low groundcover for between stepping stones??

19 years ago

i love mazus reptans, but i would like to pick something native. here are my conditions, i hope you might have some suggestions!!

- northeast (new york)

- part shade (about 3-4 hours morning sun)

- average moisture

i want something that will spread between the stones but not too aggressively. bloom color doesn't matter. i prefer summer blooms but other times are fine as well as long as it keeps a nice foliage.

thanks!!

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Comments (7)

mina
19 years ago
wild stone crop is real pretty. that's what I'm using between our step stones in the shade.

L.
Elaine_NJ6
19 years ago
Violets. There are some short sedges. That's not enough sun for purple lovegrass.
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I'd dig up the path, and try to place the stones as close together as possible. There will still be adequate spaces in between for plants, but you won't have nearly the weed problems. Thyme will handle a fair amount of foot traffic. Chamomile will to, but the long flower stalks can look weedy. Mazus, IME, can't handle any foot traffic. It just gets smashed.
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I suggest using thyme too. In fact there are so many creeping thyme variety that you could combine them. I use mother of thyme, lemon thyme and yet another form of thyme. They are fragrant to walk on and bloom at dfferent stages.
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Comments (3)
I find thyme rather fast growing, if given the proper conditions. It needs full sun and very well-draining soil - it will not tolerate moist soil conditions. For between pavers, I'd probably go with Elfin thyme or Thymus praecox 'Minus'. It is very low growing and quite dense in appearance with tiny, little shiny evergreen leaves. Takes foot traffic well and can be walked on easily and comfortably in bare feet......as long as not in flower and the bees not busy :-) If you purchase in standard 4" nursery groundcover pots, you can cut each container into 4 (or more) sections, reducing the amount of material you need to purchase and creating small enough plugs to be able to fit between pavers easily. This method works well for any very low, creeping, root-as-they-grow, non-woody type of groundcover. For a shadier situation, you could look at Mazus reptans or a creeping veronica.
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Comments (7)
Just a word of caution re blue star creeper. See my post, "What's the best way to kill blue star creeper", on Sep. 6. Your photo suggests that bsc would work much better than the scenario we had; i.e., as a lawn replacement. It is beautiful and steppable, but so very invasive. Also, when we started the project, we needed a lot of starter plants (at least, we thought we did, not realizing how fast they spread). So we ordered flats through a local nursery and cut them up to plant, rather than buying a gazillion of those small containers, thereby saving a lot of money. The nursery got the flats from somewhere in Oregon, but they weren't available year round and might not be available now. When we were shopping, we just happened to see some ground covers in the large flats; never realized before that they came that way. They were out of bsc flats at the time, but special ordered for us. You might ask at your local nursery once you decide. Good luck on your selection!
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geoforce
19 years ago
Have seen nice stands of partridge berry in the woods, but don't know what it would do in a garden area. Nice flowers and nice berries. Thymes aren't native, but they are traditional though I think they would need more sun.

George
jillmcm
19 years ago
If you don't mind things that get to 3" to 4" tall, here are some suggestions... Aster ericoides (white flowers in fall, quite short), Chrysogonum virginianum ("green and gold", yellow flowers spring and then sporadically through fall) or creeping phlox (many colors available, spring bloom, will get too tall unless mowed)? The aster might need more sun but the other two would probably do fine.
waplummer
19 years ago
I am using Chrysogonum virginianum in a similar situation and heartily recommend it. The 'spider' cultivar spreads fairly quickly. I call it my 'green and gold' carpet. In another situation I am experimenting with Tiarella cordifolia, Fragaria virginina, Viola labrodorica.
jillmcm
19 years ago
Hey, Waplummer, if you get your V. labradorica to spread well, let me know what you're doing! I keep trying it all over my yard and the plants just peter out, no matter what kind of growing conditions I try. I have tons of other kinds of violets, but this one refuses to cooperate.
spmimi
Original Author
19 years ago
thanks everyone! i really like chrysogonum. i'll see how it works! i'm just so excited now that i've decided to make the commitment to majority native plants (i do have some hostas, but they are just so easy and cheap i can't refuse).

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low groundcover for between stepping stones??

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mina

Elaine_NJ6

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low groundcover for between stepping stones??

Comments (7)

mina

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