Flower Cluster. Photo from Chris Garnons-Williams on 16 September 2013. |
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Plant Name |
Sedum 'Herbstfreude' (Hylotelephium spectabile 'Indian Chief', |
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Common Name |
Stonecrop 'Herbstfreude', Stonecrop 'Autumn Joy' |
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Soil |
Chalk, Loam, Sand (Alkaline Neutral) |
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Sun Aspect |
Full Sun |
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Soil Moisture |
Moist and Well-drained |
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Plant Type |
Herbaceous Perennial |
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Height x Spread in inches (cms) |
40 x 20 (100 x 50) |
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Foliage |
Fleshy, oblong, glaucous green leaves |
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Flower Shape, Natural Arrangement, Number of Petals and Flower Colour in Month(s). Seed |
Terminal cluster of Star-shaped, Pale Pink ages to Deep Pink flowers in August-September |
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Comment |
Clump-forming Form. Pruning Group 14. "Sedum may be annuals or herbaceous or evergreen perennials with succulent stems and leaves and clusters of small, star-shaped flowers in summer or autumn 'Herbstfreude' is an herbaceous perennial forming a clump to 60cm in height, with fleshy, oblong, glaucous green leaves and large flat terminal clusters of starry flowers in early autumn. The flowers open from greenish-pink buds, rapidly progressing through pale pink to become deep pink and ultimately taking on a brownish hue. Grow in moderately fertile, well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil in full sun. A drought-tolerant plant. " from Royal Horticultural Society. "The flowerheads look great left during the winter to add shape and texture to your border. In February and March cut back the old flowerheads and apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted garden compost or manure around the base of the plant. Once established, sedums can have a tendency to flop leaving an open and unsightly centre, especially in fertile soil. One technique to help prevent this is the 'Chelsea chop'. During the last week of May (Chelsea Flower Show week), cut one in every three stems back to the ground. This will produce plants that are less lush and flower slightly later." from Crocus . "This plant is drought tolerant, so a good choice for dry locations or areas which are difficult to water in the summer. It can be used in a wide variety of situations and its striking appearance makes it suitable for a range of styles. It can be grown in beds or borders, gravel/rock gardens and in containers. The flowers provide a late source of nectar for bees and butterflies making it a useful addition to a wildlife garden. The seedheads remain intact over winter so this is also a good choice for a winter garden. The fresh or dried flowers are used in flower arranging." from Oak Leaf Gardening. "Sedum is one of the most popular perennials grown in American gardens because it is very easy to grow and hardy in most areas of the country. Because of its thick, succulent leaves which can store water, sedum is drought tolerant. It should be sited in average to poor soil that is well-drained. Plants grown in rich soil tend to be lanky and open. Most varieties should be grown in full sun to light shade. The lower growing types, however, will survive in partial shade. Divide sedum every 3-4 years to maintain its compact growth habit. Older plants tend to split in the center if they have not been divided. Pinching the taller varieties back by half in early summer will also help prevent them from splitting. This plant is not usually bothered by pests or diseases. The seed heads of the taller varieties provide excellent winter interest and food for birds. Remove them in spring when the new growth begins to show." from Perennial Resources . Available from Crocus and Gardening Express in the UK with Perennial Resources in America and these nurseries in Australia. |
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Companions |
"A really great plant for colour in the garden from August right in to autumn. Large heads of rusty red-pink flowers, attractive to butterflies, above fleshy leaves make this a first rate garden plant blooming just at the right time when other plants are running out of steam. Looks really good when planted with Ajuga, lengthening the period of interest right in to the depths of winter. When the flower heads become covered in frost you will have created a special combination as these are also very attractive." from Gardening Express. |
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Flower Clusters. Photo from Chris Garnons-Williams on 16 September 2013. |
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Winter Form in front from Mixed Borders at RHS Wisley. Photo from Chris Garnons-Williams on 4 March 2013. |
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Spring Form from Mixed Borders at RHS Wisley. Photo from Chris Garnons-Williams on 25 April 2013. |
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Spring Form from Mixed Borders at RHS Wisley. Photo from Chris Garnons-Williams on 13 May 2013. |
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Summer Form from Mixed Borders at RHS Wisley. Photo from H. Kavanagh on 21 August 2013. |
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Autumn Form from Mixed Borders at RHS Wisley. Photo from Chris Garnons-Williams on 16 September 2013. |
