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Old 04-25-2008, 12:09 AM
 
Location: Floribama
18,923 posts, read 43,219,633 times
Reputation: 18717

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Quote:
Originally Posted by teatime View Post
Asiatic Jasmine!!! But there's a story behind the reason I chose it, LOL.

I went to Lowe's and was leaning toward lemon thyme. But as I started to put some plants into my cart, another customer who owned a landscaping business asked me if I was looking for groundcover and what I thought of Asian Jasmine. I told him it was on my list to consider.

He then told me that if I decided to go with the Asian Jasmine, there is a nursery just a half-mile away operated by a charity that helps mentally challenged and other disabled adults and he knows they raise that and a few other groundcovers. If I bought it there, I'd save a lot of money and help out the mentally challenged folks. That seemed like a great idea to me!

So, I went to the place he suggested and, sure enough, there were four greenhouses with lovely plants and folks with Down's syndrome and other disabilities tending them. They were so happy to have a customer! They had Asian Jasmine and ornamental grasses so I bought the Jasmine. Geez, I got a flat of 18 plants for only $10!!!!!!! (That same number and size of plants would have cost me nearly $40 at Lowe's!)

It was too hot and humid to look around but I could see how beautiful the other plants were there, too. I fully intend to support them in the future and tell others!
The smile on their faces when you bought their plants was probably worth every penny. Asian jasmine is one of the best ground covers for the southeast (including SE Texas). It's one of the only vines I have seen that stays on the ground and out of the trees.
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Old 04-25-2008, 12:46 AM
 
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
10,757 posts, read 35,326,488 times
Reputation: 6958
Quote:
Originally Posted by southernnaturelover View Post
Asian Jasmine is very popular around here. It's a vine, but it pretty much stays on the ground and forms a dense mat.
When I lived in Texas I used Asian Jasmine, due to the heat Vinca doesn't grow well unless deeply shaded.

I have a front yard that needs help and I'm thinking of covering the front lawn with ground cover as well. I just refuse to continue with the mess of trying to get grass to grow where it doesn't want to AND continuing to waste so much water at the same time.
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Old 04-25-2008, 12:48 AM
 
Location: Texas
8,064 posts, read 17,942,399 times
Reputation: 3729
Quote:
Originally Posted by southernnaturelover View Post
The smile on their faces when you bought their plants was probably worth every penny.
Yep! And those plants are sure raised with love! I was SO happy to find out about these folks and be able to buy their plants!

How does Asiatic Jasmine do with occasional ice and snow? I live in West Texas and while we don't get a lot of snow, we do get an inch or two a few times in the winter (or spring! ) Does it need to be protected with mulch before winter?
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Old 04-25-2008, 12:59 AM
 
Location: Texas
8,064 posts, read 17,942,399 times
Reputation: 3729
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lindsey_Mcfarren View Post
I have a front yard that needs help and I'm thinking of covering the front lawn with ground cover as well. I just refuse to continue with the mess of trying to get grass to grow where it doesn't want to AND continuing to waste so much water at the same time.
Oh, I hear you! I have St. Augustine the previous owner of my home planted in a different section of the yard and it doesn't really take any care since it's established. I did add a some turf squares in some patches that went bare but that's it.

I live in a manufactured home and the side of the house faces the street. It's a double-wide and there's a double carport in front of it but I've got these two large sections on either side of the driveway that have been like a giant, thorny weed farm. (You likely know how brutal and hearty the weeds are in Texas!)

In the past year, I've eradicated the gnarliest, nastiest weeds but dry stubbly grasslike stuff remains. LOL, I'm figuring if any groundcover has a chance of success, it will likely be this Asian Jasmine since it's viney and looks tougher than the more delicate-looking varieties!
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Old 04-25-2008, 01:04 AM
 
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
10,757 posts, read 35,326,488 times
Reputation: 6958
Quote:
Originally Posted by teatime View Post
Oh, I hear you! I have St. Augustine the previous owner of my home planted in a different section of the yard and it doesn't really take any care since it's established. I did add a some turf squares in some patches that went bare but that's it.

I live in a manufactured home and the side of the house faces the street. It's a double-wide and there's a double carport in front of it but I've got these two large sections on either side of the driveway that have been like a giant, thorny weed farm. (You likely know how brutal and hearty the weeds are in Texas!)

