lant

Beginners

Quick Start Guide

5 Minute Plant Expert -

How to Avoid Being A Plant Serial-Killer And

Choose the Perfect Plants for Your Garden

By

Rachel Mathews
Successful Garden Design

Guide

Copyright 2010 Rachel Mathews

Garde

Contents
Who Am I? ..............................................................2
Plant Basics.........................................................3
No.1 Reason Plants Die........................................5
No.2 Reason Plants Die........................................6
Where To Start With Planting Your Garden................10
Important Plant Characteristics.................................11
How To Know The Right Place For A Plant Just By Looking
At It.........................................................................13
Soil......................................................................17
Choosing Plants - The Clue Is In The Name!..............9
Examples of Helpful Latin Names...........................20
How To Create Good Planting Combinations.................22
Other Garden Planning Guides....................................26
1

Abou

Who Am I?
Im Rachel Mathews and I have been professionally
designing gardens for nearly 20 years. I run an
international garden design and construction
company called ORIGIN garden design. We
specialise in creating beautiful, bespoke gardens for
clients in the South East of England.
I also do international consultations and have designed gardens in LA,
New York, and Spain. I help people all over the world with design ideas
and advice through the information and training I offer on the Successful
Garden Design website as well as the full online garden design courses I
run.
I passionately believe that the
average garden can and should be
so much more than just average.
I want to help as many people as
possible create their ideal garden.
2

Seria

Are You A Serial Plant Killer?

Its OK, you can admit it, weve all done it at one
time or another. We excitedly buy beautiful plants
from the garden centre, get them home and within
the space of a few weeks (days if you are really
talented) theyve died. You then try some other
plants and some things survive, others dont.
Its a complete mystery, isnt it, when some plants
are really happy and others just shrivel up and die?
Well actually no, theres usually a good reason plants
dont survive. In this guide I will show you how you can avoid being a plant
serial-killer!

Plant Basics
Its easy to think that plants are fickle things and easily perish but that
couldnt be further from the truth. Over thousands of years plants have
adapted to survive in some of the harshest conditions around the globe.
Copyright 2010 Rachel Mathews Some rights reserved.

Plantin

Its not them, its us. Or rather I should say, its where we put plants that
causes the problems. It comes down to a really simple thing, if a plant has
evolved to survive in a very hot environment (its native habitat) and we
come along and put it in a cold one, chances are it will die. Imagine how you
would fair wearing your summer clothes and being deposited in Canada in the
middle of winter. Chances are you wouldnt last long!
If a plant has evolved some
useful tricks to survive drought
conditions, it simply wont be
able to survive wet conditions
because those drought resistant
characteristics work against the
plant if its too wet.
So basically plants need
similar conditions to their
natural environment to thrive.
Makes sense doesnt it?

Kniphofia

Copyright 2010 Rachel Mathews Some rights reserved.

Plantin

No. 1 Reason Plants Die

Youve guessed it, water. The mistake most people make, is simply
forgetting to water their plants. Its easily done especially when theyre
newly planted. Just because a plant is in the ground it doesnt mean
its getting enough water. Until the roots have grown out from the
shape of the pot they were in, they are reliant on you for their water if
there isnt enough rain. Simple.
Whats not so simple is knowing how
much water the plant is getting. It may
well have rained during the day so you
dont water, BUT was there enough rain
to make it down to the plants roots?

Early Warning Signs Your Plants Arent Happy

Droopy leaves. Yup, thats it, if they are drooping and looking floppy
something is wrong and its nearly always water related.
If you see droopy leaves and you know its not rained recently, get
some water on that plant asap.
Copyright 2010 Rachel Mathews Some rights reserved.

Plantin

BIG BUT: DO NOT ADD MORE

WATER IF YOU ARE SURE THE
PLANT HAS HAD PLENTY OF
WATER.
Why? Because the symptoms
of over-watering are identical
to under-watering (the leaves
droop)! Its very easy to kill a plan by
over water as it is to under water it.
If you are not sure, put your hand in the soil, next to the plant, as far
down as you can and feel if it is wet or dry.

