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Forums > Gardener's Edge > Hot Topic - Great Groundcover Plants
 
 


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Moderator
    June 01, 2010Reply with quote#1
Great Groundcover Plants -
What Works Best For You?

One of the most important applications of plants in modern landscaping is groundcovers. Unlike the plants in our garden borders, groundcover plants are designed to fill in a larger area with one or maybe two uniform types of plants. Their primary purpose is to keep weeds at bay through their dense and vigorous growth habits while offering interest through color, texture or form. Groundcovers need to be tough, durable, persistent and reliable, and they need to spread to fill in an area after planting in a reasonable period of time.
 
When you think about it, grass is the definitive groundcover for most of the urban world. It fills all of the requirements and then some; it will take heavy foot traffic, and it takes pruning (mowing) extremely well. It is probably the most durable groundcover on earth. However it is rather high maintenance as any homeowner will attest, it requires an excessive amount of water and nutrients, and it has become rather ubiquitous. This is driving gardeners and homeowners alike to seek out other alternatives, whether for increased reliability, lower maintenance or greater interest.
 
We'd like to know your personal groundcover favorites, conventional or otherwise. What has worked well for you in various locations? To start things off we've asked our two debaters to discuss some of their favorite groundcover plants. Here's what they had to say on this important topic;
 
James Says...

I've become a fan of what just a few years ago might have been considered "unconventional" groundcovers. So while I fully appreciate and understand the merits of groundcover standards like horizontal junipers, thyme, spurge and creeping cotoneasters, I am finding a new love for plants that have earned renown for other applications but which are stunning when used as a groundcover.
 
My two favorites are those grand repurposed perennials, the hosta and the daylily. Hostas were once the purview of the shade garden, but it didn't take long for creative designers to realize that once established they make phenomenal groundcovers. Best of all they will fulfill this role admirably in shade. In fact, with the incredible range of foliage colors and sizes, hostas have now become the de facto groundcover choice for shade, although they do equally as well in the sun.
 
Daylilies have become the designer's groundcover of choice for sunny summer color. They are vigorous and hardy perennials and will form clumps that fill in an area quite quickly. It all began with the infamous Stella D'Oro, a reliable and virtually indestructible rebloomer, but now there are all kinds of reblooming daylily varieties like Happy Returns, Little Wine Cup and Fairy Tale Pink, all of which will serve this purpose with enthusiasm.
 
These are just two examples of trendy plants recently repurposed as groundcovers. For hot and dry locations, sedum (stonecrop) and yarrow are all the rage, both experiencing a renaissance in the garden with a plethora of new varieties. Bishop's Hat (Epimedium) is the newest choice for shade, and from what I've seen of these plantings it is highly effective.

Stefan Says...

As groundcovers other than turf grass or mulch become favored by gardeners, the nursery industry has made so many available that it is hard to decide at times which one(s) to use. I have some very regular ones that I use for given situations but then I always augment them with other plants so that the landscapes do not become too mundane or repetitive. After all, everyone wants to be unique in some manner.
 
For sunny locations I find that snow-in-summer (Cerastium tomentosum) is a great plant. Not only does it thrive in hot, dry locations, it also provides an interesting effect at night for evening garden viewing with its fine silver leaves and white flowers when in bloom. It is great for rockeries or as an edging or even as filler for a large mass planting.
 
Periwinkle (Vinca minor), also known erroneously as myrtle (real myrtle is Myrica spp.) is a truly wonderful plant for both shady locations and sunny spots. One of the earliest to groundcovers to bloom with its periwinkle blue flowers, it heralds the arrival of spring. I have some in my garden in the front and it has crept over the rocks to provide a dense mat around my peonies, columnar junipers and magnolia so thickly that weeds cannot take control. While I do find that it doesn't bloom as profusely in the shade as it does in the sun, it has another redeeming feature - that it is an evergreen. It is always a pleasure to see it peeking its leaves through the snow as the white monster of winter melts away!
 
What Do YOU Say?

Post your replies to this thread and BE HEARD!
akeimou
    June 01, 2010Reply with quote#2
we've gone lawn-free and so went nuts on groundcovers:

- where large areas of grass used to be there are now a dozen or so ground-hugging and wide junipers with clematis scrambling over them

- in beds among larger shrubs are low-growing and spreading shrubs such as Salix repens and Symphoricarpos albus, and subshrubs such as Iberis sempervirens,
Hyssopus officinalis, thyme, and other woody herbs

- for pathwalks and edgings: sedum, creeping thyme, hens and chicks, pussy toes

- where nothing else would grow (bone-dry and forsaken soil): geraniums, euphorbia polychroma, pulsatilla, snow-on-the-mountain, lamb's ears, fleeceflower (polygonum or persicaria?), veronica whitleyii, pearly everlasting

--meg
Liz
    June 02, 2010Reply with quote#3

I like to use ground covers under my green / dark plants to give them a "lift". Favourites are Origanum aureum, golden leaved creeping lysimachia, and a gold leaved, pink flowered lamium. Just found this web-site - what a wonderful source of really useable information.
glen
    June 13, 2010Reply with quote#4
I love lamium especially when grouped together.  That is, a few 'white nancy' in the corner behind the pond.  Close to it, 'golden anniversary' lamium, etc.  It's fairly hardy here (though last winter was a bad one where I lost a lot of it).

Vinca Minor illumination is also very stunning, though it hasn't survived enough for me to really make an impression.  I sense it's more to do with the wet clay like soil behind the pond where I planted it (though it did look sort of cool sprawling over the pond rocks almost touching the water.)

I guess hosta's spreading nature makes it a good ground cover.  Especially the low varieties.  A very easy care plant.

Ostrich fern might be considered a ground cover, it spreads by the root.  If planted in a sunny dry area against the house foundation, however, this plant survives but looks terrible by mid summer (based on my neighbors plantings).  It likes rich moist soil and part sun to shade.
akeimou
    June 14, 2010Reply with quote#5
oops, i meant snow-in-summer (as Stefan mentioned), not snow-on-the-mountain (the latter i actually have difficulty growing).

i came back to mention that Symphoricarpos albus is also great for dry shade.

--meg
Gailey
    June 17, 2010Reply with quote#6

My personal favourite and growing in my own somewhat informal garden is Alchemilla mollis with clematis scrambling through it.  I have planted a variety of Macropetalas and Alpinas during the 13 years I have lived in Calgary and I now have a wonderful cornucopia of hybrids that scramble all over the place.  I rarely worry about weeds.  I haven't worked out how to upload an image from my own computer yet, otherwise I'd post a picture to show you.
Rachael
    June 25, 2010Reply with quote#7

I prefer shorter groundcovers. I like Silver Nailwort, Pink Chintz creeping thyme, Minus creeping Thyme, Green Mat Penstemon, andVeronica Liwanensis. These are 2" or shorter, and once established, need little water.
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