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Ground covering

Last post 28-05-2012 6:11 PM by Susiq. 5 replies.

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  • 27/05/2012 09:28 AM
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     Hi There, i have two small areas that i want to cover with an evergreen carpet, can anyone give me some examples of fast covering evergreen ground covering (low height) plants, not bothered if they flower or not.

     

    Thanks for reading.

     

    Andy

  • 27/05/2012 11:40 AM
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    • Clayton
    • Berkhamsted
    • 27 May 2012
    • 9
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    I don't know what a small area is but I use Sedum Acre for covering the top of plant pots for trees. A handfull (I have never bought any; just inherited a pot when I bought a house twenty odd years ago) loosely scattered last year  has completely a 22" pot this year. Very dense forming carpet cover about 2-3" high and a lush green Spring to Autumn turning a little paler in the Winter and yellow star shape flowers early to mid summer. Some people call it invasive but I don't see how; it hardly has any roots so easy to move around (or remove) just by raking up with your fingers. Very easy care as it is a succulent.
  • 27/05/2012 01:15 PM
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    HI, the two areas  are both approx 1m square - two small lawned areaseither side of my path (currently lawned but cant keep the weeds out!) rather than put concrete and pebbles thought an evergreen cover would be far better for the environment? 

     

    Thankls for the response.

  • 28/05/2012 03:54 PM
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    • Clayton
    • Berkhamsted
    • 27 May 2012
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    A handful of Sedum would cover this area in a couple of years. Another ground covering I use is Ophiopogon Planiscapus Nigrescens. This is slower growing but an evergreen black leafed grass like plant with tufts of leaves 10-15cm long; small velvet like pink flowers in late summer and dark purple berries in Winter. Very funky.  One of my favourites but though I have a few hundred of these plants they did come from two pots I bought 20 odd years ago. I also had a garden years ago where I had a small chamomile lawn. This was about 2.5m diameter and about 12 plants covered it in a year. It was in party and entertaining days and was very popular to sit on on hot BBQ days sipping beer. When you sit on it and crush the plants there is a sweet smell of Chamomile wafting up. Also considered invasive; just make sure it is contained (mine was surrounded by a gravel path) and you have plenty of partys for people to sit on them!
  • 28/05/2012 04:47 PM
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     Hi Andy, welcome,

    Ideally need to know what your conditions are like: soil type, drainage, amount of sun.

    Ivy is a very good ground cover plant for pretty much any site and there are plenty of varieties with ornamental leaves. In sunny sites it is pretty vigorous.

    Ed

    www.ashridgetrees.co.uk
  • 28/05/2012 06:11 PM
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    • Susiq
    • Northumberland
    • 16 Feb 2008
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    Welcome Andy,

    If you want an evergreen coverage that you can still walk on, I would recommend Juniper horizontalis - tough as old boots, spreads quite quickly and looks nice. If you wanted to add a splash of colour, there's a thyme, that provides a low and spreading ground coverage, again, you can walk on it I 'think' its thymus serillium, but someone more knowledgable than me with the latin names of the varieties, will be able to point you in the right direction!

    Good luck, hope you find what you want.