THERE are garden designers that claim groundcover plantings represents a "failure of imagination" on behalf of the designer to develop a more effective and beautiful use of the space.
My definition of a groundcover plant is a plant species that is evergreen or deciduous, low growing to a height less than two feet tall, which spreads to form dense patches of foliage that cover the soil. A more traditional definition says that groundcover plants are low growing, less than one foot tall and grow quickly to cover the soil to prevent weed growth.
Regardless of the definition, weeds are a reality of all gardens, and even groundcover plantings will have a few weeds, albeit far less than unmulched soil and less than normal mixed planting beds.
Groundcovers have been given a bad reputation over the years because they are sometimes overused in gardens and that groundcover design is a substitute for real creative thinking and spaceplanning problem solving.
Or the groundcover planting is incorrectly placed within the context of the greater garden's design. Regardless of the criticism, groundcover
plantings offer practical solutions for the home gardener in solving space design problems. While many gardeners strive to create lavish planting beds full of exotic plants, roses and exuberant year-round colour schemes, some gardeners prefer a more simplistic approach that plans for wide swaths of uniform texture in the garden, not mundane, but peaceful and restful on the eyes and mind.
Such simplistic planting design can often be interpreted as boring or unimaginative.
One of the best groundcover plantings I have ever seen was designed and planted by a person who was not a garden designer or horticulturist but a landscape portrait painter. His garden was filled with large expanses of lawn, a few specimen trees, a couple of mixed shrub beds and one large 18-metres-long by 12-metres-wide bed of heathers, some lavender, a few low-growing and wide-spreading junipers and no other plants.
What made this bed stand out in mind was the uniformity of plant heights, the mosaic of colours and the simplistic yet stunningly beautiful composition. The groundcover bed was placed right in the middle of the yard and it seemed to control the entire property's design and my visual perception of the space.
Not all of us have gardens so large and expansive that we can devote so much space to one type of planting design. But groundcover plants are so valuable for use in the garden and yet so underused. In small gardens groundcovers can afford views and the perception of space, without the maintenance of having lawn.
Groundcovers can also be useful in providing colour and foliage interest without blocking visibility. A good example would be planting groundcovers to run along the driveway or on the boulevard to provide foliage and flower interest without blocking vehicular visibility. Another great use of groundcover is to under-plant new or existing trees as a replacement for lawn. The effect can be quite beautiful if the tree species and the groundcovers are chosen for maximum compatibility and visual presentation.
Probably the most important use for groundcover plantings is when used to prevent erosion along streams, rivers, ponds or on steep banks.
It is unfortunate in our region that consumer choice pushes the garden centre market to develop so many new plants, most of which are over-designed, excessively hybridized and useless prima donnas, while introducing very few new groundcover plants.
My definition of a groundcover plant is wider than most other definitions, primarily because I have seen and planted such a wide variety of plantings that I believe the traditional definition is too limiting and we should broaden our perception of groundcovers to allow their use in more garden locations.
Good examples of groundcovers for the home garden that can be planted en-masse are:
- Low growing junipers, mixed in colours of blue, yellow and bright green. For use on dry sunny sites.
- Heathers that bloom in summer and/or winter, planted in large bold swaths in the garden, preferably utilizing heathers that have yearround foliage interest in colours of orange, yellow and bright green. For use on sites with mostly full sunshine and moisture retentive soil.
- Hardy geraniums for summer cover only, in smaller beds or as portions of larger planting beds, sometimes placed at the front of the bed to provide foreground interest.
- Japanese spurge for shady areas to provide white flowers in spring, relaxing green in summer and year-round foliage interest. Mix in daffodils for added spring interest.
There are many more groundcover plants available than listed herein; all it takes is some imagination to realize their potential for beautifying the garden.
Todd Major is a journeyman horticulturist, garden designer, writer, consultant and organic horticulture teacher. For advice contact him at [email protected]
