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Home » Video » P. Allen Smith's Garden Home | Groundcover Ideas

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  • P. Allen Smith's Garden Home

P. Allen Smith's Garden Home | Groundcover Ideas | PBS

Duration: 01:54
Program: P. Allen Smith's Garden Home

I got a letter from Jill in Georgia, and she had a very good question, so I chose this particular question to Answer. She says, "Allen, I have in my garden a lot of Easter Lilies. What happens first is that the tulips bloom, and then the Lilies come along, and then after that, it's just bare. Is there a blooming ground cover to fill in the area, where it would look good and not interfere with my tulips or lilies? Thanks for your help."

Well, Jill, there actually are some solutions, and I just brought a few into the studio here. This is phlox subulata, or sometimes called thrift. So, if you've got a really full-sun area, this would make a beautiful carpet. It's gonna bloom once.

Another one, if you love strawberries, would be to consider doing that whole bed in strawberry plants. You'll enjoy the fruit, and the foliage is beautiful in the fall. It turns a nice red color. And I use this as a ground cover in my garden a lot.

Now, some other options you might consider -- take this one, for instance -- is Vinca Minor, or periwinkle. It's a perennial evergreen ground cover that's winter hardy. It has small, blue flowers from spring through summer. It's just one of many ground covers out there that you can choose from. Winter creeper would be another one, and it turns a beautiful bronzish red in the winter.

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Post Date: November 9, 2010