Groundcovers

Evolvolus pilosus, blue daze, does like a sunny, dry spot. I have planted out large areas also partly in the shade, grows well, flowers practically all year round. From time to time they need a haircut.



Cuphea rosea lavender lace is an excellent groundcover.



White Cuphea as groundcover and a self sown daylili peeks out.

Groundcovers include low-growing plants (perennials, shrubs) and mat-forming or trailing plants (vines, shrubs). Most ground covers are not intended to be walked upon and may be severely damaged by pedestrian traffic.
In nature, there is no such thing as a vacancy, and to keep ground clear of plants takes effort. Therefore, the most effective way to control weeds is to use other plants.
Groundcover is a plant used for the purpose of growing over an area of ground to hide it or to protect it from erosion or drought. In an ecosystem, the ground cover is the layer of vegetation below the shrub layer.
Strictly speaking, the most widespread groundcover are grasses of various types. In gardening terms, however, the term groundcover refers to non-grass plants that are used in place of grasses.

I use a lot of Bromeliads as ground covers. I have a fairly shaded garden so they do very well as long as they get enough sunlight to get the good colours.

From my trees, I have many, I collect all the shed leaves, twice a year. Australian native trees shed leaves in spring and exotic tree shed theirs in autumn. I use all the dry leaves in my garden also to suppress weeds from growing. I am not so much plagued with weeds any more. Now I have only a couple of areas where I have to be vigilant, the sunny areas are much more prone to weeds.

Bromeliad Aechmea Orlandiana, brilliant red bracts with yellow flowers. The edges of this plant are saw like and sharp. One has to be careful when handling this one. Nevertheless it is a splendid ground cover. Also when not in flower it is an attractive plant.

Spend Camellia flowers falling to the ground can look attractive for a short time

Varigated Bromeliad, Aechmea Apocalyptica has striking flowers pink tipped sky blue. This is a very good plant to use as a groundcover. It is easily propagated from pubs growing on the side of the mother plant. The leaves are smooth it grows well but is not invasive.

Rhoeo bermudensis variegata now renamed Tradescantia spathacea variegata. This is an excellent groundcover also easily to propagate. It prefers to grow in half shade.

This Platypus was made by Lilli. It should hang on a wall but it has found a home in the herb garden leaning against a rock

The Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. It is the sole living representative of its family (Ornithorhynchidae) and genus (Ornithorhynchus), though a number of related species have been found in the fossil record.
The bizarre appearance of this egg-laying, venomous, duck-billed, beaver-tailed, otter-footed mammal baffled European naturalists when they first encountered it, with some considering it an elaborate fraud. It is one of the few venomous mammals; the male Platypus has a spur on the hind foot that delivers a venom capable of causing severe pain to humans. The unique features of the Platypus make it an important subject in the study of evolutionary biology and a recognizable and iconic symbol of Australia; it has appeared as a mascot at national events and is featured on the reverse of the Australian 20 cent coin.
Until the early 20th century it was hunted for its fur, but it is now protected throughout its range. Although captive breeding programs have had only limited success and the Platypus is vulnerable to the effects of pollution, it is not under any immediate threat.

This attractive Vriesia works also well as a groundcover. Propagates well from pups. Vriesias generally like to grow in the shade.

Mexican Sage, Salvia leucantha is strictly speaking not a ground cover. I have found if it is planted densely it does a good enough job in this regard, and it is such a beautiful, hardy plant in full sun. I propagates easily from cuttings or from root divisions.

I saw this lovely moth sticking to my "dotty" pants, in the morning when I went out to hang out the washing. I was so pleased when I saw this pretty night flyer I had to get the camera and it was obliging. I think, what you see, sees you too!

Bromeliad Neoregelia with smooth leaves. If it gets enough sun it colours well with lime green blotches. This one too I have propagated from pups many times.

Rhoeo also renamed to Tradescantia spathacea. The underside of the leaves is dark purple. A good reliable groundcover that increases reasonable well and is also easy to propagate from small plantlets that grow on the side of the mother plant.

Sansevieria trivasciata dwarf Silver Hahnii makes an attractive, hardy and quickly growing groundcover.

Neoregelia is a supberb groundcover. Deep red nests in flowering time, quick growing and increasing for covering big aereas.

Helichrysum italicum is a silver grey groundcover susceptible to wet feet! Propagates well from fresh cuttings.

Erigeron groundcover, perennial, sets seed, this plant can make good thick mats with myriads of daisy flowers. It also threads itself, if you let it, through other plants and looks always attractive and never without flowers.

Believe it or not:

Any man that walks the mead In bud, or blade, or bloom, may find a meaning suited to his mind.~Alfred Tennyson