Have you ever wandered along a walkway that is flanked by soft groundcovers? It’s a completely different feel from walkways that are surrounded by shrubs or that are immediately adjacent to planting beds or the lawn. Ground covers bring a romantic charm to your landscape. Here are our tips on how to surround walkways with lush groundcover from our wholesale nursery in Bergen County, NJ.
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The beauty of groundcovers is in their simplicity and understated beauty. They give a walkway a more spacious feel (you never feel hemmed in by tall hedges). They also provide a soft transition from hardscape to softscape.
Some ground covers hug the ground while others grow a little taller. Create a beautiful layered effect by planting low groundcovers immediately adjacent to the walkway, and taller ones beyond that if you’re transitioning to a plant bed. And of course, groundcovers can be used anywhere in your plant beds to add dimension and interest!
Before you choose groundcovers, be aware that some species can become invasive. In this post we’ll highlight only those that are recommended - those that won’t spread to the point of overtaking your landscape.
Here’s a list of our favorite ground covers for New Jersey. They are highly rated by Cornell University horticulturists for Hardiness Zones 5-7.
Blue wood sedge (Carex flaccosperma): part to full shade; 6” to 12”; blue-green, grassy foliage
Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa): full sun; attracts butterflies; 12" to 24;" dark green leaves and bright orange summer flowers.
Catmint 'Walker's Low' (Nepeta x faassenii): full sun; 18" to 24"; gray-green foliage and blue flowers that bloom throughout spring and summer.
Coral bells 'Chocolate Veil' and 'Chocolate Ruffles' (Heuchera americana): full sun to part shade; 18" to 24"; deep maroon foliage and abundant sprays of pink flowers.
Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla mollis): full sun to part shade; 12" to 18"; round light-green leaves and beautiful sprays of chartreuse flowers that bloom in late spring.
Leadwort (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides): full sun to part shade; 8" to 12"; lime green foliage with blue flowers that bloom in summer.
Mondo grass (Liriope spicata): full sun to part shade; 8” to 12”; grass-like evergreen foliage with white or purple flowers (spike shaped) that bloom in summer.
Moss phlox 'Emerald Blue' (Phlox subulata): full sun; 4" to 6”; lush, moss-like mats of evergreen foliage with blue spring flowers.
Two-row stonecrop 'John Creech' (Sedum spurium): full sun to part shade; 3" to 6"; a low, lush evergreen mat with delicate pink flowers that bloom in late summer.
Salvia 'Blue Hills' (Salvia nemerosa): full sun; 18" to 24"; butterfly-friendly; green foliage with blue flower spikes that bloom from late spring through summer.
White heath aster 'Snow Flurry' (Aster ericoides): full sun to part shade; 3" to 6"; lush, dark green foliage and white flowers that bloom in September.
Thyme
Thyme deserves its own section as it’s a very popular ground cover due to its density and amazing fragrance. Choose slow-growing thyme to avoid thyme-takeover. Most thymes grow very low to the ground, from ¼” to 2” making them perfect for placing in between stepping stones, or if you want to visually expand the width of a walkway. Great short slow-growing thyme choices include: Annie Hall, Elfin Thyme, Highland Cream Thyme, Leprechaun Thyme, Mint Thyme, Pink Chintz Thyme, Silver Needle Thyme, White Moss Thyme, and Wooly Thyme. Wooly Thyme never blooms but its gorgeous silvery leaves make it a beautiful addition to any landscape.
For larger areas, you might consider faster-growing and wider-spreading thymes as long as you have the patience to keep them in check. These include: Caraway Thyme, Coconut Thyme, Creeping Pink Thyme, Doone Valley Thyme, Goldstream Thyme, Hall’s Woolly Thyme, Lavender Thyme, Lemon Frost Thyme, Loveyanus Thyme, Pink Lemonade Thyme, and Reiter’s Thyme.
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