| Author |
Message |
    
Larae
My Weather
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 12:51 pm EST : |   
 |
Hi all,
I've been trying to decide what to plant on the west side of the house, which is an area that is very shady and the grass just doesn't seem to want to grow. The more reading up I do on groundcovers, the more I'm leaning toward ajuga.
Has anyone planted it as a groundcover? Does it remain attractive after flowering? How does it take abuse...such as kids walking on it, possibly the dog getting in there?
I also love the look of glossy pachysandra...but wonder if it would be as tough as the ajuga. Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks!
Larae
- Minnesota,
Zone "4b"
|
Bunting
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 01:54 pm EST : |
|
Yes I planted ajugla
I bought the varigated kind. I sw it growing in the nursery's garden
it was so pretty. Purple's mauve and pink with a bit of white
I bought 4 plants. Within 2 weeks it turned all green. Must be my soil
But by the summers end it was growing everywhere
By the next summer, it grew into the lawns and I keep pulling it out and I can't control it
I wish I had not boughtt it
it spreads very fast. Or did for me anyway
I should add it can take a lot of abuse and it does look nice after flowering but I wish it had stayed the nice colors and not spread so fast
Bunting
- NS,
Zone "5b"
|
Larae
My Weather
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 02:25 pm EST : |
|
I wonder if using that plastic landscape edging would keep it in place. Does it spread by underground runners or by seed, I wonder?
Thanks Bunting!
Larae
- Minnesota,
Zone "4b"
|
Bunting
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 02:48 pm EST : |
|
I think the plastic may help
it spreads on top of the ground by runners and under ground but it did crawl right up over rocks and down the other side and kept right on going
So maybe it would grow up and over the plastic edging to but you may be able to cut it off. A better chance of keeping it in check
Bunting
- NS,
Zone "5b"
|
Growit
 Supporting Member
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
My Time
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 03:14 pm EST : |
|
I have had to deal with both and of the two I would say Ajuga is the better as far as year round good looks goes but does it have to be either or? Both are incredibly difficult to control. Pachysandra spreads by underground spaghetti roots. Once you've got it there would be no getting rid of it without poisons. At least Ajuga can be beaten with persistence.
What kind of shade is it that you are trying to plant in? Dry, moist? I may be able to suggest something that will tolerate traffic but will still be controllable.
Growit
- Hants UK,
Zone "8/9"
|
Maggiepie
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 04:01 pm EST : |
|
Eeek Moira, I have two Pachysandra plants I put in last Summer, I have noticed it seems to be popping up quite a distance away from the mother plant and have been concerned.
Do you think it would be as difficult to control in my zone? From observation I am thinking yes and if so the time to get rid of it would be now?
I planted it under some blue spruce trees just to keep the soil in place as it is sloped on one side, plus it is very shaded on that side.
I have Ajuga in a different garden, it was there when we bought the house, it is a brilliant blue and very pretty but it spreads like a virus.
Maggiepie
- New Brunswick,
Zone "4b"
|
Bunting
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 04:37 pm EST : |
|
larase
I have pachysandra too and I would plant it way over ajugla
it isn't quite as active and spreading and and nice flower too
Bunting
- NS,
Zone "5b"
|
Bunting
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 04:43 pm EST : |
|
I thought the ajugla was crowding out the pachysandra
it didn't multiply near as much for me
I was going to have a plant sale
Do people buy these ground covers very much?
Can any one give me an idea how much to charge? They are a good size plant about 5 inches in diameter
Bunting
- NS,
Zone "5b"
|
Larae
My Weather
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 04:54 pm EST : |
|
Growit,
It's dry shade, but not like super dry, the soil does retain a little moisture most of the time. I just need something to fill in a pretty good area where the grass isn't growing but it will get walked on since it's up near the house and the kids & dog won't be convinced to stay off of it.
Once the trees leaf out, it's pretty much shade until late afternoon/early evening.
And we have very cold winters, so whatever it is, it has to be very hardy.
Thanks everyone for all your help!
Larae
- Minnesota,
Zone "4b"
|
Growit
Supporting Member
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
My Time
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 05:34 pm EST : |
|
Pachysandra loves moist, shaded areas but will grow in dry as well. It will struggle in dry hot, sun. It becomes a problem when you want to grow something else in the shady area apart from trees or woody shrubs. If that is not the case then it will be fine. The root system is the same as Aegopodium podagraria (ground elder). If you try to dig it up bits snap off and grow and unlike Aegopodium the roots go quite deep which makes it even more difficult to get rid of.
It is a lovely plant in the right place which is woodland floor not a confined border. Under your trees sounds fine Maggie or is it creeping into an area with other perennials?
Growit
- Hants UK,
Zone "8/9"
|
Growit
Supporting Member
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
My Time
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 05:43 pm EST : |
|
Why not try Lamium? 'White Nancy' is the prettiest under trees. It is a tough groundcover plant but not deep rooted and easy to pull. It grows better with some moisture so should do ok.
http://www.em.ca/garden/per_lamium_maculatum_white_nancy.html
Growit
- Hants UK,
Zone "8/9"
|
Hankeat
| | Posted on Thursday, May 15, 2008 - 02:15 am EST : |
|
Lamium maculatum 'White Nancy' is a good idea. From my experience I don't recommend anybody to grow Ajuga. Last year I planted Ajuga reptans 'Braunherz' together with Brunnera macrophylla - Jack Frost in a shady corner on my terrace. I didn't mind that it's invasive, but I noticed that it's infected with powdery mildew. I thought it'd disappeared after the winter, so I didn't do anything. But it's worse this year, almost all the leaves were infected. I was so upset. Yesterday I removed all of them and planted there Mint 'Pineapple'. I'll see how it grows, if it doesn't do well, I'll replace it with Lamium maculatum 'White Nancy'.
