1. LANDSCAPE DESIGN
ASSIGNMENT – 2
GROUND COVER FOR PROVIDING
VARIETY IN SURFACE TREATMENT
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GROUND COVER FOR PROVIDING VARIETY IN SURFACE TREATMENT
1. CREEPING SEDUMS 2. SPOTTED DEAD NETTLE 3. MOSS ROSE (PORTULACA)
Creeping Sedums, also known as
stonecrops.
Sedum spp. and cvs.
HARDINESS: The genus Sedum includes
more than 400 species of succulent
annuals, perennials, biennials,
sub shrubs, and shrubs native to the
Northern Hemisphere. Many sedums in
cultivation are creeping ground covers.
There is at least one species hardy to
each USDA Hardiness Zone. Most are
hardy in Zones 4 to 9.
APPEARANCE: Mats of succulent leaves
ranging from green to blue gray to
reddish bronze are topped with five
petaled flowers in yellow, white, or pink.
The leaves of evergreen species turn
shades of red and russet in winter.
PROPAGATION: Propagate by seed in
spring or fall or by division or cuttings
from spring through midsummer.
USES : Plant in rock gardens, walls,
pathway niches, and containers; as
edging for borders; or in sweeps on
hillsides.
CONDITIONS: Most creeping sedums
thrive in full sun but will tolerate partial
shade. They like poor or average well
draining garden soil; no supplemental
watering is needed once they are
established. They will not survive
standing water for any length of time.
Dead nettle (Lamium maculatum) is
notable for both its variegated foliage
and its dense clusters of flowers, which
appear in a variety of colours, including
white, pink and purple (depending on
the cultivar). This low growing plant can
be grown diversely in different climates
(USDA Zones 3 – 10), providing it cool,
moist soil and shade to part shade.
However, it must be noted that dead
nettle can be invasive and considered as
a weed by many gardeners
Spotted dead nettle grows as a
spreading mat of herbaceous stems and
leaves. The small leaves are speckled
with spots, which earns the plant its
name. It is most attractive during cooler
periods and may die back when
temperatures soar. The plant blooms in
late spring from May to June and
produces flowers in lavender, pink,
purple and white.
Spotted deadnettle ground cover grows
about 15 to 30 cm high and can spread
out 50 cm wide. The attractive foliage
has a silvery cast and shows well in deep
shadows. Spotted deadnettle is
evergreen in temperate regions and a
superior performance perennial.
This pretty little plant with needle-like
foliage and tiny colourful flowers looks
absolutely stunning. It is an annual or
perennial ( in warm tropical and
subtropical climates) ground cover that
spreads densely. The blooms come in
yellow, pink, red, white, orange and
many more colours. Moss rose is very
tolerant of poor conditions and dry soil.
Flower blooms begin to appear in early
summer. It grows 10 to 15 centimetres
tall.
4. SWEET WOODRUFF
Sweet woodruff is an excellent ground
cover if u want to add fragrance to your
garden. Grows best in part shade to full
shade and on well-drained soil, this plant
can only grow up to a height of 20 – 25
centimetres (when in bloom). It starts to
bloom prolifically from mid-spring, sweet
woodruff leaves also release fragrance
when crushed.
Name Zones
Bloom
color
Bloom
time
Height
(in.)
Annual
spread
(in.)
Foliage
color
Winter
color
1. Sedum
album
4–9 White
Early
summer
10 25 - 35 Green Red
2. Sedum
album
‘Murale’
4–9 Pink
Early
summer
10 25 - 35 Bronze Red
3. Sedum
divergens
5–9 Yellow
Mid-
summer
10 10 - 15
Green to
red in sun
Russet
4. Sedum
ewersii
4–9 Pink
Late
summer
15 10 - 15 Blue-gray
Deciduou
s
5. Sedum
kamtscha
ticum
4–9 Yellow
Late
summer
15 25 - 35
Dark
green
Red
6. Sedum
kamtscha
ticum
4–9 Yellow
Late
summer
20 20 – 25
Light
green
Deciduou
s
7. Sedum
reflexum
(S.
rupestre)
4–9 Yellow
Mid-
summer
15 15 - 20
Gray-
green
Grayish
8. Sedum
‘Rose
Carpet’
4–9 Pink
Early
summer
5 10 - 15 Blue-gray
Deciduou
s
9. Sedum
sexangula
re
4–9 Yellow
Mid-
summer
10 15 - 20 Green Russet
10.
