Rural Gardens

Produced in Association with AFDS

A little time and research in choosing the right plants for your garden can prevent frustration and failure.

For the best results you need three things:

Quality plants locally grown;
A well prepared site;
Weed control to prevent competition and allow establishment.

The three main factors controlling growth of a plant and consequently its selection:

Soil;
Situation;
Hardiness.

Soil

These come in many variations but if you have one which is either light or heavy, acid or alkaline (limy) extra care needs to be taken over the choice of plants. A heavy soil will feel really sticky and damp, a sandy soil will feel gritty and will drain quickly. You can easily find out whether your soil is acid or alkaline using a test kit from your local garden centre or by observing hydrangeas in your area - they will be pink if the soil is limy and blue if it is acid and purple in neutral soil.

Situation

Whether exposed, sheltered, shady or sunny a plant in the wrong situation will not thrive. It may either not grow or grow long lank stems, fail to flower, fade or lose variegations.

Hardiness

We have a mild climate in Ireland as a result of the Gulf Stream but inland areas can suffer from frost and the most tender plants are not recommended inland especially those susceptible to spring frosts such as Pieris.

Not only do plants grow best when they are given the right conditions but they also look their best.

Most plants are now sold with informative labels - always read these as they are a good source of information.

In a rural garden while there is frequently more space just as much care is needed over choice of plants. Not all plants complement the rural landscapes and so some should be avoided; like wise some are poisonous to animals or harbour crop pests or diseases.

Hedges are probably more important in a rural setting to give outline and structure to the garden and provide a stock proof boundary, they are a traditional feature of Irish gardens.

The following plants are all grown locally and recommended by growers as suitable for rural gardens.

Hedges

Fagus sylvatica
Ilex aquifoium
Crategus monogyna
Carpinus betula
Prunus laurocerasus
Acer campestre

Rural gardens can really make the most of trees where they can be allowed to grow to full height and spread. As well as native trees, ornamental trees can look stunning:

Ornamental trees

Acer ‘Drummondii’
Acer ‘Crimson King’
Aesculus hippocastaneum
Betula pendula
Betula jacquemontii
Sorbus aucuparia
Sorbus aria
sorbus aria ‘Lutescens’
Prunus ‘Kanzan’
Prunus ‘Tai Haku’
Prunus ‘Shirotae’

Shrubs

Providing soil type and situation is correct most large shrubs will look well in rural gardens, heavily clipped and shaped plants can look out of place. If you have an acid soil any of the following would be suitable: escallonias, azaleas, camellias, gaulnettya, leucothoe, myrtus, pieris, potentillas, rhododendron, vaccinium and weigela.

The following herbaceous plants are not fussy and will grow successfully in most gardens: