When designing your garden, low perennials offer a good opportunity to cover free areas or more complicated places to plant on a slope, in the shade under a tree or on stony ground, while also keeping weeds away. Which of the abundant species we choose depends on our requirements and garden conditions. We introduce you to fast-growing and undemanding ground cover plants that meet the characteristics of fast-growing and easy-care and thus help you get your garden into shape quickly and require little time and worry from you. We hope you enjoy designing your garden and of course a relaxing and restful time while you spend time there and recharge your batteries.
Wild strawberries as ground cover: Grows quickly, saves time and is healthy and tasty
Wild strawberries (Fragaria vesca) are a sweet yet practical choice in several ways. They prefer to be in the sun to partially shaded on moist to dry soil with a clay content. The perennial plants grow 15 cm – 31 cm high and form a bushy cushion.
From late spring to early summer, the plant blooms with delicate, white flowers. From the end of June, wild strawberries invite people and animals to harvest their small, sweet, edible fruits. When it comes to care, they are quite undemanding. You should just be careful to use them during hot periods and while theybear fruitto irrigate.
In winter you should cover the plants loosely with some leaves or mulch to keep the small, hardy plants healthy through the frost. If you have thewild strawberriesIf you want to enjoy it, please remember to wash the fruits thoroughly and process them into jam with heat, as they can be infected with fox tapeworm.
Hardy and wintergreen perennial: Cambridge cranesbill
The Cambridge cranesbill (Geranium x cantabrigiense) is a hardy and wintergreen plant that grows up to 25 cm high and bushy wide. It has white, pink and purple flowers that shine in May. The plant thrives in sandy, loamy and normally dry soil and loves sun and partial shade. However, if it is positioned too shady, you run the risk of having fewer flowers. The best thing you can do isMaintain plant, if you make sure the soil doesn't dry out too much, so it should be watered weekly. The Cambridge cranesbill is very suitable for greening areas and also for planting rock gardens.
Upholstery perennials for the garden: felty hornwort
The felty hornwort (Cerastium tomentosum) from the carnation family is aptly called “snow-in-summer” in English-speaking countries because of its white cloud-like flowers. It grows flat, develops a height of 10 cm - 20 cm and forms wide cushions. You can enjoy the sight of the star-shaped snowflake flowers from May to June. The plants are very suitable as undemanding ground cover for slopes and embankments.
It feels comfortable in the sun on dry ground, which can also be stony and sandy. The plant is hardy and although it does not bloom in winter, its green-silvery leaves look chic even in the cold season. Dry soil is ideal for the dry season in winter. This plant really doesn't make many demands on its care, on the contrary, if you don't want it to spread uncontrollably, you should prune it after the flowering period.
Flowering undemanding ground cover: Real comfrey
The real comfrey (Symphytum officinale) grows in perennials and is up to 80 cm high. Its flowers are purple, pink and blue from June to August. It grows on loamy soil, which should be moderately dry in nature. Sunny to semi-shady places, such as around the pond, are very suitable. Ointments made from comfrey have been banned by the American FDA since 2018 and have been classified as moderately toxic. So think about whether you actually want to try grandma's ancient ointment recipe with her plant that has been used for many generations.
Due to its long roots, the plant is very capable of supporting itself even under adverse conditions. Therefore, it does not need much care and attention. If you want to avoid spreading the plant too much, cut it back right after flowering. Otherwise, just make sure to water them a little during extended dry periods.
Wild thyme is hardy and winter hardy
The wild thyme (thymus serpyllum) or more precisely the sand thyme is an aromatic, pretty and elegant, delicate-looking herb. Don't let that fool you, though, because it's particularly tough.It is hardyand also sturdy - that means you can have a garden party on it and not destroy it straight away. Added to this is the fact that it is non-toxic, produces a wonderful scent and serves as pasture for bees. Overall, a lot of good qualities in one plant. It grows in perennials up to 5 cm high and forms a kind of carpet.
Wild thyme blooms in June, July and August. It produces red, purple and white delicate flowers that remind us of the picturesque Mediterranean regions and take us there on a short vacation - while we drink a coffee in our garden. TheThymian demandedLikes to grow in the sun on sandy, dry soil and is well suited to filling in exposed areas or lining rock gardens and slopes. In order to care for your undemanding thyme, you should only cut it back after the flowering period. This way it can grow back in full strength. When choosing a location, be careful not to choose soil that is too wet.
Evergreen and undemanding ground cover: creeping sackflower
The pretty bright blue creeping sackflower (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus repens) adds a symphony of blue to any garden. This small shrub grows up to 2 meters high and up to 2 meters wide. The flowers of the evergreen shrub have a bright blue color and decorate your garden from March to August. The leaves are rounded and appear a calming medium green.
As a location, you should choose a sunny to semi-shady place that should also be protected from the wind. An airy, sandy soil is perfect for the plant. The creeping sackflower is bee-friendly and can find its place very well in a rock garden, on a slope or in an embankment. There it is also protected from backwater and is protected from the cold in winter and can therefore withstand temperatures of up to minus 15 degrees Celsius. Water the plant rarely, but regularly.
Special case of shadow bells
The shadow bell (Piris japonica), also known as Japanese lavender heather or Mountin Fire in English, is not a fast-growing ground cover, but we would still like to introduce it. Because it is beautiful, gives your garden an exotic touch and is easy to care for. The ornamental bush plant is a slow-growing species that can reach a height of up to 2 meters. However, it normally grows to 1 m to 1.5 m tall. Each leaf begins its growth in a bright red color and transforms to green over time.
The plant blooms in white bell-shaped flowers from April to May. The Far Eastern Beauty is an evergreen and winter-hardy partial shade plant that prefers moist soil. When it comes to care, this plant needs help before winter. To do this, you should spread mulch loosely on the ground above the roots so that they don't freeze too much. Piris japonica is very resilient and can survive long dry periods.
We hope to have inspired you with our small selection on the subject of “undemanding ground cover” and wish you much joy in your garden.
