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Architectural Plants |
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| Other plant pages: Plants home | Lilies | Architectural plants | Burglar - proof | Conifers | Clematis | Climbers | Dry shade | Fast-growing plants | Foolproof plants | Grasses | Hardy geraniums | Hedges and hedging plants | Herbs | Spring bulbs and winter shrubs | Trees | Trees Jan-June interest | Trees July-Dec interest | Waterlogged soil | Plants Q & A. | Spring collection | Buy plants online A-Z list |
| Landscapers palette: perennials | shrubs | trees | climbers | ground cover | |
Architectural plants are the elegant permanent residents of your garden that give it it's "backbone". If you consider your garden as a room, then the architectural plants are the large permanent residents, the "furniture" while other shorter-lived and smaller plants are the pictures and ornaments. Whether a plant is "architectural" is pretty much a matter of opinion and so this is a somewhat arbitrary group.
There are some qualifying traits however that a plant should have for inclusion, in particular it should have a strong and distinctive shape, both of the leaves and of the overall growth pattern. It is also helpful if the plant is evergreen, or with a distinctive winter presence - bark colouration, shape of branches for instance so that your garden doesn't become dull in the winter. By definition architectural plants tend to be fairly large.
Arguably all trees should fit into this category and in the summer they probably do, what is needed is year-round interest and not so much of a "blobby" shape.
The plants featured are recommended as they are reliable in most soils in most regions and are widely available.
C - Climber P - Perennial S - Shrub T - Tree
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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! |
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A large and varied group of graceful grasses which contrary to popular belief are usually hardy and not invasive. In the main they are fairly slow growing. The length of the stems is connected to the extent of the root system. So if your young plant doesn't produce 8ft high canes immediately, give it a chance to establish. Bamboos are evergreens and not affected by any major pest or disease in this country (there's little chance that panda's will start eating the emerging shoots). They are not always able to cope with exposed windy conditions which often makes them look a bit tatty and threadbare. they all prefer dampish conditions and won't really withstand being baked by the sun with little moisture available. *Arundinaria nitida (also known as Sinarundinaria nitida or Fargesia nitida) - fountain bamboo, is a handsome one with dark purple-green canes and dark green leaves, to 15ft high by 5ft wide. Arundinaria murieliae (Sinarundinaria or Fargesia murieliae) - umbrella bamboo is similar but more, well, umbrella-shaped. Yellow-green canes at first turning yellow with age. Phyllostachys nigra - black bamboo is particularly striking with canes that start green but then turn black in the second or third year 10-15ft high by 6ft wide. Bamboos, particularly large specimens are not cheap but are fairly easily propagated by division when grown in containers, keep moving them on to bigger and bigger pots (i.e. the opposite to when they are grown in a container as their final home) which encourages them to spread, before taking them out and splitting into several plants. *
Bamboos have
undergone a taxonomic review in recent years, meaning that
their ancestry and relationships with other plant types
has been update in the light of new evidence and discoveries.
The knock on effect to this is that many bamboos have been
renamed and are still often to be found as the same species
under two totally different Latin names - such is the price
of progress. |
Conical
conifer with darkish green leaves. Produces purple-blue
cones from an early age which are very decorative. A well
shaped and proportioned tree, to 30ft tall and 20ft wide.
The
archetypal Japanese tree, usually bought as a small specimen
1-2ft tall. Not tolerant to being exposed to cold, wind
or full sun and best grown initially at least in a container
so you can move them about to find the best position. They
don't like chalky soils preferring it on the acid-side.
Numerous cultivars available, one of the commonest (and
cheapest) being "atropurpureum"
which needs positioning carefully as it can appear rather
dark and dense. The "dissectum"
cultivars are very beautiful with finely cut leaves.
"Aureum" has plainer shaped leaves
but a lovely bright yellow colour. "Sango-kaku"
(senkaki) has bright coral-red winter shoots with
yellow autumn leaves.