No. 2 Reason Plants Die

Cold weather. Well I say cold weather, it is often the wet more than the
cold that does the damage. Plants that are more suited to hotter climes
become waterlogged and rot in the cold weather as the soil doesnt
drain enough. And add to that having their leaves frozen and its not a
good combination for a lot of plants.

Copyright 2010 Rachel Mathews Some rights reserved.

Plantin

If frost has damaged the

leaves they will go black.
However, its important
you dont remove the
dead leaves, because
they are still offering a
degree of protection for
the crown of the plant.
Let them fall off naturally
- the plant will drop them
Agapanthus

when they are ready to (if

its still alive that is!).

Why Are We Buying Difficult To Grow Plants?

We always want things we shouldnt really grow, its human nature.
And with garden centres brimming full of plants from all over the
world, its not really surprising we have so many fatalities!
It doesnt have to be like that though. If you know what to look
out for, the plants will tell you what conditions they like just by looking
at them. Then you can make the right plant choices.
Copyright 2010 Rachel Mathews Some rights reserved.

Exper

Sounds Too Good To Be True?

If you are a little sceptical that you can become expert enough to
tell which plants to choose just by looking at them, thats quite
understandable. Read on though and youll soon discover its not as
hard as you may think to be a plant expert.

Bearded Iris
Copyright 2010 Rachel Mathews Some rights reserved.

Exper

Five-Minute Plant Expert

The quick and easy way to become
knowledgeable about plants.
People often assume it must be really
difficult to design gardens in other
countries because the plants are
different to the ones we have in the UK.
Sometimes that is true. But youd be surprised by how much information
you can glean about plants and their needs, just by looking at them.
In the rest of this guide Im going to share with you some of the tips and
tricks I use to understand about plants, so you can apply this know-how to
choose the right plants for your garden.
If you know what to look out for, plants will often tell you exactly the types
of growing conditions they need. By the end of this guide, if you apply the
information, you too will have plant whisperer skills!

Copyright 2010 Rachel Mathews Some rights reserved.

Star

Where To Start With Planting Your

Garden
If youre new to gardening, or dont
know much about plants, it can be very
daunting choosing which plants you
should put in your garden. There is a lot
to think about; as you know, the plants
you choose must be suited to the conditions, be the right size, flower and
look good with everything else in the garden!
It can be very costly if you buy the wrong plants for your garden. If plants
dont get adequate water or light for their needs, they will perish. Its
heartbreaking when youve bought lots of beautiful plants and they die
because theyre not in the right conditions.
You can save yourself a lot of time, money and effort by choosing the right
plants for the right place in your garden. Lets now look at some quick and
easy ways to become expert enough to make sure you have the knowledge
you need to choose the right plants for your garden.
Copyright 2010 Rachel Mathews Some rights reserved.

10

The Ke

Important Plant Characteristics

I grew up surrounded by plants on my
parents nursery. Everyone assumes that is
why I know a lot about plants. But, I had no
interest in plants until I left school. I could
only identify clematis (pictured) and a few
conifers!
Although my plant identification skills were next to nothing as a youngster,
my knowledge about plants was pretty good (though I didnt know it at the
time). This was down to an annoying little game my father used to play
when we were out and about. He would point to various plants and ask
me what does that plants leaves tell you about it? He had a whole set of
questions he would ask me about various plants and trees that wed see on
our travels.
My father would always be trying to catch me out with this little game of
his. After a while, though, even if it was a plant Id never seen before, I was
usually able to guess the answer to his question because of similar plants
Id come across.

Copyright 2010 Rachel Mathews Some rights reserved.

11

Plantin

When I finally did become interested in plants, I found it easy to work out
what growing conditions would suit each plant just by looking at them.
Turns out, my fathers annoying little car game was very educational!
Clever man.

