Ground Cover Rock Garden Plants &Ornamental Grasses: Ground cover plants can enhance your landscape,
while minimizing some of the problems of
mowing. Ground cover plants are particularly valuable
for areas where turf grass is difficult to maintain.
Shaded areas under large trees or around those
trees that have heavy surface feeding roots are the
more common problem areas in our landscapes.
You might also consider planting steep
banks with ground cover plants, rather than constructing a
retaining wall to hold the soil.
Evergreen Ground cover plants with mulch such as woodchips
wherever you can eliminate some hand weeding
or clipping. Planting Ground cover plants around trees
can be helpful because it protects the tree from injury
by the mower.
Ground cover Plants including junipers, prostrate,
Facer make for an excellent and shrubs
flowerbeds. They are used effectively
provide a smooth transition between
shrubs to grass. An efficient design will include
bending or sweeping lines, rather than
straight borders. These areas will be ground
also allow the trim around the borders of shrubs
without clipping hand. Ground cover may break
Surrounding the lawn, planted with banks covering varied soils create a very interesting place.
up a large lawn and give it more shape, particularly
in the shade where grass will not grow
well.
Shade Plants- Remember that ground covers Plants
will not solve all the problems of maintenance
in your garden. If you grow a lot of
these plants in the shade where grass does not
grow well, you may choose shade plants. Like ground cover plants, shade plants still require some attention.
Cover crops should be watered
frequently, and sometimes May require spraying
for insects or diseases. In addition, the ground cover
plants respond positively to the application of
nitrogenous fertilizer periodically during the culture
season. If the plants retain their leaves during the
Winter (as Mahonia or juniper), you
should water the plants even in winter. This
should be done when the weather is dry and
soil is not frozen. The ground cover wider
Plants also have a tendency to waste collection and
paper that is blown from the surrounding area.
This will require some time to keep the area free
from litter.
Cover soil around the base of a tree eliminates
hand clipping and helps prevent mower damage.
Ground cover may break wide range of lawn and create more shape.
Planting cover crops
Choose ground covers to suit your needs.
If you cultivate soil instead of grass
because the area is too shady, you must
Choose plants that can tolerate heavy shade.
Remember that the steep banks especially those exposed
south-west accumulates very little
soil moisture. Use plants that can withstand dry
conditions on these banks. Reptiles
Juniper, cotoneaster, creeping or Honeysuckle
are most often used for this purpose.
Plant spacing will depend on how
quickly you want the area to be covered,
ultimate spread of the plant, and most important
your budget. Cover crops are
generally much more expensive than grass.
However, they are not more expensive than bark
mulch chips. Before planning large areas of
be planted to cover crops, you should consult your
lists the retail cost. Naturally, the more
plants are spaced, the more soil will be
covered. An approximate formula to figure the number of
plants is required:
Areas to cover in square feet
(Spacing of plants in ft) 2 = Number of plants
required
100 sq ft = 100
(1.5) 2 2.25
= 44.4 or 45 plants
Example:
If you use Vinca minor at intervals of 18 inches
(1.5 ft), and want to cover an area of 100 square
feet, you will need:
Normally, ground covers are smaller
placed in a grid spacing of 12 inches, but it will
depend on your requirements.
slopes or banks, you want to place the plants
Establish a grid, the dimensions should be based
on plant material needs using string to locate where each
plant will be installed.
at intervals even closer, if not, the soil will
eroded before the flooring is
established. The durable ground cover that listed
and will be grown from seed is Crown
Vetch although rooted plants are also available in
this species.
Many ground cover Plants spread root
at the nodes on the stems as they drag along
ground. This will cover more rapidly during
bare soil. Some examples are prostrate
Juniper [Juniper Prostrata and Juniperus procumbens - especially Nana], Vinca minor, strawberry, and varieties of
Stonecrop. It is often used to use a boat
mulch around plants for ground cover. This makes
the edge or border more attractive than bare soil
and makes weeding easier.
