Shady areas in the garden can be transformed into an enchanting oasis of well-being with particularly attractive plants. In this article we will show you some beautiful ground cover plants for partial shade.
What are ground covers for partial shade?
Ground cover plants are plant species such as perennials and woody plants that are usually characterized by a low growth height and high area coverage. They are easy to care for, resilient and provide excellent careAlternative to the usual green lawnTherefore, with clever planting, you are guaranteed a beautiful garden oasis. In this context, it is important that most ground cover plants should be planted close together from the start. This is how your new plant carpet acquires a closed shape.
However, what you should always consider is the individual care needs of each plant. It is also important that you prepare the soil well. To do this, completely remove lawn sod like weeds. Pay particular attention to the thorough removal of tough root weeds. Depending on plant needs, it is advisable to optimize the soil. Ordinary compost or sand are suitable for this, which you can then use to enrich the soil surface.
Evergreen ground cover plants, as the name suggests, retain their leaves all year round. Deciduous species only bloom until the winter months. During this time, you can plant winter-hardy ground cover plants that only lose their leaves in spring but will sprout again immediately. It is also worth mentioning that you have a large selection of ground cover plants for partial shade. We will now show you our favorites.
The magnificent elf flower skillfully repels weeds
Elf flowers (Epimedium) belong to the genus of shade perennials. They beautifully decorate any garden bed with their heart-shaped leaves and delicate flowers that appear in April to May. These varieties, which come from the Near East and North Africa, have proven to be particularly suitable ground cover for partial shade. This type of elf flowers is characterized by its low location requirements and resilience. They are equally durable and easy to care for. The growth height is limited to 15 cm to 30 cm.
Elf flowers have a very special flower shape with a long, striking spur. Their range of colors ranges from white to pink to red and yellow. But you can also find elf flowers with purple-violet flowers or with two-tone flowers. It is worth mentioning that its dense growth makes it an excellent choiceweed-repellent ground coveract. Also make sure that the soil is nutrient-rich and sufficiently moist, but has a certain degree of permeability.
Evergreen – a classic ground cover for partial shade
Periwinkle (Vinca), as its name suggests, is a type of plant that has dark green, shiny leaves all year round. In the months of April and May, you can also enjoy a sky-blue, five-tiered display of flowers. Periwinkles often also have white, red and purple petals, which are always tube-shaped.
There are two species of this popular ground cover that differ in size, which is why they are known as small periwinkle (Vinca minor) and large periwinkle (Vinca major). The growth height of the small evergreen is 10 to 15 cm and the large evergreen reaches a height of around 20 to 30 cm, so they are also often used as perennials.
Another difference is that the small periwinkle is more resilient and can also thrive in cool, moist locations. If you want to plant this type of plant in your garden, make sure the soil is moist, nutrient-rich and loosened. Evergreens count as runners, so even larger areas are quickly covered. This also visually enhances the space.
The evergreen carpet golden strawberry
The carpet golden strawberry (Waldsteinia ternata) is an evergreen ground cover, as its plant cover shines in a bright, fresh, cheerful green all year round. In the months between April and May, its golden-yellow cupped flowers emerge, which create beautifully bright accents in the partial shade. The carpet golden strawberry is very robust and thrives best in partial shade. They are easy to care for, so you usually only need to ensure that the soil is well moistened. It spreads over larger areas in a relatively short period of time via rhizomes and runners. Bothhardy ground cover plantsYou should ensure that the soil is deep and rich in humus, so that fresh, weed-free humus soil must be added every two years. We also recommend annual fertilization with horn shavings. In principle, it is very important that you ensure that it is free of weeds when planting and caring for the carpet golden strawberry. As this can be a complex issue, you should definitely seek expert advice.
Flowering ground cover – the bee-friendly bergenia
The Bergenias (Bergenia) are a real eye-catcher with their pink flowers and shiny green leaves. Some varieties also bloom with bright red flowers in autumn and are great sources of food for bees. The leaves are characterized by their high robustness, so that they can overwinter without damage even in severe frost. They work well as ground cover for partial shade. They use their rhizomes to form dense stands. If you are aiming for a complete ground-covering planting, we recommend bergenia with various types of sedges (Carex), star umbels (Astrantia),Storchschnabel (Geranium)or to combine different species of spurge (Euphorbia).
The advantage of Bergenia is that it is generally very undemanding to care for. The only thing you should pay attention to is humus-rich, fresh soil. Every now and then you can use a watering can if there is no rain. Overall, these ground cover plants are extremely drought tolerant.
Our advice is to sprout the plant once in March and provide it with compost in June. Over time, your beautiful, magnificent Bergenia garden carpet may begin to show light spots. Here we recommend cutting open the rhizomes a little in exactly these places. This encourages the bergenias to produce new, fresh shoots.
Also read:Which ground cover plants should I plant in the shade? 8 hardy species for autumn planting
