Glue that holds it all together
Ground covers unassumingly marry together all the elements of the surrounding trees, shrubs and plants
Trees form the mainstay of the garden; they give a place to shelter, catch the wind to weaken its force, provide focal points, announce areas denoted to a certain activity and serve as bold forms that influence the route the planting scheme takes. Some have such huge leaf canopies that they form a part “ceiling” too.
The work of shrubs is to provide a framework of different shapes, textures, colours and densities.
Fast-growing shrubs are used to screen off unwanted views while taller ones may join the work of trees to form the backbone structure.
Mid-sized perennials front the shrubs, offering seasonal interest, but what of ground covers?
They are the “glue of the garden”, unassumingly marrying together all the elements they surround. The best example of the work they do is as a lawn.
This leads us to believe a ground cover has a purely functional role — serving as a living sunblock for the soil, suppressing weeds, keeping the soil cool and moist, hiding the bare brown soil, disguising banal trunks and the lower parts of plants.
Take, for example, a rose garden. In formal schemes, some grow low hedges around the rose bed, so the focus on their splendour may be lifted to admire the blooms rather than the bare soil surrounding it.
However, a low-growing ground cover can suffice and complement the planting equally well. That is, provided that the plant’s roots are shallow and the plant is not invasive.
Mostly we miss the aesthetics of ground covers. Especially charming are those which produce tiny pretty flowers.
Some are perennials while others are annuals, which may be grown at the base of the plantings.
Here are some of my favourites:
Violas
Dainty violas have scented flowers which have all the “facial” attributes of a pansy. They make a charming ground cover between the shrubs in the rose garden, grown as a border at the front of a bed or in a planter surrounding larger plants.
Their habit of “draping” makes them ideal plants for growing in a hanging basket at the edge of the planting.
Violas grow in full sun or shade and are available in yellow, mauve or sapphire blue with markings similar to those of a pansy.
The flowers of violas also last longer than those of pansies. They also don’t get as affected by bad weather as pansies do and are more cold and heat tolerant.
If you grow them in full sun, make sure you notice when they appear thirsty and water them. When they become “leggy”, cut them back to around 7cm to 10cm. They will grow back year after year.
Alyssum
Alyssum offers flowers in pink, blue and white. Their scent is like honey. Hence their Afrikaans name, Heungingblom. Bees love them.
They don’t mind most soils just so long as it is free-draining. Grow them from seedling punnets or you will find they grow easily from scattered seed.
They do best in full sun but do flower in light shade too.
Alyssum attracts beneficial insects which attack pests such as aphids. The plants reseed themselves. When the flowers are spent, they release their seeds back into the ground.
To ensure this, do not trim them when they die back. Alyssum is a helpful companion to roses and fruit trees, which tend to be aphid prone.
Erigeron
Erigeron will “remain in your garden forever”. It bears tiny white daisy-shaped flowers which are tinged with pink.
Erigeron will grow in the shallowest of soil such as in crevices, cracks in dry walls and between pavers. I have seen it used between paving stones and prettily tumbling down stairs. It will grow back year after year.
The plant prefers the sun and moist welldrained soil but is not fussed if these conditions are less available. Very little care is needed and they tolerate our pervading drought well.
It is not necessary to deadhead the flowers but if the plants are looking straggly, cut them back. Erigeron attracts bees, butterflies and dragonflies.
Lobelia
Lobelia plants are self-cleaning which means they don’t need their flowers nipped off when they have died.
They bear masses of tiny blooms which are the truest of sapphire blue. They are also available in white, pink, violet, pale blue and bi-colours.
It is an easy to grow plant that does best in rich, well-draining, fairly moist soil in the sun or a site that enjoys direct sun for at least four to six hours a day. They need to be watered about twice a week.
Butterflies and humming birds are attracted to them. I grow them with violas as the flower colours complement each other.
Impatiens or Busy Lizzie
Impatiens or Busy Lizzie can be depended on to bring bright colour to the shady areas of your garden. These enjoy moist, welldrained soils in areas that receive two to four hours of filtered sun a day.
They will grow in deep shade but tend to become leggy and bloom less there. To encourage continued flowering, nip off the stem tops after blooming.
An idea to bring colour in the deep shade is to place a pot of impatiens in the shady area.
Begonias
Begonias are also plants that give easy colour to shady areas of the garden. As with impatiens you can “pot up” a planter of them to place in the area.
I have used a bonsai pot for this purpose as its shallow depth gives the impression that the plants are growing in the garden. They thrive because there is no competition for their needs.
Begonia semperflorens are available in colours ranging from red, deep rose, coral, pink and white. They are either bronze-leafed or green-leafed.
Grow them in semi-shaded areas in compost enriched soil. Water them regularly.
Verbena
Verbena are sun lovers that are free flowering, with blooms in shades of red, scarlet, deep blue, pink and red, some with white centres. They grow in most types of soil.
Space seedlings 30cm apart and pinch back the growth tips of young plants to encourage bushiness. As with many ground covers, they have a trailing habit and are suited to growing in hanging baskets.
Bouncing Betty
Bouncing Betty: it is flowering time for the plant which is also commonly known as Lady by the Garden Gate, Wild Sweet William or Soapwort. A member of the carnation family, pink flowers form in a cluster at the top of the stem.
It tolerates poor rocky or sandy soils in a sunny position. The plant does not respond well to being grown in rich soils as in this environment it tends to flop.
It has been used for centuries to make soap-like lather when its leaves are crushed in water. Bouncing Betty is a very fast-growing plant which self-seeds.
• In the Garden is written by feature writer, garden enthusiast and former teacher Julia Smith, who has returned home to live in Chintsa East. The column looks to inform both novice and accomplished gardeners on how to make the most of their green patches.