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Spring blooming ground covers w/foliage that looks good LATER

Posted by growitnow (My Page) on
Mon, Jun 3, 13 at 21:11

Hi, I'm looking for suggestions for common ground covers that are good spring bloomers, but whose foliage doesn't look like crap-ola throughout the hot summers here in VA.

By ground cover I mean things like dianthus and snow in summer (Cerastium tomentosum). Maybe I just haven't cared for them adequately but after bloom they end up looking quite bad for remainder of summer.

Are there dianthus varieties that have strong post-bloom foliage (I've only tried fire witch dianthus and snow in summer always looks bad for me after May)? Any suggestions would be welcome. I know I've left it pretty wide open but I'm not sure I have a more specific question! Those two I've named, I like the blooming period but not post-bloom. I'd welcome suggestions :)

thanks,
growitnow, z7


Follow-Up Postings:

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RE: Spring blooming ground covers w/foliage that looks good LATER

I like lamium maculatum. It spreads but new plants have different colored leaves. Flowers are pink and are blooming now. I started with one plant and now my garden fence is bordered with its many colors of leaves.


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RE: Spring blooming ground covers w/foliage that looks good LATER

I am in a lower zone, so you should check these out locally, but they have all looked great for me all summer:
Dianthus 'Greystone' (trim off bloom stalks after flowering is finished) - sun
Cranberry/Vaccinium macrocarpon - sun to 3/4 shade
Veronica 'Georgia Blue' - sun to 3/4 shade

If you don't mind an aggressive spreader, vinca/periwinkle is a great groundcover, but mine crawls over barriers into the lawn.

Snow in Summer always looked pretty bad for me after flowering, even when I trimmed it back.


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RE: Spring blooming ground covers w/foliage that looks good LATER

I love pink knotweed. It's always covered in little pink buttons and does well in the heat here in Sacramento. I have it in full, hot sun and it stays beautiful all through summer.

It can spread quickly, but with regular trimming it hasn't choked anything out in my beds.


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