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The native silver birch Betula pendula is a popular choice, but the bark is rather rough and splits with dark patches forming with age, go for named cultivars such as "Dalicarlica" / "Laciniata" or "tristis" if you can find them. I prefer the Himalayan birch, Betula utilis "jacquemontii" (usually sold as Betula jacquemontii and sometimes called the West Himalayan birch) or the paper birch, Betula papyrifera. Both have a smoother, brighter bark than the native species and are fairly easy to find. If you have
more space, birches can be planted as a triangular group
of 3 about 3 feet apart. You tend to get a similar canopy
as if a single tree was on its own, but 3 times the trunks
and bark which is the main feature. |
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Often described as having "fragrant foliage", I think beauty is definitely in the nose of the beholder on this one. Probably not so bad in small doses, and the smell is only released when the leaves are rubbed. The flower
scent however is exceptional. To about 6-8ft tall and wide.
Best in sun. |
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These are
not fully hardy, but with our increasingly frequent and
increasingly mild winters, they survive year round more
and more. Don't push it too far, plant them in sheltered
areas away from strong winds and with the protection of
a wall if possible. They can be helped over the winter by
tying the leaves together with some soft string in the late
autumn to protect the tender heart of the plant from frosts. |
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Best planted
at the margins of a garden or at the back of a mixed border
unless you have great expanses of lawn. If you can, plant
it so that the sun sets behind it when viewed from your
house or usual garden viewing place and you could well come
to love it. It's very resilient and an easy plant to grow,
try it in a difficult area where its natural vigour may
well allow it to thrive while the difficult conditions will
keep it smaller than normal size (but with less flower panicles). |
The
birches are admirable trees for small gardens, some types
can grow tall (eventually to 50ft or more), but they tend
not to spread very far and have an open canopy that gives
a dappled shade, a lovely effect. They need an open sunny
situation.
Glossy
evergreen shrubs that comes in two main types grown either
for wonderfully fragrant white flowers in summer (and often
again in autumn) with green leaves, or for vibrant yellow
leaves in the variety
Larger
outdoor versions of the dragon-trees and ti-trees often
grown as houseplants. Evergreen woody tree-like shrub or
perennial. Can grow to 10-12ft or more in parts of the country
that have reliably mild winters.
It's
had a bit of a bad press has poor old pampas grass with
its connotations of 70's housing estates. Like some other
plants though, it's earned its reputation unfairly, largely
as a result of being planted inappropriately. It is
a big plant 6ft tall by about the same wide with flower
panicles to 10ft, so plant it slap bang in the middle of
a small lawn and it will look completely overwhelming. Maybe
people thought "oh its only a grass, it can't be that
big". |
A very beautiful
foliage plant, excellent against rather dull fences and
as a contrast to other leaf colours and shapes. Tends to
be a bit fussy about position. Likes to be well drained
incorporate lots of sharp sand and/or pea shingle when planting
it and only plant in full sunshine, otherwise 6ft growth
a year becomes 6mm. (oh for god's sake can't you be consistent
in your imperial or metric measurements!) |
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The evergreen Euphorbias sound as dull as ditch water from a simple description of their insignificant small flowers surrounded by greenish or yellow bracts. They manage however to be one of the most striking groups of garden plants and one of my favourites (hence three entries!). Somehow with a restricted palette of shades of green and yellow, they manage to "glow" in the garden, a definite example to the more gaudy garden residents that "less is more". E. mellifera
is one of the larger members of the group and is well placed
at the back of the border. It has vibrant apple-green leaves
and the flowers while not being particularly striking, have
a probably unique scent of honey. An excellent addition
to any garden. To 8ft tall and wide. Best in sun tolerates
some shade, not fond of exposure so molly coddle it a bit
if you can. |
Actually
a tree if left to its own devices that will go to 50ft+
if it's happy. However, don't be too alarmed. What you need
to do is to treat it as a coppice stool. Let the plant get
established for one or two years and then in Feb / March
you cut it down to about 4-6" above ground level. This
encourages it to throw out new shoots from just below the
cut point. The plant will then provide you with lots of
very attractive glaucous blue/green juvenile foliage that
can grow up to 6ft from ground level in a season. It's also
reputed to keep midges and mosquitoes at bay, so plant it
near the patio.