You can use a metal or wood border around
borders and areas of planting trees. This will help
Make a clear definition between the ground cover
area and lawn. Be sure the edge
material is not greater than one inch above the ground
row. This will allow easy mowing without breaking the bank
border. The song must also extend
Ground 3 to 5 inches. This will
avoid cool-season grasses from the invasion
border areas. These pads are not
effective against the spread of Zoysia and Bermuda
grass.
Wood border around edges. Cut grooved halfway
planks to allow more bending.
Rock Gardens in the Landscape
Use rocks may take various forms in our
landscapes. One of the most common forms of
Rock is the stone wall or terrace. This is generally
considered a retaining wall, and made an excellent
location for this "special" appearance of a
more natural setting.
The more formal arrangement of rocks in the
traditional Japanese garden is also an excellent
parameter for the rockery. In landscapes where
soil is monotonous, a rock garden may be
created to give your landscaping a new dimension.
Design a Rock Garden
There are some features in common garden
which are so often misunderstood and, once constructed
neglected as the rock garden. The horrible mass of bright, enameled pieces of brick work in the cracks
half-starved plants struggle for existence
is nothing but distortion. Add a donkey cart
and a plastic deer few and the whole device
becomes absurd. The chief uses of rocks and
stones in a rock garden are providing
coolness to the roots and storage humidity
in the crevices of the use of plants. The idea that
Rock plants grow better in almost anything, but
Rock is a mistaken one.
A generous allocation of land between the good,
between and under stones is essential for
healthy plant growth. Since the function
rocks is to provide shelter for roots, it is
manifestly unnecessary plant slabs of rock or stone pic
in soil. No protection is granted
this way. The roots can not get beneath them
and they do not retain moisture.
To create a rockery, not plant slabs of rock
perpendicularly into the ground.
Great masses of stone of two feet or more
length should be used whenever possible and should
be strong and well sunk into the ground in a little
oblique direction. They should be tilted backwards,
step forward for the rain in May net
to plant roots.
Studying an outcrop of natural stone.
The visible parts of the stones must be as
pleasant as can be and should in all oblique
same direction to represent a natural outcrop
stone. But we must never forget
they are not there for the good of the effect image
but to protect the roots of plants growing
among them.
Strongly marked lines of stratification.
The rocks must be of Aboriginal stone
are all looked as if she belongs. Before you start
build, you should if possible, to study some
natural outcrops of rocks and see what happens
in nature. The examination of exposed rock face, except
igenous to rock like granite, you will see a
suggestion of very strong lines of stratification.
They are continuous and
May be at any angle between horizontal and
vertical. These parallel lines show how stone
was deposited and grew up in layers levels
may later be thrown by internal forces
as seen on the roads in cuttings of the Appalachians and the Rockies
Mountains. It is important that when we rebuild
rock on a small scale that these lines are stratum
parallel and that the pieces of stone lying along
these lines.
The rock garden should not be used to store
your collections of rocks. This type of garden would
consist of a heterogeneous assemblage of rocks
which were collected from different
parts of the country.
The most important rule to consider when
building a rock garden is that it does not appear
to be a man. Select your rocks carefully
similar rock formations. In Kansas, you can
generally find sedimentary rocks of sandstone,
shale or limestone. If you can find an outcrop
these rocks, use these sizes
ranging from large to small rocks. Attempted
recreate what crops up in your yard. You will
most likely to reduce it to a size that corresponds to
your landscape. The important thing
using a single type of rock.
rosion causes that fill the pockets with soil and
debris so when you arrange the rocks in your garden
Remember that nature covers the rocks with earth
and fill low areas only
worn by time, ever freshly cut surfaces
sides. If you use rocks that are already
covered with some lichen or moss, it is much
better. When mounting the rocks in the creation, use
boulders as the backbone and then place the
small rocks into the design. Make sure these
rocks are not put together too tight. A good
rock garden has many pockets of land left between
rocks to plants. Give your garden a swing
background shrubs and possibly some small
trees. The sound of water increases the interest
at any garden and building a small pool
with water dripping on a rock under a rock
Garden in May and be worth your time and investment.
For an overview diagram of a small rock
garden pool. A naturalistic approach to creating a rock garden.
- Line pool with concrete painted dark sides of slopes to help prevent cracking in winter.
