Plants for dry shade, waterlogged soil and burgalr proof plants

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Plants for Special Situations

Name	Notes and varieties	category
	Burglar Proof Plants
*Berberis* *Barberry*	*B. darwinii* is a real star, smothered in dark orange flowers in mid to late spring with sometimes a further show in the autumn, evergreen, particularly good for hedges, to 10ft high and wide. *B. stenophylla* is similar with some varieties such as "Claret cascade" giving red tinged orange flowers. *B. thunbergii* is a good deciduous form that comes in a variety of leaf colors from the vibrant yellow young foliage of "Aurea" (to 6ft x 6ft) to the speckled rose and purple forms such as "Rose Glow" and "Atropurpurea" the last one has fiery red autumn foliage. Flowers of red, pink or white depending on variety. Best in sun especially for foliage color and flowers, will tolerate some shade.	Shrub, burglar proof,
*Pyracantha*	One of the most useful garden shrubs, evergreen, tough and resilient to most things (though fireblight disease can be a problem as can woolly aphids to a lesser degree) and usually unfussy about situation and soil. They can be pruned pretty hard and made to grow in the directions we want without sulking, they're evergreen, produce loads of white flowers in the spring and thousands of brightly colored long lasting berries in the autumn of shades from red through orange to yellow. They also have lots of long, sharp and strong thorns. You won't really have difficulties with any, just make sure that the one you buy fits your requirements, read the label carefully. The red berried varieties seem to be rather more shade tolerant.	Shrub, burglar proof,
	Plants for Dry Shade
*Aucuba japonica* *spotted laurel*	Evergreen shrub, with glossy leaves to 8" long spotted yellow. Plants are either male or female, females have bright red berries in autumn. Tolerant of quite deep shade and indeed requires some shade to be really happy. Will grow in difficult situations and tolerant of dry soil. To about 10ft high and wide but easily controlled. Frequently sold as three or four rooted cuttings in a pot, separate them and you instantly have more plants!	Shrub, dry shade
*Iris foetidissima* *Stinking gladwyn*	A member of the iris family, though the flowers are easily overlooked. It produces almost glowingly bright orange seeds in large numbers that shine in the autumn when the pods split open, and it is very tolerant of dry shade.	Perennial, dry shade
*Lamium* *cultivated dead-nettles*	Difficult to give recommendations, because difficult conditions often make good looking plants appear weedy, the best bet is to try one and see if still looks good when up against the odds. The darker the green of the plant, the more chlorophyll and so the more likely it is to withstand shade, don't bother trying the almost completely white types.	Perennial, dry shade
*Mentha* *Mint*	As in the herb. Mint is a notoriously vigorous plant and if it didn't have its flavour as a saving grace, I'm sure that it would be considered as a weed. This vigour makes it an ideal plant for difficult conditions which also serve to calm it down somewhat. Pink to purple flowers that the bees love and flavouring for new potatoes and lamb chops.	Perennial, dry shade
*Vinca major* *Periwinkle*	Variegated ground cover plant with blue spring / summer flowers. To about 20" tall, spread indefinite, roots as it goes. Very tough once established, and tolerates sun or shade. Vinca minor is equally unfazed by novice gardeners or shade, will confine itself to about 8" and a much reduced spread.	Perennial / shrub, dry shade
*Wild Strawberry*	The leaves are a fresh green and the plants produce tiny white flowers and tiny strawberries. Don't think that these will get you through Wimbledon week in traditional style however, difficult conditions mean that there's little energy to spare for such fripperies. Wild strawberries also have the advantage that they root as they go by runners so they find their own preferred place if you plant them a bit too close (or even too far away) to the gruesome places.	Perennial, dry shade
	Plants for Waterlogged soil
*Carex* *sedges*	One that I do know that works is Carex buchananii - red fox sedge. Brown / orange leaves growing up like a fire-work coming out of the ground to about 18" and then tapering away to an indefinite curly tip. Tolerates the wettest of soils. They work very well contrasted against green leaves, gravel or boulders.	Perennial - grass like, waterlogged soil
*Cornus varieties* *Dogwoods*	One of the best shrubs for waterlogged areas for most gardens. Dogwoods are often grown for their winter stem color which is red or yellow. There are also varieties with attractive variegated leaves. Unfortunately the best ones for stem color have ordinary green leaves and the best ones for leaf color have duller stem color, so you pays your money and takes your choice. White flowers in spring as a bonus. Tolerate the wettest soils. For leaf color; Cornus alba "Elegantissima", white margined leaves, C. alba "Gouchaultii" pink flushed yellow margined leaves, C. alba "Spaethii", broadly yellow margined leaves. For stem color; C. alba "Sibirica", plain green leaves, bright red winter shoots, good autumn leaf color. C. stolonifera "flaviramea", bright yellow-green winter shoots.	Shrub / small tree, waterlogged soil
*Lonicera* *Honeysuckle*	I don't know of any really wet-tolerant climbers, but have had honeysuckles survive in some pretty awful situations. If the soil smells don't plant one. If in doubt then take cuttings and try planting one of these rather than buying a big healthy plant in a 2-3L pot which you may then watch die.	Climber, waterlogged soil
*Populus* *Poplars*	Only for the largest of gardens, these need to be about 40m (130ft) from any buildings to prevent damage, and they're all large trees anyway. If you've the space P.alba, white poplar 70-130ft high and to 50ft wide, is attractive with white undersides to the leaves.	Tree, waterlogged soil
*Pyracantha* *Firethorn*	Good old Pyracantha, one of the most useful shrubs in the garden and can be quite stunning in the autumn when heavily laden with berries. Withstands a fair amount of wetness, but less than most on this page.	Shrub, waterlogged soil
*Salix* *Willows*	Most species enjoy wet conditions, but CAUTION, many of them grow into large trees and are one of the worst culprits for causing housing subsidence through their root spread. Don't plant the large types unless you have a very large garden, and then plant well away (40m, 130ft) from buildings. All have decorative catkins in the spring and many have leaves lighter in color underneath that "shimmer" when blown about by the wind. Smaller safer versions are S. caprea "pendula", Kilmarnock willow, Height and spread about 5-6ft, S. helvetica, Swiss willow about 2ft high and wide, often grafted onto a stem 4ft high. Note that these are both grafted onto rootstocks which may produce suckers that should be removed otherwise the whole plant will revert to the rootstock variety and outgrow the graft.	Tree, waterlogged soil
*Tamarix ramosissima* *Tamarisk*	Withstands a fairly high degree of wetness, but don't bother if the planting hole fills with water as you're digging it. Graceful shrub to small tree, wispy frothy pink flowers produced in summer. Height and spread to 15ft.	Shrub, waterlogged soil