I want a groundcover that is short and has flowers.

I'm getting frustrated. I see them, but I don't know what to look for--names of them. I live in Santa Monica, CA (10), and I don't know how to find one; various kinds that take over like grass or moss, short, durable, tiny flowers----usually white or blue, but I don't care.

I also want some Pampas and some Liriope, but it seems that no one on the web can sell it to CA. Can some sites do that?

Finally, I bought nasturtiums, and they fell over, so all that one sees on the ground are stems. It's so weird; they grew wonderfully, and were so beautiful, till they were about 10 inches, then they fell over in clumps, and just lie there, with their flowers still blooming..... Any thoughts?

This message was edited Aug 18, 2008 8:55 AM

This message was edited Aug 18, 2008 9:04 AM

There are some nurseries that don't ship anything at all to California because they don't want to bother with all the phyto certificates they would need. I've also run across one place that will ship most plants here but won't ship grasses. But there are definitely other places that will ship grasses here. However, pampas grass is highly invasive so I definitely wouldn't recommend purchasing it. There's a cultivar called 'Pumila' that is a little smaller than the species and supposedly sterile, although I don't know if that's 100% certain. High Country Gardens offers it and they will ship to CA, but I'm not sure that it's sterility is very well proven, so if you live anywhere near open space I'd probably opt for something else. Liriope is not listed as invasive here, so if the nursery you're looking at won't ship here it has to do with them not wanting to get phyto certificates so I'm sure you can find another place that would send it here.

For the area where you want a groundcover, is it sun or shade? I have blue star creeper (the current Latin name is Pratia pedunculata, but you'll still see it sold sometimes as Laurentia fluviatilis or Isotoma fluviatilis). http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1892/ Plant Files lists that it can take anywhere from light shade to full sun, but in my experience afternoon sun doesn't make them happy (at least here, your summers may be a little cooler than mine). Mazus reptans is another one that I've seen used http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2191/ It's also probably better in an area that gets PM shade. If it's full sun, Myoporum parvifolium comes in white and pink and does fine with full sun http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/141456/ Up here, I've seen flats of all of these for sale at Lowes and at most nurseries so you shouldn't have any trouble finding them.

And lastly on your nasturtiums--they tend to be more of a trailing plant so what they're doing is probably perfectly normal. I guess you could try staking them if you want them more upright, not sure how well that'll work though.

My Mother grows Mazus Reptans and it is so pretty. It has little tiny blue flowers and has grown so thick it chokes out all the weeds and that's a plus. Makes a very pretty groundcover with very green leaves. Hers get morning sun and evening shade and does well here in our zone 8b. We have 100+ temps here sometime and the nights can be very hot and humid. Yet the plant thrives.
Lin

Hi MeSusan, your Nasturtiums can either be grown along the ground or helped to clamber up some sort of frame, I grow them either way, but for them to climb, I use a large pot and stick a few tall canes into it with some chicken wire attached, this lets the plants twist there leaves around the wire and helps them grow upwards, you need to help them do this at first by tying them to the frame as they begin to grow, once they are about a foot tall, they normally climb without any further help, be aware that once you have them in your garden, then you will always have them as they send there seeds everywhere, if you want them to stay blooming for longer, you are best to deadhead the flowers as they fade or they will finish flowering after several weeks instead of all season, at the end of the flowering period, you can then let them set seed if you want them to.
As for your other plants on your list, if you have such difficulties getting them, try growing them from seed, this is sometimes easier than you think.
For your ground cover, the list is endless.
Poached Egg Plant ( Limnanthes Douglasii) Yelow/white
Polygonum Bistorta, (Superbum) pink
" Affine (Donald Lowndes) deeper pink
Ajuga, a foliage plant now comes dark purple, orange and yellow/green tiny flowers
Perennial Geraniums, Purple, blue, or pink.
Stachy, Lambs ears, grey foliage, pink flowers
Thyme, creeping, pink/white flowers.
Sedums,
Veronica, pink or purple flowers.
Vincas, same colours as above
Oxalis.
there are many more and I would suggest you find books or pictures from your local library/book store that will give you ideas, colour combinations and growing tips.
Good luck, hope this gives you some ideas. WeeNel.

I have looked into much of this wonderful advice.
I shall keep researching and working at it, and I thank you for all your advice.