How would you classify plants into different uses for design purposes?

Trees, Shrubs, "perennials", groundcovers, vines, grasses????


and if anybody can help me understand what a "perennial" is i would really appreciate it. It seems to be a very vague term, since many flowering shrubs could also be called "perennials" and shrubs could also be considered "groundcovers" as well, making "groundcover" a confusing term as well.





But I think when you are classifying plants you should divide them into their uses in a garden , right?

How would you classify plants into different uses for design purposes?
I start with total shade, partial shade, partial sun, full sun. Then under those catagories do FLOWERS, annual(have to plant every yr) or perrinnials(they come back yr after yr)then SHRUBS-flowering or non flowering, large, medium, small, evergreen or deciduous, GROUND COVERS-evergreen, flowering, deciduous. TREES-by size, sun , evergreen, flowering, deciduous. Stick with local specialties for example in Portland Or roses, rhodies, azaleas all all easy to grow. Flowers take some maintenance. Shrubs very little.





I usually have something tall in the back, (tree, shrub, flowering or not)then taller perennials, med perennials, shorter perennials, and then mix annuals thru out. This is my pattern for all sun exposures. Mixing it up. Decide if you want a very tidy look or a wild look. Grasses are very popular and come in varitey of sizes and color. Usually come back every yr. Good luck, have fun!
Reply:landscaping terms are a hodgepodge. "groundcover" isnt a term you find in botany.





perennial is used to separate plants from annuals and biennials.





an annual completes its cycle in a year. a biennial takes 2 years.





a perennial is everything else -- and from there they are divided into herbaceous and woody.





herbaceous would be most flowering perennials. trees and shrubs are woody perennials.
Reply:Perennials are plants that stay active throughout many years. For instance, sunflowers only grow for one year, so they aren't perennials. Shrubs that are perenials means that they won't produce and then die out at a certain time of the year, they will grow for two or more years(depending on how good it is taken care of). Shrubs, are small bushes with one small trunk; some shrubs can also be a ground covering, depending on how far out the shrub will grow. For instance, celentro shrubs work great as a sigle year ground covering, although, they aren't perennials because they live for one year.
Reply:Get a good Royal Horticulture Society book , or there are many helpful books out there

rain roots