Groundcovers
| Shade Gardening | Buying Perennials |
Groundcovers
Think of groundcovers as landscape problem solvers. When lawn grass won't grow easily or well in a particular location, there is probably a groundcover that will do just fine. In areas that are subjected to heavy traffic and play, you can't beat a grass lawn, but for a yard that requires minimal maintenance, think about reducing the size of the lawn and growing groundcovers wherever possible. Any low-growing plant will do as long as it looks good all season, spreads quickly to carpet the ground, requires little maintenance and helps to control weeds.
For the best performance from a groundcover, you must give it the growing conditions it needs. A well-chosen groundcover will reduce your yard work, while a badly chosen groundcover will force you into a loosing battle.
Groundcovers
for Dry Shade
Dry shade is usually found under trees
and shrubs, under eaves and on shaded slopes. Islands of groundcovers work well
under shade trees and shrubs. Try mixed plantings rather than limiting yourself
to a single species.
| Aegopodium
podagraria (bishop's weed) Ajuga reptans (ajuga) Bergenia cordifolia (heartleaf bergenia) Convallaria majalis (lily-of-the-valley) Epimedium spp. (epimediums) Euonymus fortunei (wintercreeper) Festuca caesia (blue fescue) Hakonechola macra (hakonechloa grass) |
Hedera
spp. (ivies) Lamiastrum galeobdolon (yellow archangel) Lamium maculatum (spotted lamium) Liriope spp. (lilyturfs) Mahonia repens (creeping mahonia) Ophiopogon spp. (mondo grasses) Polygonatum spp. (Solomon's seals) Vinca spp. (periwinkles) Waldsteinia fragarioides (barren strawberry) |
Groundcovers
for Wet Sites
Unless you enjoy mowing in a quagmire,
groundcovers are the ideal solution for boggy areas. You can create a beautiful
wetland garden by mixing drifts of plants with different foliage and a wide range
of flowering times.
| Acorus gramineus (Japanese
sweet flag) Alchemilla mollis (lady's mantle) Anemone canadensis (meadow anemone) Astilbe chinensis (Chinese astilbe) Brunnera macrophylla (Siberian bugloss) Carex spp. (sedges) Galium odoratum (sweet woodruff) | Hosta
spp. (hostas) Lysimachia nummularia (creeping Jenny) Primula spp. (primroses) Pulmonaria spp. (lungworts) Saxifraga stolonifera (strawberry geranium) Tiarella cordifolia (Allegheny foamflower) Viola canadensis (Canada violet) |
Groundcovers
for Slopes
I think we can all agree that anything
that eliminates the need to mow on a slope is an excellent idea. Deep-rooted ground
covers such as daylilies will help to stabilize the soil. On a very steep slope,
you may need consider using temporary terracing until the groundcover takes hold.
Match the height of your ground cover to the scale of your slope. Those listed
below range in size from ground huggers to three feet.
| Achillea
spp. (yarrows) Alchemilla mollis (lady's mantle) Arctostaphylos spp. (manzanita, bearberries) Arundinaria Pygmaea (pygmy bamboo) Coronilla varia (crown vetch) Cotoneaster spp. (cotoneasters) | Euonymus
fortunei (wintercreeper) Hypericum calycinum (St. John's wort) Juniperus cultivars (creeping junipers) Pteridium aquilinum (bracken) Sedum spp. (sedums, stonecrops) Verbena spp. (verbena) |
