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How low can you go? When you hear the word “groundcover,” what comes to mind? After “Ho-hum,” probably a few too-familiar genera, right?It doesn’t need to be that way. There are strikingly different, even fascinating, perennials that blanket the ground without putting you to sleep. And low-growing does NOT have to mean low margin.Here’s the lowdown on a low-growing species we think highly of. Lamium maculatumSeldom rising above 8”, this pretty genus sports deceptively delicate looking folia

When you hear the word “groundcover,” what comes to mind? After “Ho-hum,” probably a few too-familiar genera, right?It doesn’t have to be that way. There are strikingly different, even fascinating, perennials that serve multiple groundcover functions – erosion control, border edging, container “spiller” -- without putting you to sleep. Low-growing doesn’t have to mean low margin.Here’s the lowdown on some short stuff we think highly of.  Sedum teractinum ‘Coral Reef’This is one of the mos

We’re not talking about edged implements here. We mean plants that, like the famous multi-function pocket knives, can be deployed in a multitude of situations. Gardeners sometimes need a plant that will thrive wherever it’s put. Or one that fills in like a groundcover, while also preventing erosion on a steep slope.And then there are plants that are content to spend their lives as pretty things in containers, but even happier when inserted into the garden as perennials.We’ve got ‘em. And they’r

This is the go-to native for attractive, low-maintenance cover in low-light situations. “Pennsylvania sedge” has rich green foliage. Slender, hair-like blades take on a graceful flowing appearance for a great lawn substitute in dry shade.It’s a spreader, but isn’t that part of the definition of an effective groundcover? Once established, it requires almost no attention. If it needs neatening up, it can be mowed lightly, at a high setting, once or twice per season. Unlike many sedges, it d