Manor Nurseries

Nothing grows under my tree ...

We are all aware of the need to use, rather than waste, precious rainwater. The latest trend is to discourage the excessive use of paving, and to encourage more areas of open ground and free drainage. Bare soil does not look that exciting. Decorative stones or chipped bark can be used to good effect ... or another option is to plant low growing shrubs and flowers. Not only do they look pretty, if you choose your plants wisely they can keep the weeds under control, which reduces time spent on garden maintenance.

Hints and Tips

First of all, how big an area do you want to cover with one thing? A few of the ground cover plants can become invasive, so if you only have a small corner, they are best avoided.

Sun or shade? Sun is easy, there are lots of plants that love the sun. Dry shade, such as that found under trees, presents certain challenges. But that's OK, because here at Manor Nursery we have plants to fit the bill!

Weed control ... although most ground cover plants will quickly swamp out the annual weeds, any existing perennial weeds (docks, bindweed, nettles) will find their way through the carpet. As all the popular weedkillers (such as Roundup) will kill the plants as effectively as the weeds, it is important to clean the ground well prior to planting.

Plants for Ground Cover

Obviously we're not talking trees, so let's move on to shrubs. Basically, although there are many large shrubs which will effectively cover an area of ground, here we are using the term to mean only low-growing plants. Maximum height 1 metre (3 feet). Some of the plants listed here may have other specific cultural requirements, such as soil type (lime-free). If your conditions are shady, look also under our Shady Plants page.

Shrubs -

Calluna (many varieties ... all lime free soil), Ceanothus thyrsiflorus repens, Cornus canadensis, Cotoneaster dammeri, Cotoneaster 'Queen of Carpets', Cotoneaster salicifolius 'Repens', Cytisus x beanii, Erica (many ... lime free soil), Euonymus radicans 'Kewensis', Euphorbia robbiae, Gaultheria procumbens (lime free soil), Genista hispanica, Genista lydia, Hebe 'Carl Teschner', Hebe 'Pagei', Hedera, Helianthemum, Hypericum calycinum, Pachysandra terminalis, Pachysandra terminalis 'Variegata', Vinca minor, Vinca major (gets bigger and more invasive).

Roses -

The 'Flower Carpet' ground cover roses make a wonderfully colourful floral display which goes on throughout midsummer! They come in shades of pink, red, yellow and white.

Conifers -

Juniperus ... there are several low-growing Junipers, such as Juniperus communis 'Repanda', Juniperus horizontalis cultivars, Juniperus squamata 'Blue Carpet'.

Taxus ... there are also some prostrate growing Yews (such as 'Summergold' and 'Repanda') although they can be vigorous.

Perennials and flowers -

Achillea tomentosum, Ajuga, Alyssum, Arenaria, Armeria maritima, Aubretia, Bergenia, Brunnera, Campanula portenschlagiana, Campanula muralis, Campanula carpatica, Convallaria, Dianthus, Epimedium, Erigeron, Geranium, Gypsophila repens, Heuchera, Heucherella, Hosta, Houttuynia, Iberis, Lamium, Lithospermum, Lysimachia nummularia, Ophiopogon 'Black Dragon', Ophiopogon japonicus, Origanum, Osteospermum, Phlox subulata cultivars, Polygonum (Persicaria) affine and P. vaccinifolium, Raoulia, Saponaria, Saxifraga, alpine Sedums, Sempervivum, Stachys, Symphytum, Thymus, Veronica incana, Viola, Waldsteinia ternata

Grasses -

Carex, Festuca glauca, Hakonechloa, Phalaris arundinacea 'Picta', Stipa tenuissima, Uncinia 'Rubra'

Pics and Links -

Click on Ground Cover Plants for a few photos ...