WORTH REPEATING 



Redefining Groundcover 



Leslie van Berkum 



From New Hampshire Landscape Asso- 

 ciation Newsletter, December, 1994. 



The good old-fashioned criteria 

 for a groundcover included: 

 low maintenance, neat and uniform, 

 short and preferably taking some 

 foot traffic. The ideal groundcover? 

 Why asphalt, of course, followed 

 closely by lawn and mulches. Many 

 used one of the "big four": pachys- 

 andra, vinca, ivy or ajuga, espe- 

 cially on hard-to-mow slopes or un- 

 der trees. Most plantings were 

 large in scale and often boring. I'd 

 like to point out some of the 

 trends and changing ideas of what 

 constitutes a groundcover, as well 

 as mention a few of our favorite 

 ones. Most of these are underutilized, 

 but growing quickly in popularity. 

 I Many people are disillusioned 

 with lawns, finding them high main- 

 tenance and not necessary in such 

 large expanses. Lawns are shrinking 

 and gardens are expanding. 



2. Groundcovers do not need to be 

 only up to eight inches tall. Many 

 taller herbaceous plants such as 

 Hemerocallis, Lysimachia, Gerani- 

 ums and even small shrubs do a 

 great job and lend well to a transi- 

 tion (with shorter groundcovers) to 

 lawn or walkway. 



3. Complete uniformity is not re- 

 quired in a groundcover. One of the 

 loveliest groundcovers is a well-bal- 

 anced meadow. Or a diverse plant- 

 ing of Hosta. As long as the plants 

 are similar in texture and height, 

 variation can be very interesting. 



4. Texture is a popular design con- 

 cept now. Gardeners are looking 

 for interesting combinations of two 

 or three leaf forms to make a tap- 

 estry of groundcover in their often 



smaller house lots. Uniformity and 

 tying together with groundcover 

 does not have to mean one species. 



5. Many people have been asking 

 lately for a showy bloom and long 

 blooming season when they select 

 a groundcover. Hybridizers are 

 coming up with different leaf tex- 

 tures, colors, and improved flowers 

 for the "big four" and for many other 

 less-used groundcovers as well. 



6. Native plants (and improved 

 forms of natives) are being used 

 much more. People are realizing 

 that many of the lowest mainte- 

 nance plantings use indigenous 

 ground-covers where they are natu- 

 rally apt to grow (e.g. Phlox divaricata 

 in a woodland setting). 



7. With natural gardening so popu- 

 lar now, comes the realization that 

 a groundcover is a living mulch, 

 keeping the ground cool and moist, 

 slowly enriching the soil as dead 

 leaves decompose, keeping weeds 

 down, hiding decaying bulb leaves 

 and controlling erosion. Although 

 groundcovers have accomplished 

 these things for centuries, and the 

 "big four" are some of the best, I'd 

 like to look at a few less-used but 

 wonderful groundcovers, hardy to 

 this region of New Hampshire. 



Arctostapfiylos uva uris 



'Massachusetts' 



(Bearberry) 



6-10" evergreen and drought toler- 

 ant with small glossy leaves. Likes 

 hot dry sandy sites. Red berries in 

 fall. 



Astilbe cfiinensis 'Pumila' 

 Many of the low astilbes will spread 

 stoloniferously. Astilbe c. 'Pumila' 

 has fine foliage and showy 12" 

 raspberry flower spikes. 



Asarum 

 (Ginger) 



Both Asarum europeaum and Asarum 

 canadensis (our native ginger) have 

 heart-shaped leaves and look nice 

 in a woodland setting. Slower grow- 

 ing, but very choice. 

 Campanula poscharskyana or 

 C. portenscftlagiana 

 (Bellflower) 



Both great choices for rock walls in 

 sun or shade. Low (4-8") and long 

 blooming in summer. These will 

 take a dry sandy spot and have 

 wonderful blue bell flowers. 

 Chrysoganum virginianum 

 (Green & Gold) 



For sun or part shade. Nice dark 

 foliage and bright yellow flowers all 

 summer. 6-9" tall and needs good 

 drainage. Great groundcover. 

 Epimedium 

 (Barrenwort) 



One of the few groundcovers for dry 

 shade, with graceful "quaking" leaves 

 on wiry stem. Delicate spurred flow- 

 ers in early spring. 8-12" and some 

 have nice fall color Very lovely! 

 Geranium 

 (Cranesblll) 



The hardy geraniums are becoming 

 very popular with their handsome 

 deeply-cut leaves and simple but 

 striking blooms. The best ground- 

 covers include Geranium sanguineum 

 'New Hampshire', Geranium sanguineum 

 var striatum, and for large areas, Gcra- 

 nium macrorrhizum. Virtually pest free 

 and easy care groundcovers. 

 Pachysandra procumbens 

 (Allegheny Pachysandra) 

 Our native pachysandra, with hand- 

 some larger foliage, emerging light 

 green and darkening to forest green. 

 Much underutilized. Deciduous. 

 continued on page 26 