In the past year, I've eradicated the gnarliest, nastiest weeds but dry stubbly grasslike stuff remains. LOL, I'm figuring if any groundcover has a chance of success, it will likely be this Asian Jasmine since it's viney and looks tougher than the more delicate-looking varieties!
When I lived in Texas I tried to use plants that were originally wildflowers, like Lantana. It sends down a tap root really deep and seems to thrive in worthless soil, hot and straight on sun.
Here in Florida everyone says you have to have St. Augustine but its hard to keep going through the winters which is our dry season, its also very vulnerable to pests we have here. I have put down sod but I'm just NOT going to do this anymore. I'm going for ground cover as well.
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Old 04-25-2008, 10:58 PM
VTP
 
200 posts, read 953,059 times
Reputation: 103
I can recommend pachysandra. It is very durable and requires no maintenance whatsoever. It's also very easy to transplant. I also love a lush spread of ivy around a tree. Both pachysandra and ivy have nothing in the way of flowers, really, but both offer a very green and natural look, if that's what you're into. Both are tough and require no work, other than trimming the ivy back if it starts to spread or climb too much.
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Old 04-26-2008, 01:53 AM
 
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
10,757 posts, read 35,326,488 times
Reputation: 6958
I love how Ivy looks but if it gets to your house, it will climb your house or any other structure and cause damage. It has those little sucker hairs on the underside of the plant.
I don't know that Ivy will grow in sun in Texas either.

Here in Florida we can grow Bouganvillia which grows higher then a ground cover but it would cover really well AND discourage anyone from walking across my lawn as it has thorns as long as needles on it.
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Old 04-26-2008, 08:05 AM
Status: "Mistress of finance and foods." (set 13 days ago)
 
Location: Coastal Georgia
49,970 posts, read 63,277,013 times
Reputation: 92419
Quote:
Originally Posted by Janecj View Post
I never had good luck with creeping phlox.. does ok for awhile then dies out. I tried creeping juniper.. hated it.. pulled it out (leaves always stuck in it). I have periwinkle.. but to me it doesn't get thick enough, I really like pachysandra.. so far ... I also have camelion http://www.michiganbulb.com/images/250/17732.jpg (broken link)flower - very pretty (photo) but is very invasive.. It gets into everything. I wish I would have contained it. You can weed wack this one as it gets a little taller than I would like.. I still prefer pachysandra.
I was going to suggest this too, but I couldn't come up with the name of it. I think it starts with hout..... It's very pretty and spreads by runners, like pacasandra (but it also has a stinky smell when you pick it). Also sweet woodruff and liriope would work.
Here's the thing, though. It sounds as if you aren't planning to clear out what is already there. In that case, your native weeds are going to win every time...natural selection. Unless you clean those out and make a fresh clean bed for what you plant I don't think your plan will work.
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Old 11-16-2011, 09:31 AM
 
1 posts, read 10,826 times
Reputation: 10
"Asian Jasmine, there is a nursery just a half-mile away operated by a charity that helps mentally challenged and other disabled adults and he knows they raise that and a few other ground covers. If I bought it there, I'd save a lot of money and help out the mentally challenged folks. That seemed like a great idea to me!

So, I went to the place he suggested and, sure enough, there were four greenhouses with lovely plants and folks with Down's syndrome and other disabilities tending them. They were so happy to have a customer! They had Asian Jasmine and ornamental grasses so I bought the Jasmine. Geez, I got a flat of 18 plants for only $10!!!!!!!"

I WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR THE ADDRESS OF THIS CHARITY. HOW WONDERFUL TO SUPPORT THEIR GOODNESS.

Thank you. Bubis.
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Old 11-16-2011, 11:31 AM
 
Location: Land of Free Johnson-Weld-2016
6,470 posts, read 16,320,729 times
Reputation: 6518
IVY is BAD Ivy's invasive and also climbs trees and strangles them. It also infiltrates woodlands and is difficult to eradicate. Having done my duty, I should say I liked a lot of the suggestions. I may use some for the spots under a few of the trees.

We all need groundcover at times, and if they're agressive but won't destroy and crowd out native species...I'm ok. My favorite one is Creeping Jenny. I have a golden one that's SO beautiful and turns orange-ish in Fall! The ones I got even grow under the Norway Maple! CJ grows fast, but I can't say it blocks out ALL weeds, I have a lot of wild garlic/onion and those little...guys...seem to pop up in a lot of places.

I was really surprised this year to see the CJ (AKA golden moneywort AKA lysimachia n.) cascading dazzlingly over the little retaining wall in the front. I may be sorry in a few years after it takes over the yard...but for now I would recommend it.

In the places where I planted CJ, I had a blank slate of mulch and dirt. *Suggestion. Cover the area w/ cardboard or black plastic or something over the winter to destroy the plant life currently there and then plant the groundcover and mulch in Spring.

*Whoops...just read OP is in Texas. Sorry, CJ may not be suitable for your zone, climate. Do a little research if you'd like to plant it.
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