Common name: fountain grass

Family name: Poaceae

Description: long grass leaves, mid green, 2mm wide, raised ridges with pink, fluffy inflorescence giving it a fountain like habit.

Flower: soft, pink, iridescent panicle, blooms in July; seeds appear August/ September; inflorescence lasts for months; dries to tawny brown.

Foliage: thin, long, green leaves  of a lanceolate shape

Growing conditions: full sun; dry, gravelly/rocky or well-drained soil; low water use.

Height and spread: 0.6m by 0.5m

Limitations: grasses can flop over when it is too rainy.

Landscape uses: tough, reliable grass that squeezes out weeds; rock garden or unirrigated landscapes; soft texture would look beautiful planted in masses and would add visual movement in the garden when they sway in the wind.

Common name: deer fern

Family name: Blechnaceae

Description: deeply lobed fronds with dark, chocolate coloured rachis form an arching fern with a medium texture.

Flower: n/a

Foliage: vegetative ferns are vase shaped and fertile fronds are upright; fertile fronds shrivel and break off.

Growing conditions: deep/ filtered shade to part sun; humus rich, well-drained soil; moderate water use.

Height and spread: 0.4-0.7m by 0.3-0.6m

Limitations: rust and scale insects.

Landscape uses: native to Vancouver area, so does well in Vancouver gardens; low maintenance plant, so it is suitable for institutional and public landscapes; good for group or mass plantings;  suitable for small garden spaces, waterside planting, woodland margin.

Common name: ostrich fern

Family name: Onocleaceae

Description: tall, upright medium green fronds with pinnately compound leaves

Flower: n/a

Foliage: very upright early in the season, resembling the feathers of a badminton birdie; attractive and feathery, and a lighter green colour.

Growing conditions: deep/filtered shade, part sun/part shade; bog, humus rich, well-drained soil; moderate water use to wetland conditions.

Height and spread: 0.7-1.3m by 0.6-1.0m

Limitations: loose their upright posture in July and August, so anything planted under them will be covered at this time–can plant flowering plants that are over by July/August so that the ferns cover them when they are spent.

Landscape uses: Ground cover, group or mass planting, herb, mixed shrub border, waterside planting, wetland – bogs, woodland margin. The bright green of the foliage would look nice with the flower of the Gerald Darby iris, and they can be planted in similar locations, as both are tolerant of wet soil.

Common name: Himalayan maidenhair

Family name: Pteridaceae

Description: delicate looking fern that acts as a ground cover; very fresh green in colour with an air, almost frothy appearance, and dark stipes which contrast with the fresh green of the ferns

Flower: n/a

Foliage: trip innately compound fronds; delicate ovate leaflets, very fine texture; evergreen; fronds open up with a warm bronze blush in late winter, so that adds seasonal interest.

Growing conditions: light to dappled shade, maximum 1 hour of direct sunlight per day; plant in a cool location; well-drained soil.

Height and spread: 0.15 by 0.9 m

Limitations: cannot tolerate drying out or much direct sunlight or the leaves will curl and brown

Landscape uses: Lining pathways, ground cover in shady locations.

Common name: Australian mint bush

Family name: Lamiaceae

Description: Compact and spreading mounded evergreen shrub with tiny green leaves.

Flower: White, small, almost bell-shaped flowers that last from late spring to early summer.

Foliage: Small green, concave leaves that have a minty fragrance.

Growing conditions: Full sun to part shade; drought tolerant once established; well-drained soil.

Height and spread: 0.6 by 1.5m

Landscape uses: Sunny area with little irrigation; in a rock garden; with other sub alpine species; evergreen, so foliage looks good all year long.

Common name: Karl Forster feather seed grass

Family name: Poaceae

Description: clump forming grass with upright, narrow, flat green leaves from which tall, feather,  pink inflorescence sprout in summer, followed by persistent tan coloured fruit.

Flower: summer blooming, pink to purple colour and are held on tall stalks reaching 1.5m  in height and have a feathery appearance; fruits mature to a tan golden colour and persist through the winter.

Foliage: green leaves are flat narrow and tall, reaching almost 1m in height.

