This entertaining and informative ebook describes several colorful, annual, and hardy perennial flowering plants suitable for wonderful ground-cover landscaping. The emphasis here is on those that provide outstanding floral displays along with their horizontal leafy growth.
Ground-covering plants (especially those with profuse blooming) are ideal solutions for difficult landscaping problem areas. The interlocking growing plants will smother weeds, cool the soil for better root development, and reduce water evaporation, so you water less often. If you are planting on a slope, these plants will also control or prevent soil erosion.
Blanketing an area with any ground cover may require purchasing several plants or a large quantity of seed. This will require additional funding and more initial work to prepare the ground for planting. But think of this as an investment for greater rewards. Over time, the result is an extensive carpet of beauty that will eventually require less maintenance and labor, depending on which plants you use.
Your best bet is to use hardy perennials that return year after year. Most offer vibrant flower colors that add to the enjoyment of a usually dull area. Some colorful annual bedding plants also spread, but covering a less extensive area is more prudent. Consider them when preparing an enlarged bed and replace them with other annuals each year.
Finally, a word of warning concerning the potential for excessive or invasive growth of a few specific ground covers. Depending on your climate, some plants can, under ideal environmental conditions, exceed the boundaries you impose. That overgrowth can reach beyond your neighbor’s lot or, theoretically, in a worst-case scenario, in your general region. Any plant has that potential, so observe how well your ground cover spreads. It’s time to cut off those excessively growing horizontal shoots if they extend too far out of bounds.
Before purchasing the following plants in many larger garden centers and online, please check your local agricultural extension office for updated information, as some may be problematic in your location.
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