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Native plants
I am having a new house built as my current one has so much structural damage due to a previous owner taking out the main structural beam which we have only just found out about 10 years after we bought the house. I have got planning permission for the new house but the council has insisted that I include a percentage of native plants in the garden. I don't mind digitalis purpurea and primulas but most others like bluebells, lily of the valley, iris pseudacorus etc are absolute thugs and the garden is quite small, only about 20m square. I cannot put a native tree like ash or oak in it. Please can anyone suggest other non take over garden native plants.
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If you need a tree try hawthorn.
What's the soil, rainfall and aspect?
In the sticks near Peterborough
What about Trollius, the Globe flower, Sweet violet [Not Dog Violet]. Avoid Welsh Poppy, very invasive.
If its a native plant then it probably will be a thug. Wild plants have to survive without our assistance so anything you plant can take over if it isn't watched carefully. Best to stick to low growing things that you can intimidate. I find sweet violets can go mad and spread everywhere if they are happy with the situation and soil.
Have a look here
http://www.naturescape.co.uk/acatalog/british_native_wildflower_plugs_plants_perennial_biennial.html
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
To nutcutlet
Soil is neutral to acid London clay. I am only one road up about 300m from the river Thames. Camellias grow well in the soil. Rainfall average and temperatures are normally quite high and frost and snow are quite rare as London is warmer due to pollution I suspect.
I have found both sweet and dog violets can go mad. I like the idea of a hawthorn except that its flowers, berries and leaves will all fall in my pond. I am not sure Trollius is a native plant but I will check.
Thank you Dovefromabove, as I have a pond I can include Sagittaria sagittifolia and Menyanthes trifoliata and Invicta2 tank you for your suggestion as I have now found out that Trollius europaeus is native and can go in the bog garden. I probably can add a few single snowdrops as they are easy to split as well. I think all the rest on the list are pretty much thugs in the right location. I went to a grade 1 listed garden at the weekend which had enormous amounts of wild garlic which is a thug and the whole place smelt of strong garlic, a place I will not be visiting again.
Are crocus and cyclamen native?
Why is a London Council promoting wild flower plantings in your private garden?
Crocus definitely not. Cyclamen hederifolium I don't think so, I'll have a look. No
Lots of discussion re snowdrops native or not. You need snowdrops though, wherever they come from
Ragged robin is pretty, non invasive (for me anyway) and will do in your soil, the native narcissus, N. pseudonarcissus and Fritallaria meeagris,(snakeshead fritillary)
In the sticks near Peterborough