Plant ID Week 4

(catching up..)

Phormium tenax - New Zealand flax

Large evergreen herbaceous perennial with tough leaves. An undemanding, architectural plant suitable for exposed coastal situations and shelter belts.
Size: 3x1 m, flower panicles up to 4 m tall

Cultivation notes:
Do not trim down, just remove old leaves from the base as necessary. Benefits from a deep layer of dry mulch in the winter in frost-prone areas.

P. tenax 'Yellow Wave' leaf on the left.

Phormium tenax 'Yellow Wave'
A slightly smaller variety with softer, arching leaves. The contrasting yellow in leaves makes this a good plant for winter interest. An architectural plant for slightly smaller gardens.
Size: 3x1 m, flower panicles up to 4 m tall





Laurus nobilis - bay laurel

A dense and dark green evergreen shrub that can grow to a small tree. Grown for the aromatic foliage as a culinary herb and takes pruning well, so is often used for topiary. Thrives in coastal regions and can be used as a hedge.
*Award of garden merit
Size: 12x10 m

Cultivation notes:
Can suffer frost damage in cold areas.

For interesting natural history trivia, see laurisilva and laurel forests: relict evergreen broadleaved forests from time when the Mediterranean area was more humid back in the Pliocene.



Leycesteria formosa - pheasant berry

L. formosa, bract detail

A deciduous shrub with arching green stems. White flowers in claret bracts in the summer, followed by purple berries attractive to many birds. Bracts and berries last long into the autumn and green stems create winter interest. L. formosa was first cultivated on the estates of Victorian stately homes as a feed and cover plant for pheasants bred for shooting. It is still used for this purpose, more so than in gardens.
Size: 2x2 m

L. formosa

Cultivation notes:
[Shrubs:] Plant November to March, add a 5 cm layer of mulch and water in drought conditions.


Worth knowing: considered an invasive species in Australia, New Zealand, and Macaronesia.




Euphorbia characias wulfenii - spurge

A large herbaceous perennial with silvery foliage and showy heads of lime-green, long-lasting bracts in the summer. An architectural plant.
Like many Euphorbias, has poisonous sap which irritates the skin and can leave it highly photo sensitive for years after exposure: take care!
*Award of garden merit
Size: 90x90 cm

Cultivation notes:
Sunny and dry or well-drained position.

Miscanthus sinensis - silver grass

M. sinensis, bloom detail

A very tall and imposing deciduous grass with an upright habit and silky white blooms. Forms clumps rather than spreads and works well as a windbreak or by water.
*Award of garden merit
Size: Up to 4x1.2 m depending on cultivar

Cultivation notes:
Full sun, well-drained moist soil

A mass of M. sinensis.
Image source: Wikipedia

Aster novi-belgii - New York aster

Flower detail

A freely flowering herbaceous perennial, available in a wide variety of colours. A vigorous, easy to grow plant for a profusion of flowers in the autumn.
Size: 1.2 m x 90 cm

Cultivation notes:
Likes well-cultivated moist & fertile soil in sun or partial shade. Withered stems should be cut to the ground by early spring, before new growth starts.

A. novi-belgii in an urban front garden
 in late October

Fatsia japonica - false castor oil plant

F. japonica leaf

An evergreen exotic-looking architectural shrub with vast, shiny, palmate leaves. White globular panicles of flowers in the autumn. Excellent plant for adding interest in seaside gardens.
*Award of garden merit
Size: up to 4x4 m

Cultivation notes:
Does well in most types of well-drained soil, both in sun and semi-shade. Can be damaged by cold winds, but most seemed to survive the 2009/10 winter, at least in urban settings.




Viburnum davidii

Leaf detail

A low evergreen shrub with large, glossy, strikingly 3-veined leaves. Mature plants in groups form attractive if rather dark mounds with cymes of white flowers in the summer and striking metallic blue berries in the winter. Popular ground cover.
*Award of garden merit
Size: 1-1.5 x 1-1.5 m

Cultivation notes:
[Shrubs:] Plant November to March, add a 5 cm layer of mulch and water in drought conditions.

Handsome mound of V. davidii in the
 National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin.

While not fully dioecious, individuals appear to be either dominantly male or female, and thus male and female plants should be planted together to maximise berry production [Hillier Nurseries, 1998].










Arbutus unedo - Killarney strawberry tree

A. unedo flowers.

A small, spreading evergreen tree that manages well in coastal and exposed situations. Has berries and flowers at the same time in late autumn and older specimens have attractive reddish brown, shedding bark.