Growing conditions: medium to wet soils in full sun, some light shade ok

Height and spread: 1-1.5m tall

Limitations:  weedy grasses can become established in the crown, so requires some maintenance; becomes floppy if grown in too much shade.

Landscape uses: architectural accent, screening; inflorescence has a pleasant hazy aspect, while providing a vertical axis in the landscape.

Common name: Gerald Darby iris

Family name: Iridaceae

Description: broad, green, lanceolate leaves that emerge a dark, dusky purple, in early spring, turning green as the season progresses, reaching over 1m in height. Flowers emerge on dark, nearly black stems, and are a medium purple and delicate-looking. The broad leaves remain after the flowers are finished.

Growing conditions: medium to wet soils in full sun to part shade; can be grown in standing shallow standing water; soil must not be allowed to dry out.

Height and spread: 1-1.5m by 0.5m

Limitations: clumps of foliage are messy in fall as they collapse; requires a moist environment, so cannot be used in unirrigated landscapes or landscapes with little or no maintenance. No serious pests or diseases but is susceptible to  aphids, iris borer and iris thrips, and some rots and viruses.

Landscape uses: This iris has multi-season interest, where many irises do not. This gives it an advantage, as the flowering season for irises can be quite short. Can be grown in several centimetres of standing water; the flowers look particularly good contrasted against chartreuse foliage, and the purple/reddish brown leaves of a Japanese maple or Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Monlo’ picks up the dark stems. Best suited to be grown near a sunny pond or water feature, or a moist border area.

S. rosmarinifolia can be seen in the background

Common name: green cotton lavender

Family name: Asteraceae

Description: spreading evergreen subshrub with tiny, green leaves and dense, button like yellow flower heads held on long stems; forms neat rounded mounds.

Flower: flowers mid-summer; form dense yellow buttons and are profuse all over the plant, giving it a very fluffy, airy appearance.

Foliage: leave resemble that of rosmarinus officinalis, very narrow; green with a silvery sheen.

Growing conditions: adapted to full sun and well drained hillsides.

Height and spread: 0.6m by 1.0m

Limitations: shrub can split when it grows too big. Situating it on a hillside or slope eliminates this problem.

Landscape uses: sunny well drained slopes, rock gardens; along a pathway; planted in masses to take full advantage of the hazy effect of the yellow flowers and the mounding form; planted with lavenders so the similar forms of the plants complement each other while the colours of the flowers contrast nicely.

Common name: laurel-leaved rock rose

Family name: Cistaceae

Description: Vigorous medium-sized evergreen shrub, of open habit, with resinous, grey-green ovate leaves, and white flowers to 8cm in width. A long-lived Cistus.

Flower: Long flowering season; flowers are white, five petaled, with yellow centres; the petals have a crumpled appearance.

Foliage: Resinous aromatic leaves and stems with white hairs.

Growing conditions: Full sun; slopes with a south or west facing aspect, but with some shelter; extremely drought tolerant.

Height and spread: 2.5 by 2.5 m maximum

Landscape uses: Requires little irrigation and likes full sun, so it is ideal for areas with little to no irrigation and maintenance, such as institutional settings and public landscapes. The grey-green foliage would look nice in a rock garden with other plants of mediterranean origin. The flowers, with their delicate, crumpled texture are quite attractive, and have a long flowering season, making it valuable as a summer perennial.

Common name: Confederate jasmine

Family name: Apocynaceae

Description: a climbing vine with dark green, lanceolate leaves with showy, creamy white flowers that have a strong, sweet scent.

Flower: creamy white flowers with a sweet scent; flowers are whorled, or look like they are spinning; flowers for 2-3 months in mid to late summer.

Foliage: dark green slightly glossy foliage; evergreen in mild winters

Growing conditions: full sun or dappled shade; well -drained, fertile soils.

Height and spread: 6-9m

Limitations:  very strong scent-plant away from a window and allow wind to carry scent; tender, so in Vancouver only plant in lower elevations

Landscape uses: climbing vine; dark green foliage contrasts with creamy white flowers. good accent for a wall or a trellis.