U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Garden
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 09-16-2008, 10:34 AM
 
2,153 posts, read 5,464,418 times
Reputation: 655

Advertisements

The path to my front door and sunroom is big landscaping rocks. Currently it is just dirt between them. I am looking for some low groundcover type that will grow in between them but not get so big that it swallows up the rocks. I want it to fill in between the rocks but stay low and look nice.

Any suggestions?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 09-16-2008, 11:37 AM
 
Location: Philaburbia
41,214 posts, read 73,167,557 times
Reputation: 65905
Is the area sunny or shady?

My favorites are vinca -- variegated or plain green -- produces small violet flowers in the spring, and creeping thyme,which produces small purple flowers in the summer.

If it's really sunny, dry and/or hot, a creeping variety of sedum would hold up to the sun.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-16-2008, 04:45 PM
 
1,830 posts, read 5,276,439 times
Reputation: 1991
Irish moss
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-16-2008, 05:40 PM
 
Location: McKinleyville, California
6,413 posts, read 10,329,880 times
Reputation: 4298
Blue Star Creeper [ Laurentia fluvilatilis ] stays within an inch or so in height, spreads nicely and has pale blue flowers. Creeping wooly thyme [ Thymus praecox ] also stays low, spreads very fast and is nicely fragrant and takes traffic very well. There is also Corsican mint [ Mentha requienii ] that is tiny and spreads very nice with a crushed mints smell when walked on. The thyme and mint spread very fast between the cracks of flagstone or brick. Blue star creeper prefers cool weather. The thyme can take most anything and the mint is a little less hardy. With any of these, the over growth can be cut away and rooted in other spots.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-16-2008, 07:02 PM
 
Location: rain city
2,957 posts, read 12,565,908 times
Reputation: 4971
I like Irish moss too. Very pretty stuff.

Sedums. There are many varieties and some are perfect to fill in the gaps in rock pathways. Generally non-invasive and easy to control. Flowers.

Creeping Sedums - Fine Gardening Article

Plant Experts (or novices), help me out, what plant can I use?-sedum.jpg

Plant Experts (or novices), help me out, what plant can I use?-sedum-2.jpg
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-16-2008, 07:19 PM
 
Location: Albemarle, NC
7,730 posts, read 13,956,074 times
Reputation: 1515
I tried vinca (minor) as a ground cover this summer on a hill. I'm having to mow it every 3 months because it grows so fast in full sun.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-16-2008, 07:26 PM
 
Location: rain city
2,957 posts, read 12,565,908 times
Reputation: 4971
The groundcover, vinca minor generally with purple flowers, is a very invasive plant. It is also a haven for slugs and snails. Bad stuff.

It is unsuitable as a filler between path stones, as it is a low growing wildly spreading vine.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-16-2008, 07:31 PM
 
2,153 posts, read 5,464,418 times
Reputation: 655
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81 View Post
Is the area sunny or shady?

My favorites are vinca -- variegated or plain green -- produces small violet flowers in the spring, and creeping thyme,which produces small purple flowers in the summer.

If it's really sunny, dry and/or hot, a creeping variety of sedum would hold up to the sun.
It might get an hour or two of sun but not much more if even that. Someone had mentioned thyme before. Thanks for the suggestions so far.

Me definitely likey Irish Moss. Awesome suggestion. Can I get that from Home Depot or Lowe's or do I have to hit up a nursery? Thanks for the help. Also, should I plant this fall or wait for spring? The location is Kansas City, if that makes a difference because of temperature.

I like the Corsican Mint also. Same question as above. Nursery?

Last edited by bls5555; 09-16-2008 at 07:39 PM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-17-2008, 03:14 PM
 
Location: somewhere close to Tampa, but closer to the beach
2,031 posts, read 4,975,318 times
Reputation: 1098
Default bls5555

..avoid any sort of vinca..very invasive..and will spread everywhere...

..some better-tempered suggestions:

creeping Tyme.. stays below 8" tall..with fragrant foliage..

sun rose ( Helianthemum)...closely related to the rock roses(Cistus)
but on plants which stay 5-8" tall X 3' wide.. nice silvery grey/green
foliage with white,pink,or orange flowers spring and summer...very tidy
plant..

Sedum..there are all sorts of species/varities...several spread and/or
have interesting foliage texture/color...

low growing varities of Campanula also stay low and provide blue flowers
in the spring... can spread a bit aggressively after a few years

blue fescue 'Elijah blue'..though this ones technically a bunching grass,..it usually stays pretty low(around 12") and provides a terrific accent for any landscape using large boulders in the design..adds spots of silvery blue and will slowly spread over time...

this is just a few of the options out there.. as for locating them..if lowe's or your local
nursery doesn't have them in stock,check to see if they can be ordered..a quality nursery
should be able to get them for you at reasonable cost..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-17-2008, 07:06 PM
 
Location: Alexandria, VA
14,886 posts, read 26,794,255 times
Reputation: 26492
Have you thought about thyme?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Garden
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2023, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top