*Award of garden merit
Size: 8x8 m

Cultivation notes:
[Trees:] Planting hole 1.5 times width of rootball, add organic matter and support(s). Add a 5 cm layer of mulch around the base and keep well watered until established.

A mature A. unedo.

Bark detail.

Ceanothus thyrsiflorus - Californian lilac

An evergreen shrub with small glossy leave and clusters of blue flowers in summer. Suits seaside locations.
Size: 6x6 m


Cultivation notes:
[Shrubs:] Plant November to March, add a 5 cm layer of mulch and water in drought conditions.






Sedum 'Autumn Joy' - stonecrop, syn. S. 'Herbstfreude'

A herbaceous perennial, lasting late into winter. Small flowers in domed terminal cymes in autumn, suits well-drained, even poor soil.

*Award of garden merit
Size: up to 60x60 cm

Cultivation notes:
Prefers full sun. Divide every 3-4 years to encourage flowering.




Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca' - Blue Atlas cedar

Branch detail

An impressive blue evergreen conifer, best suited for a stately specimen tree in a large enough space to do it justice.

*Award of garden merit
Size: 40x10 m



Cultivation notes:
[Trees:] Planting hole 1.5 times width of rootball, add organic matter and support(s). Add a 5 cm layer of mulch around the base and keep well watered until established.

Mature blue Atlas cedar. Note the apparently
tiny garden bench.
(Image source: instantplants.ie)

Note on Cedrus taxonomy: C. atlantica can be considered a geographical subspecies of C. libanica, as many of the quoted differences are not consistent and vary from tree to tree.


















Euonymus japonicus - Japanese spindle tree

A nondescript dense and bushy evergreen shrub best suited for use in towns and coastal situations. The dark green leaves are glossy and leathery on this ever so popular hedging plant.

Size: 4x2 m

E. japonicus leaf detail.

Cultivation notes:
[Shrubs:] Plant November to March, add a 5 cm layer of mulch and water in drought conditions.










(Arundinaria) Fargesia murieliae - bamboo

Bamboo branch

A perennial non-invasive clump-forming bamboo with arching green to yellowish canes. Best suited for use either as a specimen or a screen. Fully hardy.




*Award of garden merit
Size: 4x1.5 m

Cultivation notes:
F. murieliae tolerates full sun and wind.
General note on bamboos: always make sure to choose a clump-forming species, or else plant in a pot.


Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Silver Queen' - variegated pittosporum

A fast-growing evergreen shrub with wavy, silvery-grey white-edged leaves and small honey-scented flowers in the spring. Forms a handsome and neat specimen shrub or small tree.

*Award of garden merit
Size:1-4 m x 2 m


Cultivation notes:
[Shrubs:] Plant November to March, add a 5 cm layer of mulch and water in drought conditions.
Interesting fact: P. tenuifolium is native to New Zealand.

PPD Assignment 2:5. Literature Reviews

As the first assignment on this Personal and Professional Development course we wrote a literature review. This was something I'd never done before, and found quite a challenge.

The highest hurdle to get over, and, in retrospect, one of the strengths of a formal literature review was to narrow the source material down enough to fit the given limits. A literature review where you cover only a small part of all available literature can give you a quick yet in-depth understanding of the subject matter - provided you've picked the right source material!

Our little review wasn't anywhere near a real scientific literature review, but I feel better equipped to researching and writing something on a narrower topic and delving deeper (old adage: as you progress in academia, you know more and more about less and less - with the obvious pinnacle...) into a subject more directly related to horticulture. Or possibly even just for my own edification!

The internet is rife with resources for conducting literature reviews. University of Toronto has an excellent handout with tips. The Wikipedia article on literature reviews has a plethora of links for further information on the subject, and I think I may already have fallen in love[1] with this, a website from University of Reading, specifically designed to help science undergrads on getting started with doing scientific research. 

...and for anyone who can't be bothered to read long explanations, here's a tweet with all the steps for writing the perfect literature review:

@mihaela_v

Mihaela (Dr. V)

lit review steps 1: find articles; 2 read them, use them to 3 find more articles; 4 organize all articles; 5 outline; 6 write

[1] It turns out I'm still a scientist at heart, despite my predilection for getting down and dirty with plants and soil...

