Plant types

Planting in a garden is made up of a number of different types of plants each seving a different purpose

At a basic level, gardens are composed of trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, groundcover plants and climbers. These make up the basic framework of a planting scheme. Dividing these groups further however paints a more detailed picture of these components.

Trees

Shrubs

Perennials

Annuals and biennials

Aquatic plants

Groundcover plants

Alpines

Climbers

Bulbs

Ferns

Heathers

Succulents

Grasses

Hedging plants

Trees

Trees are divided into two categories, broadleaved and confierous. Broadleaved trees have flat wide leaves whereas conifers have spine-like needles.

These are subdivided into evergreen and deciduous. Evergreens hold their leaves throughout the year whilst deciduous trees lose their leaves in the winter.

Trees can be used as jumping off points for planting and in some cases dictate which plants will be happy in the garden. Understanding the different types and their habit will make for more accurate gardening.

Types of trees

Evergreen

Deciduous

Small

Fruiting

Container trees

Evergreens

Quercus ilex (Holm oak) is one of the few broadleaved evergreen trees.

As the name suggests, evergreen trees hold their leaves all year round. These are mostly coniferous but some broadleaved species do not drop their leaves over the winter dormancy period.

Deciduous

Alnus glutinosa (Alder) sheds leaves in winter but gives animate displays of catkins through the winter.

These are the trees that do shed their leaves in the autumn and remain bare until spring. This contains a large number of species and is generally the case for many trees in the garden.

Although leafless some deciduous trees can provide winter interest through distinctive bark, colourful catkins and bold autumn colours.

Broadleaved trees

Aesculus hippocastanum (horse chesnut)

These have flat wide leaves and produce seeds within fruits. Many are deciduous but some are evergreen.

Coniferous trees

Scot’s pine is the only true UK native conifer and can be ideal on exposed sites.

Conifers, unlike broadleaved trees are more commonly evergreen. Their spine-like needle clad branches provide strong structure over the winter months.

Fruiting trees

Malus offers both flower and fruit making for great wildlife friendly choice

Fruiting trees are loved for both their productive fruit bearing characteristics but also their beautiful floral blooms. Generally smaller in stature but without loss to their sense of presence, fruit trees add an animated and interactive element to a garden whilst attracting birds and insects into the space and can be a great focal point.

Small trees

Amelanchier lamarckii is a small ornamental tree with a delicate branch structure and attractive spring blossoms.

Smaller ornamental species are often selected for their elegant branch structure and compact size. Fruiting trees are generally small but many ornamental species too grow no taller than a few metres.

Container trees

Trees and shrubs grown in pots can add another element to a space. Although moveable container grown trees somehow seem to add a sense of longevity and maturity but can easily become unattractive if poorly maintained or over-used. Pots are a perfect way to bring nature closer to the house or into paved areas where planting is not an option but also for framing viewpoints and vistas or marking boundaries and entrances into or out of spaces.

Shrubs

In a garden setting, trees form the first framework of a planting layout. This is supported by the shrub layer, an important tertiary level of bold semi-permanent structure that acts as the backbone of the garden.

Shrubs come in a vast array of different foliage, flower, shape and size. Every space benefits from a shrub layer and there is an appropriate shrub for every location and are great for attracting wildlife into the garden.

Whilst many of the trees listed earlier can be found in shrub forms, a greater number of small statured woody plants also make up the shrub category. Like the trees, some can be deciduous and some evergreen. They can be used to provide structure within a planting layout as free standing shrubs but also as hedging.

Types of shrubs

Border shrubs

Groundcover

Wall shrubs

Evergreen shubs

Winter-interest

Spring-interest

Summer flowering

Autumn colour

Border shrubs

Semi-formal foliage shrubs like these fastigiate yews can be used to punctuate a border whilst bold dome shaped shrubs behind add perspective and make a strong backdrop and boundary.

Shrubs bring structure and strength to a border. They can break up a planting space whilst reinforcing the surrounding planting, especially during the winter months when other plants may be dormant. When well-placed they can help make a border appear larger and can be useful for screening or providing shelter for more tender plants.

Generally shrubs can be found in round globe shapes but the use of tall fastiagate (branches near parallel to main stem) varieties can punctuate a bed with great effect through repeating spire forms.

Ground cover shrubs

Juniperus horizontalis has a low sprawling habit and forms interesting shapes with its distinctive angular foliage.

Low growing carpet-forming shrubs such as heathers can be a great way to cover vacant growing space. Sometimes a low height plant is needed, perhaps at the front of the border where it is important other plants are not screened out.

Wall shrubs

This Pyracantha has been trained along a wire network to the ‘belgian fence’ style.

Climbing shrubs can dress up drab walls and extend available planting space. These are great for wildlife and softening hard landscape elements but can become problematic if left unmaintained. Some will climb and cover a wall where others may need supports and training thorugh the use of wiring and specific pruning techniques.

