Right Plant, Right Place: The Indispensable Guide to the Successful Garden [Paperback]

Nicola Ferguson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 26, 1984

The unique reference book that will lead gardeners effortlessly to the plants that will look best and grow best in their own particular garden. Over 1,500 garden plants are systematically organized according to growing conditions, purpose and appearance.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Nicola Ferguson was born in 1949 and brought up in Northern Ireland. She has a PhD in psychology, and she has also become an experienced gardener. She now lives with her husband and one daughter in Edinburgh, where they have a north facing, high-walled garden.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter 1

Plants suitable for shallow soils over chalk

Gardeners with very alkaline or limy -- as opposed to acid -- soils have to contend with the unsuitability of their soils for growing rhododendrons, camellias, most heathers and a considerable number of other plants. Gardeners with shallow soils over chalk have to deal with the additional problem of excessively free drainage. With this second type of soil many of the plants so beguilingly described as 'revelling in lime' would, in fact, be inappropriate choices; these plants enjoy the fertility of an alkaline soil, but not all of them appreciate the dryness of one through which moisture passes extremely quickly.

The plants in the following list do well, rather than survive, in both the alkalinity and the rather dry conditions of shallow soils over chalk. (Occasionally, acid soil may overlie chalk but this combination is a relatively rare one.) For areas, within a chalky garden, which are particularly dry and hot, the list entitled 'Plants suitable for dry soils in bot, sunny sites' should be consulted. Almost all the plants which appear in that list do well in alkaline soils, but there are exceptions: hybrids and varieties of the common broom, Cytisus scoparius, and Berberis thunbergii and its varieties do best in a neutral soil (that is, one which is neither alkaline nor acid), as do Ulex europaeus 'Plenus', a form of gorse with double flowers, and Liriope muscari.

Many apparently obvious candidates for inclusion do not appear in this list. Some of these plants have been excluded because they become diseased on dry soils: for instance, without constant moisture Michaelmas daisies are, in general, prone to mildew (the exception to this rule, Aster x frikartii, has been included as a suitable plant). Another group of favourite plants for alkaline soils are the clematis but, particularly in the case of the large-flowered hybrids, they require moisture and a good depth of soil to succeed; even the vigorous Clematis montana and its varieties do best in a moist, well-drained soil. Some plants, like annual sweet peas, the larger antirrhinums or snapdragons, and the so-called florists' chrysanthemums, rather than the border varieties of the genus, are grown almost exclusively for large blooms; these will only be produced on soils which have plenty of moisture-retentive nourishment dug into them.

Occasionally, some members of a mostly unsuitable genus sound as if they might do well in chalk soils: in general, lilies, for example, prefer or need acid soils, but Lilium candidum, the madonna lily, does best in an alkaline soil. However, no lily of any sort must be allowed to dry out and, since this can be difficult to ensure on shallow soils over chalk, Lilium candidum is, in fact, as unsuitable as all other members of the genus tor inclusion in the present list.

There are also some plants which, most discouragingly, show their dislike of a shallow, chalk soil only some considerable time after they have been planted there. On dry, chalky soils, the various japonicas and flowering quinces often produce yellow leaves after having looked healthy when younger; and, after a few years on a shallow soil, the fast-growing Leyland cypress may become top heavy and Calocedrus decurrens begin to lose foliage from its upper branches.

Although the fertility of alkaline soil means that even gardeners contending with chalk have a large number of suitable plants to choose from, the range of plants with certain features is rather restricted. And, of course, there are the forbidden fruits of rhododendrons, camellias and most related plants. Indeed, the main problem for many gardeners who live in areas of shallow soil over chalk is not the high alkalinity or quick drainage of their soil, but their inability to overcome a longing tor, say, rhododendrons or heathers.

This longing can most easily be satisfied by growing otherwise prohibited plants in tubs, or similar containers, filled with some lime-free growing medium (sec list entitled 'Trees, shrubs and climbers suitable for growing in containers' lot a number of suggestions). Alternatively, certain small, manageable areas of the garden can have the alkalinity of the soil reduced and its moisture-retentiveness improved by the addition of peat and leaf-mould. In these areas the lime-tolerant, winter-flowering heaths or heathers and so on can be planted (for suitable plants see entries not marked with an asterisk in the 'Acid soils' list). The construction of anything other than the smallest of peat beds or walls is a more elaborate and ambitious project which only the enthusiast should attempt.

Finally, it is worth remembering that many plants associated with woodlands and acid, leaf-mouldy soils are not, in fact, adverse to alkaline conditions. The most important requirement of plants like hostas and astilbes, for example, is not acidity but moisture. By incorporating plenty of moisture-retaining substances such as garden compost, leaf-mould and peat, a range of plants even wider than the sizeable one given here can be grown in shallow soils over chalk.

Copyright © 1984 by Nicola Ferguson

Product Details

• Paperback: 292 pages
• Publisher: Fireside; 1st Fireside Ed edition (April 26, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671523961
• ISBN-13: 978-0671523961
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #557,613 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An exceptionally useful gardening book, even after 14 years!, February 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Right Plant, Right Place: The Indispensable Guide to the Successful Garden (Paperback)

This book has been a constant companion as I planned and nurtured 3 different gardens in 3 different homes. Of all the books in my gardening library - and over the years I have purchased quite a few - this has remained the one in constant use. This is not a design book, but rather a very well organized "tool", allowing a gardener to zero in on plants that have the best chance of thriving under a particular set of conditions. I too wore out my first copy, but with years of notations, it is too valuable to replace. It remains one of my favorites.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for every gardener, beginner or pro., November 5, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Right Plant, Right Place: The Indispensable Guide to the Successful Garden (Paperback)

It is a problem for every gardener. You walk through the garden center or leaf through the catalog, making your selection, envisioning the new plant thriving at home. Lovingly, you pick the perfect spot, carefully planting and nurturing your prize ---- only to be disappointed by the results of your efforts. What went wrong? Perhaps you had too much sun for its liking, or too little. Possibly you got too much rain or not nearly enough. Or maybe the perennial that looked so charming in the garden center spread rapidly enough to choke out everything else and soon took over the garden. Nicola Ferguson understands, and this book is aptly titled --- it really does make it easy to select the right plant for the right place, no matter what type of garden you want. She discusses not only the optimal growing conditions for thousands of plants, but also adresses a range of concerns that all gardeners --- whether beginners or pros --- ought to know before they plant. The material is organized so that it is easy to find exactly the information needed, and the book features colorful photos of nearly every plant mentioned (surprising at this price). I found this book incredibly useful, and in fact, actually wore out a copy (well, honestly, the first copy was not bound all that well, either). If you have any interest in gardening and reading, you've probably already spent a lot more for books that were of much less help. Do yourself a favor --- before your next trip to the nursery, dig into a copy of this book. I guarantee you'll learn something that will help make your dream garden become a reality

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The ONE garden book I couldn't do without, May 8, 2003

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K. Corn "reviewer" (midwest, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Right Plant, Right Place: The Indispensable Guide to the Successful Garden (Paperback)

During planting season, this is the one book I turn to almost daily. It has helped me find plants which will grow and thrive in my shade garden (which has dense, moist soil)...my side yard (which contains areas of chalky, rocky ground)...an area which is moisture-prone and nearly always wet...another area that has some shade, some sun and another with acid soil...and so on. Each page of this book has full-color photos of the plants as well as their final size, flowering season, needs, care, etc. The author goes on to describe those that are perfect for such ground covers, containers, hedges, etc.