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Winter Foliage from Mixed Borders at RHS Wisley. |
Spring Foliage from Mixed Borders at RHS Wisley. |
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Spring Foliage from Mixed Borders at RHS Wisley. |
Summer Foliage from Mixed Borders at RHS Wisley. |
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Flower Buds with water reservoirs from Mixed Borders at RHS Wisley. |
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MIXED BORDER RHS WISLEY HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS GALLERY PAGES |
FOLIAGE COLOUR |
SEED/FRUIT COLOUR FLOWER BED PICTURES |
Starting with the data in Garden Style followed by Infill Plants, then you can refine your plant list from the remaining galleries in this cell:- |
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PERENNIAL |
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HERBACEOUS PERENNIAL Gallery with 7 Flower Colours (Red, Pink and Purple on same page) per Month in Colour Wheel. Click on Black or White box in Colour of Month. |
HERBACEOUS PERENNIAL INDEX -
The variety of plants that can be used in alpine gardening is obviously very large and very bewildering at first approach. With a view to easing the task of selection here are lists The standard potting and seed-soil recipes from The Propagation of Alpines by Lawrence D. Hills are at the bottom of the page on Alpine - Sink and Trough Gardens. |
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To compare |
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with 7 Flower Colours - Blue, White, Yellow, Green for Unusual, Red, Orange and Pink per Month in Colour Wheel below. Click on Black or White box in Colour of Month. |
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The Herbaceous Perennials in this gallery are not compared with other Herbaceous Perennials in the HERBACEOUS PERENNIAL GALLERY, but they are compared with each other in the Mixed Border Garden Design Gallery using the above 7 Flower Colours per month Wheel. FLOWER COLOUR RANGE IN 71 PARTS OF RHS WISLEY MIXED BORDER DURING After reviewing the situation in the |
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Blue = |
Green = |
Red = |
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Brown = |
Blue = |
Green = |
Red = |
Black = |
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Wet Soil |
Moist Soil |
Dry Soil |
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Flowering Months range abbreviates month Click on centre of thumbnail to move from this page to the The Comments Row of that Plant Description |
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Herbaceous Perennial |
Flowering Months |
Height x Width in inches (cms) - 1 inch = 2.5 cms, 12 inches = 1 foot = 30 cms, 36 inches = 3 feet = 1 yard = 90 cms, 40 inches = 100 cms |
Flower Thumb-nail |
Herbaceous Perennial Flower Thumbnail |
Flowering Months |
Height x Width in inches (cms) - 1 inch = 2.5 cms, 12 inches = 1 foot = 30 cms, 36 inches = 3 feet = 1 yard = 90 cms, 40 inches = 100 cms |
Flower Thumb-nail |
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Alpine Herbaceous Perennial if Text Background is Blue |
Alpine Herbaceous Perennial if Text Background is Blue |
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Evergreen or Semi-Evergreen Perennial |
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A |
A |
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May, June, |
48-60 x 24 |
96 x 40 |
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June, July, August, |
36 x 24 |
48 x 24 |
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June, July, |
48 x 18 |
40-60 x 20-40 (100-150 x 50-100) |
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June, July, |
36 x 18 |
June, July, |
60 x 40 |
Creamy-White. |
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June, July, |
48 x 24 |
32-39 x 24 (80-100 x 60) |
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May, June, |
36 x 24 |
July, August, September |
64 x 16 |
Violet-Blue. |
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June, July, |
20 x 15 |
August, September |
96 x 40 |
Dark Blue. |
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June, July, August, |
28 x 18 |
July, August |
40-60 x 4-20 (100-150 x 10-50) |
Violet-Blue. |
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June, July, August, |
36 x 16 |
24-48 x 18-24 |
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June, July, August, |
36-42 x 12 |
48 x 36 |
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June, July, |
16-48 x 12 |
70 x 40 |
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July, August, |
42 x 36 |
August, September, October |
80 x 24 |
Creamy-White. |
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July, August |
40 x 80 |
60 x 24 |
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December, January, |
18 x 30 |
40 x 20 |
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July, August, |
30 x 18 |
60 x 24 |
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June, July |
20 x 18 |
18 x 12 |
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July, August, |
24 x 24 |
July, August |
36 x 20 |
White. |
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July, August, |
30 x 24 |
32 x 24 |
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June, July |
72-96 x 24 |
36 x 16 |
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June, July |
72-96 x 24 |
40 x 16 |
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June, July |
72-96 x 24 |
July, August, September, October |
48 x 24 |
White. |
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June, July |
72-96 x 24 |
24 x 16 |
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June, July |
72-96 x 24 |
20-40 x 4-20 |
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June, July |
72 x 24 |
28 x 24 |
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June, July, |
4 x 20 |
July, August, September |
72 x 60 |
Pinkish-Lavender |
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June, July, |
16 x 12 |
60-100 x 40-60 |
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July |
24 x 230 |
20-40 x 20-40 |
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June, July, |
36 x 24 |
August, September, October |
24-40 x 24-40 |
Pale Pink. |
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August, September, |
36 x 24 |
40-60 x 20-40 |
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Pink - July, August or |
24 x 16 |
60 x 24 |
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July, August |
36 x 18 |
July, August, September |
60 x 24 |
Cream. |
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July, August |
25 x 16 |
August, September |
24 x 24 |
Yellowish-Brown. |
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May, June |
16 x 18 |
July, August, September |
60 x 18-24 |
Pink. |
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May, June |
30 x 12 |
September, October |
12-36 x 12-36 |
White. |
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June, July, August, September, October |
36 x 12 |
July, August, September, October |
4-20 x 4-20 |
Red and White. |
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July, August, |
28 x 16 |
September, October |
52 x 24 |
Mauve-Pink. |
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August, September, |
12 x 12 |
September, October |
60 x 16-24 |
Lilac-Blue. |
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July |
30 x 18 |
August, September |
12-18 x 8-12 |
Purple-Pink. |
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August, September |
8-12 x 10 |
45 x 78 |
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June |
20-24 x 12 |
September, October |
48 x 36 |
Purple-Red. |
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July |
24 x 18 |
August, September, October, November |
48-60 x 24 |
Pale Violet. |
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July, August |
39 x 24 |
24 x 16 |
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August, September |
48 x 24 |
B |
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June, July |
18-24 x 18 (45-60 x 45) |
40-60 x 20-40 |
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July, August |
24 x 18 |
C |
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July, August |
8-18 x 12 |
60 x 24 |
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June, July |
24 x 18 |
48 x 20 |
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B |
24-36 x 18-30 |
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April, May |
12-18 x 24 |
24 x 12 |
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April, May |
12-18 x 18 (30-45 x 45) |
June, July |
60-100 x 40-60 |
White. |
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June, July, August, |
24 x 18 |
20-40 x 4-20 |
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C |
24 x 24 |
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April |
9 x 12 |
August, September, October |
35 x 23 |
Opening Orange fades to Pink. |
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June, July, |
2 x 12 |
36 x 18 |
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June, July, |
36-48 x 24 |
June, July, August, September |
60 x 48 |
Purple. |
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June, July, |
24 x 24 |
D |
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July, August, September, |
36 x 24 |
May, June, July, August |
80 x 40 |
Creamy-Yellow-Green. |
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D |
E |
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July, August, September |
60 x 18 |
18-24 x 14 |
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Links to the other 22 Diascia Pages are in Alpine / Herbaceous Perennial Index D Page |
June, July, August, |
6 x 20 |
40 x 18 |
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May, June |
18 x 30 |
28 x 16 |
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May, June |
24-36 x 20 |
39 x 39 |
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E |
July, August |
18-48 x 24 |
Bright Blue. |
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July, August, September |
30-48 x 18 (75-120 x 45) |
40-60 x 20-40 |
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F |
12-60 x 24 |
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June |
6 x 6 |
White |
88 x 40 |
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G |
Eupatorium maculatum (Atropur-pureum Group) 'Riesen-schirm' |
July, August, September |
80 x 80 |
Pink-Purple. |
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August, September |
24 x 18 |
August, September, October |
60-100 x 20-40 |
Purplish-Pink. |
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June, July |
32 x 18 |
24 x 20 |
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June, July |
12 x 12 |
F |
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July, August, |
4 x 12 |
60-100 x 20-40 |
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July, August |
60 x 72 |
July, August |
72 x 18 |
Sulphur-Yellow. |
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H |
60 x 20 |
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September, October, |
60 x 18 |
G |
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August |
48 x 30 |
48 x 36 |
White. |
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August |
20 x 36 |
Deep Violet |
48 x 32 |
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July |
36 x 48 |
