Need a low-growing, front of border plant. . .

Hello friends,
I have a perennial border (roses, phormium, penstemon, lavender, purple coneflower) that needs a low-growing, ground-coverish front of border plant. PROBLEM: must be able to have wet feet in winter and spring due to bad drainage. It borders a curving concrete patio and has full sun. I love Mediterranean plants, but most require excellent drainage. -sigh-

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. : )

-Heather

Well, there's Polygonum capitotum - dark small variegated (green and black) leaves, pretty little round pink flowerheads. This stuff is pretty invasive if you let it get away from you, and I have seen it pop up 20 feet away from where I planted it....BUT, it will certainly do well with 'wet feet' and our dry summer conditions only seem to slow it down, not kill it off. It prefers shade but can handle a reasonable amount of sun, so if your bigger plants offer even a bit of protection during the day, you could try this and see if it works for you. It's widely available in the Bay Area nurseries.

Wire vine, carpet bugle, creeping jenny or (Lemon) licorice vine?

Thanks for the ideas! I have polygonum capitotum in my front yard - a relic I thought I had killed off, but apparently not.

How about chrysanthemum Snow Lady? It is only about 8-12 inches tall and its white flower really stands out. In addition, when I have a really wet spot and want to plant drought tolerant stuff or bulbs, I just lay down 2-3 inches of pea gravel at the root level to keep the roots from sitting in water. Works great!

Just found this thread, I've found leadwort aka cerastostigma plumbaginoides [false plubago] makes a wonderful skirt around my favorite rosebush and sports lovely deep blue flowers from about next week until fall.

Just remember Blooms gardens in blow-sand -- no standing water there, ever. I have some of her C.plumbaginoides, but not in my worst-drained spots... and it is taking its time covering the ground even in improved clay (even with layer of peagravel).

I was just looking over some of Las Pilitas's listings and SOMETHING was referenced as taking seasonal flooding (and dry the rest of the time)... sheesh, I gotta take better notes.

~'spin!~
p.s. I think P.capitotum gets pretty ratty looking in even half-day HOT sun/little summer water... but hard to kill off for sure.

I wonder if corsican mint would work for you there. It forms a flat carpet, and can take full sun as long as it is kept consistently moist--sounds like you would have no trouble doing that in the wet months, but what about the drier ones? Corsican mint is commonly used between paving or stepping stones because when it is stepped on it releases a great mint scent.

I have been very happy with dianthus as a "ground cover." http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/889/index.html Seems to do well in my clay.

Corsican mint is great and my dogs like to snack on it (or roll in it). Makes their breath 'minty fresh'. :-) It makes a very pretty carpet and loves the wet.