USING GROUND COVERS IN And, finally, does the area tend to be YOUR GARDEN overly moist or dry? Some plants can Epimedium sp. tolerate or prefer drought like conditions, Semi­evergreen to evergreen. Tolerates dry THE BENEFITS OF GROUNDCOVERS while others need moist soil. Being aware conditions but best with moderate water. of what your plant needs will mean greater Low maintenance. Flowers in spring. Depending upon your garden’s needs the success—and more enjoyment—for you as a Galium odoratum Sweet Woodruff right ground cover can add seasonal interest, gardener. Prefers rich, moist soil, dense mats of green prevent erosion, and/or reduce the time you foliage, fragrant, white flowers. spend maintaining your garden. Now that you have an idea about the Gaultheria procumbens Wintergreen growing conditions of your site, you can Evergreen. Slow growing. Glossy, oval BEFORE YOU CHOOSE… begin your plant search. Below is a list to leaves. White flowers followed by scarlet THINGS TO CONSIDER help you get started (it is by no means all berries. inclusive). Have fun! Getting started­­choosing the right plant Gaultheria shallon Salal Evergreen. Native to Pacific NW. Tolerates for the right spot. Before you begin, ask yourself the following questions about the PLANT LIST sun, moist. Prefers acidic soil, excellent for covering large areas. Edible fruit. area you are planting: Ajuga species Bugleweed Hedera sp. Ivy Moderate sun to shade, relatively fast Sun or shade? How much sun will the Evergreen. Tolerates wide range of growing grower, and semi­evergreen. Moderate foot plant get and at what time of the day? conditions. Good for erosion control, can traffice. Color of foliage ranges from Consider what your site is like in the middle take moderate foot traffic. burgundy to variegation with variety. of the summer. This is the most stressful Lamiastrum sp. Alchemilla mollis Lady’s Mantle time of the year for plants due to lack of Tolerates sun, average to moist soil, green Prefers moist, rich soil, deciduous. Pleated water and high heat. For example, a shade leaves speckled with silver, yellow flowers. gray­green foliage with chartreuse flowers. loving plant will not do well in an area that Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’ Golden Arctostaphylos uva­ursi Kinnikinnick gets the summer sun from 2pm to 5pm (the Creeping Jenny Evergreen. Tolerates full sun to afternoon hottest time of the day). Better to have a Prefers rich, moist soil, low and fast shade. Requires little water and care once plant in that spot that will thrive in those growing, moderate foot traffic, bright yellow established. Pinkish­white urn­shaped light and heat conditions. flowers. flowers. Mentha requienii Corsican Mint Asarum caudatum Wild Ginger Is there foot traffic? Plants vary in the Prefers moist, rich soil. Mint fragrance, Prefers moist, humus rich soil. Heart­ amount of foot traffic that they can tolerate. forms tight green carpet, can take light foot shaped leaves. Correctly identifying the amount of foot traffic. traffic is critical for the health of the plant. Cornus Canadensis Bunchberry Myosotis sylvatica varieties Native to NW. Prefers moist, acidic soil, Prefers average to moist well­drained soil. How large is the area that you want slow growing and spreading, white flowers. Self sows, blue, white or rose flowers, grows covered? And how quickly do you want it Cotula sp. New Zealand Brass Buttons easily and thickly. to fill in? This will help you to determine Evergreen. Can tolerate sun, moderate foot Oxalis oregana how many plants you will need and the traffic, tight growing ground cover. Native to Oregon, prefers frequent watering, appropriate growth rate and ultimate Cymbalaria muralis Kenilworth Ivy flowers in spring, sometimes again in fall, coverage. (See planting chart) Prefers moist, rich soil, semi­evergreen. green, clover like leaves. Dainty creeper. Ground covers Pachysandra terminalis Japanese Spurge PLANTING YOUR GROUNDCOVERS Evergreen. Prefers moist, acidic soil, will Preparing the Ground cover an area rapidly. Dark, glossy foliage, Before planting remove all existing turf blooms in spring, excellent under trees. grass, weeds and debris. After this is done Phlox stolonifera Creeping Phlox amend poor soils with compost at a ratio of Evergreen. Prefers rich, well drained, moist 1/3 compost to 2/3 soil. soils, slowly forms dense cover, blooms Planting Ground Covers May­June. Needs some direct sun. When planting, be sure that the soil level of Saxifraga stolonifera the plant is even with that of your planting Evergreen. Prefers well drained, moist soil. area. If the plant is too deep, the crown and Plants for Can take soil on the dryer side more than stems can rot due to the lack of oxygen. other species. Forms dense mat of glossy And, if planted too shallowly, the plant will shade green foliage with scalloped edges. Flowers not have enough soil contact for adequate May­June. rooting or for proper water absorption. Sedum makinioi ‘Ogon’ Water the plant in thoroughly. It is Evergreen. Prefers dry, well drained soil. especially important that new plants get Golden foliage. adequate water in the first two summers Soleirolia soleirolii Baby’s Tears while they establish themselves. Plants will Prefers rich, moist, well drained soil. do fine when fed once in early spring with a Vigorous, carpeting plant with tiny round balanced fertilizer. leaves, can take moderate foot traffic. Spacing Chart Veronica repens ‘Sunshine’ To calculate the number of plants needed, Semi­evergreen. Small, brilliant gold use the chart below. Use plant spacing info foliage, pale purple flowers. Part shade. gathered from resources and find nearest Vinca species match in first column. Then multiply your Evergreen. Rapidly spreading, excellent for area’s square footage by the corresponding erosion control. Foliage and flowers vary. figure in the right column. The result will Viola species be the approximate number of plants to fill Prefers moist, well­drained, humus­rich soil. your area within one and a half growing Foliage and flowers vary between species. seasons. Space between plant Multiply sq. foot. by **PLEASE NOTE** The amount of planting 9” 1.8 space you allow depends on a couple of factors— 12” 1.0 such as rate of plant growth, mature spread of plant, and how quickly you want a space to fill in. 15” .64 18” .44 24” .25 30” .16 36” .11

Information compiled from McCoy Nursery