Sedum
spurium,
‘Fuldaglut
’
4–9
Reddish
pink
Late
summer
15 25 - 35
Reddish
bronze
Red
11.
Sedum
spurium
‘John
Creech’
4–9 Pink
Early
summer
10 25 - 35 Green
Deciduou
s
12.
Sedum
stenopeta
lum
5–9 Yellow
Early
summer
10 10 - 15 Green Red
13.
Sedum
ternatum
4–8 White Spring 7.5 15 - 20 Green
Deciduou
s
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5. HELIANTHEMUM 6. LILYTURF (LIRIOPE) 7. CREEPING THYME
Also called ‘Sun Rose’ or ‘Rock Rose’, this sub shrub comes from the family Cistaceae
and barely grows up to 25 cm tall. Providing a well-drained soil and full sun (part
shade in warmer climates) it blooms happily. The showy flowers of this genus
come in shades of orange, pink, yellow, scarlet, and white. There are some varieties
available that bloom for a long time from spring to fall (autumn). Grows in USDA
Zones 5-9, this plant usually dies back in the colder regions when the winter perks
up, whereas in warmer zones it remains evergreen. Use rock rose shrubs in dry areas
as a xeriscaping plant or in coastal areas where they tolerate sandy soil, salt spray
and strong winds. These 75 to 100 cm shrubs make an attractive, informal hedgerow.
Rockrose plants are particularly useful for erosion control on dry banks.
Lilyturf is neither a grass nor a lily. Commonly known as monkey grass. This showy
and tough groundcover has lush and deep green, grass-like foliage ordered in slightly
upright tufts. Spikes of violet or lavender colour flowers appear from late summer
until the fall. Lilyturf (USDA Zones 6-10) requires full sun in colder regions but in
warm subtropical or tropical climate, you can grow it in dappled shade. It can be
grown between tall shrubs and underneath the canopy of trees, also use it for edging
walkways or as and a low border accent. Liriope ‘Muscari’ and Liriope ‘Spicata’ are
two most popular varieties. Liriope will grow in dry, sandy, clay, compact or nutrient
dense soils. It is adaptable to both sunny and partially shady conditions. They are
evergreen plants with excellent hardiness, growing between 28 and 45 cm tall.
Thymus serpyllum is a low-growing
aromatic flowering herb that is
perennial and hardy in USDA Zones 4-9.
Just like other thyme varieties it is edible
too. This tiny plant barely grows up to
7.5 cm tall. It is deer resistant and an
amazing alternative of grasses. It
evergreen with lightly haired foliage
which will appear in low, dense mats,
which sprawl randomly and quickly fill in
areas as ground cover.
8. BRASS BUTTON 9. CREEPING PHLOX 10. BIGROOT GERANIUM
(GERANIUM MACRORRHIZUM)
11. CAMPANULA
PORTENSCHLAGIANA
If you’re searching for a lawn substitute
on which you can set foot without
thinking much then consider growing
brass button. It also forms yellow-
golden flowers that appear from spring
to summer. Brass buttons are hardy in
USDA Zones 5-10 (but evergreen only in
Zone 8-10), growing in temperates to
subtropical climates both.
This ground cover has pleasant flowers that appear in pastel hues. Growing this
sturdy, low-maintenance plant is possible in USDA Zones 3-8, it is the plant that can
be used in landscaping to hide the unsightly slope or other difficult areas as it
rambles between rocks or cascades down. It can also be used as a bordering plant
around the flowerbeds. A perennial nature and semi-evergreen habit are important
facts about creeping phlox. These plants have needle-like foliage with small starry,
five-pointed flowers in red, lavender, pink, white or bluish-purple. Creeping phlox
blooms in spring and produces long, spreading stems, which become woody with
age. These thicker growths cease to produce flowers over time and may be cut out of
the plant to encourage the newer, softer stems that do bloom. In addition, the plant
has a moderate growth rate and can get 10 to 15 cm high with a 50 cm spread.
