| When
constructing your garden railroad, keep scale in mind. Using plants with
small leaves, twigs and blossoms add to the realism of the garden, as a
railroad.
Groundcovers
This is a great way to fill in large spaces quickly, with little
maintenance. Groundcovers by nature stay under 6" and can
handle the rocky terrain and slopes that would add character to your
layout. Groundcover is available for both sunny and shady areas.
Low
maintenance: In areas that you opt not to plant, it is best to cover
with mulch, this will control the weeds, and allow you to focus on
the more important stuff…the trains.
Planting
groundcover: Early spring or fall. Best planted at around 6"
apart. If you Would like to limit the spreading to a certain area,
then it is best to place the plant in a container and sink the pot.
Some
types of groundcover:
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1- Periwinkle
Good on slopes. Full sun or full shade. Will spread quickly.
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2- Ivy
(Baltic Ivy)
Grows in full sun or part shade. Great for under evergreens.
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3-
Carpet
Phlox
Spreads quickly with little care. Mossy green with blossoms in
early May. Available in a variety of colours.
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4- Snow
in Summer (Cerastium tomentosum)
Vigorous grey leaved ground cover with white blossoms
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Dwarf
and slow growing evergreens
Every layout needs trees. Dwarf or minature conifers are growing
in popularity and a larger variety can be found at your local
nurseries. The benefit of the small trees is the realism that it lends
to your layout. While most are slow growing, they will need occasional
pruning to keep the desired size.
Examples
of conifers:
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1-
Dwarf
Alberta Spruce
Often used to represent a miniature forest.
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2-
Dwarf
Japanese garden Juniper
Tight, ground hugging evergreen mat.
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3-
Blue
Star Juniper
Sivery blue needles on a compact grower
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4-
Miniature
birdsnest spruce
Dark green miniature version of a birdsnest spruce
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Perennials
and miniature shrubs
Perennials are those plants that grow year after year. They are rather
hardy and continue to expand year after year. Lowering the level of
maintenance of your garden.
Examples
of perennials and shrubs:
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1-
Miniature
Roses, rhododendrom
Smaller version of the original. Look for those with the tiniest
leaves.
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2-
Miniature
boxwood
Extremely slow growing evergreen. Great for colour in the winter.
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3-
Miniature
Elm
Small leaves, able to resemble a large scale tree.
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Perennial
of the Year:
Perennial Plant Association has named the Japanese Painted Fern the
2004 plant of the year. Great for the shade garden. Silver grey colour
is best in light shade.
Moss
and Small "walk-ons"
Moss is great for imitating grass and there are a lot of varieties.
The best thing, is its free. Just take a walk in the forest and pick
some up. Great for areas that will require light foot traffic are the
small ornamental plants called "walk-ons". Check out your
local nursery for selection. They are also great in between flagstone
pavers.
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