In a friend’s garden - like everywhere in Eastern Canada - lawns were still brown and ugly, even in mid-April. However, next to it, my friend had planted lots of Pachysandra. Their leaves looked healthy and were dark green. They even showed lush and green foliage in January and February during a dry Winter with little snow. And in Summer? They are perfect for deep shade as barely anything else would thrive under the shade that their twelve Maple and Birch trees provide in this part of the property.
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The 2 Complaints of Most Garden Owners: #1 is the Lawn, #2 Shade Gardens.
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Lawns
I have never heard of anyone being happy with their lawn. And it is easy to understand why: Lawns need lots of water and fertilizer, plus frequent overseeding and required time for constant mowing. Installing the turf, purchasing a lawnmower (including gas or electricity usage), or paying a landscape company - it all adds up.
Most important are the environmental issues. Pollinators dislike lawns as there is nothing they can feed on. The unpleasant noise that lawnmowers make, disturbs on weekends the whole neighborhood. On top of that is the unnecessary use of gasoline or electricity when keeping the grass short.
Lawns are dead pieces of land, created by (not-thinking) grass-obsessed men, just mimicking what others do in their garden. There is more: skunks, raccoons, rabbits, chipmunks, voles, and moles might dig up the lawn, looking for grubs and other insects that feed on lawn roots.
All in all: There is no good reason to have a lawn. Ground covers, such as Pachysandra are a better choice - especially in tree-covered areas that tend to be shaded.
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Shade Gardens
Creating a beautiful garden in a half-shade part of the garden is not easy and requires a lot of research. However, finding plants that thrive in deep shade is even much harder. Pachysandra is a highly regarded evergreen ground cover, that performs exceptionally in deep shade. It dislikes hot sun, one of the few plants that does well beneath mature shade trees. As an evergreen perennial, Pachysandras will typically keep its form and foliage year-round. These ground covers act like living mulch, preserving moisture and protecting soil.
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The Perfect Ground Cover
Perfect for garden owners who want to enjoy their piece of land without mowing, fertilizing, or even watering - unless there is more than a month without rain. Its height is about 10 inches at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. Pachysandra grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years. It works perfectly as a mulch substitute under the canopies of large shade trees, where not much else will grow.
Deer don't care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats.
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Pachysandra
Pachysandra terminalis, the Japanese pachysandra, also known as Japanese spurge, is native to eastern Asia. It was brought to North America as an ornamental ground cover.
Glossy, low-growing foliage (with teeny white flowers) will spread to cover problem areas, such as beneath trees. It thrives in zones 4 to 9 - in partial to full shade.
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