Key Characteristics
Plants that live in certain conditions generally have common characteristics.
If you learn to spot these characteristics, youll know which plants you
should put where.
Of course there will always be plants that dont fit into obvious categories,
but you will be amazed at just how far a little knowledge on specific
characteristics will take you.
For example, this week I have been
planting a garden in Spain. The
picture to your right shows a plant
we purchased. It wasnt named, Id
not seen it before, and I have no idea
what it is! But I do know exactly what
growing conditions it needs.
Copyright 2010 Rachel Mathews Some rights reserved.

12

Lookin

How To Know The Right Place For A Plant

Just By Looking At It
If you look at the unidentified plant on page 12, you will see that the plant
has very narrow grey leaves and they are slightly fleshy. This tells me that
the plant grows in very dry very sunny conditions. The stem is slightly woody
which makes me think this will be relatively slow growing. Lets now introduce
to you the different types of leaves, and what they say about a plant.

The Greys
The reason the leaves are grey/silver
is because this helps reflect the light
and keeps the plant cooler. Think of the
difference it makes in brilliant sunshine
if you are wearing light coloured clothing
compared to darker shades.
Therefore, any plant you see with silver/ grey leaves is going to be a plant that
needs full sun to thrive and doesnt require too much water. In fact, if there is
too much rainfall (especially if you have a heavy clay soil) then the plant wont
survive. Silver foliage plants will not like shady or wet conditions.
Copyright 2010 Rachel Mathews Some rights reserved.

13

Flesh

Hairy leaves
Plants may also have very tiny hairs on
their leaves this also helps them survive
in very hot conditions. The hairs reflect
light and act like insulation, keeping the
plant from overheating and wilting.

Fleshy leaves
Any plant with quite a fleshy leaf is a
succulent or semi-succulent plant. These
plants store water in their leaves when there
is rainfall and they can draw on it in drought
conditions. Sempervivum (House leek) and
Agave are good examples, so too are cacti.
Too much water will definitely kill these
off; they would just rot. Succulents also
need full sun, free draining, gritty soil to
survive in your garden.

Copyright 2010 Rachel Mathews Some rights reserved.

14

Gloss

Big leaves
Plant leaves are made up of water carrying cells
and if they dont get enough water, their leaves will
quickly go floppy. The bigger a plants leaves, the
more water they will need to hold the leaves up.
Plants with large, soft textured leaves need lots
of water. Rheum and hostas are good examples,
they can even grow in boggy conditions. Hydrangeas, as the Latin name
suggests, also like to be well hydrated!
Not all large leaf plants need so much water
though. The way you can tell is if the large
leaves are thick and waxy looking (like a palm
tree or banana - pictured), they will better
equipped to survive in drier conditions.

Glossy Leaves
Some plants prevent their leaves from losing water by having a glossy
texture to the foliage. Plants with glossy leaves are often more wind
resistant as a result. Most will tolerate coastal conditions, but not all, so do
check the plants you use, if your garden is affected by salt spray.
Copyright 2010 Rachel Mathews Some rights reserved.

15

Smal

Small Leaves
The smaller the leaves of a plant, the more it is likely to be suited to survive
in harsher conditions, like drought or cold. The reason for that is plants lose
water through their leaves, so the smaller they are, the less likely water loss
will occur, especially if the leaves are shiny.
Evergreens (plants that keep their leaves all year round) tend to have shiny
leaves and these help protect the plant in the winter. The Californian lilac
(Ceanothus), as the common name suggests, prefers warmer climates.
However, there are different varieties with different sized leaves. The small
leafed varieties of the Californian lilac grow very happily in the south-east
of England, surviving temperatures of down to -10C (provided its not too
wet), whereas the larger leafed varieties are more susceptible to the frosts.
The ultimate example of a plant protecting itself
with small shiny leaves are pines. Their needle-like
foliage is the ultimate in plant survival. If you think
about all the places pine trees survive, it is quite
incredible. Everything from the harshest climates in
Canada, to the hottest of the Mediterranean.
Copyright 2010 Rachel Mathews Some rights reserved.

