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Groundcovers are like a fancy carpet in the garden. They add richness
and beauty under trees and become stars of the show in sunny spots.
Groundcovers reduce maintenance by preventing weeds and reduce the need
for watering by acting as living mulch.
Groundcovers are like a fancy carpet in the garden. They add richness and beauty under trees and become stars of the show in sunny spots. Groundcovers reduce maintenance by preventing weeds and reduce the need for watering by acting as living mulch.
When choosing ground covers, assess the conditions of the area you want to plant:
- Is it in the sun or shade?
- Is it a naturally moist area or dry?
- Do you intend to water it or go with our natural cycle of wet in the winter and dry in the summer?
Matching the plant to the site conditions will ensure success.
When designing a plant layout, I consider whether I want a sweep of the same plant or a tapestry effect with a variety of plants. Using more than one type of plant allows me to work with foliage contrast, adding patterns to my composition.
Splash color and texture on the ground under trees and shrubs with shade-loving groundcovers like the Serbian bellflower. It needs little water, blooms with star-shaped half-inch blue flowers in spring and summer and spreads vigorously without becoming invasive. Heart-shaped foliage covers this mounding plant.
Lamiastrum is another perennial groundcover for partial or full shade. Silvery variegated foliage can lighten up dark corners, and small yellow flowers are a bonus in late spring.
To preserve good visibility along a walkway or lawn, use low-growing, long blooming perennials like diascia, Santa Barbara daisy and achillea. All prefer full sun and moderate to little water.
Diascia is a South African native with half-inch wide flowers that appear on the ends of spreading stems. Pink used to be the only flower color of this variety, but hybridizers have developed apricot, coral and lavender, too. Diascias are hardy freezing temperatures and bloom nearly continuously if old flowers are cut after flowering.
Santa Barbara daisy has become a popular groundcover, as it reseeds readily and can cover a large area fairly quickly. This 10- to 20-inch tall trailing plant spreads, making it a great filler between larger shrubs and perennials. Dainty one-third inch pinkish white flowers cool down hot sunny spots. Trim this plant several times a year to keep it tidy and encourage blooming.
Achillea or yarrow are among the most carefree perennials for summer and early fall blooms. They spread by underground runners and make great ground covers. Keep this in mind if you have limited space. The most-common variety is called summer pastels, but if you want to add a punch of color to your garden, plant cerise queen, with its cherry red flowers.
Rockrose provides large-scale cover for expansive sunny areas. The dense, strong root system help prevent soil erosion. Choose from white, pink or magenta flowers on plants varying from 1- to 5-feet high, depending on the variety. This Mediterranean native is fast-growing and drought-tolerant.
To create stunning combinations of groundcover plants, choose five or six styles and repeat them in small drifts to carry the eye through the composition.
Add grasses for linear texture. Good candidates are blue oat grass, a non-spreading clumping grass with silver leaves. Carex ice dance is a spectacular evergreen ornamental grass with dark green narrow foliage edged with a pure white border. Ice dance spreads by underground runners in partial sun or shade.
Take the opportunity to survey your garden for bare spaces that can come alive with added texture and color.
Jan Nelson, a California certified nursery professional at Plant Works in Ben Lomond, will answer questions about gardening in the Santa Cruz Mountains. E-mail her at
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