Evergreen shrubs

Hebe rakaiensis is a dome-forming evergreen shrub with white blooms of many small flowers.

These shrubs hold their foliage all year round making them garden essentials over winter and perfect hedging and topiary plants. Although these plants are selected primarily for their foliage many provide floral displays annually too. Popular examples include Camellias, yew and holly.

Winter interest

Cornus sangiuinea ‘midwinter fire’ is relatively unremarkable during the growing season but delivers bold dispays of colourful stems when its leaves are lost in the winter months.

Apart from foliage, many shrubs offer various visual interest through different features. Some may be winter flowering, a rare but important characteristic especially in a bio-diversity oriented garden as these plants can provide nectar and pollen for polinators when others cannot. Most however give interest through brightly coloured stems, with distinctive bark patterns or decorative weeping catkins.

Spring interest

Camellia japonica are perhaps the earliest flowering shrubs providing rosette flowers in late winter/ early spring.

Spring is perhaps the most exciting time of year for horticulture. After many months of dormancy the increase in temperature triggers a race between plants to attract those early pollinators to ensure their best chance of reproduction. Shrubs are quick off the mark thanks to their existing woody outer stems and are some of the earliest flowering plants of the season, making them perfect for bringing early colour into the garden.

Summer flowering

Hydrangeas are a hugely popular summer flowering shrub commonly used in and amongst perennial planting beds.

Although shrubs may be primarily selected to bring structure to a garden in the winter they can also benefit a space in the summer through floral blooms and interesting foliage in the summer. Whilst the summer brings many flowers and full crowded borders summer shrubs can be great colourful backdrops supporting your planting or free-standing feature plants as a focal point.

Autumn colour

Euonymus alatus has no winter interest and does not provide structure but earns its keep through this intense autumn colour before losing its leaves.

The lifecycle of a deciduous plant involves the dying and falling of foliage before the winter months, usually involving a dramatic colour change of the leaves before they drop. Whilst this is short lived and fleeting, shrubs with strong autumn colour celebrate the closing of the growing season as the plants ready themselves for the dormant months. Autumn interest can also be in the form of late flowers and berries, in wildlife oriented gardens this is is a great way to extend the provision of resources to local wildlife.

GardenWild favourites

Although we seldom use shrubs in planting plans they are often requested by clients and are necessary in various circumstances. The following are some of the preferred shrubs more likely to be chosen at the nursery:

Perennials

Left to right: Echinops, Agastache, Eupitorium with Calamagrostis brachytricha behind.

The name, perennial, refers to the lasting nature of a plant. Where annual plants lifecycle is contained within a 12 month cycle and biennial within 24 months, perennials have a life cycle that is longer than 2 years. Although technically trees and shrubs are obviously pernennial too, the term is used to distinguish non-woody plants from trees and shrubs.

Perennials grow in the spring and bloom in the summer, following this flowerheads turn to seed which are dispersed before dying back over winter. Despite the term ‘dying back’ suggests and the appearance, the plant itself does continue to live on below ground within its rootstock in a dormant state for the winter period. These are refered to as herbaceous perennials. Some perennials however do not die back and retain their foliage and stems throughout the year, these are evergreen perennials, sometimes refered to as ‘subshrubs’.

Although grasses too are technically perennials these will be listed seperately as they do not bear foliage and flower like the other perennials and are used very differently in a garden setting.

GardenWild favourite perennials

Perennial planting is our speciality, our favourite and our not-so-secret weapon. Pinning down the favourite species is not so simple as this changes somewhat year-to-year but some of our most commonly used plants are as follows:

Grasses

As previously mentioned grasses are perennials but unlike all other perennials, they rely on the wind to polinate rather than pollinators meaning they produce loose seeds atop raised stems instead of showy flowers. Subsequently the form and life-cycle are unique when compared to other perennial plants.

In a design sense they are used very differently to most perennials and serve a different purpose. Grasses bring movement into a space and an etheral sense. They can bring height or groundcover, used as individuals or block planted en masse.

GardenWild favourite grasses

Grasses are staple in a new perennial style border and are generally favoured in contemporary planting plans. We use them frequently, the following are the preferred choices.

Bulbs

Seasonal bulbs are invisible most of the year but provide a very important role, particularly during the winter when flowers are scarce. They bring an element of transience and are indicitive of the current season. They are always a welcome sight afer the long winter months without flower or growth.

Climbers

Chosing a climbing plant can be sensitive business. Whilst it is reasonable to think any climber will improve any wall it is important that the right species is selected in order to ensure its success and to maximise its success. Climbers can benefit not only walls but can be trained along wires, up a pergola, trellis or free-standing obelisk or even a tree trunk.

When growing a climber up a weaker structure it is important to consider the growing habit and ultimate spread as vigourous plants can cause damage if left to unchecked for many years.

Sun-loving perennials

Partial-shade perennials

Shade-loving perennials