Ground cover plants are those that cover the ground with a solid carpet. They are used to decorate the garden area, park areas, personal plots. They come in different types and varieties. Read about some of them in the article.
Types of ground covers
In nature, a huge number of species and varieties of various plants grow. For some, one year is enough to go through the entire life cycle, for others - two, and for others - several. These plants for decorating the territory are:
- Annuals.
- Two years.
- Perennial.
To decorate the garden, plants that do not need annual planting are more often used. This is especially true for large areas. They can grow in one place for several years, and only when they begin to lose their decorative qualities, other crops are planted in their place.
Annual ground covers
These include undersized plants that completely cover the soil. Their shoots take root very quickly, and grow at the same pace. Suitable for sandyrocky soils and shaded areas. Annuals are used to make various patterns and mosaics. Their advantage is that every year a flower bed can be given a new image. These colors are:
- Graceful begonias - grow well in the shade of tall plants. The most suitable month for planting them is May.
- Petunia - plants of ampelous varieties are chosen to decorate the garden. Only one bush can cover a plot of 1.5 m22.
- Cornflower - flowering continues throughout the summer.
- Dwarf asters - flowering of late varieties begins in late summer. This plant can withstand frosts down to 7 oC below zero.
Biennial ground covers
They differ in that their full life cycle takes two years. After flowering, the decorative effect is lost. In hot weather, shoots begin to stretch and seeds ripen. In autumn, when the temperature drops, they may bloom again, but not so intensively. Their appearance becomes untidy. They have abundant self-seeding, but do not retain decorative varietal qualities. Representatives of this species are:
- Daisies - lighting does not play any role for this flower. The plant is a perennial but is grown as a biennial. Reproduction is possible both by seeds and by dividing the bush.
- Viola - this plant has many varieties and hybrids. Shrubby undersized forms are used when you need to create a carpet patch in landscape design. The value of this flower is in itsability to grow in sunny and shaded areas.
Perennials
This is the name of plants that grow in one place for a long time and do not need an annual transplant. Many low-growing perennial ground cover plants remain decorative for a long time: from the onset of spring to the end of autumn. They are ideal for decorating any area: garden, park, cottage, as they are very beautiful and do not require much maintenance. Depending on preferences, everyone can choose plants with decorative leaves, abundant flowering, bright colors, chiseled petals and other characteristics. Ground cover plants also play a practical role:
- As they grow, their roots intertwine, forming a kind of cover under the top layer of the earth, which serves as protection for the soil from drying out, frost and overheating.
- Thanks to numerous roots, soil structure is preserved.
- Dead parts of plants decompose as fertilizer.
- Weeds do not germinate through ground cover plants forming a thick carpet.
Sun-loving perennials
There are a lot of plants. Some develop well, grow and bloom only in the presence of a sufficient amount of sunlight, while for others such conditions are disastrous. When choosing plants, you should focus not only on your preferences regarding the attractiveness of the appearance, but also on other characteristics. It is necessary to know the composition of the soil on the site, as well as the placeflower bed location. When everything is taken into account, you can choose plants from those that are suitable for your garden. If the site does not fall under the shade throughout the daylight hours, you need to choose sun-loving plants. The names of ground cover plants are presented below in the article.
Styloid phlox
This plant is a beautiful groundcover. It is often used to decorate the area. As soon as spring comes, many small flowers of different shades appear on the branches with needle-leaves: blue, pink, white. If some area in the flower garden needs to be highlighted with a single-color spot, plants of the same variety are planted.
Phlox grows fast. It is enough to buy a few plants in order to have a lot a year later. You can grow as many phloxes from cuttings as you need to decorate the desired area. These ground cover plants are used to frame garden paths, flower beds. They harmoniously look in rockeries, mixborders are decorated with them.
Yaskolka
This perennial is a flowering groundcover. His shoots are creeping. Silvery inflorescences are formed on them, reaching a height of 10-15 cm. With the onset of May, small white flowers bloom. This ground cover is unpretentious and winter-hardy. The snail grows very quickly, forming a beautiful carpet.
Dyusheneya
Refers to ground cover plants with creeping shoots that take root easily, inas a result, the perennial grows rapidly. Dyusheneya outwardly resembles strawberries. Its leaves are trifoliate, small berries are red, but they should not be eaten. Prefers lighted places. The composition of the soil does not matter. Grows quickly and can be aggressive.
Creeping thyme
This is an amazing plant: it can bloom repeatedly in a season if pruned after each period. Many summer residents use fragrant grass as a seasoning for meat, fish dishes and mushrooms. In addition, the plant is used as a medicinal agent. They treat colds, hypertension.
Shade-loving perennials
Not always the entire garden plot is illuminated by the sun. Some part of it remains in the shadows. But do not worry, the square will not be empty, as there are many flowers that grow beautifully in the shade. Such ground cover plants for the garden are presented below in the article.
Hoofnail
The plant got its name because of the shape of the leaves, which look like hooves. They have a dark green color, their surface is glossy. This perennial is the most suitable plant for decorating areas of the garden that are not exposed to sunlight. It grows well, does not require special attention to itself, except for regular watering. This plant is even one very beautiful.
