There is a lot of plant material one can use but remember how much you fertilize will help you to decide. We use Corsica mint in the back gardens as we love the scent when we walk on it. We have used Hosta in the past for boarder plants and this year in the front planter we have Lisianthus with Ipomoea tricolor and Blackie hanging over the edge in the outer pot. We are in the process of putting in what is left of the collection now that the fence is sort of moved, will post a photo when we get it down. Warning it's not a pretty photo like Barry posts.
We lost 23 the first year and down 140 this year due to not getting the babies in their homes out back. But the good report is the Sang collection is growing and loving where they are!! Hope this helps.

Hi Donna Welcome!
I have petunias planted underneath some of my brugs.
It sounds like your on your way with this wonderful brug
addiction! I`ll have a few cuttings this fall if you would
like some.
Karen

I grow Morning Glories in most of my beds for ground cover.. They are easy and always in bloom.. There are so many different ones to chose from or just grow them all...LOL
WELCOME!!! I look forward to seeing you around..
Kylie

I think I am going to try some underplantings next year too. I want to put more in the ground next year but still have some in pots. For those, I want to try the pot in pot method and have some nice annuals in the pot for some blooms when the brugs aren't blooming. I bet 'snow on the mountain' aegopodim would be nice under brugs. Hostas too..thanks for the idea Karma. I guess whatever you like would work as long as it leaves some water for the brugs.
Shawn

Take a look at the thread about requesting pics at gives a little gets a lot pics. She has hers in pots with a lot of flowers underneath and they are doing great. I just called to her ask what she is doing different since we live in the same town and she is watering 4 times a day but she has blooms. I need to quit working so I can stay home and water more, lol. Well, I got go water and feed. Be back on later.

I just did a few beds out front that has brugs, ti plants, caladiums, variegated liriope, yellow shrimp plants, and then a backdrop of banana, castor beans, and going up the wall are moonvines, morning glory, and mandevilla. They have filled in nicely.

In backyard beds I have used caladiums, queens heart, banana, HI Ti plants, plumbago, Tricolor sweet potato vine: it has pink, white and green leaves and looks great under brugs.
In the center of one of the backyard beds, I have a huge white trellis with variegated morning glories and moonvines starting to climb it. I hung some of those fairy dust (glow in the dark) balls from it too lol. It should look good once it is all grown in.....still deciding if I should mulch everything too.
~Lenette

Oh yeah, forgot to add that coleus does well too. I am planning to add some dark red and purple coleus for more contrast too.

Welcome Donna, I put alot of purple heart around mine and have lots to share.

Since this is my first season with gardening and brugs I am learing. What I would like to to next year is double potting. Using a smaller pot with drilled holes so the water can exit for the brug. Then a bigger bot in which I set the smaller one. in the place between those two pots you can then plant anything you want there since the fertilizer will be so thinned out when it comes out on the bottom that the other plants will not be overfertilized. This is how a lot of people that have been doing it for a long long time are doing it. Sounds good to me. Even though I am very happy with the ones I am using now to keep the brug earth shaded so it will not be hit by the sun directly.

{{gwi:512195}}

I noticed my one in full sun that has a statue in front of it does better than the ones with nothing shading the soil. I think I will try and find something to plant under there but I don't know what can take full sun and a lot of water and fertilizer either. I have all sorts of stuff planted together in the front that gets some shade from big trees and they are all doing well. I have coleus up there too and trellises with vining things growing on them. Lenette post some pics. Your new garden sounds lovely. I need more trellises I have vines everywhere, lol.