This old fashioned tough and aggressive
perennial ground cover is low
maintenance. The plant barely grows up
to 25-30 cm tall and loves the sun.
Blooms appear when the weather
warms up in colors like pink, red or pale
pink with interesting variegated foliage.
You can also plant it in groups under the
trees, the bigroot geranium is a drought
tolerant plant and best grown in
temperates under USDA Zones 4 to 8.
Campanula portenschlagiana or
‘Dalmatian Bellflower’ is a beautiful
annual or perennial plant that forms
a mat of small rounded leaves. The
flowers are star-shaped, blue-purple in
color that blooms from spring through
summer. Relatively cold hardy but
requires shelter when temperature dips
below much. It grows in full sun and in
the part shade too, on a fairly loose, well
drained and alkaline soil.
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12. LILY OF THE VALLEY 13. VINCA MINOR 14. VERONICA ‘GOODNESS
GROWS’
15. FIRECRACKER (RUSSELIA
EQUISETIFORMIS)
Lily of the Valley is one of the easiest and
best flowering ground covers. Its
fragrant little bell-shaped white flowers
grow well in shade and have long
blooming period. Growing lily of the
valley plant is possible in cool temperate
zones in USDA Zones 2-9. They grow 10
to 20 cm high and 15 to 25 cm wide.
The common periwinkle plant (Vinca minor) is often spotted creeping down steep
hillsides and banks, offering a green and growing affect in areas which might
otherwise be bare. The periwinkle plant is exceptional as an erosion control
specimen. Periwinkle is also used as a spreading shrub in USDA garden zones 4 to 8.
Periwinkle is often also called creeping Vinca. Periwinkle is most often grown as a
ground cover. The periwinkle plant takes its common name from the attractive
blooms that dot the foliage in April to May, appearing in the colour of periwinkle
blue. More than 30 varieties of this plant exist, some with variegated foliage and
other colors of blooms. When planting periwinkle, choose what best suits your
landscape.
This low growing beautiful perennial
blooms from summer to fall. Good for
country style or cottage style garden and
also suitable for containers. With its
spiky blue blooms, it looks good with
bright green foliage. Veronica ‘Goodness
Grows’ requires full sun and regular but
moderate watering.
A warm climate plant that grows best in
warm temperates, subtropics, and
tropics (USDA Zones 8b-11). This
drought tolerant plant is loved by nectar-
feeding species of birds, and by
butterflies. Fluffy, errant and wispy
stems and foliage cascade down and
camouflages the unsightly areas. It is
suitable for slopes, borders, retaining
walls and containers too.
16. LAMB’S EAR 17. SOCIETY GARLIC 18. AJUGA
Growing lamb’s ear is simple. It’s hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 4-8, and the
plant’s Middle East origins make it good for growing in drought-like conditions. In
fact, lamb’s ear plants are tolerant enough to grow almost anywhere.
The plant should be grown in full sun or partial shade. Although lamb’s ear can
tolerate the poorest of soils, it should always be well-draining as the plant dislikes
overly moist soil. This is especially true of shady areas. Lamb’s ear has many uses in
the garden, though it is grown primarily for its foliage. The plant’s low-growing, mat-
forming foliage makes it ideal for use as a ground cover. Plant them in open borders
alongside other perennial plants or grow them in containers. It grows up to 30 cm
tall.
Society garlic (Tulbaghia violacea) is also
known as ‘Pink agapanthus’. With its
edible garlic-flavored purple flowers
and clump forming grass like blue-grey
foliage, this tough and low maintenance
ground cover is a good option for those
who live in warmer climates. Suitable for
warm temperates, subtropics and tropics
under USDA Zones 7-11. Society garlic
flowers bloom in a tubular shape with 8
to 20 flowers on each cluster.
