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| I have two narrow beds between my paver patio and the house. I'm thinking of Lamium purple dragon to cover the beds. Is this a fast grower if I buy small pots from Santa Rosa Gardens? I'll need to buy a lot so I'm trying to figure out the cheapest way. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Mon, Feb 18, 13 at 17:48
| it might be cheaper... to plant a grid about 6 or 8 inches.. and fill in with some fast annuals for this year ... its slow.. but once it gets going it will cover space.. but i cant imagine buying a lot to cover it all in one planting.. in my world.. it would just be a waste of money ... follow??? of course.. with your longer growing season.. it might be faster than me in MI .... ken |
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| Thanks Ken! Are you saying to plant them 6" to 8" apart? |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Wed, Feb 20, 13 at 8:17
| i planted ONE!!! ... ten years ago ... it is now about a 4 feet by 6 feet patch ... my comment is straight to BUDGET ... if you want it filled up by fall.. 4 to 6 inches.. sure, why not ... and buy 1000 of them for your space ... if you only want to buy 20.. plant them one foot apart.. and fill in with annuals.. for the next couple years ... until they form the carpet you want ... its really up to you.. your budget.. and availability ... BTW ... they seed themselves around a bit .. very minorly here in MI ... spacing is ALWAYS a budget issue.. they are not going to murder each other if too close ... nor die if too far apart ... its really just about your vision.. and your budget ... we get this all the time with 'sight blocks' and big evergreens ... well.. duh.. if you want the view blocked NOW.. buy big plants NOW .. and plant them close together.. NOW ... but if you dont have a BIG budget.. buy smaller/cheaper .... plant them apart.. and wait ... [there are other variables which need not be discussed.. but that is another show] ... my garden maxim is this: i have more time than money ... i would rather buy one.. and watch/wait.. than buy 99 more ... [though i would probably buy 99 other things.. as i am a collector] ... BTW.. gotta run.. there is the monoculture debate about always planting ONE thing.. if some plague rolls around.. one thing.. can be wiped out by one bug/disease.. etc .... good luck ken |
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- Posted by the_plant_geek z5 (My Page) on Wed, Feb 20, 13 at 11:19
| It's a fast grower for me. I would plan on 12 or even 18" spacing and let it rip. Keep it out of hot sun and keep it watered and it will take off. And if it can get in the lawn, it will. I'm not a huge fan of groundcover lamiums in the garden, but they have their uses. I do love it as a hanging basket plant, however. Also, Lamium orvala is a fantastic non-spreading garden plant. The Plant Geek |
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- Posted by garden_crazy z5 N IL (My Page) on Wed, Feb 20, 13 at 11:26
| I have Orchid Frost and it fills in rather quickly and blooms non stop from April/May to Oct/Nov here. -Needs some moisture and prefers pm shade. If you buy a few lamiums you can tear them apart and plant the separate stems as they will root at the leaf axis if you keep them moist. A few lamiums can go a long way. After they "root up", cut the stems back to help them fill out. If you need something that will look good now, as Ken said, you could inter-plant some annnnnn.......I forget how to spell that because I don't have any! I do have lots of lamium though! GC |
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| Thanks to everyone! It is just a tough little strip between my patio and screen room. Sis in law suggested a ground cover. I'd like to not spend a fortune so I think I will space them out and interplant some annuals. Love the tip of dividing them right off the bat. I have lots I want to buy this year so I'd much rather not have to buy a ton of one thing. |
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| I have at least five or six different lamiums. Everything from Pink Pewter to Lemon Frost for the shade and Anne Greenway for the Heucheras. As stated above tear them up and keep them moist until they root. A little goes a long way as long as you don't want instant gratification. All they need is time. |
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- Posted by RyseRyse_2004 5 (My Page) on Mon, Feb 25, 13 at 15:42
| I have lots also and divide them to get extras every spring. They are so easy to root. I especially love 'Whlite Nancy" and mine are all in full sun. I think the taller perennials give them all the shade they need. IMHO this is the ideal ground cover!!!! |
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