Hello-
I have been in charge of our children's elementary school garden in the front of the building for a few years (it was an absolute mess before then, just not enough volunteers to keep it under control). We received a very generous donation of perennials from a fantastic nursery, and while most survived the winter, many in the front portions of the garden near the sidewalks are gone. There are two reasons why this happened.
1. The snow plows go too far and dug into the front part of the gardens, and
2. Every once in a while, kids do not stay on the sidewalks and trample the ground, especially before something has emerged from the ground. (The kids line up before school right next to the flower gardens).

We cannot use stakes to warn the snow crews to avoid the garden as the principal is worried that the kids will pull them out of the ground and use them as swords (which I kinda can imagine happening :-), but I would love it if we could have some plants in that front 12-18 inches of ground to help keep the weeds down and to beautify the area.

Does anyone have any recommendations of perennials or anything, really, that could handle a snow plow, maybe some deicing salt (I imagine that there is some of that going on), and some trampling by elementary school kids??? It is mostly sunny, if that helps. I am just at a loss as far as what to plant, if anything exists that might even survive these conditions.

Thanks for any input you can provide!

Another one that seems to mimic yarrow's stamina is ajuga/bugleweed. It's a low-growing (3-5 inches) ground cover that appears to be capable of leaping town lines to root in new territory when everyone is sleeping. It spreads by runners so I can't say whether it can be grown from seed--where I am, I just basically stand back, get out of its way and watch it spread. Plant care: see yarrow above.

Vinca minor/periwinkle is not only tough as nails, tolerates full sun, full shade and everying in between, and grows where nothing else will (including steep hillsides), it has pretty blue flowers in spring and the leaves are dark, shiny green year round. Plant care is limited to admiration from passersby unless it grows where you don't want it.

There's nearly 50 years' worth of vinca, ajuga and yarrow growing on my little green acre so I imagine if you posted a request on craigslist or some such you'd be able to pick up some donated plants that would give you a start.

I'd have mentioned lily-of-the-valley but I consider it invasive and hesitate to recommend it to anyone. It would laugh/sneer at the snowplow, shrug off the salt/sand, pop back up after the kids stomped on it and continue on its mission to take over the planet. The flower fragrance is heavenly but nurseries actually still sell it so you'd not likely get any free. I rip it out of my flowerbeds every year but not gently enough to offer it with roots.

Please let us know what you choose :)

T.J.

Goggle rock garden for some ideas. It can be very attractive and weed free.

I was thinking of rocks that could be planted with rock garden plants too, however sedum probably won't be a great choice as the bees it attracts will most likely freak the kids out (and worse, some parents) come September when school is back in session. I do have a few sedum in there already (matrona, and a greenish-yellow ground cover one (forgot the name) , but I planted it in the back to avoid "issues". When one parent saw them, they contacted asked the school nurse to check if any kids in the school had bee allergies and I was warned they might need to come out (there are no kids with reported bee allergies, anyway). The whole school grounds are covered in acres of clover, etc, and there are already so many bees around, so it is a bit illogical, however, it is what it is.....

There are a few spots though where I might be able to pile a few rocks and plant other rock garden plants though, but I would have to check first with some people as they are considered "hardscaping" and need permission. Did I mention this is a bit of a challenge ? :-)

Thanks for all your input!

Good Luck!
T.J.

I was thinking the low growing ground cover sedum. There usually not a problem with bees. The ground cover sedum I have does not bloom until school would be out in the summer.

Look at Sedum Tri-color it is very pretty. It is tough and stepping should not be a big problem and it cold stand up to the snow plow.

TRICOLOR Sedum (Stonecrop) Zones 4 to 8, Sun Sage green and snowy-white foliage rimmed in pink or red with, tiny pink flowers bloom in June - July. Low growing, hardy ...

Seriously, a fairly large, squat shrub where the actual crown is far away from equipment and feet may be where to start thinking. It doesn't sound like the bed is set up for a tall shrub that could act as it's own warning stakes, but that would be another direction to pursue.

It would need clipping to keep it inbound but you would have color no bee problems.

If there are flat rocks in your area, you could collect some (or alternatively keep an eye out on Craigslist for free used bricks) and use them set hozontally along the edge of the paving as deep as seems necessary (sort of widening the paving.) Leave a couple inches of spacing between the rocks and plant between the rocks with plants that can crawl onto them. That way there would be a sort of transition zone of plants that would survive being walked on since the roots would be protected, but also give a bit of warning to the kids that they were off the standard paving. The rocks or bricks will keep the plow from dropping down into the dirt and uprooting the plants and being flat shouldn't pose too much of a problem for the plow (or at least that's my experience since the plow went right over my flat brick edging a few years.)

Wooly thyme doesn't seem to flower much in my garden, so might work. Some of the shorter Carex (sedges) may work, especially variegated ones like 'Ice Dance.' Astilbe chinensis 'Pumila' grows low and spreads, but flowers in August and doesn't seem to draw bees. Lady's mantle has such subtle flowers that no one will probably notice them, and has both a larger variety and a smaller one. You could also use some shrubby low groundcovers like Paxistma canbyi (no flowers usually), cranberry (tiny flowers), bearberry (Arctostaphylos) or one of the low growing winter heaths or heathers if your soil is a bit acidic. Many heathers have colorful foliage. Just check the flowering time of your particular cultivar and be sure it is during the summer. The shrubby plants you would have to plant back from the sidewalk far enough that the plow and kids won't mangle the center of growth and so that it won't grow onto the sidewalk. I don't know the salt tolerance of most of these since I don't salt the walk, but I do know that heaths and heathers seem to be pretty salt tolerant.

As far as the budget . . . Once you decide on your groundcover, if it is one of the more common ones, you can check with the principal about sending home a request for donations of that type of plant. S/he may be supportive of this.

Dee

Kids could pull at it, step on it, etc and it wouldn't phase it in the slightest. Also needs no supplemental care - watering, pruning, deadheading, etc.

In an area at our camp -- rocks didn't work in a shady area outside some restrooms, but raised beds + a plastic chain fence around them did. Not the look I'd like, but it has kept the shrubs & groundcover from being trampled.

Something prickly with all season interest like Berberis with a groundcover and large rocks might work.

Barberries? Next to a childrens school? I know parents who would have a problem with that. Bob pushes Sue. Sue falls into the barberries, gets scratches all over herself...not a good scenario for small children.

Or, how about Stella D'Oro daylilies? Great for massing.