- Low horse power, with submersible pump connected to the earth. Water is pumped from bottom
pool to top pool.
- Flexible plastic pipes are buried underground.
- A type of toilet tank float valve can be used to control water levels.
- A check valve can be used to prevent water from flowing back into the house system.
- A drain allows overflow water which can be taken to a large hole filled with rocks where it can seep back
into the ground.
A rock garden layout as part of the landscape.
When laying a stone path to the
center stone of a normal one.
Approximately 24 "
Planting the Rock Garden
Adequate drainage is probably the most important
factor to consider when planting any
Rockery. Rock garden and alpine plants
species require well-drained soil. In general, a
well-designed rock garden or wall will provide
adequate drainage for any plants you want to use.
In choosing the site for a rock garden, remember
that most of these plants need sun and less
half of the day. However, some protection should
be provided by the hot, dry winds from the southwest.
In the shade may be provided by trees, but
planting trees in the garden of the stone itself. Tree root
competition may be more of a problem that
sun.
Most rock plants like rich soil,
although they need not. A land full of large
sand or gravel, compost and other rotten
vegetable matter mixed in some cases the old welldecomposed
manure is excellent for the rock garden.
When plants are studied rock in their
natural conditions, they will be found in most
If the soil around the roots is completely
covered by the stems and leaves, each plant
touching its neighbors and virtually no soil
remains exposed. This arrangement is the
The selection of plants for your rock garden
depend on your goal. Do not select plants
for a rock garden that make the fast-spreading ground.
The Stringy Stonecrop (Sedum sarmentosum)
Vinca, or vines to threaten
other plants in the garden. In addition, plants do not
to be too large for the rocks in the garden. The
best design gives the appearance of plants
to be overshadowed by the rocks. You will not want to hide
Some plants under rocks and in deep
crevices. This will give the appearance of plants
their natural habitat.
On most residential properties, the choice of
posure of the soil to the sun and the location is really limited. In our maritime climate, the
wind its natural moisture is preserved. At startup would be an ideal site to the north, east or north-west
ING Small plants, it is difficult to separate AT-slope of a home stretch
Tain early. Small plants are unable to cover lawn, still visible from the terrace and one or more
the surface of the earth and planting Windows. If a natural setting is not available a
approximation would only overcrowding of a more formal garden of stone with stone
they result in endangered plants. In these terraces, stone walls and flagstone paths can
cases, the best thing is to cover the interim will be built. Such a design can be used closer
surface soil with pine bark or stone chips in the house. Often, measures can be made part of the
small enough to be easily pushed aside by a growing design that adds interest to the landscape.
but sufficient to help prevent over-drying of soil.
Planting the cliff
Rock walls are the simplest form of rock.
The results of planting a touch dry
rock often turn a simple maintenance
wall in a naturalistic masterpiece. Interesting
designs may be created by placing
Stonecrop, thyme, etc., in the cracks.
In the upper wall, you may want to use
junipers, prostrate. They crawl down
on the side of the wall to give a "wrapped" appearance ".
If the height of a slope or a bank of more than four
feet, it is necessary to use two or more dry
retaining walls. The spaces between the walls
great places for rock single. Here
May you use basements, to design a rock garden,
or use the mugo pine and juniper with some
flowering plants. Another suggestion would be to
use this space for your strawberries. Unless these
areas are large enough to use for entertainment, it is
best not to plant grass.
A wall of dry laid stone with a base of about half
as wide as the size stones sloping back slightly and
adequate drainage is provided at ground level and at the base. A cliff offers attractive places for growing many plants.
Ornamental grasses provide us
range of sizes and colors for our landscapes. The
small bunch of some form of ornamental
grasses are excellent for garden borders down
inputs, and are also well suited to
rockeries. Other forms of Hardy
Ornamental grasses are usually too large for the Border
use unless they are to provide background. A
row of plants, such as Giant Reed or Ravennagrass,
provide a monitor for your garden, if
This type of plant you want. A unique bouquet of
the grass is used more efficiently for Accent
purposes. It could be either
the main entrance of your home, or accent
the border in the backyard. A note warning of Use
striking the grass carefully and ask yourself
Question: "Did they really compliment my
overall composition of the plant? "because many have
been planted and are increasingly irrelevant, they
were part of a passing fad plants.
