ABSTRACT
The great variation in the parent material goes some way to explain the range of soils with all the associated complications for those trying to achieve the best plant performance whether for production, display or to deliver excellent sports surfaces. Brown earth soils develop in the well-drained medium to heavy soils in the lowlands of Britain and Ireland. They are associated with a climax vegetation of broadleaved woodland, especially oak, ash and sycamore, the roots of which have ensured that nutrients moving down the soil profile are captured and returned to the soil via the leaf fall. Most clay minerals have a layered crystalline structure and are plate like in appearance. Granite is one of the most common and contains crystals of quartz, which are white and shiny; felspars, grey or pink; and micas, shiny black. Many of these crystalline materials have a limited use in landscaping as formal structures rather than in the construction of rock gardens.
