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groundcover

12 years ago

We have a 2-acre property for a future house with a large flat area bordering on a neighbors lawn. It will be in full sun, pretty good soil, at the base of a steep slope, and I don't want to mow there. I need a ground cover that will spread pretty quickly but not encroach on his lawn. We have lots of vinca elsewhere on the property that I am transplanting onto the hill above this flat area to control erosion, and for the looks. We also have ivy at our current house that I could take and use on that area.

Any opinions would be welcome - more vinca, ivy, something better? Also, I have available lots of rocks I could use on the border to keep the cover from spreading onto his lawn.

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Comments (2)

doriswk
12 years ago
Creeping Jenny(Lysimachia nummilaria) is a vigorously growing groundcover that has a golden yellow to light green color, depending on the amount of sun. In summer it produces pretty little yellow flowers. It grows very rapidly, and therefore is also very invasive! But trailers are easy to pull up and cut off.
I planted only one 4 " planter in a sunny area that I wanted to be covered rather quickly, and this busy little creeper spread like wildfire, covering abt. 4 ft. by 4 ft in one season ( it would have spread more if I had let it). The following year I transplanted some of creeping jenny and some vinca under a tree where nothing wants to grow. Creeping jenny took over, except for a few branches of the vinca which had a hard time establishing itself and spread much slower. The yellowish green of creeping jenny may intermingle nicely with the darker ivy and vinca that you already have. I would probably plant vinca or ivy closer to the neighbours lot, and creeping jenny further away. But be warned, creeping jenny is a fast growing invasive plant!
tomandkaren
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks - Sounds like you have experience with these covers. I think the Jenny probably sounds too invasive - too much work to control what is a pretty large area. I have a large grass field above the steep slope, lots of vinca transplanted and just getting started on the slope itself, and nothing on the level area below the slope, which abuts the neighbor's lawn. If I introduce jenny into the lower flat area, I would worry about the jenny eventually taking over both the slope (which would actually be fine) and the field, as well as the neighbors lawn. I guess ideally on the lower flat area would be a fast-growing non-invasive weed-smothering plant, and I'm sure that is a contradiction in terms. The ivy at our current house seems to be pretty fast-growing, and it seems to stay off the lawn. In addition, it seems thick - keeps out weeds - so that it would require little or no attention. Would the jenny be good for erosion control on the slope? The vinca seems to be VERY thick and deep-rooted for that purpose.
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I grow all the ground covers mentioned here in zone 5a. Given the lighting you mention, I presume it to be partial sun to partial shade. Here's the scoop on them, with their soil requirements. Sedum: needs full sun (6 hrs/day); any soil. Thymus (thyme): full or nearly full sun; soil on the dry side, it will rot in too much moisture or shade (mine grows in gravelly soil, some of it in less than full sun where it does well); will inhibit grass; takes a while to establish; recommend woolly thyme or Thymus serpyllum (Mother of Thyme), 1-2" tall; evergreen; once established spreads vigorously; suppresses grass and other shallow rooted weeds but will harbor seeds of tap-rooted plants like Columbine; deer resistant (deer-proof for me). Lamium (dead nettle): does best in bright shade; likes a rich (fertile, humusy); prefers moist soil (will tolerate some dryness but will not flourish); pretty good at suppressing grasses once it fills in; handsome in flower (white or pink); deer resistant (deer-proof for me). Should be mostly "evergreen" for you in zone 6 (KY). Gallium (sweet woodruff): same light and soil conditions as Lamium; beautiful in flower (late spring); dies back in winter, re-emerges in early spring; self-sows and will "pop up" and spread in places that it likes; can be mowed (but why?); does not suppress grass, but almost does; deer resistant (deer-proof for me, and I love this stuff). Asarum europaeum (European ginger): super attractive, and a favorite as well; a slow spreader but fills in densely; prefers partial to full shade and rich humusy soil, constantly moist (but not wet); grows so thick it suppresses just about everything; also check out the more readily available A. canadense (wild ginger). A.e. is evergreen and deer-resistant (although they nibble A.e. in winter, but it grows back just as densely come spring); A.c. is deciduous. All like soil that drains well; all are easy to divide for propagation (anytime during the growing season); all hardy for you in KY; all (except Sedum and Thyme) will meet your light conditions; all are attractive, and, given the site, their habits are respectable. Note that only the Thyme can be walked upon (occassionally). Yours idea is a kind and respectful one. If you can bring yourself to adding manure and/or compost to the planting areas, do so. Fertilizers should not be necessary (I never add them). Happy tending, and send us pics. [Pics of Asarum and Gallium through google images or at my site: follow the link on "my page" to Rhododendron garden for Asarum e. or Woodland garden for Sweet Woodruff.]
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