Common name: Creeping speedwell Latin name: Veronica repens Plant type: Groundcover Plant size: 1″ high, spreading 6-12″ USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-8 Cultural needs: Normal or sandy; well drained, moist soil; full sun to part shade Dwarfs and dwarf trees won’t be obscured when surrounded by this mat-forming creeping speedwell. Here, in full bloom during June […]
Common name: Dwarf baldcypress, dwarf swamp cypress Latin name: Taxodium distichum ‘Peve Minaret’ Plant size: 6-10′ high by 3′ wide in 10 years USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-11 (marginally in Zone 4) Cultural needs: Moist, acidic soil; sun T.d. ‘Peve Minaret’ is a dwarf variety of the magnificent swamp cypresses of the Florida Everglades. The dwarf […]
Common name: Irish yew Botanical name: Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’ Plant type: Dwarf conifer USDA Hardiness Zones: 6-9 Cultural needs: Well-drained soil, sun or shade Plant size: 6-8′ high x 2-3′ wide in 10 years, easily pruned Discovered in Northern Ireland in 1780, Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’ is an easy-to-grow evergreen conifer for railroad gardeners. Like a […]
Common name: Shimpaku juniper Latin name: Juniperus chinensis ‘Shimpaku’ Plant size: 6″-12″ USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-9 Cultural needs: Sun or part shade, any well-drained, slightly acid soil The Shimpaku juniper was first discovered in mountainous Japan a little over a century ago. Due to over collecting for bonsai subjects they have all but disappeared in […]
Common name: Watercress Latin name: Nasturtium officinale, N. microphyllum Plant type: Water plant Plant size: 4″ high and spreading rapidly USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-10 Cultural needs: Moist soil or floating on water, sun or shade Watercress is a plant for many purposes in a garden railway. To quickly green up your pond, watercress, with its bright, […]
Common name: Eastern red cedar, Virginian juniper, eastern juniper, red juniper, pencil cedar, or aromatic cedar Latin name: Juniperus virginiana Plant type: Shrubs and small trees USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-9 Cultural needs: Moist, well drained, neutral, or slightly acidic soil; full sun Plant size: 40′ unpruned but easily kept under 2′, with a width half […]
Doone Valley lemon thyme Common name: Doone Valley lemon thyme Latin name: Thymus citriodora ‘Doone Valley’ Plant type: Groundcover USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-9 Cultural needs: Well-drained soil, full sun Plant size: 3″ high x 18″ wide Doone Valley thyme’s evergreen leaves shine like the sun, with yellow edges that often cover the whole leaf with […]
Pruning is a learned practice. No one starts out knowing how to best prune a woody shrub. All of us just have to take a stab at it and learn as we go. We make mistakes, try to forgive ourselves, then find that plants will forgive us and grow back as healthy as before. We […]
Common name: Maidenhair spleenwort Latin name: Asplenium trichomanes Plant type: Perennial Plant size: 3-12″ high x 3-12″ wide USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-11 Cultural needs: Moist, rich, well-drained soil or rock crevices; partial to full shade In the wilds of the Pacific Northwest, maidenhair spleenwort grows under overhanging rock ledges, in moist crevices at high elevations. […]
Common name: Grape hyacinth Latin name: Muscari sp. Plant type: Perennial Plant size: 5-8″ high and spreading USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9 Cultural needs: Moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil, full sun to part shade Late summer/early autumn is the time to pick up some bulbs to plant for spring blooming. Originating from the Mediterranean region, grape […]
A beginner’s guide to plants For many railway gardeners, the “garden” is the most challenging aspect of a garden railroad. Like all living things, outdoor plants have unpredictable habits; growing, changing, moving, and sometimes even dying on us for no apparent reason. Latin names, horticultural terms, and gardening techniques can be confusing to a beginner. […]
Latin name: Solenostemon scutellarioides Common name: Miniature coleus Growth rate: Varies Plant type: Annual Cultural needs: Full sun to partial shade, moderate water Coleus plants aren’t just for windowsills and border edging anymore. Hundreds of exciting varieties are now available from specialty growers, offering an amazing array of colors and textures for gardens everywhere. Miniature […]
