Plants for Chalky Soils

Site Map Links Case Studies Companion Planting Garden Construction Garden Design Garden Maintenance Glossary Home Library Offbeat Glossary Plants* Soil Tool Shed Useful Data Site Map Links of Plant Photographic Galleries Aquatic Bamboo Bedding Bulb Climber Colour Wheel Conifer Deciduous Shrub Deciduous Tree Evergreen Perennial Evergreen Shrub Evergreen Tree Fern Grass Hedging Herbaceous Perennial Herb Odds and Sods Rhododendron Rose Soft Fruit Top Fruit Vegetable Wild Flower Introduction Page Links of Wildlife on Plant Photographic Galleries Ant Beetle Bird Butterfly Dragonfly, DamselFly Earwig, Cockroach Grasshopper, Cricket Harvestmen Minibeasts More 2-Winged Fly More 4-Winged Fly Moth Pest Plant Galls Pond Animal Soil Animal True Bug Two-Winged Fly Wasp, Bee Webless Spiders Web-Making Spiders PLANTS Plants Introduction Site Map . PLANTS FOR SOIL Soil type, Sun aspect, Moisture Tree Growth Shape Shrub/Perennial Growth Habit Plants for Any Soil Plants for Chalky Soil* Other Plants for Chalky Soil Plants for Clay Soil Other Plants for Clay Soils Plants for Lime-Free Soil Plants for Light Sandy Soil Plants for Peaty Soils . GARDEN USE Aquatic Back of Border Bedding Bog Garden Coastal Conditions Containers in Garden Crevice Garden Desert Garden Finely Cut Leaves Front of Border Hanging Basket Hedge Large Leaves Other Pollution Barrier Raised Bed Rest of Border Rock Garden Scree Bed Specimen Plant Sword-shaped Leaves Thorny Hedge Trees for Lawns Windbreak Wildflower Woodland . PLANT USE Aromatic Foliage Attracts Bird/Butterfly Bee Pollinated Plants Groundcover Poisonous Plants Rabbit-Resistant Plant Flower Arranging . PLANT TYPE Alpine Annual Bamboo Biennial Bulb Climber Conifer Deciduous Rhizome Deciduous Shrub Evergreen Perennial Evergreen Shrub Fern Fruit Plant Grass Herb Herbaceous Perennial Remaining Top Fruit Soft Fruit Sub-Shrub Top Fruit Tree Tuber Vegetable		Ivydene Gardens Plants: Plants for Chalky Soils List Soil over chalk and limestone is almost invariably alkaline (Limy). It is usually fairly fertile, but can be shallow and consequently dries out quickly. In such cases, use drought-tolerant plants, such as ones that grow in dry soil conditions (see plants in the Dry section of the Moisture column of the soil type, aspect and moisture list page). Chalk and Limestone Gardening by Sarah Coles (ISBN 1 86126 738 X) shows how to improve the soil and which plants flourish on alkaline soils - chalk and clay. Action to assist in Chalk soil maintenance:- Mulch the beds with a 4 inch (100mm) deep layer of Spent Mushroom Compost to improve fertility and drainage; preferably in the Autumn in between the existing plants, and top it up each year after that. This will stop the chalk soil from drying out through the action of sun and wind on its surface, and to provide chalk and carbon to aid in soil formation and fertility. If starting a new lawn or bed, rotovate the wet chalk soil, add the 4 inch layer of Spent Mushroom Compost mulch and rotavate that in. Heel and rake the ground for a new turf (or to be seeded) lawn, before laying or seeding it. Insert plants in new bed, before installing the irrigation system and then applying a 4 inch layer of this mulch on top of it. Mow the existing lawn closely before spreading a 1/4 inch (6mm) deep layer of any sand (Kiln dried Top Dressing is easier to spread, both available from Gardenscape in small bags or in 1 tonne bags) over it, starting in late April. Repeat this each month until July for one season. This will improve the fertility of the lawn by providing silica in the form of sand (See What is Soil Texture Page in the Soil Section for further details). Spreading the same depth of sand on the flower/vegetable beds at the same time would also be beneficial. Chalky Soil is Alkaline on the pH scale. The garden use list is sorted in the following table under the following height of plant range:- Below 2 feet in height Between 2 and 6 feet in height Above 6 feet in height		Ivydene Horticultural Services As an Organic Gardener, I design, construct and maintain private gardens. I can also advise and teach you in your own garden. 01634 389 677 chris@ivydenegardens.co.uk Site design and content copyright ©December 2006 Chris Garnons-Williams.
				FOLIAGE COLOUR Other than Green Foliage . FLOWER COLOUR Blue Flowers Orange Flowers Other Colour Flowers Red Flowers White Flowers Yellow Flowers . PRUNING Pruning Plants . PLANT DETAIL Plant Name - A Plant Name - B Plant Name - C Plant Name - D Plant Name - E Plant Name - F Plant Name - G Plant Name - H Plant Name - I Plant Name - J Plant Name - K Plant Name - L Plant Name - M Plant Name - N Plant Name - O Plant Name - P Plant Name - Q Plant Name - R Plant Name - S Plant Name - T Plant Name - U Plant Name - V Plant Name - W Plant Name - XYZ