Image source: http://www.psichi.org/images/site_pages/13_2_lai_1.jpg, tweet source: http://prprofmv.wordpress.com/2011/03/16/literature-review-process-update-1/

PPD Assignment 2:4. Effective presentations

At this day and age, nearly everyone can expect to have an opportunity to give a presentation at some point of their professional lives, either within their workplace, or to a potential customer.

When it comes to giving a presentation, preparation is everything. Both my own experience and specialist opinion agree on this.

For preparation, one generally should, in the very least, consider the following:

Why are you giving this presentation? What's the result you're looking for?
What exactly are you going to say?
Who are you telling it? What, if anything, do they already know? What are their positions? Are they likely to be interested?
Where will you be presenting? Will all the equipment you'll need be there?
How will you deliver your message? What sort of approach would work with this audience?

Once you've these down, you can start crafting your actual presentation. This is when you need to come up with a logical structure for your presentation. There should always be a clear introduction, then the meat of your subject, and you should always finish with a summary or recap.

It's surprisingly hard to get things like the timing just right, so always, always, practice your presentation a few times. Practice won't just make the presentation better, but it will also make you properly familiar with it and help with any nervousness you might feel. I myself can quite enjoy public speaking, and always the more better prepared I am. This isn't to say I don't get the nerves, but it generally isn't my main worry when doing a presentation.

For those of a more nervous disposition, this teaser video has some useful things to say about nervousness and movement during your presentation:

Image source:http://www.research.ucla.edu/era/present/img002.GIFhttp://www.research.ucla.edu/era/present/sld002.htm

PPD Assignment 2:3. Team Building

There is a vast number of theories about how exactly groups and teams develop. We're now going to take a quick look at the "Forming - Storming - Norming - Performing" model of group development, also known as Tuckman's Group Development model, named after its creator Bruce Tuckman.


According to this model, there are four stages in the formation of any team or group of people.

Forming
This is the first stage of the development of a team of people who haven't worked together before. Everyone is nice to everyone, and the team mostly concentrates on getting its routines worked out. Not much is accomplished towards the team's actual goal at this point.

Storming

The second stage isn't named without reason. At this stage the team members have become comfortable enough with each other to express dissent - or just complain. The true purpose and direction of the team are worked out. Some teams never make it out of this stage, and those are not pleasant situations to work in.

Norming

Most teams and groups make it to this stage. Members are comfortable with each other and agree on and work towards their common goal.

Performing

The most high performance teams get to a stage where the members are able to work together seamlessly, without outside supervision. Productivity is very high, and teams at this stage are a real pleasure to be a part of.

However, long-standing teams never remain in the Performing stage. Things like changes in team composition will cause the team to revert back a stage or two, so the in practice the process is a cycle. 

I must say many things make more sense now that I'm actually aware that teams and groups go through this process of development. 

(Image sources: http://theteambuildingexperience.com/images/team_building.jpg, http://www.alchemyformanagers.co.uk/topics/r64ZCZGCF8evQ5Wf.html)

Plant ID Week 7

Stipa tenuissima 'Pony tails' - feather grass

An elegant tufted and densely-packed grass with oat-like flowers in soft, feathery plumes. Useful for natural planting schemes, as ground cover and for cutting and drying. Looks particularly impressive in mass plantings.
Size: 75x60cm

Cultivation notes:
[Grasses:] Soak rootball thoroughly before planting and add an organic soil improver as well as a general fertiliser. Water in drought conditions. Cut back in early spring.
Grows best in poor soil in sun; becomes floppy in rich soil.

Thuja plicata - western red cedar

A tall conifer suitable for use as hedging and screening in large gardens, or as a specimen tree
Size: 20-35x6-9 m

Cultivation notes:
[Trees:] Planting hole 1.5 times width of rootball, add organic matter and support(s). Add a 5 cm layer of mulch around the base and keep well watered until established.

Vs. Chamaecyparis lawsoniana: crushed foliage has a fruity scent.

Choisya ternata - Mexican orange blossom

An evergreen shrub with glossy, palmate, aromatic leaves and scented spring/summer flowers. Best suited for shrub borders.
*RHS award of garden merit
Size: 2.5x2.5 m

Cultivation notes:
Plant November to March, add a 5 cm layer of mulch and water in drought conditions.
Prefers fertile well-drained soil in full sun.











Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata' - upright or fastigate hornbeam

Dense trees with pointed, oval, serrated leaves that give a good autumn colour. The compact crown makes this var. useful for street planting, parks and avenues as well as small gardens. Also excellent for hedging.
*RHS award of garden merit.
Size: 15x12 m

Cultivation notes:
[Trees:] Planting hole 1.5 times width of rootball, add organic matter and support(s). Add a 5 cm layer of mulch around the base and keep well watered until established.
Can take very hard pruning.

Lonicera pileata -privet honeysuckle

An evergreen low and spreading ground cover shrub with small glossy leaves. Tolerates shade and seaside and can also be used for low hedging.
Size: 60 cm x 2.5 m

Cultivation notes:
Plant November to March, add a 5 cm layer of mulch and water in drought conditions.
Sprouts again quickly after pruning, perhaps not the best choice where a very tidy hedge is desired.





Elaeagnus x ebbingei - oleaster

A fast-growing, tall evergreen shrub with leathery leaves. Young shoots and undersides of leaves are silvery. Shrubberies, tall ground cover, hedges and especially shelter for windy coastal conditions.
Size: 4 x 2 m

Cultivation notes:
Plant November to March, add a 5 cm layer of mulch and water in drought conditions.
Fertile well-drained soil, can grow well in partial shade.

Elaeagnus x ebbingei 'Limelight' - variegated oleaster

As the non-variegated form; somewhat less vigorous.
*RHS award of garden merit.
Size: 3x3 m

Cultivation note:
Liable to revert.













Salix viminalis - common osier willow

A fast-growing small tree that thrives on wet, exposed sites and coastal situations. Many traditional and modern uses, including coppicing, basket and hurdle making and biomass production.
Size: 6x5m

Cultivation notes:
Can be propagated from switches simply pushed 30 cm into the soil. If planting a containerised specimen, dig a planting hole 1.5 times width of rootball, add organic matter and support(s). Add a 5 cm layer of mulch around the base and keep well watered until established.
5-7 year coppicing rotation.








Hypericum 'Hidcote' - rose of sharon
 

A semi-evergreen shrub with large yellow flowers produced with gay abandon from midsummer until end of season. An easy to grow hedge or ground cover for semi-shade.
*RHS award of garden merit.
Size 2x2.5 m

Cultivation notes:
Plant November to March, add a 5 cm layer of mulch and water in drought conditions.











Berberis darwinii - evergreen barberry

A fiercely spiny vigorous shrub with small evergreen, shiny, spiny leaves. Masses of tiny orange flowers in late winter/early spring on hanging racemes. Most suitable for hedging and barrier planting.
*RHS award of garden merit.
Size 3x3 m

Cultivation notes:
Plant November to March, add a 5 cm layer of mulch and water in drought conditions.










Euonymus fortunei var. radicans  'Emerald Gaiety' - spindle

Evergreen compact and bushy ground cover shrub with white-green variegated leaves.
*RHS award of garden merit.
Size: 1 x 1.5 m


Cultivation notes:
Plant November to March, add a 5 cm layer of mulch and water in drought conditions.
E. fortunei vars are best grown in poor soil in full sun. They can also be supported to be trained against a shady wall or tree, where they can reach the height of 5 m with indefinite spread.
A very popular/common shrub.

Carex oshimensis 'Evergold' - variegated sedge

A tufted evergreen sedge, variegated with bright yellow stripe. Excellent for edging and ground cover.
*RHS award of garden merit.
Size: 30x35 cm


Cultivation notes:
[Grasses:]Soak rootball thoroughly before planting and add an organic soil improver as well as a general fertiliser. Water in drought conditions.
Cut back in early spring every 2-3 years. Prefers fertile and moist yet well-drained soil in sun or partial shade.
(syn. C. hachijoensis 'Evergold', C. morrowii; sedges are a promiscuous lot)






Acer campestre - field maple

A medium tree often used in hedgerows, also in parks and large gardens. Autumn colour.
*RHS award of garden merit.
Size: 5x5 m

Cultivation notes: Sun or partial shade, fertile, moist & well-drained soil.

Prunus laurocerasus 'Otto Lukyen' - cherry laurel

Small evergreen ground cover shrub. Erect and shiny dark green leaves, flowers profusely.
*RHS award of garden merit.
Size: 1x1.5 m

Cultivation notes:
Plant November to March, add a 5 cm layer of mulch and water in drought conditions.











Primula vulgaris - bedding primrose

A popular winter bedding plant used in containers and baskets as well as beds in semi shade. Has a very wide colour range.
Sixe: 20x35 cm

Cultivation notes:
Not very sturdy and does better under cover.