16

Soil Typ

Soil
You dont need a soil pH test kit to know if your soil is acid or alkaline. The
existing plants in your surrounding area will soon tell you the conditions.
Just in the way we can look at plants to know what conditions they prefer,
we can also use them to guide us about our soil type.
For example, if you have Rhododendrons
(pictured) and Azaleas growing happily,
that will mean the soil is acid to neutral.
So alkaline loving plants, like beech trees,
wont do so well. Look out for stand-out
plants like those in your neighbourhood
to work out the type of soil you are
working with.

Can You Change Your Soil Type?

You can certainly improve the soil that you have by adding good organic
matter, like manure and compost, and aid drainage with extra grit. But its
best not to try and change soil pH.
Copyright 2010 Rachel Mathews Some rights reserved.

17

Clay Soi

Soil continued...
It is easier to grow plants that suit your soil type rather than trying to
change the soil to suit the plant. Trying to grow plants in conditions that
doesnt suit them is hard work! If your soil is alkaline and you want to grow
an acid loving plant, like a Japanese Maple, it is better to grow it in a pot as
a specimen, where you can control the acidity of the soil.
Another way to gather more information about your soil type is to dig some
sample holes in several locations when the soil is moist and squeeze a
handful - if it sticks together, its likely to contain clay.
Clay soils can have problems with
drainage, so its a good idea to
incorporate organic matter into the soil
if you have a high clay content. This
will help break it down and improve the
soil structure, making it easier for plant
roots to grow.
If you have a gritty soil, it is free draining and will be suitable for plants that
dont like waterlogged soils (like lavenders).
Copyright 2010 Rachel Mathews Some rights reserved.

18

Name

Choosing Plants - The Clue Is In

The Name!
Most people dislike the Latin names of plants because they arent always
easy to pronounce and can sometimes be quite tricky to spell. Common
names, although easier to remember, can change from region to region and
from country to country, which can make being sure you are talking about
the same plant virtually impossible.
Believe it or not, Latin really is one of your best friends when it comes to
learning about plants. The reason I love Latin so much is because it is so
descriptive, you can gain so much information just by understanding the
name. For example, if I see a plant with the word repens in it, I know that
means that the plant will grow flat along the ground, because the word
repens means flat in Latin.
You may think that is obvious by looking at a
plant, but the plants in garden centres may
only just be filling their pot, so it may not be
obvious as to its eventual growing habit.
Copyright 2010 Rachel Mathews Some rights reserved.

19

Lati

Examples of Helpful Latin Names

alba means the flowers will be white
aurea(s) means that the foliage or flowers will be yellow
chinensis means the plant is from China (so should be fairly
hardy)
decumbens means a small growth habit
fastigata means the plant has a very upright growth habit
glauca means there will be blueish coloured foliage
horizontalis has a similar meaning to repens but taller, this will
grow horizontally more than vertically
japonica means the plant is from Japan (should be fairly hardy)
longifolia means long leaves
marinus means the plant is tolerant of coastal conditions
nigra means plant will most likely have a black stem
officinalis means the plant has medicinal qualities
purpurea means the foliage or flower will be purple
repens means plant is low growing and spreads across the ground
rosa means the flowers will be pink
rubra means the flowers or foliage will be reddish
variegatus means the leaves will be variegated (two-tone foliage)
Copyright 2010 Rachel Mathews Some rights reserved.

20

Plantin

Latin Names May Help You Choose Plants

By understanding Latin names, when you
look through plant availability lists and you
come across plants that you arent familiar
with, oftentimes the name alone will give
you enough information to know if its a
plant you might want to use.

Not Native? Check Invasive!

One really important thing you need to look at before you introduce any
plant into your garden is if it is invasive. In the USA, many popular garden
plants are invasive and are escaping from the confines of gardens and
damaging natural environments. When native plants are crowded out of their
habitat, the wildlife that relies on them for feeding can really suffer.
We dont tend to have quite such problems in the UK, in part I think because
we are very urbanised, so there is less opportunity to escape. However
we do get overly invasive plants that can become pests and take over
your garden becoming worse than native weeds. Houttuynia and Physalis
immediately spring to mind!
Copyright 2010 Rachel Mathews Some rights reserved.

21

Combinations

The Next Step

Understanding more about plants is just the first part of the process. How
you put the plants together in combination is what really makes for a great
planting scheme.

