Anyone who creates new beds knows the problem: there are large gaps between the perennials in which the weeds can settle unhindered. These can be closed quickly with ground cover. The low-growing ornamental plants are also extremely well suited to give a front garden or a slope a well-groomed appearance.

The small periwinkle is ideal for underplanting because it grows best in semi-shade

Ground cover: What variants are there?

Flowering plants that cover the ground enchant with a real bloom. Evergreen, flat-growing plants form a rather reserved, sometimes inconspicuous flower cluster and impress with the beauty of the foliage.

We have compiled the most common ground covers for you in the following table:

Evergreen ground cover Flowering ground cover
Lesser periwinkle (Vinca minor) Balkan cranesbill (Geranium macrorrhizum)
Foam flower (Tiarella cordifolia) Blue Cushions (Aubrieta Hybrids)
Ysander/Fatman (Pachysandra terminalis) Purple Rockseed (Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum)
Evergreen creeper (Euonymus fortunei) Ground Cover Roses (Pink)
Spotted Lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis)
Cushion Soapwort (Saponaria ocymoides)
Prickly Nuts (Acaena)
Carpet golden strawberry (Waldsteinia ternat)
Carpet phlox (Phlox subulata)

You can find many other types of ground cover in specialist shops. When buying the plants, make sure that the light requirements of the varieties you have chosen match the future location.

Combine ground cover

A large area planted with just one type of groundcover may look wonderfully green and easy to care for, but it can look very boring. Ground covers can be easily combined with each other, but also with other perennials and small trees. In this way, an interesting effect can be achieved through color contrasts. If you limit yourself to just one shade, this can be extremely attractive, as the different flower shapes come into their own here.

Plant ground cover

To ensure that the ground cover quickly forms a dense carpet that is impenetrable to weeds, you must observe a few points when planting:

  • Planting time for ground cover is late summer into autumn. During this time the weeds grow more sparsely and the ornamental plants can take root unhindered until next spring.
  • Before planting the perennials, carefully remove all root weeds.
  • Thoroughly loosen the soil.
  • Distribute about two liters of mature compost per square meter of bed area and work in the fertilizer.
  • Heavy clay soils are additionally improved with sand.
  • Lay the pots out on the surface at the recommended planting distance.
  • Only unpot groundcover shortly before planting so that the root ball does not dry out.
  • Dig a small hole with the hand shovel and insert the perennial with the entire ball.
  • Press and pour well.

Cut back after planting

After planting, the ground covers are cut back by at least half. As a result, they sprout more vigorously, branch out better and the open area is overgrown faster.

tips

When choosing ground cover, please keep in mind that not all plants grow so densely that they suppress weeds. This applies, for example, to ground cover roses, which thrive as creepers and form beautiful carpets of flowers, but rather loosely cover the ground.

Category:

Vegetable garden