36 x 36 |
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K |
Geranium 'Rozanne' |
24 x 16 |
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September, October |
24 x 18 |
24 x 18 |
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July, August |
36 x 24 |
24 x 20 |
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September, October |
30 x 18 |
H |
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L |
July, August, September |
72 x 24 |
Yellow. |
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May, June, |
24 x 12 |
June, July, August |
36 x 24 |
Brick Orange Red. |
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April, May, |
12 x 18 |
38-51 x 16 |
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August, September, |
48 x 36 |
20-40 x 4-20 |
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June, July, |
3 x 6 |
72 x 24 |
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June, July |
12 x 12 |
20-40 x 4-20 |
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June, July, August, |
36 x 12 |
September, October |
96-120 x 12-36 |
Yellow rays and dark Brown disc. If it flowered in Sep-Oct, I missed taking their photos |
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April, May, |
48 x 24 |
80 x 48 |
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May, June |
12 x 18 |
80 x 18 |
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July, August |
36 x 24 |
23 x 30 |
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M |
20 x 40 |
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May, June, |
12 x 36 |
Yellow with |
30 x 24 |
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May, June, |
12 x 24 |
32 x 40 |
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P |
18 x 12 |
Cream. |
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June, July |
36 x 36 |
26 x 20 |
Pale Pink. |
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May, June |
36 x 36 |
I |
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June, July |
30 x 30 |
72 x 36 |
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May, June |
16 x 16 |
72 x 60 |
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Paeonia |
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23 x 18 |
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May, June |
6 x 4 |
Pinkish-blue |
J, K |
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May, June |
... |
Yellow, Purple, Red, Pink |
32 x 24 |
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May, June |
6 x 5 |
Pink |
40 x 20 |
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May, June |
6 x 3.5 |
Purple |
August, September |
120 x 48 |
Orange-red fades to yellow. |
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May, June |
6 x 3 |
Red |
June, July, August, September |
48 x 32 |
Lemon-Yellow. |
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May, June |
6 x 5 |
White |
July, August, September |
40 x 30 |
Light Scarlet fades to Yellow. |
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May, June |
6 x 3 |
Yellow |
June, July, August |
36 x 24 |
Orange top with Ivory-White bottom. |
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L |
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June, July, |
12 x 6 |
August, September, October, November |
60 x 40 |
White. |
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May, June, |
36 x 24 |
36 x 36 |
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May |
4-8 x 8 |
48 x 48 |
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S |
30 x 18 |
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September |
18 x 18 |
Lychnis coronaria 'Gardener's World' |
24 x 10-12 |
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D |
40 x 24 |
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May |
24-48 x 48 |
60 x 20 |
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36 x 18 |
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M |
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100 x 60 |
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June, July |
88 x 40 |
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June, July |
80 x 48 |
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June, July, August |
55 x 55 |
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June, July, August, September |
24 x 18 |
White. |
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July, August, September |
60 x 20 |
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June, July, August |
36 x 15 |
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N |
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June, July, August, September |
36 x 24 |
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June, July, August |
48 x 36 |
Lilac-Pink. |
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June, July, August, September |
24 x 20 |
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O |
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June, July, August, September |
18 x 24 |
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July, August, September, October |
18 x 18 |
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P |
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July, August, September |
70 x 24 |
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July, August, September |
70 x 24 |
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June, July, August, September |
40 x 30 |
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July, August, September, October |
48 x 48 |
Bright Red. |
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July, August, September, October, November |
18 x 18 |
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June, July, August, September |
