Ajuga reptans 'Atropurpurea'
bugle
- Position: full sun or partial shade
- Soil: any moist, well-drained soil
- Rate of growth: fast-growing
- Flowering period: April to June
- Hardiness: fully hardy
As it soon knits together to form an evergreen carpet, bugle makes an excellent groundcover and is particularly useful for planting at the front of a shady border. This form has attractive, bronze-purple foliage, which is topped with small, densely packed upright spires of deep blue flowers in spring. It will tolerate sun or shade and even poor soils, provided there is adequate moisture. - Garden care: To rejuvenate and minimise congestion, lift and divide clumps in late autumn or early spring every two years.
Tiarella cordifolia
foam flower
Bronze autumn foliage
£7.99
2 litre pot
within 2-3 days excludes weekends
Bergenia 'Overture'
elephant's ears
Magenta-red flowers and huge, evergreen leaves
£8.99
2 litre pot
within 2-3 days excludes weekends
Dryopteris erythrosora
buckler fern
Desirable fern for partial shade
£9.99
2 litre pot
within 2 weeks
Asarum europaeum
wild ginger
Lustrous foliage for a shady corner
£7.99
1.5 litre pot
available to order from late summer 2013
Pulmonaria 'Blue Ensign'
lungwort
Bright blue flowers
£7.49
9cm pot
available to order from autumn 2013
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Displaying questions 1-5
Q:
Plants to replace a lawn
Dear Sir I have a small lawn at the front of my garden and want to use plants other than grass. Can you give me some ideas of plants that could give a low effect of green or some planting scheme that would look ok ? RichardAsked on 1/19/2010 by richard wood1 answer
A:
Hello Richard, There are loads of things that you could plant in this area - here are some of the best. Pachysandra http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/shrubs/prices-that-have-been-pruned/pachysandra-terminalis-/classid.3288/ Lamium http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/perennials/lamium-maculatum-beacon-silver/classid.3133/ Cotoneaster dammeri http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/shrubs/cotoneaster-dammeri-/classid.1021/ Cotoneaster horizontalis http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/shrubs/cotoneaster-horizontalis-/classid.1028/ Ajuga http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.ajuga/ Vinca http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.vinca/ Liriope http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/perennials/liriope-muscari-/classid.3173/ Bergenia http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.bergenia/ Heuchera http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.heuchera/ Calluna http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.calluna/ Geranium http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/perennials/mediterranean-plants/geranium-sanguineum-var.-striatum/classid.2000007127/ I hope this gives you a few ideas, Helen Plant DoctorAnswered on 1/20/2010 by Crocus Helpdesk
Q:
Dwarf Hydrangeas
Hello I was just wondering if there is such a thing as 'Dwarf' Hydrangeas? If so, are they available in different colours, and how high do they grow? We have a curved walled bed that is about 30' long, and we would like put in some colourful flowering but dwarf plants (about 6-10" high), that require little or no maintenance. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Kind regards RahmeAsked on 8/16/2009 by Tim and Rahme1 answer
A:
Hello Rahme, I'm afraid there are no Hydrangeas that will stay that small, and most newly planted things will need some maintenance. Having said that here are a couple of plants which might be worth considering Erica http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/shrubs/heathers/erica-%C3%97-darleyensis-j.w.-porter/classid.567/ Erica http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/shrubs/heathers/erica-carnea-whitehall/classid.539/ Bergenia http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.bergenia/ Vinca http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.vinca/ Ajuga http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.ajuga/ I hope this gives you a few ideas. Helen Plant DoctorAnswered on 8/17/2009 by Crocus Helpdesk
Q:
What plants for a neglected patch?
Hello, We are trying to improve a rather nasty mud patch in our garden. It is in the shade and the soil is very, very dry - we have had to use a pick axe to turn it over. My question is what types of plants would be suitable for this terrain? Kind Regards, MarkAsked on 6/24/2009 by Mark Siddle1 answer
A:
Hello Mark, All plants will need a degree of comfort, so the best thing to do would be to improve the soil by digging in as much organic matter as you can. Once you have done this you can plant tough, low maintenance things like Ajuga, Alchemilla mollia, Aucuba japonica, Berberis, Bergenia, Euonymus fortunei, Lamium, Sarcococca, Skimmia, Viburnum davidii or Vincas. It will be very important though that these are kept really well watered for at least the first year until they have had a chance to become established. I hope this helps. Helen Plant DoctorAnswered on 6/26/2009 by Crocus Helpdesk
Q:
What low-growing evergreen would you suggest?
Please help! Can you suggest a very low growing plant to cover a 1 metre long area alongside a lawn. It needs to be able to cope with fairly dry sunny conditions and be attractive all the time so nice leaves or similar.Asked on 6/30/2006 by Lesley Levy1 answer
A:
We do have some plants that may be suitable for the area you have described. Below are a few of my suggestions, but you can find many more on our site using our plant search facility. Ajuga http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/results/?q=ajuga Festuca glauca Elijah Blue http://www.crocus.co.uk/findplant/selectionresults/?ContentType=Plant_Card&ClassID=1993&CategoryID= Calluna vulgaris Dark Star http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/heathers/calluna-vulgaris-dark-star/classid.464/ Stachys byzantina Silver Carpet http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/perennials/mediterranean-plants/stachys-byzantina-silver-carpet/classid.3621/ Thymus pseudolanuginosus http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/herbs/prices-that-have-been-pruned/thymus-pseudolanuginosus-/classid.2000007112/ Bergenia http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.bergenia/?s=bergeniaAnswered on 7/3/2006 by Crocus
Q:
What trailing plants would you suggest?
I have just had my sloping garden landscaped and now have a great many retaining walls which need softening with planting. Some walls have paths below them so I cannot plant climbing plants. Could you please suggest some plants which would trail down from a higher planting position?Asked on 11/24/2004 by Clive Zietman1 answer
A:
Below is a list of plants that should grow well on a sunny slope. Before planting dig in loads of composted farmyard manure to help increase the water holding capacity of the soil. Back breaking work but worth it in the long run.SHRUBS 'Cotoneaster dammeri' http://www.crocus.co.uk/findplant/results/?ContentType=Plant_Card&ClassID=1021&CategoryID= 'Hebe pinguifolia Pagei' http://www.crocus.co.uk/findplant/results/?ContentType=Plant_Card&ClassID=3935&CategoryID= 'Rosa Pink Flower Carpet' http://www.crocus.co.uk/findplant/results/?ContentType=Plant_Card&ClassID=2325&CategoryID= 'Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. repens' http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/shrubs/ceanothus-thyrsiflorus-var.-repens/classid.727/ PERENNIALS 'Alchemilla mollis' http://www.crocus.co.uk/findplant/results/?ContentType=Plant_Card&ClassID=233&CategoryID= Ajuga http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.ajuga/?s=ajuga 'Geranium macrorrhizum White Ness' http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/geranium-macrorrhizum-white-ness/classid.2000015973/ 'Origanum vulgare Aureum' http://www.crocus.co.uk/findplant/results/?ContentType=Plant_Card&ClassID=3282&CategoryID= 'Thymus pseudolanuginosus' http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/herbs/prices-that-have-been-pruned/thymus-pseudolanuginosus-/classid.2000007112/ Vincahttp://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.vinca/?s=vincaAnswered on 11/25/2004 by Crocus
Displaying questions 1-5
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Bright-blue flowers glow against shiny ruby-red rosettes of foliage in this gentle, low ground cover plant
Val Bourne - Garden Writer