Height in feet	Garden Use:- Plants for Chalky Soil		Plant Name in Alkaline Soil Plant below 2 feet in Height	Plant Type
1 x 1 0.5 x indefinite 0.5 x 1.5 0.5 x 1.5 0.7 x 1 0.5 x 0.5 0.5 x 0.5 0.5 x 0.5 0.5 x 0.5 0.3 x 1 0.2 x 1.5 1.5 x 1.5 1 x 3 1.5 x 1.5 1.5 x 1.5 0.5 x 1.5 1 x 0.5 1.25 x 1 1.3 x 3 0.8 x 1.5 1.5 x 1.5 0.2 x 2 0.7 x 1 1.5 x 1.5 1.5 x 2 2 x 1.5			Adiantum pedatum Adiantum venustum Alyssum montanum 'Mountain Gold' Alyssum wulfenianum Anemone apennina Anemone blanda 'Atrocaerulea' Anemone blanda 'Radar' Anemone blanda 'Violet Star' Anemone coronaria Anemone nemorosa Anemone ranunculoides Anemone sylvestris Anthemis punctata cupaniana Aquilegia alpina Aquilegia 'Crimson Star' Arabis caucasica 'Variegata' Arum italicum 'Marmoratum' Arundinaria fortunei (Pleioblastus auricomus) Arundinaria pygmae (Pleioblastus pygmaeus) Aster alpinus Aster amellus 'King George' Aubretia x cultorum 'Argeneovariegata' Aurinia saxatilis 'Citrinia' Berberis thunbergeii 'Bagatelle' Brunnera macrophylla 'Dawson's White' Buphthalmum salicifolium	Evergreen Fern Evergreen Fern Evergreen Perennial Evergreen Perennial Deciduous Rhizome Deciduous Tuber Deciduous Tuber Deciduous Tuber Deciduous Tuber Herbaceous Perennial Deciduous Rhizome Herbaceous Perennial Evergreen Perennial Herbaceous Perennial Herbaceous Perennial Evergreen Alpine Deciduous Tuber Bamboo Bamboo Herbaceous Alpine Herbaceous Perennial Evergreen Alpine Evergreen Alpine Deciduous Shrub Deciduous Rhizome Herbaceous Perennial