50 x 60 |
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Persicaria amplex-icaulis taurus |
July, August, September, October |
40 x 28 |
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July, August, September |
20 x 40 |
White. |
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June, July, August |
80 x 40 |
Pale Yellow. |
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May, June, July, August, September |
36 x 30 |
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July, August |
40 x 24 |
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July, August, September |
30 x 20 |
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July, August, September |
30 x 30 |
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July, August, September |
36 x 24 |
Lilac. |
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July, August, September |
18 x 14 |
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July, August, September |
24 x 16 |
White. |
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July, August, September |
40 x 20 |
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Dear Mr C H Garnons-Williams, Tony Dickerson Horticultural Advisor Above email sent by the RHS on 13 September 2013 - plant label in Mixed Border bed still not changed by 23 November 2013. |
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July, August, September |
30 x 16 |
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July, August, September |
30 x 30 |
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July, August, September |
40 x 32 |
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July, August, September, October |
36 x 24 |
Red. |
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July, August, September |
24 x 24 |
Blue-Purple. |
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July, August, September |
36 x 12 |
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June, July, August, September |
24 x 18 |
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June, July, August |
16 x 12 |
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June, July, August |
16 x 12 |
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Q, R |
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August, September, October |
24 x 18 |
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June, July, August, September |
80 x 36 |
Yellow. |
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S |
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June, July, August |
30 x 24 |
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May, June, July, August, September |
18 x 18 |
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July, August, September, October |
24 x 20 |
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September, October |
20 x 16 |
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August, September |
40 x 20 |
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August, September, October |
12 x 12 |
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August, September, October, November |
18 x 18 |
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August, September |
18 x 18 |
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September, October, November |
24 x 18 |
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June, July, August |
32 x 24 |
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August, September, October |
60 x 32 |
Yellow. |
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June, July, August, September |
18 x 24 |
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June, July, August, September |
20 x 28 |
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August, September, October |
48 x 24 |
Violet-Blue. |
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June, July, August, September |
32 x 18 |
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T |
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June, July, August |
94 x 23 |
Lavender. |
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June, July, August |
59 x 23 |
Purple-Pink. |
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June, July |
48 x 48 |
Sulphur-Yellow. |
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June, July, August |
72 x 36 |
Purple-Pink or Lavender. |
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U, V |
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August, September, October |
60 x 18 |
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June, July, August, September, October |
24 x 16 |
Purple or Magenta. |
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June, July, August, September |
36 x 24 |
Pale Purple/ Lavend-erish Lilac. |
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June, July, August, September |
60 x 24 |
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July, August, September |
60 x 36 |
Pink Lavender/ Lilac. |
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July, August |
40 x 20 |
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July, August, September |
60 x 18 |
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June, July |
42 x 20 |
Lilac/ Pale Blue. |
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July, August, September |
60 x 26 |
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W, XYZ |
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May, June, July |
18 x 14 |