What about Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea'? It needs a little bit sun to keep the yellow colour of leaves. In full shade it'll be green.
The memory of the good time.
Hankeat
- Berlin,
Zone "7a"
|
Larae
My Weather
| | Posted on Thursday, May 15, 2008 - 11:54 am EST : |
|
I'll look into the Lamium. Can it handle being walked on some? I worry about that, because I know I can't deter the little ones.
Thanks again, I do appreciate all your help!
Larae
- Minnesota,
Zone "4b"
|
Kasia
| | Posted on Thursday, May 15, 2008 - 01:17 pm EST : |
|
Have you considered white clover? Almost everything I read about alternative groundcovers mentions it as one of the choices.
I've just about given up on grass, between hot summers and grubs we seem to have bare dried up patches each year. I'm now encouraging clover (which I used to pull out every year along with other weeds) to take over.
Kasia
- Ontario,
Zone "5b"
|
Bunting
| | Posted on Thursday, May 15, 2008 - 01:35 pm EST : |
|
What about wooly Thyme
I have it. So nice to walk on and the fragrance , oh my so nice
it loves to be walked on and when you do that's when the aroma is released.
It has a very tiny pink/mauve flower in the Spring
The plants bounce back when walked on
Your dog could not hurt this one
I forgot about it when I answered you first
Bunting
- NS,
Zone "5b"
|
Growit
Supporting Member
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
My Time
| | Posted on Thursday, May 15, 2008 - 03:44 pm EST : |
|
Lovely picture Hankeat. Brunnera J.F. is such a lovely plant for a shady area.
I have seen the mildew problem before. When the weather is overly hot and dry here for any length of time ajuga always gets it.
Lysimachia is not something I would use either. It is a waterside plant really and likes consistently moist soil. Under trees in the summer it could end up looking quite straggly and has a habit of wandering off to more favourable areas to grow. It is also difficult to eradicate once it has a foothold.
It can handle being walked on quite a bit. It is a variety of dead nettle which is a weed in UK. They have made it look a lot prettier than the weedy one but it is still tough as old boots. The smell it gives off when trodden on always reminds me of my childhood playing in the woods. There are other forms but the W.N. is one of the lowest growing so is the best form for an area where it will be trodden on.
Growit
- Hants UK,
Zone "8/9"
|
Maggiepie
| | Posted on Friday, May 16, 2008 - 02:45 am EST : |
|
Moira, the pachysandra only has about 3 feet to meet up with other perennials.
I have to admit it was an impulse buy and I knew nothing about it. I think I will move it to where it can spread to its heart's content.
Thanks for the input.
Maggiepie
- New Brunswick,
Zone "4b"
|
Mike_in_chicago
Supporting Member
My Garden
| | Posted on Friday, May 16, 2008 - 05:49 am EST : |
|
The invasive qualities of ajuga will be minimized by the zone you're in, even colder than mine. I have bunches of it in different areas around the garden and actually have difficulty getting it to fill in large spaces as it takes so long to recover in the spring. Pachysandra is much hardier and recovers quickly in the spring.
Between the two, ajuga wins in that there are a variety of cultivars (some mentioned that are variegated, purple, large-leaved, etc.) and that they bloom deep blue/purple flowers in the mid-spring. Pachysandra has few cultivars, not widely available, and the cream flowers are small with less impact.
I will say that these two will take dog action better than Lamium maculatum and its cultivars. These are beautiful, but have soft, tender stems easily torn by dogs.
Wooly thyme will not grow well in shade; it wants full sun all day.
Another idea would be to mix groundcovers, stepping stones (not that the dogs will use them, but for you) and clumps of other shade-tolerant plants: brunneras, hostas, ferns, etc. Look at the epimedium thread in this forum a little while ago and you'll see some pictures of a shade garden in Korea with a nice mix.
Mike_in_chicago
- Chicago, IL,
Zone "5b"
|
Growit
Supporting Member
My Favorite Photo
My Weather
My Time
| | Posted on Friday, May 16, 2008 - 12:15 pm EST : |
|
That is why I suggested White Nancy Mike. It is a low grower unlike some of the other cultivars and takes to being walked on much better because of this. I have it sprawling across a path in one of the gardens I do and that takes dog traffic, 3 chickens, kids, friends of kids and the occasional wheelbarrow over it. I don't think it matters if a few flowerheads are snapped as it is the foliage that is so pretty and that just springs back after being trodden on. It seems to glow when planted under trees.
Growit
- Hants UK,
Zone "8/9"
|
Mike_in_chicago
Supporting Member
My Garden
| | Posted on Friday, May 16, 2008 - 03:58 pm EST : |
|
I didn't realize it was so tough. I have Pink and Purple Pewter (2 different ones!) that seem so delicate. But I agree about their look. I have them in a cliched scene beneath a birch that we see when we come from the garage to the house at night - "glowing" is a good term.
If you think that one glows, you must adore the pulmonarias like Majeste, Silver Shimmers, et al. Those really do glow around twilight!
Mike_in_chicago
- Chicago, IL,
Zone "5b"
|
Jgwoodard
My Garden
| | Posted on Sunday, May 18, 2008 - 08:41 am EST : | |
| |
