Ground Covers That Survive Harsh Weather

Ajuga

The Ajuga Reptans is an evergreen, low-growing ground cover with shoots of purple blooms erecting from the center of the plant. Its adaptability makes it a showstopper in shade and partial sun gardens alike. It goes by many other names, such as bugle weed or carpet bugle. Ajuga, also called bugleweed, carpet bugle, or bugle Plant Ajuga is a low-growing ground cover perennial is a popular flowering plant that forms a dense carpet around tree trunks and shrubs. Bugleweed features beautiful deep green leaves with blue-toned (sometimes purple or white) flowers, perfect for enhancing your garden’s visual impact.  Regarding growing conditions, Ajuga prefers to grow in cold, damp soil in a partially shaded area. One of the most exciting features of this plant is that it can thrive in a range of growing conditions, making it suitable for growing almost everywhere. On the other hand, these plants will not grow in dry, wet, or spoiled soil.  Since they grow in shaded areas, ajuga will burn sunny gardens. Ajuga can be planted in containers, beds, or borders when grown in ideal conditions. While quite a few types of ajuga are available to grace your gardens, Ajuga Reptans is probably the most popular option, loved by both new and experienced gardeners due to its distinctive features and numerous benefits.  Features of Ajuga Reptans This plant is one of the most popular flowering plants for several reasons, including Minimal maintenance. Once established, the Ajuga plant is relatively low-maintenance and does not require trimming. However, you must regularly water the plant in spring, summer, and fall until it is established. Ajuga is a Pollinator-Friendly Perennial Groundcover Plant: The small clusters of beautiful blue flowers attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators by creating a natural habitat and providing them with food and shelter.  Edible Weeds: Another exciting fact about bugleweed is that it is edible and can be added to salads and other dishes.  At TN Nursery, you can buy these plants for sale and transform your unsightly garden areas into attractive carpets of flowers. Plant these in cooler, partially shaded areas, and they will grow ideally.

Vinca Minor

The Vinca Minor has lush and evergreen foliage and delicate blue or white flowers, making it a popular choice for various outdoor spaces. While its benefits extend beyond its use in herbalism, let's explore its landscaping advantages. Vinca Minor, also called creeping myrtle, lesser periwinkle, or just myrtle, is a perennial beauty that instills a fetching charm in gardens, landscapes, and even potted plants. Vinca Minor Has Deep Emerald Green Foliage The leaves are a deep shade of rich emerald green, and most have a glossy, polished, or shiny appearance. They are typically oval-shaped with smooth edges, a thick texture, and prominent veins. Some species are varied. The plants can be erect or trailing. Leaves occur in pairs along the height of the stem, making the plant look lush and thick. The plant is graced with trailing stems and adorned with clusters of small blooms in white or in a pale, pastel purple-blue color that many people associate with serenity. This plant is active year-round. Delicate little flowers appear early in spring and continue to bloom throughout spring and summer. Against a strikingly verdant backdrop provided by the rich green leaves, the clusters of blossoms are displayed to the best advantage. Creeping myrtles may look delicate. Nevertheless, they are hardy plants that tolerate harsh conditions gracefully. As perennial evergreen plants, they remain bright green throughout the winter. The Ground Cover Characteristics Of Vinca Minor This plant reaches only six inches when upright. However, the roots continue to grow underground every year, eventually becoming quite long. Although this plant has a medium growth rate, the roots can form a trailing mat, prostrate mat, or mounding mat. The stems like to get tangled up with each other, and as they do, they produce a thick mat of greenery that thrives all year. Vinca Minor Looks Great In Hanging Baskets Vinca Minor works well as trailers in large hanging baskets and tall pots. They provide superior coverage for hilly areas and can even be used in landscaping designs where you want subtle pops of color added to your existing ground-cover greenery. They have other uses as well. They have long been used in folk medicine to treat heart, nervous system, and GI tract conditions. The herb is thought to improve cognition and brain health.