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Completely
different habit to E. mellifera above. A prostrate
creeping plant with blue-green leaves, yellow "flowers"
in spring. 4" tall and spreads to about 18", a
succulent so needs reasonable drainage, goes well with spiky
plants or against gravel / rocks etc. |
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Bluish green
leaves to about 4ft tall. Particularly bright green-yellow "flower"
heads in spring. Well known and deservedly so. Reputed to
emit a coffee scent. |
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A large plant
with large bright glossy leaves up to 36" long in mature
specimens. Chiefly a foliage plant, but also produces long
lasting white flowers as a bonus which are followed by masses
of black berries. Fits into many different styles of garden,
but best in formal or jungly / tropical types. Grows in
sun and also in quite deep shade. To 12ft by 12ft but not
for ages. |
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The common
name sums it up very well, although this one is from the
South American jungles and inedible. The leaves are enormous,
up to 6ft across borne on prickly stalks to 8ft long. It
is really a bog plant and needs moist conditions, if you
think you might be able to accommodate its requirements
and size, then little else will get the same WOW! effect,
I love them. Also notable in that it dies back totally in
winter (protect the base of the crown with a thick manure
mulch) and so all of this fabulous growth happens from ground
level each season. To 8ft tall and 10-12ft across. |
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Large
shiny variegated leaves with a jungly feel. Not as hardy
as most Ivies you see (which are often as tough as old boots),
so benefits from some shelter. Grow as a climber up a wall
or use as ground cover, pretty vigorous in both situations.
To 12ft.|
Ilex aquifolium "Silver Queen"
- variegated green
/ cream, male. |
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Use either
of these trees effectively in pairs either side of a path
or entrance, or use them as punctuation marks in planting
schemes. |
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On a different note, the Maoris of New Zealand were using these to weave all kinds of things before anyone got the idea of planting them in the garden and showing off about it. "I always liked them actually, they just became trendy afterwards" The ordinary
green one is the best, and Phormiums actually
prefer clay! |
Useful
for their evergreen foliage and winter colour provided by
berries and / or variegated leaves. Slow growing and usually
only available as smaller specimens as they don't take too
kindly to being moved. Will tolerate shade, especially the
darker-leaved forms, variegated types require sun to bring
colours out to the optimum. Hollies are usually either male
or female and only the females have the berries, but they
need a male to achieve this! The naming of varieties doesn't
help the situation however - see below:
A
more reliable alternative the Italian cypress in the British
climate and a very lovely tree in its own right. Again narrowly
upright and this time with a blue-grey tinge to the foliage
best brought out when planted in full sun. 
Evergreen
shrubs with shiny dark green holly-like leaves and large
sprays of highly scented yellow flowers in the winter months.
Make sure you plant it near a path or doorway otherwise
you may never be tempted to venture out and appreciate the
scent. M. aquifolium - Oregon grape is the
toughest and will withstand quite deep shade ("Apollo"
is the best variety). Others though are more delicate and
less shade tolerant such as, M. x media "Charity"
and M. bealei, plant one of these if conditions
allow.
These
seem to be one of the "in" plants of the moment.
Great evergreen fans of sword-shaped leaves up to 10ft long
in green, purple or many variegated varieties. These plants
will grow large! up to 10-12ft across. Flower spikes up
to 12ft tall in the "weird and striking" rather
than "pretty" category. I have a feeling these
will be to the late 90's and early noughties (!) what pampas
grass was to the 70's. |
A striking shrub or small tree that earns its common name due to the shape of the branches in the winter. Handsome pinnate leaves up to 18" long that give very good autumn colours. Tends to sucker quite a lot, but a small price to pay for such a handsome plant, it also means that you get some extra plants for free to give to friends. To about 15ft tall and wide. |
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Not a likely candidate for wet soils at
first glance as it is often grown on well drained sea-side
soils. I discovered its wet-tolerance when I planted it
by mistake once (i.e. I wouldn't have if I'd known) in a
dried out waterlogged soil in the summer. By the next spring
whereas some other plants around had died, the Tamarix was
doing well. Withstands a fairly high degree of wetness,
but don't bother if the planting hole fills with water as
you're digging it. |
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Graceful
shrub to small tree, wispy frothy pink flowers produced
in summer. Height and spread to 15ft. Unusual scale-like
leaves produced in large numbers, likewise with the flowers,
individually tiny, but loads of them.
Bushy
dense evergreen shrub eventually to about 10ft tall and
wide. Fragrant white flowers borne over a long period through
winter and spring, followed by blue/black berries. Tolerates
a fair amount of shade and can be hard pruned. 
One
of my favourite climbers this one, large bright green heavily
textured leaves up to 12" across whose autumn colours
earn it its common name. A vigorous and large plant
that will grow to 50ft if given space in a mature tree,
alternatively grow it up and over a pergola to give summer
shade and autumn fireworks.