Height in feet	Garden Use:- Plants for Chalky Soil		Plant Name in Alkaline Soil Plant between 2-6 feet in Height	Plant Type
5 x 6 6 x 10 6 x 6 5 x 3 4 x 2 2 x 1.3 5 x 2 2.5 x 1 3 x 1 3 x 2 2 x 1.6 5 x 5 2 x 2 2.5 x 1.5 2 x 1.5 5 x 5 5 x 4 3 x 10 5 x 4 5 x 2 5 x 5 2.5 x 3 3 x 5 5 x 6 4 x 4 4 x 5 5 x 6 2 x 2.5 4 x 2.5 6 x 4 2 x 4 3 x 1 3 x 6 5 x 6 3 x 6 6 x 8 2.5 x 5 5 x 5 3 x 5			Abelia grandiflora 'Francis Mason' Abelia schumannii Abutilon megapotamicum Acanthus mollis Anchusa azurea Anemone hupehensis Anemone japonica 'Honorine Jobert' Anemone rivularis Antirrhinum majus Aquilegia chrysantha Aquilegia vulgaris 'Nora Barlow' Arundinaria auricoma(Pleioblastus auricomus) Asplenium scolopendrium Aster x frikartii 'Monch' Astrantia major Aucuba japonica Aucuba japonica 'Crotonofolia' Aucuba japonica 'Rozannie' Aucuba japonica 'Variegata' Baptisia australis Berberis 'Chenaultii' Berberis calliantha Berberis wilsoniae Berberis x bristolensis Berberis x frikartii 'Amstelveen' Berberis x frikartii 'Telstar' Berberis x interposita 'Wallich's Purple' Berberis thunbergeii 'Atropurpurea Nana' Berberis thunbergeii 'Helmond Pillar' Berberis thunbergeii 'Red Chief' Betula nana Borago officinalis Brachyglottis compacta Brachyglottis 'Dunedin Hybrids' Brachyglottis monroi Bupleurum fruticosum Buxus microphylla Buxus sempervirens 'Elegantissima' Buxus sempervirens 'Suffruticosa'	Evergreen Shrub Deciduous Shrub Evergreen Shrub Herbaceous Perennial Herbaceous Perennial Herbaceous Perennial Herbaceous Perennial Herbaceous Perennial Herbaceous Perennial Herbaceous Perennial Herbaceous Perennial Bamboo Evergreen Fern Herbaceous Perennial Herbaceous Perennial Evergreen Shrub Evergreen Shrub Deciduous Shrub Deciduous Shrub Herbaceous Perennial Evergreen Shrub Evergreen Shrub Deciduous Shrub Evergreen Shrub Evergreen Shrub Evergreen Shrub Evergreen Shrub Deciduous Shrub Deciduous Shrub Deciduous Shrub Deciduous Shrub Herb Evergreen Shrub Evergreen Shrub Evergreen Shrub Evergreen Shrub Evergreen Shrub Evergreen Shrub Evergreen Shrub

Height in feet	Garden Use:- Plants for Chalky Soil		Plant Name in Alkaline Soil Plant above 6 feet in Height	Plant Type
10 x 12 12 x 8 15 x 10 30 x 30 25 x 25 15 x indefinite 11 x 14 28 x 3 10 x 6 20 x 20 23 x 20 20 x 25 11.5 x 2.5 10 x 3 13 x 3 12 x 12 8 x 10 8 x 8 8 x 8 60 x 20 60 x 20 8 x 3 15 x 15 15 x 15 15 x 15 18 x 18 8 x 8			Abelia floribunda Abutilon suntense Acer campestre Acer griseum Acer negundo 'Flamingo' Actinidia kolomikta Aesculus parviflora Akebia quinata Alnus viridis (Green Alder) Amelanchier laevis Amelanchier lamarcki Arbutus menziesii Arundinaria japonica Arundinaria murielae (Fargesia murieliae) Arundinaria nitida (Syn. Fargesia nitida)Berberis darwinii Berberis julianae Berberis x ottawensis 'Superba' Berberis x stenophylla Betula ermanii Betula papyrifera Bocconia cordata Buddleia davidii 'Black Knight' Buddleia davidii 'Royal Red' Buddleia davidii 'White Profusion' Buddleia globosa Buddleia officinalis	Evergreen Shrub Deciduous Shrub Deciduous Tree Deciduous Tree Deciduous Tree Deciduous Climber Deciduous Shrub Semi-Everg. Climber Deciduous Shrub Deciduous Tree Deciduous Tree Evergreen Tree Bamboo Bamboo Bamboo Evergreen Shrub Evergreen Shrub Deciduous Shrub Evergreen Shrub Deciduous Tree Deciduous Tree Deciduous Rhizome Deciduous Shrub Deciduous Shrub Deciduous Shrub Deciduous Shrub Evergreen Shrub

Ivydene Gardens Plants: Plants for Chalky Soils List

Ivydene Gardens Plants:
Plants for Chalky Soils List