99 replies to this topic

[folsom500]

So you great gardeners.........the yard look awesome by the way........would you recommend mint at the top of the list for groundcover that looks nice?  I have been trying vincta/periwinkle for a few years now and it is still pretty sparse/not growing in as planned.........thinking of trying another route.  What other easy, nice-looking groundcovers would you recommend........the area is about 2 feet wide and between our lawn and fence........mostly sun all day.  Thanks!

For a fast growing ground cover that has nice spring pop up flower stalks, try Ajuga
Ajuga, Carpet Bugleweed Ajuga reptans
Ajuga is a good ground cover, forming a dense carpet of foliage over the soil. This semi-evergreen plant grows rapidly by producing mats of foliage in rosettes. As runners develop from the mother plants, take root, and produce new plants, it can become invasive. (Low)

The foliage grows about 4 inches high with upright clusters of blue flowers reaching 6 to 8 inches. The plant flowers in early May to mid-June. Ajuga will flourish in almost any soil with good drainage. It grows best in full sun, but also tolerates shade.

The foliage is deep green in color and partly evergreen, turning brown after severe freezing weather. Bronze and variegated varieties are also available. The extensive root system prevents soil erosion.

If established plants are set 12 to 15 inches apart in the spring, they will cover the soil in one growing season. Do not set the plants too deep. The crown should never be covered. In the spring or early fall, rooted "runner plants" can be dug from established plantings and replanted elsewhere.

[Farley]

adjuga would be a good choice...we have it growing in a rose bed in full sun and it is beautiful every spring and summer when it blooms

There are many varieties of Ice plants also. Their needs and zones may vary, but you can find one that does well in Folsom and in the sun. Ice plant can be a very beautiful blanket of color ground cover.

The Vinca comes in minor or major. Our vinca major is more hardy than our vinca minor. But in our former home I had great success with vinca minor as a ground cover.

[OceanGirl]

Thank you Farley and Folsom500........will look into these ideas more extensively. Now that I have some names of where to begin!!

Thanks again for your help

[rlsliger]

Farley,

We have a good size pot on our front porch that we plant flowers in during the spring and summer. Normally during the fall we empty the dirt and store the pot in the garage. I would prefer to just leave it this fall/winter; do you have any plant recommendations? The pot is about 30 inches high and probably about 15"x15" around the top.

[Farley]

Farley,

We have a good size pot on our front porch that we plant flowers in during the spring and summer. Normally during the fall we empty the dirt and store the pot in the garage. I would prefer to just leave it this fall/winter; do you have any plant recommendations? The pot is about 30 inches high and probably about 15"x15" around the top.

Hi,

It would be very important to know if the pot is covered on the porch or open to the elements. Some plants can be outdoors if they are protected from frost in the winter.

I will check around and see what I come up with. The plant will most likely be a perennial, so you can leave it year around, or when spring arrives you can plant it in the yard.

[Farley]

Another thought is do you want something that will be tall or do you want something that might be weeping over the sides of the pot?

Camellias are good container plants and usually bloom in late January through March or into April.

I will keep thinking.

[rlsliger]

Another thought is do you want something that will be tall or do you want something that might be weeping over the sides of the pot?

Camellias are good container plants and usually bloom in late January through March or into April.

I will keep thinking.

I think the Camellias will work. Thanks Farley

[Farley]

Now that we are headed into September it is time to think about garden watering schedules. The days are getting shorter and the nights cooler.

Most gardeners (avid or not) have their sprinklers set on day, time, and length of watering. It is not too early to consider cutting back on the watering, especially if there is not another hot spell.

Potted and container plants need water all year long, but as fall and winter hit lawns, trees, and shrubs can get by on less water.

Conservation of water is always a concern.

[Solartide]

so farley and folsom 500 are the same person?

[JMH]

Huh? I am sure they are two different people.

[folsom500]

Huh?  I am sure they are two different people.

WE Sure ARE --- He is 67 and I am only 50 ...


Cheers
F500

[Farley]

WE Sure ARE --- He is 67 and I am only 50 ...
Cheers
F500

I am 67 but he is 51, not 50

[Flowerlady1]

Can anyone tell me what this flower is?

It's been fun discovering new plants and bugs in my new home state but for the life of me I have no idea what this flower is. The buds only last for about 4 hours and then they close and wilt away. BTW, it is a plant not a vine and the bugs love to eat the leaves leaving nothing but a lace pattern behind!

Your flower looks like (possibly) a hibiscus-which would be a shrub that grows from 6-15 feet high and has blooms that are very short-lived, or it could be a mantijilla (sp) poppy--which (i believe) is a perennial plant that dies back each winter and grows back in the spring/summer, usually with a wider base. Both have the white blooms that last just a day. Hope this helps.

[randb]

I am 67 but he is 51, not 50 

Sorry off topic post:

Do either of you have facial hair? Strange question I know, but you know how you talk to someone and never see them and you get a mental image of them? For what ever reason I see Farley as having a beard.

[Flowerlady1]

Once you do start tackling the weeds and nut grass and also planting your photinias, may I offer a suggestion.  When planting use a roll of black plastic materials.  We use sections or strips of plastic to cover the ground.  Then where ever a plant, shrub, tree, etc. will be planted, cut out an opening big enough to allow the plants to get water and some air.  Cover the rest of the plastic with bark, shredded redwood, or other mulch.  This will put an end to future weeds as they cannot grow through the plastic.  As plants grow, it is easy to use a box knife, and make the openings around plants bigger as necessary.

This is a sure fire method of preventing weeds in unwanted beds, etc.

There is another method you might want to consider, too. There is a multitude of products under the class of weed-block fabric. It is generally a woven, porous fabric-type material that is laid down like the black plastic, but it allows water and nutrients into the ground. Plastic blocks both. The fabric is recommended by master gardeners and landscaping pros. Keep in mind, tho', you MUST cover it with about 3" of some kind of mulch, like bark or shredded stuff or wood chips. It works very well in almost every instance, but it is tough to get onto a hillside or really large planter areas. Just a thought!