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Site design and content of this table copyright ©July 2009. Page structure amended December 2012. Colour Wheel clarified January 2013. Feet changed to inches (cms) July 2015. Herbaceous Perennial Menu Table changed and Index Pages added June 2017. Chris Garnons-Williams. Site design and content for Mixed Border Herbaceous Gallery copyright ©March 2013. Chris Garnons-Williams. DISCLAIMER: Links to external sites are provided as a courtesy to visitors. Ivydene Horticultural Services are not responsible for the content and/or quality of external web sites linked from this site. |
Ivydene Gardens Herbaceous Perennial Flower Shape Gallery: |
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HERBACEOUS PERENNIAL FLOWER SHAPE AND OTHER DETAILS- |
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Number of Flower Petals |
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Flower Shape - Simple |
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Flower Shape - Elabor-ated |
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Natural Arrange-ments |
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Herbaceous Perennial Name Index The respective flower colour and thumbnail, months of flowering, form, height and width, foliage colour and thumbnail, use and comments are in the relevant index page Evergreen Perennial Name Index |
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UK Peony Index :- |
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Perennials & Ephemerals chapter of Plants for Dry Gardens by Jane Taylor. Published by Frances Lincoln Limited in 1993. ISBN 0-7112-0772-0 for plants that are drought tolerant. |
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Rock |
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Perennials for Ground Covering in Shade and 3 |
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Colour All The Year in My Garden by C.H. Middleton. Published by Ward, Lock & Co. for culture. Perennials The Gardener's Reference by Susan Carter, Carrie Becker and Bob Lilly. Published by Timber Press in 2007 for plants for Special Gardens. It also gives details of species and cultivars for each genus. |
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Herbaceous Perennial Form |
Prostrate or Trailing |
Cushion or Mound-forming |
Spreading or Creeping |
Stemless. Sword-shaped Leaves |
Erect or Upright |
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Herbaceous Perennial Use |
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Back of Border, Alley, and Too Tall for Words Special Garden |
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Herbaceous Perennial in Soil |
Clay + |
Peat + |
Any + |
+ Herbac-eous Perennials in Pages in Plants |
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Peony Use |
Copied from Ivydene Gardens Mixed Borders in RHS Garden at Wisley Garden Design: |
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This section details what I consider as errors in design carried out by the staff at the RHS garden in Wisley:-
Mixing all the primary colours together for the flower colours used in many of the 71 parts of these Mixed Borders This mixture provides a foliage and flower foil against which these other permanent herbaceous perennials can provide new growth from the ground each year, with the different colours of foliage from juvenile to mature to dying off in the autumn and then an easy maintenance during the months of December-March for removing most of the growth above ground and replacing the plant supports to provide a neat bed in a series of large ground areas. The bedding plants - see Bedding Annual Plant Index and Un-labelled Bedding Annual Plant Index pages - provide the icing on the cake at different flowering time periods between May and November to enhance the overall flower colour scheme. The new bedding each year can provide opportunities to vary the look of these beds. It was disapointing that I did not see the flowers during 2013 of more than 25% of these Permanent Herbaceous Perennial Plants - possible reasons shown in Lost Flowers Page with 'Walkabout' Plants and 'Stateless' Plants Page. A table for each month - May, June, July, August, September, October, November - shows the flower photos for each of the 71 parts of the Mixed Borders split into Blue, Orange, Pink, Red, Unusual Colour, White, or Yellow for all the plants. Besides that, you can see from the table below that Red and Pink with Unusual Flower Colours seem to be predominant as flower colours and that these are spread throughout the beds.
I have added the BEDding (started January 2014 - completed March 2014) and then the OTHer Permanent Plants (started March 2014 - completed May 2014) to the table below to show the flower colour planting scheme of the Bedding and the Other Permanent Plants and then its combination.
If I had produced this planting design with its mixture of flower colours in almost every part - or maintained these beds in this way - in 2013, I would be deeply ashamed. As a nation of gardeners in Britain; the Royal Horticultural Society being at its pinnacle, with the tradition of excellence by our previous head gardeners and their staff during the Victorian era, I had thought that the staff at the RHS Garden at Wisley would not need a lecture.
Another Possible Solution for lack of coordinated Flower Colour Scheme If you want the garden to be restful to the eye, then you can provide a colour scheme using the harmony of adjacent colours. If you prefer to shock the visitor, then use the contrast of opposite colours, but I am not favourable of the above partial use of the harmony of triads as shown by the Colour Wheel Page of Garden Design.
Very Poor Plant Labelling After reviewing the situation that 102 plants were missing their identity when in flower in 2013 out of 348 (29.31% of the plants) in 768 square metres of Mixed Borders garden beds:-
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