Low growing plants that spread across the ground are known as ground cover plants. These low maintenance plants vary from 1 to 12 inch in height. It would not be an overstatement to say that right ground covers can turn many unappealing looking spots in your garden such as a rocky area or an area too steep for mowing into aesthetic areas, thereby enriching your garden.
However, they not only infuse colour and aesthetics to the garden or park but some of them also play an important role in protecting the top soil from erosion and drought and helping in preventing weed growth. Some ground cover plants have the capacity to grow in areas which are not conducive for plant growth, such as dry shade of the trees. What is more, most ground cover plants are perennial, that is they grow back every year.
For ground cover plants Australia can be a good market. In today’s Australia, with small housing block sizes, maintaining a lawn is not only time consuming but also not a pragmatic option. However, people in Australia still, by and large, prefer to have nice, green spaces of their own. That is where the demand for ground cover plants is likely to gain momentum.
Ideal ground cover plants are the ones which are:
- Low on maintenance and requires not much watering, pruning, or fertilising
- Should have dense growth that is it they should spread quickly to prevent sprouting of weeds and reduce erosion of soil
- Should have high adaptability to grow in various soil types and conditions
- Should have high aesthetic appeal
- Should be durable enough to withstand foot traffic without extensive damage
- Should be resistant to diseases and pests
Ideal ground cover plants should also attract the full sun. Full sun in gardening and horticulture is a technical term which means receiving six or more hours of sunlight per day. Selecting the ground cover plants which grow the best in full sun can be a challenging proposition. Ground cover options that are suited for full sun include creeping thyme, ice plant, lamb’s ear among others. Let us discuss some of these cover plants in brief.
Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)
This low-growing plant is densely clothed in tiny green leaves. Creeping thyme is drought-tolerant and its beauty are its small flowers of pink, purple, or white colour which emerge in summer. When you step on it or brush against it accidentally, it releases a pleasant fragrance, which can amaze us and induce us to introspect that there is so much to learn from nature.
Some of its key characteristics include:
- Being tolerant to drought and poor soil
- Attracting bees and butterflies
- Needing very less maintenance
Ice Plant (Delosperma cooperi)
Ice plant, whose aesthetic highlights are its pink, orange, purple, or yellow flowers, which have the capacity to dazzle the senses from spring to fall, finds its ideal growing conditions in well-drained soil and in an environment rinsed in full sunlight.
Some of its key characteristics include:
- It is drought-resistant and requires low maintenance
- It quickly grows and prevents weeds from growing.
Periwinkle (Vinca minor and Vinca major)
Though they are often seen being grown in partial shade, periwinkle with its glossy green leaves and striking purple or blue flowers, grows its best in full sun; sprinkled with adequate moisture. Its flowers are bright blue or violet.
Some of its key characteristics include:
- It undergoes rapid growth
- The periwinkle plant also has application in traditional medicine to address a variety of ailments, including asthma, eczema, and diarrhoea.
Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina)
Lamb’s Ear is another ground cover plant which takes to the sun like a duck takes to water. In fact, it grows best in full sun. This plant with soft, silvery foliage and soft fuzzy texture produces light purple flowers in early summer which attract pollinators.
Some of its key characteristics include:
- The plant gives a unique texture to the garden
- Doesn’t require much maintenance
- Grows well in dry conditions
- Deer doesn’t like this plant, finds it unpalatable
Phlox subulata (Creeping Phlox)
Creeping phlox is a spring-bloomer and blooms in mid spring. and lays a vibrant carpet of pink, purple, white, or blue flowers. Slopes and rocky gardens are the ideal platforms for its growth.
Some of its key characteristics include:
- It has excellent erosion control
- Is drought-tolerant
- Its fragrant blooms draw a wide variety of pollinators which include butterflies and hummingbirds
Woolly Thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus)
It is similar to creeping thyme but has a more velvety texture. Its tiny green leaves often have gray or silver edges. The plant spreads effortlessly across sunny areas. In summer the plant rewards the eyes with sweet little pink to purple flowers. You may find the plant lurking from paved stones, along a gravel path. Even when trod on it emits a pleasant fragrance.
Some of its key characteristics include:
- It is drought-tolerant and is very aromatic
- Its soft foliage makes it well equipped to withstand light foot traffic
- It is resistant to pests and diseases
- This perennial herb is endowed with medicinal uses
Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)
This fragrant ground cover brings white, purple, or pink flowers, which create a wonderful visual appeal in a garden flooded with sunlight.
Some of its key characteristics include:
- Beneficial insects are being attracted by the plant
- It exudes a sweet fragrance
- Sandy or rocky soil are conducive to the plant’s growth
The Apt Ground Cover
While selecting ground cover plants for full sun, some factors need to be taken into account such as type of soil, moisture levels, and the aesthetics you desire for. As per drought tolerance goes it is wise to go for plants like sedum, ice plant, and creeping thyme for arid conditions.
Similarly it should be borne in mind that if you prefer fast spreading ground cover plants then you should go for creeping jenny or periwinkle while lamb’s ear and dymondia are ideal if you prefer moderate pace of growth for your ground cover plants.
Similarly, if vibrant blooms interest you, then go for ground cover plants like verbena, alyssum, or creeping phlox and for captivating foliage, lamb’s ear or snow-in-summer should get your vote.
In terms of ground cover plants Australia has a rich collection, some of which are:
- White Creeping Thyme
- Dichondra Repens
- Dymondia Silver Carpet
- Baby’s Tears
- Silver Dichondra
- Japanese Star Jasmine
- Native Violet
- Dwarf Mondo Grass
Why Choose Kilby Tree Farm as Wholesale Plant Nursery
Although for all types of ground cover plants Australia is obviously not the native place, a wholesale plant nursery named Kilby Park Tree Farm is one of the right places to get your desired ground cover plants in Australia, including those which thrive in sunlight.
Within Australia, for procuring wholesale plants Melbourne can be an apt destination where Kilby Park Tree Farm is located. It is a trade-only wholesale plant nursery in Melbourne, which has been catering to the needs of landscaping and horticultural industries. As a wholesale plant nursery it provides a wide range of plants to serve various professional requirements along with a deep passion for sustainable horticulture and environment.
Kilby Park Tree Farm strives to offer a dynamic range of premium quality plants that enable their customers to create beautiful landscapes. So, when in search of your exotic cover plants in Melbourne plant nursery named Kilby Park Tree Farm can be your right destination.