Thanks for commenting!--Jill. I don't think of grass as being particularly thick as it has a short root system and is not particularly good about absorbing water-- sort of like a thin towel. Thanks for a great hub. Jill Spencer (author) from United States on September 02, 2017: Hi Diane! Maybe white groundcover? How fast are we talking about? Hope the phlox works for you. Liz, Sorry it's take me so long to respond. In early spring, it produces small white or pink flowers. I am excited to try all of these next spring. Jill Spencer (author) from United States on May 16, 2011: Thanks for the positive feedback, Miss Mellie. Walking on it will cause little bursts of thyme scent to accompany every step. Dragon's blood sedum may be the hardiest and most versatile of all weed-suppressing ground covers. Jill. It really, really chokes out the weeds, forming a thick mat. In an effort to reduce water use and time spent caring for lawns, some gardeners are replacing their turf with thyme. It is very steep and mostly sunny. What service each of these plants does perform, however, is that where they do grow, they grow tightly, making it less likely you'll have to weed. Looks like you're in Zone 7a. Question: Are these ground covers all okay to step on and soft enough for bare feet? Sometimes sedum and ice move on me. I killed my St. Augustine grass several years ago and last year planted frog fruit. I'm talking way too much! For a … We have a hill behind our home that is mostly composed of weeds. 08-17-2008, 07:28 PM paperhouse : Location: Albemarle, NC ... as far as planting a ground cover that wold choke out the weeds..besides We use weed eaters for the efficiency, and all you have to do it have your hive 5-6 inches off the ground and you can easily mow around them without harming them. Like creeping Jenny, dragon's blood sedum has trailing stems that root easily, so it's a snap to propagate. We are looking for ways to cut down or get rid of chemicals while getting control of this weed. Just be sure to select ground covers that have the same light, water, and soil requirements. What cars have the most expensive catalytic converters? Exploded pumpkin daylilies won't choke out all the weeds like a thick groundcover, but deer don't seem to like that particular cultivar, and they bloom more than once. Golden creeping Jenny has yellow flowers, mazus and creeping phlox have lavender flowers, phlox stolonifera's are white or pink, phlox subulata's are white, blue, red, or pink, and both creeping thyme and dragon's blood are red. I live in zone 6 (Northern Idaho). Planting thyme instead of grass for a lawn will save not only water but also time on things like mowing and edging, as Christina Frutiger has beautifully demonstrated at her Gig Harbor home. Definitely! I will cage them this fall. Although creeping Jenny can be an aggressive grower, the cultivar "Aurea" is relatively well-behaved. Great choices! To start, thoroughly weed and then apply pumice to lighten the soil of the entire area for the. Instead, try a sturdy creeping plant such as baby's tears (Soleirolia soleirolii) or creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum) in these locations. Early garden flower and Magic Carpet..B195 Creeping Thyme is a soft evergreen perennial ground cover, which forms a dense mat with clusters of tiny lavender to white flowers. I live in NC, Zone 7b. The rest is open. Generally, creeping thyme takes one year to get established, and then begins to spread in its second season. I've used Creeping Jenny before around the house, and it grows very nicely and I never have weeds around it. I have had a berm with mulch for many years, but buckthorn & weeds continuously overtake it. Not only does creeping thyme lend itself well to being a ground cover, but it holds up to damage. Any ideas on how to get the sedum to thicken up in order to choke out the weeds? No matter which variety you grow, pollinators will be drawn to its broad flower heads. Over the last couple of years it has moved itself away from the bush toward the rocky edging. I have about 150 sq. The 'home fires' variety is a fragrant cultivar with hot pink blooms. Very shady, drought can be an issue in CA. The angle is difficult for us as we are 65 years old. Most varieties of thyme are tolerant of light foot traffic. So a large Rectangle shape running north to south. I have some Elfin Thyme that I love. The less space between leaves, the slower your thyme will spread. . 10x3' is about the size of it, and is surrounded by concrete. I tried planting. Here's a link to the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone map for your state: https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/#. Dry and dusty hard packed clay soil on a dirt road (lovely!) I have an area in front of my deck that will occasionally hold water if we have a lot of rain. I currently have hostas, lillies, and a few other plants, along wih a ground.cover that has a bloom that looks like blue bells. Press Photo/T.J. Hardy ground covers can not only improve the appearance of your yard, but they can also significantly reduce the amount of time you spend weeding. Thyme will … Good information! here's the link: http://extension.missouri.edu/main/aae.aspx. I will appreciate feedback on possible options. All the best, Jill. Also, my main concern, is will the ground covering choke out the bulbs from coming up year after year? Even so, you'll probably find that one of the ground covers you plant becomes dominate. It's good in Zones 6-9. I have a pollinator garden in Florida. It might not be a tall plant, but it would spread out with vine-like threads, hence the name, creeping. Creeping Thyme (Thymus Serpyllum Magic Carpet) - If you have a stepping stone path or a flagstone patio, growing Magic Carpet seeds is a great way to add lovely, low-growing thyme to the walkway and patio crevices. The phlox is a live but not spreading at all. I have no practical experience with it, but it's supposed to be hardier than the other varieties and stay somewhat green even in subzero temps. Use it to ring a pond, trail along a wall, or edge a walkway. https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/. Jill Spencer (author) from United States on June 06, 2020: Sorry it's taken me so long to respond. Phlox stolonifera is a wonderful weed suppressor for shady spots. Or plant it by walls, along borders, and in other areas that are difficult to weed. Good luck! Although it grows in partial shade, for best color, grow it in full sun. Angels are on the way this evening. Jill Spencer (author) from United States on January 11, 2018: Red creeping thyme will grow out of the bed, but . Question: Will any of these ground covers compete/choke a ninety-year-old red oak tree? Without seeing the area, I'm not sure what to say except perhaps two things. :). I was thinking Vinca or a hardy Phlox as we need fast growing. Thanks, Eiddwen. We live very rural and the slope leads into a grassy gulley on the north and woodland on the east. Some ground covers grow dense enough that they block out weeds. Potentially a gardens because I may have a spare later. Full/Partial sun. Also, given the enormity of my thistles would I need to dig them up prior to planting a ground cover? 17, 2018: Hi Diane hardy phlox as we need fast.! Temperatures drop will keep out the weeds, keeping your flowerbeds, 2020: Sorry it 's rather sweet see! Also be a definite bonus well when planted with grass those natural.... Aurea '' is relatively well-behaved need a lot of mullein and lambs ear i. 'M looking for plant to go on a slope interest tree Drive NW home with ground cover red. 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