KarensGardenTips.com » ground cover

Plant Profile: Rock Soapwort (Saponaria ocymoides)

Karen — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Read 'Plant Profile: Rock Soapwort (Saponaria ocymoides)' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

Read 'Plant Profile: Rock Soapwort (Saponaria ocymoides)' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com. A native of the European Alps, rock soapwort is a low growing plant that scrambles over rocks and trails over walls. It’s semi-evergreen foliage forms dense mats and can be used in rock gardens or between stepping stones to advantage. This easy to grow plant is [...]

Bishop’s hat (Epimedium grandiflorum)

Karen — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 10:00:05 +0000

Read 'Bishop’s hat (Epimedium grandiflorum)' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

What a blessing this plant is for the shade garden! In addition to growing well in limited light it competes well with the roots of trees and can grow in areas where other plants can not. Plants may take their time getting established but are worth the wait [...]

Plant Profile: Purple heart (Setcreasea pallida/Tradescantia pallida)

Karen — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:00:46 +0000

Read 'Plant Profile: Purple heart (Setcreasea pallida/Tradescantia pallida)' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

Although experts can’t agree on a name for purple heart they do agree that it is one of the toughest plants for the South. Give it high heat and humidity with little rain and it survives. Its drought resistance makes it a great container plant [...]

Plant Profile: Perwinkle (Vinca minor)

Karen — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:00:48 +0000

Read 'Plant Profile: Perwinkle (Vinca minor)' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

This is one of those plants you either hate or love and I love it but the head gardener does not. The evergreen foliage, bright blue flowers in spring, and its tendency to fill in open spaces endear it to me. But it’s that last characteristic, tendency [...]

Plant Profile: Winter Heather (Erica carnea)

Karen — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 10:00:51 +0000

Read 'Plant Profile: Winter Heather (Erica carnea)' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

Winter heather is a low growing compact evergreen shrub that gets up to 12” tall and up to 24” wide so makes a very good ground cover. It grows slowly and may assume and irregular shape but is easily pruned. Unlike most heathers, Erica carnea will [...]

Plant Profile: Creeping Jenny (Lysamachia nummularia ‘aurea’)

Karen — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:00:51 +0000

Read 'Plant Profile: Creeping Jenny (Lysamachia nummularia ‘aurea’)' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

Read 'Plant Profile: Creeping Jenny (Lysamachia nummularia ‘aurea’)' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com. This fast growing groundcover can quickly spread all over the garden and even into the lawn. It is not to everyone’s liking but I find it very attractive and useful so turn a blind eye to its wandering ways. The plant is prostrate and roots [...]

Plant Profile: Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’ (Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’)

Karen — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:00:18 +0000

Read 'Plant Profile: Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’ (Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’)' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

Few container plants look good by the end of the summer especially when you live where high heat and humidity are the rule, but dichondra ‘Silver Falls’ is one that does. Start with a couple of small plants in the spring and it [...]

Plant Profile: American Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens)

Karen — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 10:00:53 +0000

Read 'Plant Profile: American Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens)' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

A fall visit to our nursery in New Jersey is always a treat, offering an opportunity to collect an abundance of greens, cones, twigs, and other items for the holidays. American bittersweet grows there with abandon and I can help myself to all I can carry [...]

Plant Profile: Turf Lily (Lirope muscari)

Karen — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 13:55:41 +0000

Read 'Plant Profile: Turf Lily (Lirope muscari)' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

I first saw this plant used in a border and later saw it used as a ground cover. Its grass like leaves are a bit shaggy for a ground cover for my taste and I much prefer to use it in my borders. I like it [...]

Six Special Plants with Chartreuse Foliage

Karen — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:57:48 +0000

Read 'Six Special Plants with Chartreuse Foliage' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

Chartreuse has always been one of my favorite colors when selecting plants. Most of those that sport chartreuse do so with their foliage so I have many of them, less of those with chartreuse flowers. When a gardening friend looked into my secret garden at all [...]