A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2003 Low-maintenance Groundcover

It's time to attack the garden once more! I'm planning on making my front lawn drought resistant, and am beginning with the strip of lawn that sits between the sidewalk and the street: about 3 X 30 feet, with a big liquidamber tree in the middle.

I'm taking out the turf, and plan on planting some sort of relatively drought tolerant low-maintenance groundcover. Any suggestions? There was one succulant creeping groundcover with little red flowers that I liked, but it seems to attract lots of bees. I also was wondering what y'all thought of Liriope?

Looking forward to your thoughts.

Nicholas,
My husband said to black top it and paint it green.
He said you can't get any more low maintainence than that.
And he said it's drought tolerant too!!!!

LOL!!!! :rolleyes:

Nicholas,
Ever think of the cactus gardens,
with white sand?
(Or they have colored sand???
Here's a site for that..........
http://www.coloredplaysand.com/
http://www.sandtastik.com/ )

Side ways pots, that look like they are
spilling out stuff (plants, or colorful
balls or something that's collected???)
A water feature in the middle or back of corner?

Does it want to look like a "lawn" when you're done??? Or just something besides grass???????

Just curious?
Weezie

I'm afraid to admit that I'm not a colored sand kinda guy...guess it goes against the grain too much...

I'm trying to go for something that will replace the strip of grass I have out front on the roadside. Later, I'll be converting the front lawn (between the sidewalk and the house) into a drought tolerant garden. For now, I just want to get this one strip done.

I've found a site that lists lots of groundcovers, but wanted to get your input. The site is at:
http://www.qualitygroundcovers.com/allname.htm#Acorus

I was particularly intersted in Jasminum asiaticum 'Asiatic Jasmine', Liriope muscari 'Densiflora', Ophiopogon japonicus 'Nana'
Dwarf Mondo Grass, and Verbena peruviana 'Creeping Red'. And our survey says?...

Howdy,
From what I've been told and have experienced jasmines of any type tend to attract bees as well, which is good if you have fruit or avocado trees nearby that need some pollenating, but not so good if you are allergic.

I think of the choices you listed I like the verbena the best. Its really pretty and very hardy here in So. Cal. I've heard the mondo grass is also a hardy little guy, just not as showy.

Good luck deciding. I've had a naked front planter for a couple of weeks now while I figure out what to put in there. Finally decided on a couple of roses but its still pretty bare.

Okay just rambling thoughts here.
Liquid Amber get big. I have 26 of them. They drop leaves during the fall...the worst part is the little balls that fall off and have barbs are hard to walk on and making mowing a pain in the b*tt. But the leaves are great for compost bin. I had to take out one liquid amber because it was too close to the house and getting ready to take out a second. The roots (as the tree gets bigger) are coming up out of the ground. I noticed that the roots on this second tree are beginning to get very large and getting darn near the foundation....therefore, it is going. Making the assumption that the county will be trimming (they can get very tall). Need to deep water to keep roots going down as much as possible. Adding cover to the top is nice don't have to mow or pick up leaves within it or the little balls that fall off over the course of the fall and winter. Think the ice plant you saw with little red flowers is called red apple iceplant. "If this is the plant you were talking about you can save money and ask someone down the street for some clippings. I started my parents hill which was about 1/4 acre with only 2 small pieces. Takes awhile but believe me it is not worth spending 7.99 a flat. It spreads on its own. Just take some cuttings off the pieces as they grow, scatter in the area needed hoe some in and water, boom, filled in before you know it. Once established fertlize couple times a year and constantly edge. I have jasmine here now where I live and it does the best in a little bit of shade part of the day. Smells sooo good, planted next to my bedroom window. The jasmine that is planted by the road in full sun....takes a lot of water and it just doesn't bloom as much for me.
There are a lot of pro's and con's to mull over. If the sidewalk is torn up will the county replace the sidewalk or will they cut down the tree? If you deep water every now and then the roots are less likely to pop up and tear things apart. I like the trees personally....there are some on here who think they are a weed but to each his own. Well I have rambled on enough...let me know if you have anymore ?'s.
Hope you can make some sense out of all this
Catlover

Nicholas,

Funny!!!

I have been looking at all of those
ground cover types, Oh, they are all so pretty,
I have one or two of them,
Is this going to replace a lawn, will it be walked on or mowed???
The lirope is kinda tall I thought, I don't have that one, are you looking for height???
I know the blue flowered Plumbago is tall, mine's about 6 8 or 10" or so. Beautiful BLUE flower for fall time, when flowers are hard to find and blue is even harder, but it is say knee high. That's why I asked if you are walking on this stuff, or just leaving as it grows, you might be able to mow over it, not sure???
Same for the liriope, that's a grass like thing isn't it with purple flowers coming out of the top?
And the ajuga I think can be mowed, that spreads like gang busters, pretty purple flower,
I also read about attracking bees, yeap, these flowers do, are you looking for that or no????????

Great pictures!!
I'm still looking!!!
Weezie

I have red apple and another type of iceplant that blooms bright pink spidery looking flowers, both have filled out nicely this year, and are VERY easy to start from cuttings...I enjoy them both...and it's easy to weed around/through them!

I have read somewhere's (I can't remember where)
but something about the ice plant can get ahead of you in warmer climates, (invasive) but not sure of the zone....
I have grown that before, and it is beautiful
and the flower is so nice, and a lower ground cover. But I can't overwinter it, well,
I probly could but the last 3 winters I
haven't gone to the lengths to save plants
as I used to!!!(That wee~one keeps me hoppin')
It probly can't be as bad as that
BERMUDA GRASS
(Right Karen?)

Weezie

"Is this going to replace a lawn, will it be walked on or mowed???"

