I have one very large bed that I was already plannning on redoing, but wasn't sure what with. Now that I've been to stormy's house and have seen all the in ground brugs she has, I know what's going in there:)
But I'd love a little ground cover, something for color. What would be a good choice, low growing, and that won't hurt the roots? And that could stand all the watering and feeding the brugs will be getting. I was thinking maybe blue or purple because there are no brugs this color and it might be a good blend, but i'm open to any suggestions.
brug bed ideas
How about red clover?
tiG, will you be leaving these in the ground year round in your Zone?
yes, I only have a few in the ground this year, but next year, I will leave a lot more.
tiG,
I put Torenia in my pots at the base of the brugs and it is beautiful. Just wouldn't work if you have to walk on it. If you left some places to step, I think you would like it a lot. It is a Proven Winner plant so I usually buy a couple and take cuttings. They water root quickly and didn't seem to mind all the fertilizer or heat. A couple of times they got a little dry and looked nearly dead, but pop their little heads right back up with a good drink. So pretty in a blue/purple color. Just like little trumpets.
Shirley
Hope I spelled the name of the plant right.
oh, the wishbone flower, right?? in pots is a great idea, didn't think of that! But still will keep my options open for a perennial groundcover that wouldn't hurt the brugs. I got to thinking after I first posted this, would mulch alone be better? Would a flower underneath take away from the beauty of the brugs??
I'm putting a row of brugs in my vegetable garden, that is right behind my big flower bed, this next year. I have to agree that in a large area, extra color might detract. In pots, the annuals would be great. Guess I didn't pick up on your wanting a perennial ground cover. Sorry.....:-(
well, I didnt' say it!! LOL! This is going to be one of my front yard beds, in fact, the main bed. But then what about in early spring when there is nothing growing? So I guess I do need a plan! Maybe something just white? or maybe mossrose? hmmmm..... I do have until spring to decide, but need help!!
tiG,Sedum,I have what I think is sedum acre,covers like a carpet,if you walk on it it recovers,it flowers ,and you can dig it up to remove brugs if you like and every little piece that remains will root and come back very quickly,easy to control so it won't spread to far and grows very fast.
that's a great idea, I have a very light variegated one that would be really pretty.
christmascactus
Oct 08, 2001
Perwinkle,Candytuft,Mondo grass,or thrift-if it's a sunny location.
Bugleweed,fern,hosta-for shady area.
oh, didn't mention, this is a full sun bed. mondo grass has roots that go from here to yonder, so that might not be good, but I like the candytuft idea, love that stuff.
Glory
Oct 08, 2001
tiG,
I have Blue Daze under one of mine but I don't think it will return in your zone....don't know how it holds up to walking on.
I need spell check. LOL
This message was edited Monday, Oct 8th 2:31 PM
The siberian iris garden I visited earlier this year used Johnny-Jump-Ups as a ground cover around the iris clumps. They re-seed and fill in all the bare spots. The roots are shallow and they look great early in the spring blooming sporadicly all summer. I'd imagine in your zone they'd be evergreen.
hmmmm.....could I plant seeds this spring? we have to work on this bed all fall and winter. It's got things we're going to move and work on getting rid of the weeds.
I don't see why not. A lot of the garden centers sell them in 6-packs early in the season with the pansies. You could plant seeds and get a few 6-packs for some instant color. You might even be able to find some different colored violas that you like better. The little j-j-ps are the toughest though. You know ... with yellow & purple faces. I thought about using them around my daylilies I iris too.
Violas, correct? or are there more than one type of viola??
that would look good with the whites pinks and yellows I'm going to plant out there. Of course my specials will stay in pots!!!
Well there's alot of types of violas. J-j-ups have the wild viola blood in them. http://davesgarden.com/plants/go/253.html - Some of the fancier violas would probably do Ok too but they just might not be as tough as far as drought, sun, and re-seeding.
I'll find some, thanks:) great ideas all!!! can't wait to see what it looks like next summer.
Glory, have you tried rooting your Blue Daze? It doesn't come back here in north Alabama, but I brought in a pot of it to keep, and I'd been thinking of doing a brug bed now that some people have made me "rich" with them. (*grin*) I thought the blue would be a nice counterpoint for the brugs. I'd also thought of using the tender kind of vinca, the carmanthus or however you spell it. Voilas always burn out and stop blooming when the weather gets hot here, but that seems to just crank the vinca into higher gear.