GardenForum - for everyone interested in gardening
If there's anything you want to know about gardening - get in touch
Professional services
My professional horticultural services
Need a speaker?
For horticultural societies & clubs
Garden Answers FAQ
Answers to commonly asked questions
Question time
How do I cope with flooding?
How do I prune clematis?
Why aren't my daffodils flowering?
Pest Watch
Vine weevil control
Whitefly control
Clematis wilt
Links
Links to useful websites
My blog
View my blog
Garden answers
Ground cover
Here are the answers to some commonly asked gardening questions about ground cover.
If you are unable to find the answer here, then why not send me an e-mail
Can you suggest some ground cover plants for a slightly damp, shady place in my small garden?
Although such a situation may be considered as a bit of a problem site, there are lots of lovely plants you can grow here.
Obvious choices include: hostas - which love these conditions but take action against slugs; epimediums - which have attractive foliage which is evergreen in some varieties, and turns glorious colours in autumn; Alchemilla mollis (ladies mantle) with its lovely, furry foliage and masses of foamy late spring flowers; lamiums (deadnettles) with their coloured and often variegated foliage; ajugas (bugles) which also have coloured foliage and blue flowers in late spring; Asiatic and candelabra primulas which provide good cover underneath their tall spikes of flowers.
What small ground cover plants would you recommend for a cottage garden? The soil is sandy and dry
The following plants will be suitable for ground cover:
Cornus canadensis
Cotoneaster congestus, C. dammeri, C. microphyllus
Cytisus kewensis
Genista hispanica, G. lydia, G. pilosa
Rubus tricolor
Stephanandra incisa 'Crispa'
Vinca
Several series of roses, such as the Game Bird and Bells; Rosa wichuraiana 'Variegata'; Flower Carpet
Ajuga
Alchemilla mollis
Bergenia
Brunnera macrophylla
Campanula portenschlagiana & C. poscharskyana
Dianthus
Epimedium
Geranium
Lamium maculatum
Phlox subulata, P. douglasii
Pulmonaria
Symphytum grandiflorum
Tellima grandiflorum 'Purpurea'
Thymus
Tiarella cordifolia
Veronica prostrata
Viola esp V. cornuta
Back to GardenForum Horticulture homepage