English Ivy

English Ivy is a low-growing ground cover plant; it has glossy, heart-shaped leaves and produces small, inconspicuous brownish-purple flowers nestled among its dense, carpet-like foliage. It is a fantastic and versatile plant with several landscaping benefits. This evergreen vine is native to Europe and Western Asia and is widely embraced for its aesthetic appeal, adaptability, and practical applications. English Ivy is a woody evergreen perennial vine and foliage plant proliferating on vertical surfaces like trees, walls, fences, and trellises. The ancient Greeks believed the plant was sacred to the god Dionysus, and pagan druids revered it as a symbol of the divine feminine. In classical Latin, “hedera” refers to the ability to grasp, which is in keeping with the vine’s nature. English Ivy Loves Shade Native to Europe, Scandinavia, and parts of Russia, the Hedera helix is nearly ubiquitous in Britain and is naturalized and prolific in many regions of the United States. In the wild, the plant grows under, on trees, and up the sides of rocky cliffs, favoring moist, shady areas out of the sun. Mature Hedera helix vines typically grow up to 80 feet tall and span a three- to five-foot width. Their climbing stems bear young, five-lobed leaves, while their fertile stems bear adult, spade-shaped leaves. These deep-green leaves can vary in size between two and four inches long. The top of the plant will often develop clusters of small, greenish-yellow flowers that bloom from late summer until late autumn. These nectar-rich blossoms will eventually yield a crop of small purple-black to orange-yellow berries that persist into winter. English Ivy Kills Weeds Its bright green foliage can add all-season color to any landscape and beautify forlorn spaces. Its vines can be trained to climb many stable vertical surfaces or grown as a ground cover to suppress weeds. Since Hedera helix proliferates, it can make a good screen on a fence or trellis. When carefully grown on exterior building walls, it can protect their surfaces from exposure to bad weather and help regulate the temperature. Within the United States, Hedera helix can provide food and habitat for wildlife. Butterflies and moths eat their leaves, bees feed on their flowers’ nectar, and birds eat their berries in winter. The foliage often shelters insects and small animals and sometimes attracts nearby deer. English Ivy Is An Evergreen Hedera helix is a beautiful evergreen vine with a rich history. When you plant it in your garden, you can enjoy its charming English ivy character all year.

Periwinkle Plant

Periwinkle is a perennial vine and a low-growing, evergreen ground cover plant with glossy green leaves and small, violet-blue flowers. It is often used to fill in garden spaces and control erosion. Incorporating it into landscaping offers many benefits that add beauty and functionality to outdoor spaces. This versatile ground cover brings lushness, adaptability, erosion control, low-maintenance care, and soft elegance to garden settings. Periwinkle - Vinca minor is famous for its blue flowers, and this flower is an excellent groundcover. Unlike some groundcovers, it proliferates without becoming invasive. Because of this, many home gardeners and landscape designers like to add this cheery flower to their landscape. Periwinkle Plant Has Many Names It initially originated in central and southern Europe. Classified as a part of the dogbane family, this flower quickly spread to the Baltic States, the Netherlands, and the Caucasus. Today, it is grown around the world as a groundcover. Sometimes, people may refer to this groundcover by other common names, like creeping myrtle or myrtle. Periwinkle Plant Helps With Soil Erosion  Periwinkle Plant is truly a gardener’s delight. Its strong roots help to control soil erosion, and its trailing vines are full of glossy leaves. Because deer don’t usually like it, you don’t have to worry about it disappearing. Plus, it can handle some foot traffic, so it doesn’t get trampled easily. Because it is considered an evergreen, it will keep its glossy, green leaves in the winter. After you plant it, the vines will gradually spread over neighboring areas. While it mainly grows along the ground, this vine can sometimes get up to 16 inches tall. Unlike other vines, it never climbs or twines around trees or walls. Instead, you can enjoy having it as a permanent ground cover in your garden. The Periwinkle Plant Flowers Are Sure to Impress The most notable part of this vine is its flowers. They are typically created between early spring and the middle of summer. Sometimes, you will still notice a few flowers in autumn. All of the flowers have a violet-purple shade and a five-lobed corolla. On some species, you can even find white and pale purple flowers. With Periwinkle Plant, you will have an evergreen mat in your garden beds throughout the year. The flowers remain for many of spring and summer so that you can appreciate bright blue pops. Thanks to its rapid growth, you don’t have to wait long to see this lovely vine fill empty areas in your yard.