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Gardening in Shade

Need Suggestions for a 'Flowering' Ground Cover (pics)

13 years ago

Now that the the threat of frost is FINALLY behind us (knock on wood), I'm ready to start planting in an area I amended three weeks ago. It faces south on a slight downward slope and gets dappled sun all day (except around 6pm when it gets direct light for about an hour before the sun goes to bed).

Ive done a little research and I really like the look if the Sweet Woodruff, Creepy Jenny, Lily of the Valley, Ajuga and Vinca Minor (in that order) but here are my dilemnas: (1) I want something with a long bloom period...(2) I want to put more than one plant in that spot (?competition?)...(3) Im concerned about intrusion into my existing lawn

Any suggestions? Thanks :-)

Comments (6)

mandolls
13 years ago
I have both sweet woodruff and vinca minor growing in my yard. The vinca definitely flowers for a longer period - on and off all growing season. It also is evergreen right through Wisconsin winters!. But the sweet woodruff is lovely even when it is not flowering, and grows better in shade. It is also much easier to mix with other plants, the roots are not deep, it stays low to the ground, and other plants can grow right up through it easily. I have ferns primroses and hostas that move right up through it with no problems. Lily of the valley has a very shot bloom time and isnt really a ground cover (though nice growing through the sweet woodruff, I havent had much luck with ajuga, it comes back every year, but hasn't spread much.
madisonkathy
13 years ago
Some of the perennial geraniums bloom off and on all season and grow well in dappled shade. Would look great with golden creeping jenny or a lamium.
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Your bleeding hearts are lovely. My mother has a similar slope and her ground cover is lamium. Hers has white blooms, I believe it is available in other colors as well. It thrives in shade, even dry shade on her slope, and yet it doesn't muscle or crowd out other plants. You could also add hostas. They aren't technically a ground cover, but they do cover a lot of ground once they are mature, and they will probably love the site since your bleeding hearts and ferns look happy there.
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For part shade-shade, wild ginger may look nice, it spreads slowly, and grows more in clumps. Also, lamium may be nice for full shade too, but it spreads pretty readily so it needs room. Ajuga would work in your partial sun environment, its a cool looking plant, and it spreads pretty readily (also called bugleweed). Maybe for shade you could do some cool mosses too.
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Welcome to the NE forum! If you are looking for erosion control, or to slow water running down hill all year, you need a perennial groundcover, ie a plant that survives over the winter and doesn't need to be replanted each spring. MOST perennials don't flower continuously, the way some annuals do. If you want something herbaceous (that dies to the ground and is bare in winter) that blooms for a long period of time, one of the true geraniums might do; they come in many colors other than pink. People swear by Rozanne (if I've spelled it right) - but I'm not sure how pink it is. You might want to try planting a variety of different things, including some evergreens for winter interest. You could include some heaths for winter bloom, or just plant many different heaths and heathers for a very long - almost continuous - succession of bloom. Then you'd also have the interesting foliage colors and textures year round. That look isn't right for every setting, it's a little "wild" looking - but can be really nice in an open area. Herbs might do well there, too, and a few of them, like thyme, are nearly evergreen. They like well-drained locations, so hillsides are idea. Interplanting lots of varieties of thyme might work, adding taller ones like lavender and something like sunset hyssop (agastache) and russian sage (perovskia) for variety. One little-used low-growing plant that I love is tunica. The foliage is very fine, bright green, and the tiny flowers bloom for an incredibly long time. The favorite mail-order nursery on this forum, if there is a favorite, is probably Bluestone perennials, because they sell small plants at reasonable prices. There are many others - believe me, I've shopped at all of them! If you find something that you like at another nursery on line, just be sure to check the garden watchdog before you deal with a new company. You can google that site, I can't recall the URL at the moment but it's easy to find. Read the reviews, don't just look at the average ratings, because lots of people make unreasonable complaints (the plants were too small, too expensive, died when I didn't water them, etc etc) Luckily you have several months to plan this hillside, because the planting season is over until spring. Just don't rush into anything, and be sure to avoid "quick growing" groundcovers that are available locally for low prices in spring - some of them may turn into long-term headaches when you get more into gardening and decide to remove them. Lots of great gardeners on this forum, I'm sure you will get many good ideas here. Don't be overwhelmed by your project, we'll help you plan it and, hopefully, it will be an enjoyable project.
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dtownjbrown
Original Author
13 years ago
@mandolls - which variety of vinca do you have? I did some more internet searching and it looks like there is only one choice for Sweet Woodruff but the varieties of Vinca are numerous.

@madisonkathy - I tried geraniums a couple years ago and didnt like the look of them (too dainty). Thanks for the lamium suggestion though, I hadnt looked at those yet.

Also, I have a small tree in the middle of my lawn that I want to try "no-dig" planting under this year (see pic below). I want a "curbside effect" so I think both Sweet Woodruff and Vinca may be to compact for that spot, therefore Im leaning towards Lily of the Valley or Ajuga. Any advice or tips on planting either of these under a tree? Can I get away with both or will one try to overtake the other?
mandolls
13 years ago
I am afraid that I'm not sure what variety of vinca I have growing. I bought it a a local nursery 5 or 6 years ago. Looking at pics on the web it looks most like the "traditional". solid green shiny leaves, with deep violet flowers. It would be my vote for a front entrance. Most of the other shade loving ground covers have a more woodland feel.
dtownjbrown
Original Author
13 years ago
For a less aggressive spreader......which would you all suggest between vinca minor, creeing jenny and sweet woodruff? I want to "tie" the look into my front entrance beds (but dont want it to be overtaken). Thanks
mandolls
13 years ago
From another site "Q: I have creeping Jenny in my azala, rose and hydranga beds. It seems to suffocate the roses. Do I need to worry about it suffocating any other plants?

A: Creeping Jenny has one of the most extensive root systems on Earth and will smother everything near it. IÂd do something to get it out of your landscape beds if they are of value to you, even if it means hiring a landscape maintenance company to come in and do the work."

The vinca and the sweet woodruff both are easily controlled where I live. My vinca grows in a 1 1/2 foot swatch along both sides of my front walk way, I trim a little out every year in the spring, and snip occasional trailer off over the summer. The Sweet Woodruff has such shallow roots that it can easily be pulled by hand.

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