Small periwinkle
Is a favorite creeping plant among flower growers, winters with leaves. After a cold period on a neat rug of dark greencolors appear chiselled flowers. The plant is unpretentious, but grows better on loamy soils with moderate moisture. Periwinkle makes good borders, flower beds are bordered by it. The plant is used as turf for tree trunks. If the shoots go beyond the intended territory, they are easy to deal with: just chop them with a shovel.
Alpine slide
This landscape design element is designed to decorate the garden throughout the year. A rock garden is not a simple flower bed. It is a permanent object on which ornamental plants grow throughout the year. It is not easy to build such beauty.
Flowers for an alpine slide are of great importance. It is necessary to choose those that, in size, shape and color of the petals, will fit into the overall design plan. In addition, plants with different flowering periods are recommended for planting. But the main criterion for selecting flowers for an alpine slide is their vitality, frost resistance and undemanding care. Growth conditions must also be taken into account. If they turn out to be unfavorable, the plants will die, and the rock garden will have to be restored.
Ground cover flowers
They are distinguished by unpretentious care, low height, and most importantly - lush flowering, so they are used to decorate alpine slides. The most popular ground cover flowers are:
- Iberis - this plant has many varieties, some of them reach a height of only 10 cm. Flowering begins from the endspring or with the onset of summer. It is plentiful and very beautiful: snow-white curtains completely cover the plant.
- Edelweiss - these mountain flowers are perennial plants, they can not be transplanted to another place for 20 years. They are famous for the fact that they were sung more than once in literary works. Under natural conditions, they grow on rocky soils that are poor in nutrients. To decorate an alpine hill with such a plant is considered the pride of designers and gardeners. The popularity of the flower is added by the fact that the plant is listed in the Red Book. Edelweiss love the sun and no shading, because in nature, their places of growth are the tops of the mountains.
- Young, or stone rose - the plant resembles rosettes, consisting of leaves, the size, shape and color of which are different, depending on the variety. Usually, different specimens are chosen for rock garden: burgundy, green, silver. These plants are unpretentious, capable of growing in any conditions, even in the most inconvenient places, for example, in cracks formed by stones.
- Armeria seaside - flowers seem to be specially created by nature for the rock garden. They are not afraid of frost and drought, they bloom for a long time.
- Carnations - in nature grow on the mountains, are considered the most popular plants for rock gardens. Their flowering continues all summer, bright buds also smell good.
Saxifrage Planting and Care
This plant is a groundcover, is a low bushes. Its shoots are covered with small flowers (1.5-2 cm indiameter) in various shades. Despite the decorative qualities that characterize the saxifrage, planting and care is not difficult, as it seems to many gardeners, especially beginners.
It takes root on soil with an average degree of fertility. The optimal growing conditions are a mixture of peat, humus, clay, coarse sand and gravel. Does not tolerate stagnant water, so it needs well-drained soil to grow.
The best place for landing will be rocky slopes, as well as crevices in the stones. Needs watering during dry periods. Propagated, like most ground covers, by seeds, seedlings and cuttings. It is used on artificially erected hills and rocks, in rock gardens.
Cat paw
The scientific name of this plant is Antennaria. It has become popular due to its unpretentiousness in care and endurance. The cat's paw plant resembles a flower pillow; it does not crush, even if you stomp on it with your feet. It got its name due to the shape of the buds. After flowering, they look like the paws of a pet - a cat. Flowers are not very beautiful, but they can compete with the most sophisticated lawns, as they have the ability to not lose their attractiveness during the entire flowering period.
The cat's foot plant in nature can be found in pine forests, wastelands, forest edges, meadows and along the banks of water bodies. Flowers are pink and white. Thanks to creeping shoots, antennaria form a thick carpet. After flowering, which falls onthe last month of spring and continues until July, fruits with a smooth surface and seeds are formed. This plant is unpretentious, it is planted where other representatives of the flora do not grow: on sand, stones, in crevices between the plates. Cat paws are used to create rock gardens, rockeries, mixborders. They are suitable for border decoration.
Growing and caring for ground covers
Often, ready-made seedlings are bought for plant breeding, but you can grow it yourself. In addition to this method, plants reproduce by seeds, and bush forms - by dividing the rhizome. Ground covers grow in any climatic conditions, they are undemanding to care. Their value is not only in decorative qualities. Thanks to these plants, the soil is not washed out, weeds do not appear.
Easy care. In the process of growth, they get rid of faded buds and water the plants in a timely manner. Before the onset of winter, abundant moisture is carried out, and varieties that do not respond well to low temperatures are covered. To do this, you can use dry leaves or branches of needles. The soil between the rows is mulched.
Plants are planted on a site cleared of debris, for which holes are dug 20-25 cm deep. If planting is carried out in order to obtain a flower bed from ground cover plants, then seedlings are planted in rows with a small distance between them. When plants are planted along the path, it is important to be careful so that they do not go beyond the outlined area. Two to three weeks after planting, they are watered daily. Furthermoistening of crops is reduced to once a week.
