By Brenna Wiegand
Ground covers have been called “the next best thing to cement.”
For a more carefree, weed-free yard – barring the installation of a basketball or tennis court – try a good ground cover.
In the spirit of “going green,” we’ll explore some tried and true ground covers hardy to the mid-Willamette Valley. These plants are prized for spreading quickly, forming a dense cover that chokes out most weeds, keeps water usage to a minimum and prevents erosion. Many are able to grow – and flower – where nothing else can.
Most gardeners contend with challenging “microclimates” where temperatures, soil conditions, moisture, and/or exposure to sun or wind make it difficult for most plants to subsist.
“With ground covers the first thing you need to do is look at your location and determine whether it’s wet or dry most of the year; how much sun it gets and other considerations,” said Patti Harris who, with husband George, owns Silverton’s Garden Thyme Nursery.
A uniform carpet of ground cover provides a flowing transition between garden areas and along borders. You’ll spot them trailing from containers and crevices in rock walls, encircling stepping stones and emerging from cracks in concrete or between pavers. They can provide fragrance and attract bees, birds and butterflies, and some don’t mind foot traffic.
Of course, a grass lawn is the original groundcover. Despite the maintenance, a lawn provides things no other ground cover can. Kids gravitate to lawns for frolicking; in good weather it’s a living outdoor carpet right for lawn chairs, picnics and croquet.
Ground-covering options include herbs, ornamental grasses, succulents, perennials and low-growing woody shrubs. These may include riotous ground cover roses, the intoxicatingly fragrant dianthus or scented (hardy) geraniums.
“A ground cover that’s not used often enough is called Brass Buttons or Leptinella,” Harris said. “It forms a tight, dense mat of leaves that look like tiny ferns – and it stays nice and low so our dogs can walk across it and it’s no big deal.”
Secure steep banks or slopes with rugged, fast-growing plants, plant shallow-rooted ground covers under trees to retain moisture in and encroaching grass at bay. Begin to think of that parched slope as though it were part of the French countryside.
“Once it’s established, something like lavender needs almost no water – perfect for a long driveway strip where you’re not going to irrigate,” Harris said, “and thyme is a great companion to it. Thyme likes the hot sun and hot soil and keeps the weeds down – and since deer don’t like the fragrance of lavender, they won’t eat the thyme.”
For a perennially soggy spot, try vinca, a fast grower able to weather almost any conditions. Harris says the variegated foliage of ‘Sunny Skies’ is plenty pretty – apart from its lovely blooms…
“Corsican mint or Irish moss will take hold where it’s shady but not too wet,” she said, “and it can handle heavy clay.”
As you can see, reading plant labels will serve you well in any gardening endeavor; further research even better. Keep an eye out for specimens toting such descriptions as “vigorous grower,” “very aggressive” – or anything with the word “rampant” in it. This may be indication of a monster in plant guise, poised to consume everything in its path. We want our ground covers to grow rapidly, self-propagate and crowd out other plants – but only those we consider weeds.
Here are some top performers that thrive in our region.
Ajuga (A. reptans), or carpet bugle, while vigorous, makes an excellent ground cover that can be controlled by periodic “discipline” – yanking out handfuls where it is unwanted. This evergreen perennial forms a 4-inch-high mat of green, bronze or variegated foliage that in spring sends up spikes of blue, pink or white flowers. A top performer, said Harris, is ‘Burgundy Glow.’ Ajuga’s extensive root system prevents erosion in short order: Set 12-15 inches apart, ajuga can cover the ground in one season flat.
Vinca (V. major; V. minor – a.k.a. periwinkle), is a tough, easy to grow plant that’s a boon to shaded slopes, under trees and shrubs and the north side of buildings. Its evergreen foliage gets richer in partial shade, but the sun will coax out more of its lavender-blue flowers. Normally spaced 12-18 inches apart, at a distance of six inches it can produce a complete cover in a year’s span.
