Beautiful Blooming Ground Covers That Suppress Weeds

 

Weeds are usually controlled only after they have already spread. However, removal is a never-ending cycle. To nip the troublemakers in the bud (literally), you can take preventive measures - and plant decorative as well as bee-friendly ground covers. 

Even though the name suggests that groundcovers are only planted at ground level, the natural weed fighters are versatile: whether in a perennial bed, along a stone wall, or between paving joints - the dense plant covers can grow anywhere.  They will fill in bare spots, preventing wild weeds from sprouting in the first place.  Best of all, groundcovers are not only practical, as many varieties are hardy and evergreen, but also beautiful to look at.  Especially if you choose flowering perennials, shrubs, or climbers.  Learn about plant carpets that are equally suitable for gardens and patios.

These groundcovers help keep weeds at bay:

Blue or Pink Carpet Phlox 

The plants develop into a beautiful (often pink) carpet of blooms during the spring - right into June.  After that, the natural weed killer remains evergreen, making it a beautiful sight all year round.  It's also good to know that the ground cover is drought-resistant and hardy, making it a low-maintenance and undemanding plant.  In addition, it prefers a sunny to semi-shady spot in order to achieve - literally meaning - its full bloom.

Hardy Ivy

Ivy is known for its tenacity - making it an ideal ground cover against weeds.  The hardy and evergreen climbing plant is particularly easy to care for.  So you don't have to do anything but watch the sturdy ivy develop into an impenetrable carpet of plants with its adhesive roots.  The ground cover is also pretty uncomplicated when it comes to location: a shady spot will do.  It is also good to know that after a few years, the ivy begins to form umbel-shaped flowers in late summer.  These, in turn, serve as a source of food for bees and insects.

Ground Cover Thyme

Groundcover thyme - Thymus serpyllum - also called Sand Thyme is an evergreen, ground-covering semi-shrub with a growth height of 5 to 10 inches.  The branches are heavily branched to form beautiful, dense cushions. The fragrance of the flowers & the evergreen leaves is impressive.  The ground cover thyme is hardy.  With its beautiful floral bloom, it is ideal as an underplanting for taller perennials, or as a groundcover in the rock garden & perennial bed.  Thyme's fresh or dried leaves can also be used for cooking.

Small-leaved evergreen groundcover thyme blooms from June to August and loves a sunny location with well-drained soil in the garden. Hardy perennials, this groundcover is low maintenance and has low water requirements.

Goldmoss Stonecrop

Goldmoss Stonecrop - Sedum Acre - the name says it all: the small plant likes to grow on rocks, in joints, or on the dry stone wall.  It is satisfied with few nutrients, prefers a sunny location, and is drought resistant.  The tiny perennial grows just five to ten centimeters high and is also suitable as a ground cover.  Wall pepper can be planted all year round and captivates from June to July with yellow flowers that are insect-friendly.  The wall plant is hardy and evergreen - so it visually enhances the dry stone wall even in the cold season.

Basket of Gold

Basket of Gold - Alyssum saxatile - Early blooming begins in April and is both a treat for the eyes and for insects in search of food.  Although the bloom is short-lived, the rockweed is evergreen and hardy.  It can be planted all year round and reaches a height of about 20 centimeters.  The fragrant plant thrives best in sunny locations. It is essential that you avoid waterlogging.

Planting ground cover - this is what you need to consider.

If you decide to use a ground cover against weeds, you should follow the following steps in advance: Root weeds have a bad habit of spreading rapidly in the soil, even if only tiny remnants of them are still in the soil.  Therefore, it is advisable to sift the soil before planting.  This way, you can be confident that you haven't missed any roots.  To be on the safe side, you should cover the soil with some compost and wait for a while to see if the weeds start sprouting again.  If it does, you can remove the remains before planting the ground cover.

If you want to create an impenetrable carpet of flowers in a short time, you should choose the smallest possible distances between individual plants.  This is because the greater the spacing, the longer it will take for the ground cover to spread over the entire area - and thus for weeds to stop growing back.  As long as this is not the case, the undesirable weeds will naturally continue to grow and must be weeded again regularly.  However, it is important here that you adhere to the recommended number of pieces per square meter, which the appropriate nursery will give you.

When planting ground covers, keep in mind that it takes time for them to grow together into an area-wide carpet of flowers.  By the time they do, pesky weeds have an easy time of it - accordingly, it may make sense to put the plants in the ground as early as fall.  This gives them more time to spread their roots and cover all the areas where the unloved wild weeds normally spread by next spring.  This head start is helpful, but not necessary.

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Micro Clover for a Perfect Lawn

If you are tired of constantly mowing the lawn during the summer season like me, a solution might be to over-seed and grow clover.  Having no clue about the varieties of clover, I bought White Clover: Also called Trifolium repens or Dutch clover.  Thanks to my healthy and rich soil, it grew well - almost too well: it spread and bloomed and I had to mow again.  The next garden year, I inquired at a nursery about shorter clovers and learned that there is a Micro Clover.  However, the nursery didn't have it for sale and instead gave me the producer's name so I could order it online.  

I balked first at the high price compared to Dutch Clover but then ordered it. 