It is replacing a section of grass that previously lay between the sidewalk and street (see pic). I've taken out thegrass, and am now just trying to pick the new groundcover. I need to decide in the next couple of days...

help! Is it Verbena Peruviana (Creeping Red) or Perennial Verbena? Creeping Thyme or Dwarf Mondo Grass? I'm overwhelmed at the options!

Well,
I am still thinking,
but the one thought I have is..... for me here,
the verbena is pretty when it starts out,
but it tends to crash and burn...........
Something with the moisture, either too much
or not enough. And it looks like the ends are living but the first part isn't. If mowed, it may look and act different, (I've never tried to mow my in my planter boxes.) and because it might love your climate alot more than mine.
I'd put that one it a pot.???

Have you grown that before??

And the ajuga turns colors, in the fall I
think... I walked by that here, on our street.
Turns purple and chocolate brown, but again,
that might here because of our cooler temps....


I do have another question??????

So many to choose from

Iceplant can be invasive but since its going to be in a spot all together it would probably be okay. If you want something that will creep along but will also get a little taller maybe lantana is the one for you. It comes in lots of colors, definitely spreads, is fairly cheap, and it really loves sunny Ca. (its planted all along our freeways and medians on big streets, usually orange flowers). But be careful, it can turn into a big bush shape if you let it. I have some and I keep it trimmed so it looks like a bright pretty plant with some long tendrils, not a big ugly bush.

Just a thought... I was reading my herb book the other day and it said mint can be used as a ground cover and mowed like grass. Just an idea, imagine how good that would smell.... I know mint is very, very invasive and will take over, but again since its separated it should be okay. It needs a bit of water and partial sun.

Good luck!

I don't think I'm going with ajuga, as it needs moisture, and I'm looking for something a little more drought tolerant. Your info, Weezie, about the Verbena going leggy is an eye-opener. I had iceplants in another part of my back garden, and they did the same thing: beautiful flowers on the end of long gangly mess of wooden creepers - not too attractive. Does anyone know whether keeping the groundcover to 2-3 inches height will keep it from going ugly and "burning out"? I'm just looking for a nice, low-lying (lantana is thus out), somewhat drought tolerant, non-bee attracting groundcover...and it's not proving an easy search!!!

Weezie, to answer your question re. salt or other "drive-by spreadings", no, we don't get any of that.

I have to go buy the plants tomorrow, and am still at a complete loss as to what I should be selecting! Waaahhhh!!

I'm still looking!!!
Weezie

Nicholas,
How did you make out???
What did end up picking????
Let us know?
Weezie

You said you were still looking, so I waited...
But Friday morning 8:30am is my deadline! Did you not find anything worth championing?

If I don't hear from you, I *think* I'll go with either verbena peruviana or creeping thyme...or...

Well Nicholas,
With having two different climates it's hard for me to say exactly... The verbena is very pretty and where you live it may be alright. But will probably attrack bees as it's a flower.........
But I know here, towards the end of summer, it's ends are green and the other ends aren't.
But again, with mowing it, it may grow differently. Seems like mowing would get alot of the blooms.
Now, I have seen some creeping thymes. Some very small and slow growing... But very nice.....
So, maybe that might be your choice....
with several plugs it would fill in...
They can be very dense and nice looking.
But not sure on the drought tolerency...... ?
Sedums are tolerent.

Does anybody have anything in the neighborhood that's caught your eye.

Where you are going to buy it from, does that place have a person firmilar with your area and what would be effective and practical in your area for drought tolerency?

Or a local County Extension office,
(like Nikkal, Carol and Papito, they are all Master Gardeners) there would be someone there that would be able to direct you to a good option for your climate. Who's again, more firmiliar with your area. Or zone I should say...?????
If you could call or visit, that might help you make the wisest choice.
Or heck even a local gardener on your street????
They would have some ideas for you???

Weezie

Thanks for the feedback! I think I'm going to try for the creeping Thyme.

I'll let you know how it goes!

Nicholas,
I almost forgot, I was reading something last night before I went to sleep, well it put me to sleep, let me go get it, of course, now I won't find it....
I"ll go look.....
Weezie

Okay,
I read this in my Gardening~HOW TO magazine....
(The National Home Gardening Club book)

It said for Pacific Coast,
---Rosalind Creasy, Los Altos, CA.

I quote,
I rely on ground covers to provide a transition from a lawn to a shruv border, to fill the spaces between stepping stones, to softern the area.
The best ground covers are not invasive, but do crowd out all but the most thuggish weeds. My favorites are..... creeping thyme, especially the 3~inch~tall "Elfin" and "Wooly" thymes for reliability; the 2~inch~tall rupturewort ( Herniaria glabra , zone 8~11) for it's fine, green blanket; and some of the tiny sdums like Sedum hispanicum minus "Purple Form" (zones 2~9) and golden noss ( S. acre, zones 4~9) for a lovely textured carpet in drought~prone areas.
Weezie
Hope I got there in thyme?

Thanks!
I'll look forward to getting this done at last! It's only "parsley" done now, and I've "Mint" to get it finished for a long time!

Nicholas,

That's good with the mint and parsley budget!!!
I'll have to remember that one!!!

Hope everything turns out good!!!
I'll be waiting for pictures...

Weezie

Hey Nicholas,
Just wondering how you were??
Are you inline of those fires???
Just curious!!!
Let us know all is ok!
Weezie

Sorry I've not replied for a while. Have been busy on a project. I posted some observations about the fires on My Blog , if you're interested, along with links to pics. Check out the entries for October 30, and November 2.

We're fine, although we live directly between two of the big fire areas. we were far enough away that we only experienced ash all over the place, and dark hazy skies for a week or so. My heart goes out to those who lost their homes or, worse yet, their lives.

Forgive me for getting "off-topic".