Ajuga, which is also called ‘Bugleweed’ is a genus of perennial or annual flowering
plants. It becomes an excellent ground cover, sometimes invasive. Many of its
species are very popular, especially ‘Ajuga reptans’ that spread through its runners,
having attractive foliage that forms a dense carpet-like mat and deep blue flower
spikes. It is possible to grow ajuga in both cold and warm climates (USDA Zones, 3-
10). This creeping evergreen plant quickly fills in empty areas, smothering out weeds
while adding exceptional foliage color and blooms. It’s also good for erosion control.
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19. HAKONE GRASS / GOLDEN JAPANESE FOREST GRASS 20. SISKIYOU SUNDROPS 21. IRISH MOSS
Japanese forest grass is an attractive, graceful plant that grows slowly and is not
invasive. The grass gets 45 to 69 cms tall and has an arching habit with long flat,
foliar blades. These arching blades sweep from the base and gracefully re-touch the
earth. Japanese forest grass comes in several hues and may be solid or striped. Most
varieties are variegated and have stripes. The variegation is white or yellow.
Golden Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra) is one of the more popular
types and is a completely sunny, bright yellow variety. The golden Japanese forest
grass is best planted in full shade. Sunlight will fade the yellow leaf blades to a white.
The leaves get a pink tinge to the edges as fall arrives, increasing the appeal of this
easy to grow plant.
‘Siskiyou’ produces 10 cm wide pink
flowers. It has leaf rosettes close to the
ground, mid-green, with lance-shaped
leaves 2 to 5 cm long. The delicate
fragrant primroses open in the day
hours. Best planted in spring among
other full sun plants. The clumps should
be dividednevery 3 years to encourage
flowering. Evening primroses are
excellent perennials for weekend
gardeners, since they are simple to grow,
with almost no pests or problems.
A member of the Caryophyllaceae family, Irish moss (Sagina subulata), which is not a
moss at all, is also called Corsican pearlwort or Scot’s moss. They need some light to
maintain the most amazing of emerald green colors found in its foliage. This
herbaceous perennial (evergreen in warmer zones) turns green as temperatures
warm. Charming little white blooms appear sporadically throughout the growing
season. Irish moss growing zones include USDA plant hardiness zones 4-10. Not a
heat loving specimen, Irish moss plants are to be used in a sunny to partially shaded
area. In warmer Irish moss growing zones, plant where it is protected from the
scorching sun. Irish moss may turn brown during summer’s hottest days, but greens
up again as temperatures fall in autumn.
22. HARDY ICE PLANT 23. WATERPERRY BLUE SPEEDWELL
Hardy ice plant (Delosperma) is a succulent, perennial ground cover with daisy-like
flowers. The ice plant is not called an ice plant because it is cold hardy, but rather
because the flowers and leaves seem to shimmer as though covered in frost or ice
crystals. The plants grow to be about 7 to 15 cm tall and 50 to 100 cm wide. Ice
plant flowers grow in USDA plant hardiness zones 5-9 and will bloom for most of the
summer and fall. Their foliage is mostly evergreen and, because of this, they make a
great year-round ground cover. While the plant is evergreen, it will often have some
dieback of foliage in the winter.
An easy to care for perennial with flowers in an array of vibrant blues, pinks and white, the speedwell is drought resistant but
should be watered in the summer when there is less than an inch of rainfall per week. The plant has a long blooming season,
from June to August, and is fairly pest and disease resistant as well, with the exception of some issues like powdery mildew,
spider mites, and thrips. Speedwell perennials are reportedly deer and rabbit resistant, but butterflies and hummingbirds are
attracted to their dizzying hues. Flowers will bloom for six to eight weeks throughout the summer months and, as a result, make
beautiful cut flower additions to vase arrangements or for container gardening in mixed flower groupings. Veronica speedwell
thrives in conditions as wide ranging as full sun to partial shade and in loamy, sandy or clay dense soils. However, it does prefer a
sunny location with well draining soil. The soil pH can be as liberal as neutral, alkaline or acidic, with moisture content from
average to quite moist. The hardy medium sized speedwell, with striking 1 to 3 foot flower spikes, flourishes in USDA hardiness
zones 3-8. As previously mentioned, the speedwell plant is tolerant of a variety of conditions but prefers full sun and well drained
soil.

