A garden should be a delightful place to relax and appreciate all the hard work that you put in to keep it that way.
It should be a haven for birds, bugs and wildlife too. As you recline in your stylish rattan garden furniture, you want to see the bees flying from one flower head to another.
The plants we choose to include in the garden attract these birds and bugs and although what is a weed to one person is not to another, when you have a plant that over-runs your flower beds, it can be a nuisance.
A laborious task
Weeding is a boring, laborious task, especially because after hours of plucking and digging, you know that those pesky weeds will be back again. In fact, depending on the method used to deal with them, digging and pulling can contribute to weeds spreading!
There are various options when it comes to weed control but some solutions, common many years ago, are no longer seen as environmentally friendly. The widespread use of weed killers, for example, is no longer a viable solution.
A solution that many gardeners favour are ground cover plants.
What are ground cover plants?
These are plants that grow quickly and densely. They have minimal height so they hug the ground, forming a carpet of colour over the soil. This attractive floral carpet is perfect for preventing weeds taking hold and is a common ploy in creating low maintenance gardens.
Control weeds with clever planting
Top of the list of reasons why ground cover plants are popular is their weed suppressing capabilities. They smoother the soil in delightful foliage and pretty flowers, making it much harder for weed seeds and seedlings to get a grip on the soil. And those lucky weeds that do survive and grow are much easier to spot and remove.
The pretty delicate purple flowers of Ajuga, also known as Bugleweed, has a little bit of height so adds interest to a border, as well as being fabulous at ground cover.
Low maintenance gardens
Who doesn’t love to see a pretty garden with bright flowers dancing in the breeze?
The problem is, getting it to look this way and keep it looking fabulous can take many hours of hard work. If you have plenty of time on your hands, spending an afternoon or more every week, keeping on top of the weeds and other invasive plants isn’t too much of a problem.
But as any gardener will tell you, left for only a short length of time weeds will come back with a vengeance. As a result, we all look for low maintenance gardening ideas.
Ground cover plants fall into the category of a gardener’s friend who is short on time because all your need to do is plant them and watch them grow.
All you need to do is prune them back when they are over-spilling into areas where you want another plant to be. This, however, is far less a time-consuming, laborious task than weeding.
Stunning plants, stunning garden
It is the mix of foliage and fauna that turns a garden into a stunning one. Some of these plants, shrubs and trees will be expensive ones or even rare, but there are some common ground cover plants that can act as a perfect backdrop in any garden.
Why not take a look at these ground cover plants?
Persicaria affinis ‘Darjeeling Red’ is an all-time favourite with its bright, evergreen leaves with red edges and sturdy red or pink flower spikes. A fantastic plant for under shrubs and trees.
Geranium macrorrhizum is a mound of evergreen leaves that tinge red in autumn, with pretty pink or white lightly scented flowers over the summer.
Stachys byzantia ‘Silver Carpet’ has soft, grey, felted leaves which you may know as lambs’ ears or lambs’ lugs. The tall spikes of pink flowers are loved by bees. Great for problem areas too, as this ground cover plant love sunny, dry spots in the garden.
Epimedium perralderianum has delicate flowers and a leaf that changes colours through the seasons. Some gardens will struggle with this ground cover plant as it prefers a dry, shaded patch of soil. If your garden is exposed, this pretty plant may nor thrive as well but find it a dry, shady spot under a tree or shrub and you will be a confirmed fan of this plucky, yellow flowered plant.
Ground cover plants are a delightful addition to any garden. Which ones will you introduce to your garden?
Rattan Direct have a range of garden furniture and accessories, perfect for enjoying the dazzling display of flora and fauna in your garden.