Ornamental strawberries, hybrids of the strawberry family (Fragaria), are low, spreading plants that produce small, insignificant fruit made up for in large and/or colored flowers. Useful among perennials and below shrubs, they are delightful scrambling through rocky areas and prefer full sun and moist, well-drained soil.
Creeping phlox (Phlox subulata), while commonly used in rock gardens, makes an effective ground cover just about anywhere. Its mossy foliage, two-six inches high, reaches out some 12-20 inches and in spring is alive with masses of pink, purple or white flowers. It persists in poor soil and full sun while draping itself attractively over neighboring stones. It’s creeping phlox – not creepy phlox – and wouldn’t dream of choking out its neighbors. Nestle a few handfuls of bulbs beneath its stems for a happy duet.
Epimedium thrives in dry shade, blanketing the garden through the year in the subtle, changing hues of its sturdy heart-shaped leaves, each held aloft on its own sturdy stem. Its low-growing habit and delicate flowers work wonders in otherwise bare areas beneath trees and shrubs. Depending on type, it grows five-24 inches high and eight inches to three feet in width.
Creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis) always looks great, its woody stems decked in needle-shaped leaves of blue and green. This vigorous grower is capable of covering a large area with foliage 1-2 feet high and is made for hot, dry situations. Excellent for slopes and bank, plant them 5-6 feet apart. For faster results, set them 3-4 feet apart, prune growing tips lightly, and when they begin to crowd, remove every other one. These may be planted elsewhere.
In Shakepeare’s day, they used sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) to make May wine. With fragrant, lasting blooms and leaves that smell like hay when crushed, it continues to delight the senses. Despite its delicate appearance and well-mannered clumps, sweet woodruff is tough and well suited to wooded areas. It will spread as far as you let it, rarely getting over a foot high.
Pachysandra, or Japanese spurge (Pachysandra terminalis) is an evergreen sub shrub that adds to the mystery of a shaded landscape and is one of the few plants that will grow satisfactorily under evergreens and in dense shade. It makes a good transition between walks or lawns and attains a uniform height of ten inches in deep shade; six inches where it’s dappled. Rich green leaves tinged purple produce occasional clusters of tiny, off-white blossoms of little ornamental value.
Lamium (Lamium maculatum) is an excellent, easy care groundcover. Most types produce clusters of pink or white flowers through the summer, but even when not in bloom, lamium’s 8-inch-high, silver-marked foliage can really brighten up a shady corner.
Let us never forget Sedum, a member of the succulent family encompassing more than 300 species and 500 cultivars ranging from inch-high mats to two-foot specimens like Sedum ‘Autumn Joy.’ The group brings a wealth of foliage colors to the table: red-tinged greens; blood reds; vivid yellows, blues, bronzes – and a spectrum of greens. Mix and match them for an intriguing quilt to blanket your garden, borders, slopes and stepping stones. With its cactus-like water-storing leaves, sedums are of the rare breed that continues to shine through the dog days of summer and most will root from broken branches or fallen leaves. All they ask in return is a place where their “feet” aren’t mired in moisture.
Ornamental grasses add texture, architecture, year-round interest and movement to the landscape while decisively combating erosion. With heights ranging from under one foot (blue fescue) to over 10 feet (fountain and maiden grasses), myriad colors and forms, chances are ornamental grasses will have a member to fit any landscape situation, many of the statuesque varieties worthy of specimen plant status.
Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla mollis) is best known for the way a drop of dew sparkles when cradled in one of its downy leaves. In early summer, expect clusters of chartreuse blooms. The plant prefers sun to part shade and well-drained soil, but can hang in there against overwhelming odds, though its growth will be stunted.
Grandmother’s quirky hens-and-chicks (Sempervivum) once tumbling from a pair of Grandpa’s old boots were precursors to a dazzling array of descendants. These range from tiny to large; smooth or fuzzy; green, red, bronze and more. They remain among the most carefree groundcovers and in full sun and well-drained soil will thrive and send little chicks of their own into the world. This succulent is a perfect companion for sedums and is at its best in rock gardens and crevices – both horizontal and vertical.