Wow what a repsonse..lol The ideas are turning steadily now.. :) Everyone here is quick to reply and Im not used to that so please excuse my absence today.
The addiction is strong with me and lants have really taken over my life to the point that we are a small backyard nursery but its only te things I love! Lately its angels since ine starting blooming like crazy for me this year and my dear dh decided we needed a dedicated bed for them! I have strawberry creme, frosty pink, savoleons pink and a noid white. Then there are the ones Linda just gave me that we dare not sure what they are. I eally dont care just love the blooms. The only problem we have had was slugs on them and as soon as I get some I will be trying Lindas suggestion of copper tape round the bottoms.
I have plans for planting out my coleus in the font but maybe I could get some other varieties for uner the angels ( I love the colors & so easy to root) and they love the sun too. I was just given some coryline today but have never rooted it before so we will see how that goes but I wander if they are directly under the angels wouldnt they get too tall? O my head is spinning.
Sorry for ramblng its been a crazy day icluding making a new friend out front. The dh and I were working on the beds ut front and well he ended up ctching a friend who really seems to like me. Have to post a pic to believe it! We are dead center of jacksonville right off beach blvd too...lol
Keep the ideas comming on the understory planting Im taking them all in..
Thanks again
Donna

{{gwi:512197}}

now that is a garden pet I have and most likely will never see up here on the hill lol. CUTE.

Kristy all I can say is that whatever these flowers I use for underplanting, they LOVE the sun, fertilizer and just seem to be very happy with the brugs. I can look up the name. But I think you all know anyways or.

Hi Donna
I have the impatiens as underplanting on Angel alley in the back (which you saw and my wandering jew and Marguerite sweet potato vines are taking off and covering nicely. The brugs on either side of the walkway to the barns I am going to underplant with coleus, once the cuttings start rooting. We got to get together soon (I have lots of goodies for Tristen!!) Will call you later.
Linda

Forgive this Yankee, but what the heck is that black animal? Is it a pig? Would love to have a pig as a pet; don't think the authorities in the ridged Northeast would allow it though.......

I use coleus and caladiums under the brugs. Impatiens is a great idea.
Last year I had great success using sweet potato vine in a potted brug.

Yes its a pig just not sure what kind..lol
Looked like a pot belly to begin with but then it got mad at the dh and raised a ridge of hair up on its back and now im not so sure..lol

Donna maybe he only likes you lol. My first thought was pot belly too when I saw it. Is it still around?

Hi C.Lover: What is Purple Heart? Whare can I buy it? Will it do well in hot, SUNNY (big time) zone? TIA Gloria

What a cute little pig!

Purple heart is Tradescantia pallida it has a somewhat vining habit and roots easily from the joints. Makes little purple pink flowers but is really grown for the deep purple foilage. It will be darker in sun but does great in shade as well. It tolerates dryness and moisture. I found some growing in one spot of my yard and just hacked it all up and planted it around- it seems to have took.

I think Persian Shield would do okay under brugs too. It can grow up to 5 ft but you can keep it cut to a decent height.
Some Crotons would probably work in florida too but might have to be brought in during winter. I hear the yellows do better in sun vs. the darker reddish colors. They like a lot of humidity and would have to be cut back when they got too tall as well. I had crotons under some potted brugs in LA and they did okay but were in afternoon shade.

Here is a link that might be useful: purple heart

Here is another one that I put in the backyard brug beds. It is Evolvulus glomeratus. Short plant with little blue flowers. I have really well-draining sandy soil so this can take alot of water and all the rain we are having, and likes sun. It is blooming like crazy and trying to root itself all over.

Here is a link that might be useful: evolvulus

sjn that is a nice plant. The blue most likely goes with a lot of different colored brugs. Very nice. I like that

Donna
Did they come to get the piggy??? He could have done some serious damage to your gardens that you and Max have worked so hard on. Will call you later this am

gee8ch if you want some purple heart just let me know I take a big pot in for the winter and then just plant it everywhere in the yard for lots of color and their is so much that just has to die come fall freeze. Cindy

ROFL!! AWESOME pic!!! My GD wants a little piggy so bad...
LOL gotta love a girl in a ball cap too!! My daily attire..
Kylie

Do not grow ajuga around them as this will take off like crazy!! This past week I spent 6 hours removing all the ajuga from one bed due to it had a brug in it!! I know it will come back but it was so thick it was choking them and some plants weren't blooming.