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24. GOLDEN OREGANO 25. DRIFT ROSES 26. CREEPING CINQUEFOIL
Golden oregano plants (Origanum vulgare ‘Aureum’) has yellow to golden foliage
that is the brightest and truest yellow in full sun and cooler weather. In the summer,
the yellow leaves are covered in delicate pink and purple flowers. Golden oregano is
very fragrant and has the classic oregano smell. Growing golden oregano herbs is
especially good for container and small space gardening, since the plants tend to
spread out less vigorously than other varieties of oregano. Caring for golden oregano
is very easy. The plants need full sun, but they will grow in virtually any type of soil.
They prefer moderate watering and can withstand drying. They are hardy in USDA
zones 4 to 9 and will stay evergreen in the warmer zones. While less prone to spread
than other oregano varieties, they are still vigorous plants that can grow to 75 cm in
height and spread to 300 cm in width.
Drift Roses are a cross between full-size groundcover roses and miniatures. From
the groundcover roses they kept toughness, disease resistance and winter hardiness.
From the miniatures, they inherited a well-managed size and repeat-blooming
nature. The low, spreading habit of Drift Roses is perfect for small gardens and
combination planters. They brighten borders, fill empty spaces, and spread delicately
around established plants. Drift Roses are low maintenance, bloom from spring to
frost. They need full sun. They are compatible in Zones 4-11. The average width is 75
cm and height 50 cm. They are available in 8 great colors.
27. BARRENWORT 28. FOAMY BELLS These plants are evergreen in mild
climates. They grow 7 to 15 cm tall, with
each leaf made up of five leaflets.
Potentilla gets the name “cinquefoil”
from the French word “cinq” which
means five. In spring, cinquefoil plants
are covered with flowers that are 0.6 cm
in diameter. The buttery-yellow to bright
yellow flowers bloom over a long season
if temperatures don’t climb too high.
Creeping potentilla is not suitable to be
grown in gardens, where it quickly takes
over an area. Instead, it can be used as a
lawn replacement in areas with light foot
traffic, in rock gardens, or in rock walls.
Some gardeners use it as a ground cover
in bulb beds. There are some lovely
types of creeping potentilla that bloom
in white and shades of orange and pink;
however, the seeds to these varieties
don’t always breed true. Since the plants
produce seeds that fall to the ground
and germinate, you may find these types
reverting to yellow.
Barrenwort (Epimedium grandiflorum) is an unusual and rare herbaceous plant. It is
an Epimedium that is also called Bishop’s Hat and Longspur. It is a shade lover that is
native to the Mediterranean and temperate East Asia. Epimedium may be deciduous
or evergreen, though most species are evergreen except when grown in northern
climates. Barrenwort produces lovely heart to lance shaped leaflets. These have
attractive veining and come in bronzy pink before maturing to green. Barrenwort
flowers are delicate 4-petaled blooms that hang in racemes and come in a range of
colors. Flower colors range from pink, lavender, beige, yellow, purple, white or red.
The plant grows from rhizomes. Over time barrenwort naturalizes to form a dense
mat of foliage, making it an excellent perennial ground cover for low light situations.
A genetic cross between two plant species that strive to bring the best of both,
Heucheralla plants have the amazing foliage colors of Heuchera plants and the
impressive flower stalks of the Tiarella plants. Heucherella - Foamy Bells.
Heucherella are sometimes called foamy bells because they are a genetic cross
between coral bells (Heuchera) and foam flowers (Tiarella). Heucherella plants are
hardy in zones 4-9. Foamy bells bloom in the spring time on tall flower stalks and
usually have pink or cream colored flowers. Heucherella plants form pleasing clumps
of foliage from which rise the tall flower stalks. Foamy bells are usually fairly compact
with the foliage clumps growing around 25 cm high and wide. Heucherella flower
stalks can grow about 45 cm tall however.