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Micro Clover is an incredibly beneficial plant that not only looks fantastic but supplies your lawn with nitrogen. Micro Clover converts nitrogen gas from the air and enriches it into the soil, resulting in a green, healthy lawn. While most lawns stop growing once the summer is over, Micro Clover lawns are incredibly tolerant to both lower temperatures and harsher conditions. When grass is starting to die off at the end of the season, Micro Clover is still green. 

100% Micro Clover "Lawns" Have Many Benefits: 

• Not only do they grow with ease and reliability, but they also require significantly less care.
  
  
• A benefit that all homeowners would appreciate is fewer weeds. Micro Clover is a broad-leaf plant that out-competes unwanted weeds. 
  
  
• It's almost an evergreen. Immediately after the snow melts it shows its vibrant green color and stays that way even during the hot summers - when grasses are getting brown - until the first snow.
  
  
• It is the best choice to replace turf grass, but you can seed it into an existing lawn as well.
  
  
• Having clover on your lawn acts almost as a sort of fertilizer. You may find you don’t even have to apply extra fertilization when you have lots of clovers, as it delivers nitrogen from its roots to the neighboring grass.
  
  
• It can hold up better in overly shaded areas or areas that don’t have enough drainage for conventional grass to thrive.
  
  
• If you have pets, you’re probably familiar with the dreaded pet spot. Clover is more resistant to turning yellow than grass.
  
  
• Adding clover to your lawn can rejuvenate your grass, fill in bare patches, and make the entire yard look healthier and more resilient.
  
  
• Micro-clover is better able to handle a greater amount of foot traffic than white Clover. However, it has very few blooms.
  
  
• In lawns that contain both clover and grass, the clover usually performs satisfactory re-seeding on its own.
  
  
• In one sentence: It offers a host of cost-saving, maintenance-reducing, and environmental benefits.

How to Prepare Your Lawn for MicroClover Seeding

• Don't seed clover during the hot days of summer. Spring is the best time at temperatures of 16 - 20 degrees (65F) and not below 8 - 12 degrees (47F) at night.
  
  
• The first step is to cut any existing lawn very short. Then clear out all weeds.  A stand-up dandelion remover helps with this chore and saves you from back pain.
  
  
• Water your lawn really well - or let the rain do it, then spread fine garden soil thinly over any bare spots. 
  
  
• Water once more to moist the soil, and then apply the MicroClover seeds. 
  
  
• I use an old kitchen mesh strainer (or buy one in a dollar store) and "powder" a bit of light soil over the seeded area (max. 2 mm or 1/8") to avoid that birds picking the seeds.     
            
• For two weeks at least sprinkle water every day when it is not raining, and after that every third day until the clover is established.

Happy Gardening : )

Enjoy your new green "lawn".

Amazing English Gardens

 

Imagine masses of hollyhocks, daisies, phlox, catmint, and foxgloves mingling together and spilling out of garden beds.  English cottage gardens invite wandering and evoke whimsy.  Their designs often include curving pathways, rose-covered arbors, and white picket fences.  When planning your informal flower garden, start with a list of cottage garden plants like foxgloves, Shasta daisies, catmint, lavender, hollyhocks, sunflowers, cosmos, zinnias, nasturtiums, and cornflowers.

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Aim for plenty of variety

Tall plants, short plants, pink flowers, white or blue flowers—all of these things can be placed next to one another in an English garden.  Of course, you'll have to make some adjustments to ensure that all of your plants have access to sunlight and aren't too crowded, but in general, it's best not to overthink a garden like this one.  Instead, opt for a free-flowing plan.

Meandering paths are a lovely touch

At first glance, a garden path might seem like too much work.  But actually, it couldn't be simpler to source and lay the right one for your garden—and the payoff is big.  Not only will you give yourself an easy route in and out of the space, but you'll also be afforded the luxury of watering your plants without having to step into tall grasses or get your shoes muddy.  It's a win-win!

Add a gate

There are few things more magical in an English garden than a simple gateway. They're easy enough to purchase and install, and the visual impact is huge. Don't have a wall into which to install your new structure? You can also buy stand-alone designs that can be surrounded by simple bushes and vines.

Think vertically too

It's not just about what's on the ground! Be sure to think about the "y-axis" of your space as well. Consider adding a trellis or simply twisting ivy, draping wisteria, and high-flying vines around a shed or other already-existing structure.

Incorporate seating

English gardens are meant to be enjoyed and savored, which is why they often include benches.  What better way to sit and take in all the beauty around you?  Wooden, stone, and metal structures all work beautifully in these spaces.

Replicate a country garden 

Plant a variety of flowers—roses, lavender, delphinium, and other colorful options—close together to replicate a garden you would find in the countryside.   A dense and rich garden with plenty of character is what you're after.  When it comes to gardening, nothing's more English than a fragrant rose bush. Avoid the temptation to snap up every variety that catches your eye. You can achieve a lavish look like this with just two types of climbing roses: 'William Baffin' and 'New Dawn.'  You only need to plant a few kinds of things, but do it in big sweeps.

Color is important

While citrus-hued daylilies are already pretty splashy on their own, buck conventional wisdom by pairing them with alliums in equally assertive but seemingly contradictory shades of purple—to brilliant results. Color is particularly important where you don't have structure.

After planting, mulch the soil with an organic mulch like bark or compost to reduce weed growth and hold soil moisture.

Happy gardening : )

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