How To Create Good Planting Combinations

In order to create a beautiful planting
scheme, it is really important to take
into account the shape of each plant, its
colour, size and flowering time as well as
what growing conditions it needs.
With any good planting scheme you need to think about a lot of things at
once. Not only does the plant have to be able to thrive in the conditions
and environment in which you put it, but it must also look good with the
surrounding plants and be the right size.
Creating a successful planting scheme is worse than trying to do a seating
plan for a wedding! Plants cannot get up and move if they dont like who
they are next to, so it is critical to get them in the right place at the start.
Copyright 2010 Rachel Mathews Some rights reserved.

22

Plantin

One tip that is really valuable is: Pay particular attention to the shape,
foliage and texture of the plants you are putting in your garden. This is
often more important than what flowers they have. Unless you are in a
tropical country, plants will spend more time without flowers than with
them.
If you just choose a plant because you like its flowers but the foliage is ugly,
unless its hidden by other plants, youre going to be looking at the ugly
foliage for longer than the nice flowers!

Availability
Whenever I design a planting scheme, I find out from local garden centres
and nurseries what plants they have available. When I first started out as a
designer, I used to get very carried away
and excited with lots of different plants
Id seen in books. Over the years, Ive
found there is nothing more annoying
than spending a lot of time planning the
perfect planting scheme only to find that
most of the plants are really difficult to
get hold or not available.
Copyright 2010 Rachel Mathews Some rights reserved.

23

Formul

Make sure you can purchase the plants you want easily, by seeing what
is available to you before you plan your scheme. Designing a successful
planting scheme often involves repeating key plants throughout the
scheme. So, its very helpful if you can buy the quantity of plants you need.
Dont worry if you dont know hundreds of plants - the best schemes dont
have a million different plant varieties. Keep it simple and repeat the starperformers.

The Best Option For Choosing

Plants For Your Garden
If you are new to gardening or have moved somewhere with conditions you
are not familiar with, the best way to work out what to grow in your garden
is to look at your neighbours gardens. That will give you a really good idea
of the types of plants you can successfully grow.
Dont worry if you cant identify them. Take a photo; a local nursery or
garden centre will be able to tell you what it is. Online resource websites
can also be very useful with helping you to choose plants as the information
is arranged for gardens in different weather zones.
Copyright 2010 Rachel Mathews Some rights reserved.

24

Plantin

Want To Know More?

I hope you found the information in this guide useful. Just by understanding
some basic Latin and observing plant characteristics, you will be able to
easily identify plants that are suited for your garden. Obviously, there is a
lot more to creating successful planting schemes, but I hope this quick start
guide has given you some useful information to get you on the right path.
If youd like to learn more about exactly how you can create
stunning planting schemes in your garden, check out the new
step-by-step course: How to Create the Perfect Planting Scheme.
In this course about plants and how to put them together well, youll learn:
How to get the planting right in your garden even if you know nothing
about plants.
Simple tricks to instantly know what will grow well in your garden.
How to choose the right plant for the right place.
Learn a step-by-step process for creating perfect planting combinations
no matter what style of garden you have
Learn how to make your planting scheme look good all year round and
still have lots of flowers
Learn simple ways you can create amazing planting schemes that will
make you the envy of your entire neighbourhood!

Copyright 2010 Rachel Mathews Some rights reserved.

25

Formul

Other Garden Planning Guides

Also available in the instant download series:
The Great Garden Formula - learn all the design tricks professional
designers use, available now.
How To Create The Perfect Planting Plan - Learn how to poistition plants to
grow successfully in stunning combinations in your garden.
How To Measure and Draw a Scale Plan of Your Garden - available now

Coming Soon:
How To Create Amazing Small Gardens.
How To Design A Garden With Level changes.
How To Design A Contemporary Garden.

Im more than happy for you to republish excerpts from this quick start guide. Any excerpts must be
accompanied by an attribution, whichincludes the title of this guide, my name as the author and a link
tohttp://www.successfulgardendesign.com

26