Averages used ornamental grasses to soften
outline of a cliff.
To be effective the use of a mass of smaller ornamental
grasses.
Large, ornamental grasses should be used in
posies, do not overuse them.
Yucca's naturalized in the border.
Yuccas are often used as an accent plant
and are very attractive to naturalize if
space permits. For plantation entrance, attracting attention
group entry, three or more Yuccas
together at the border to give the appearance of a
more natural setting. A word of
Attention-tip ends of Yucca are sharp
sharp and could be considered a danger to nearby
doors. This is particularly important when
Small children can play.
Vines for the Landscape
Two types of vines have been listed in the
tables. These include the vines may be used
for an excellent ground cover, and which should
only be used as climbers. Vines
provide good soil cover are:
Euonymus spp. Creeping Euonymus
Hedra helix English ivy and varieties
Lonicera spp. Creeping Honeysuckles
Polygonurn spp. Silver-fleece vine
These vineyards are not above are not satisfactory
for ground covers, or because they will not
cover the ground satisfactorily or because they
will exceed their limits too quickly.
The Creeping Euonymus tend to
climb the walls of buildings and tree trunks when
placed too close. This is most likely to occur in
shaded places such as exposures to the north and east.
The climbing vines should also not be
used next to buildings or trees. The vines
quickly set up along the wall and
cover the windows. Maintaining the exterior surface
a building is very difficult when the vine is
allowed to settle.
Deciduous vines can be selected for climbing
on shade trees and patios or exposed to sunlight
walls of the house. They can provide shade over
quickly as shade trees and enhance the landscape
near your home.
When planting vineyards near the house, dig a
large hole and fill with good soil. Too often, the soil
near the base of the house is a mixture of mortar,
bricks, pieces of wood and construction debris
covered with two inches of hard clay! Plant
inch vine 8 to 10 of the wall.
Vineyards to help control temperature and create
garden edge interest.
GROUND COVER PLANTS FOR SHADE
Bugle
Coral Bells
Crown Vetch
Euonymus
Forget-Me-Not
Forsythia, Arnold Dwarf
Honeysuckle, Hall’s
Ivy, English
Lily-of-the-valley
Mahonia, Creeping
Pachistima
Periwinkle
Plantainlilies
Spurge
Stonecrops (some)
Strawberry, Wild
Thyme
Wintercreeper
GROUND COVER PLANTS TO FIT YOUR LANDSCAPE NEEDS
Bugle
Chokeberry
Cotoneaster, Cranberry
Cotoneaster, Rock
Crown Vetch
Euonymus
Forsythia, Arnold Dwarf
Ivy, English
Junipers
Lily Turf
Matrimony Vine
Moss Pink
Phlox, Creeping
Rose Acacia
Rose, Memorial
St. John’s Wort
Sumac, Fragrant
Sweet William
Wintercreeper
BANKS AND SLOPES GROUND COVER PLANTS WITH
EVERGREEN FOLIAGE
Bugle
Candytuft
Euonymus
Junipers
Lily Turf
Mahonia, Creeping
Pachistima
Pine, Mugho
Spurge
Stonecrops
Thyme
BARRIER
GROUND COVER PLANTS
Forsythia, Arnold Dwarf
Juniper
Mahonia, Creeping
Matrimony Vine
Quince, Alpine
Rose Acacia
Rose, Memorial
Sumac, Fragrant
GROUND COVER PLANTS THAT CAN BE MOWED OCCASIONALLY
Mother-of-Thyme
St. John’s Wort
Speedwell, Creeping
GROUND COVER PLANTS AND ROCK GARDEN PLANTS:
Alyssum, Goldentuft
Alyssum saxatile
Baby’s Breath
Bleeding Heart
Bugle, Curly
Bugle, Carpet
Candytuft, Evergreen
Chokeberry, Black
Coral Bells
Cotoneaster, Creeping
Cotoneaster, Cranberry
Cotoneaster, Rock or Ground
Creeping Charley
Crown Vetch
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