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Garden Plants

259 detailed profiles covering origin, appearance, light, watering, propagation and problems for every garden plant.

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What is the best mulch for a garden?

There is no single best one. Mulch holds water in the soil, keeps it cooler in summer and warmer in winter, and holds down weeds when it is weed-free and deep enough. Organic mulches (bark, wood chips, leaves, pine needles, grass clippings) break down, feed the soil and need replacing after a few years; inorganic ones such as gravel, pebbles and landscape fabric do not break down (Clemson Extension).

Mulch	Layer	Good to know
Shredded leaves	2-3 in (5-8 cm)	Shred them coarsely: whole leaves blow away, finely shredded ones stop water getting through; oak and beech leaves help acidify the soil
Pine bark	2-3 in (5-8 cm)	Dark and attractive; large nuggets float and may wash away in heavy rain
Pine needles (pine straw)	2-3 in (5-8 cm)	Suits acid-loving trees and shrubs; the needles interlock and stay put, even on slopes
Shredded hardwood	not given	Good at suppressing weeds, does not wash away easily, breaks down relatively slowly
Wood chips	2-3 in (5-8 cm)	Small chips break down fast and take nitrogen from the soil, which fertilizer has to replace; may attract termites; usually gone within 2 years
Grass clippings	2 in (5 cm)	Build the layer up gradually with dry grass, not fresh; avoid clippings with weed seeds or from herbicide-treated lawns

Garden basics

Bypass pruning shears Clean cuts heal faster than crushed ones. Check price Garden gloves The tool you use every single session. Check price Hand trowel The everyday planting tool. Check price Plant labels Know what went where, and when. Check price

Greenhouses and cold frames Stretch the season at both ends - Aosom's greenhouse range. Shop at Aosom

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Garden Plants

Rose (Rosa)

Hydrangea

Lavender

Lilac

Rhododendron & Azalea

Camellia

Butterfly Bush (Buddleja)

Forsythia

Hibiscus (Hardy & Shrub)

Spirea

Flowering Tobacco (Nicotiana)

Cockscomb (Celosia)

Stock (Matthiola)

Gaura (Oenothera lindheimeri)

Magnolia (Magnolia)

Dogwood (Cornus)

Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana)

Fountain Grass (Pennisetum)

Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)

Passionflower (Passiflora)

Peony

Hardy Fuchsia (Fuchsia magellanica)

Feather Reed Grass

Blue Fescue

Maiden Grass (Miscanthus)

Switchgrass

Pink Muhly Grass

Japanese Forest Grass

Blue Oat Grass

Mexican Feather Grass

Little Bluestem

Hosta

Tufted Hair Grass

Purple Moor Grass

Prairie Dropseed

Japanese Sedge

Black Mondo Grass

Liriope (Lilyturf)

Quaking Grass

Blue Grama Grass

Pheasant's Tail Grass

Ravenna Grass

Daylily (Hemerocallis)

Hybrid Tea Roses

Floribunda Roses

Grandiflora Roses

Rugosa Roses

Miniature Roses

Rambler Roses

English Roses (David Austin)

'Peace' Rose

'Mister Lincoln' Rose

'Double Delight' Rose

Coneflower (Echinacea)

'Fragrant Cloud' Rose

'Queen Elizabeth' Rose

'Iceberg' Rose

'Julia Child' Rose

'Knock Out' Rose

'New Dawn' Rose

'Eden' Rose (Pierre de Ronsard)

'Zéphirine Drouhin' Rose

'Graham Thomas' Rose

'Gertrude Jekyll' Rose

Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)

'Lady of Shalott' Rose

'Cécile Brünner' Rose

Crown Imperial

Snake's Head Fritillary

Winter Aconite

Siberian Squill

Glory-of-the-Snow

Camassia

Foxtail Lily

Salvia

Nerine

Autumn Crocus (Colchicum)

Hardy Cyclamen

Snowflake (Leucojum)