To produce softscape and planting design, landscape architect need to study horticultural course. It becomes very essential to the landscape architect to understand the plant material, character and habitat of the plants.

Different type of plants are creating different type of ambience and sense of place. The plants can use to define the spaces. For examples, planted shrubs to define pedestrian entrance. Tall shrubs are planted for screening and highlight buffer of planting. Small and medium shrubs can be retained visual connectivity and continuously. Besides that, shrubs and groundcovers used to define human scale and litter killer zone for most of the landscape development.

Below are some flowering shrubs and groundcovers which’s popular to be proposed in outdoor garden.

![20150704_122412.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmPDuCQXEsmVMJs3eRFeJ5hJHDjyiHiHK6W5BtT3V1ahnW/20150704_122412.jpg)
1.Portulaca oleracea (cultivars) requires little water, tolerant to dry and well-drained soils. It’s fast glowing, and can be planted for green roof and flowering beds. It’s free flowering and can be planted at garden entrance and some highlighted area.

![20150809_112230.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmZcLvNutpGLVJWhPyEJWziKzsUNp5GqeiWd9Pz5yWxsCx/20150809_112230.jpg)
2.Turnera ulmifolia, Yellow Turnera, tolerant with dry soil and shaded planting area. It is reaching 1.0m overall height after it’s establish. Regular maintenance is needed to keep it in good condition.

![ipomoea cairica (2).jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmbXwberhTaPivnobdc3kprqoS7MuBCmm1sAchd5deuZvA/ipomoea%20cairica%20(2).jpg)
3.Ipomoea pink. It requires lot’s water and grow well under full sun light area. It also has attractive foliage and flowers, so grown as an ornamental creeper in coastal and inland sites on the granite revetments of seawalls, reservoirs and canals. 

![Brufelsia calycina - 111.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmTkgrh5DzJz6oWrhezv1oK911ebVgmHcajjuaCdmNN8Qg/Brufelsia%20calycina%20-%20111.jpg)
4.Brunfelsia calycina, common name is Yesterday-Today-and-Tomorrow. Chinese name, 大花鸳鸯茉莉. It likes full sun planting area, and it’s fragrant. It required low maintenance. In Singapore it less flowers, especially growing in semi shaded condition.

![00 bougainvillea pink.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVLvffYTMDyTH4Jg7ZgiUwQg6QvLLX22ywnM14T5yfUU3/00%20bougainvillea%20pink.jpg)
5.Bougainvillea 'Mrs Eva', Bunga Kertas. It’s drought tolerant. It likes full sun. It categorized as shrub and climber. It’s easy maintenance. We can found it along the roadside and public landscape area.

![Tibouchina urvilleana Glory Bush.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmcE1MekQXpBHgXbeHAbCyA5PLVXMm1GQ8Rixig9b7aP3D/Tibouchina%20urvilleana%20Glory%20Bush.jpg)
6.Tibouchina urvilleana, Glory Bush, it requires lot’s water. It’s type of ornamental shrub. This fast-growing species is suitable for beginners, requiring low maintenance. It grows best in fertile, moist, but well-draining soil. It may be used as a specimen plant, as the bright purple flowers are attracting interest.

![20171122_122049.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmNnpaHNs5qZLEnFidAyjP4Fakd74zSFF1C4Pa6DXAsCJY/20171122_122049.jpg)
7.Torenia fournieri (pink flower). It likes moist soils, free-flowering under full sunlight condition. To promote flowering, fertilizer high in potassium is needed.