A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 help on ground cover

Need help on losw ground cover. zone 9b . Thought creeping thyme would do but start reading about it and some say ok otherssay needs sun. I really need some ground cover for shade around the pavers I'm laying in the walk way. help please

How about some periwinkle??? It spreads nicely, and has some nice lavender colored blooms.

Guess I didn't give all the info for the ground cover I need....Grow in Shade , zone9 and one that will grow between the pavers and walking on it will not bother it. I would guess it needs to grow thick and be able to bounce back if stepped on. I did go to the "stepables" site but nothing there fits what I need. Are there mints that might fit?? Boy what I thought would be easy to find has turned into a real chore.

If you can't find an ideal groundcover, maybe you might consider the newer brightly colored mulchs. Red or brick, sometimes it is made of ground up tires. I have even used colored play sand, comes in all different colors at Home depot. It is pretty sterile so it will not grow weeds either. Just a thought!

How about ajuga? It's good in your zone and some varieties, such as the kind I have, grow very flat except when flowering. You just mow over it like grass. It's actually so prolific it can be a grass substitute. It's very hardy and is drought resistant. No drought here this year, however! Far from it...
http://www.thegardenhelper.com/ajuga.html
Irish Moss is also good for your zone and is really pretty. I've found, however, that it is slow to spread. Buying started plants can be expensive for a large area. I've never tried it from seed, but would love to use it as ground cover around all my shrubs. I'm not sure if its walk-on hardy, however.
http://www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com/perennials/moss_irish.html
Good Luck

Thanks for the ideas. I think the ajuga might fit the bill. The moss said only up to zone 5 and not in humid or hot weather, which sure leaves this part of the country out. This is one hot and humid August in Florida. I did need a soft type of plant between the flat pavers as my husband has a very hard time walking on gravel or mulch. So tomorrow I go to the nursery and see what they have. Thanks again Back Mountian and Woodenlisten
for your help.