelions last Tuesday. The field guide was pretty tough going as it
wasn't illustrated in any way at all!

If you want to get a *really* good field guide, I have been advised to
get a copy of Francis Rose[1], Wild Flower Key (2006 revision)

http://tinyurl.com/6bxtew5

This one is illustrated.

Good Luck

Warwick

Holy Moly, that's a great response from everyone thanks so much.

Good point on the location: Southampton.

I'll be quite close to the New Forest as well so the soil conditions may be a bit acidic. Is there such a thing as a soil PH tester? Will an aquarium PH tester work because I've got plenty of them?

Hopefully it takes a while for the sale to go through because I've got some reading and researching to do.

Ironic that the "English Elm" was introduced by the Romans.

People who are very strict on the concept of "native" would point out that the vast majority of Scots Pine growing in the country are not descended from native stock; the actual natives are largely restricted to a few small patches of remaining original Caledonian forest.

On Sun, 26 Jun 2011 08:19:53 +0100, Stewart Robert Hinsley
wrote:

In message , Stewart Robert Hinsley
writes
In message , kay
writes

iliveinazoo;927920 Wrote:
Hello Everybody,
Is there a list of common UK Native garden plants around?

I'll soon be moving into a new house with a half decent sized garden and
I'd like to landscape it with species native to the UK but I've really
got no idea where to start, I'll be needing short trees or shrubs less
than 3 metres tall and flowering plants. Preferably I'd like the garden
to flower throughout the year without having to plant annuals year after
year.

Any ideas or links for inspiration would be great.

Cheers

A Google search for suppliers of wild flower seeds should cover the
flower bits for you. And mixed hedges of UK native species are
frequently specified by Council Planning Offices, so another search
should get hold of a list of these. Most of the hedge species will be
short trees and shrubs.

If you can't find anything else, get hold of a flora - I recommend one
of those by Fitter et al - and flick through for the more showy species.
There are many perennial species worth a place in the garden - field,
bloody, wood cranesbills; primrose, oxlip, cowslip, foxglove, melancholy
thistle (which isn't prickly at all), scabious, bluebell, ramsons, lily
of the valley, snakeshead fritillary, wild daffodil, red and white
campion, ragged robin, purple and yellow loosetrife,, marsh marigold -
that's without really thinking.

Wood anemone, hemp agrimony, tansy, yarrow, sneezewort, dames violet.

Thrift, sea campion, birds-eye primrose, honeysuckle, traveller's joy,
sweet cicely, spignel

....persiflage, acrimony, miscue, verruca, swingletree, galantine,
cross ruff...

--
Mike.

On Sun, 26 Jun 2011 19:20:24 +0000, iliveinazoo wrote:


Holy Moly, that's a great response from everyone thanks so much.

Good point on the location: Southampton.

I'll be quite close to the New Forest as well so the soil conditions may
be a bit acidic. Is there such a thing as a soil PH tester? Will an
aquarium PH tester work because I've got plenty of them?

I don't know about aquarium testers. I've never seen one.

Soil PH testers are cheap and readily available. The ones I use now and
again are a test tube affair with some powder in. You chuck in a bit of
soil (not from right on the surface), add some water, shake and then
compare the colour of the water with a colour chart.

I notice though that Betterware are doing an eletronic one that you stick
in the ground for only £4. I suppose that multiple smaples of a larger
garden could be useful as it *could* vary.

It does look as though the New Forest soils will tend to be acidic. In
the same Google hit I found a leaflet that gives recommendations for
planting hedgerows and shrubs that are native to the area and even
suggests ratios from the New Forest National Park Authority.

It is at...

http://www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/plann.../tree-guidance

Hopefully it takes a while for the sale to go through because I've got
some reading and researching to do.

I've only ever visited the area and found it lovely. I hope you enjoy
your new home and garden.

Warwick

On Sun, 26 Jun 2011 19:20:24 +0000, iliveinazoo
wrote:

Will an
aquarium PH tester work because I've got plenty of them?

They work the same way with the same reagents. The only problem is
that you will need fluid from the soil. I would think you could just
mix some of the soil with water. I've done the opposite by using a
soil pH tester in fish tanks.

Steve

--
Neural network software applications, help and support.

Neural Planner Software www.NPSL1.com

On Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:55:52 +0100, Warwick
wrote:

On Sun, 26 Jun 2011 19:20:24 +0000, iliveinazoo wrote:


Holy Moly, that's a great response from everyone thanks so much.

Good point on the location: Southampton.

I'll be quite close to the New Forest as well so the soil conditions may
be a bit acidic. Is there such a thing as a soil PH tester? Will an
aquarium PH tester work because I've got plenty of them?

I don't know about aquarium testers. I've never seen one.

Soil PH testers are cheap and readily available. The ones I use now and
again are a test tube affair with some powder in. You chuck in a bit of
soil (not from right on the surface), add some water, shake and then
compare the colour of the water with a colour chart.

I notice though that Betterware are doing an eletronic one that you stick
in the ground for only £4. I suppose that multiple smaples of a larger
garden could be useful as it *could* vary.


I got a bimetallic two-pronged (one copper, one aluminium) tester from
Wilkinson for about three quid a year or two ago, mainly as a toy. I
wonder if it's the same? No external power source needed, of course.
It tests both pH and moisture, but I've no idea how accurate the thing
is. The card it came on had a list of plants on the back, specifying
their pH requirements -- but unhelpfully giving the common names, in
the US dialect.
[...]

--
Mike.

You'd have to of course check the pH of the water you were adding to the soil. Rather alkaline tap water could mask slight acidity of the soil, for example.

You can get an idea of the pH of your soil by looking at what grows in your neighbours' gardens. Do they grow rhododendrons and heathers (acid)? What colour are the hydrangeas - pink (alkaline) or blue (acid)?