Blanket the Ground – Native Groundcover Communities for Biodiversity, Habitat, and Beauty
August 14, 2023
Where in your yard are you less inclined to putter, to weed, to trim and tend? What out-of-the-way spot needs a low maintenance solution that reflects your garden ethics and style? If your property has a hellstrip, a parking strip, a grassed area between sidewalk and street, this is a great place for groundcovers. Here your neighbors can admire and be inspired. Here you can pass by daily without having to bend and tend. Consider groundcovers in place of the front lawn, or along your driveway, or in a narrow side yard that you use for utility rather than outdoor living. Bare earth beneath trees and shrubs with root and water competition could be green and diverse instead of weedy and neglected. All these zones have the potential to be beautiful and to contribute to habitat without demanding a lot of effort.
Read the full article in Pacific Horticulture here. You’ll learn what to plant in dry shade, in moist sun to light shade, and in hot, dry, sunny sites. And, hopefully, you’ll come to embrace the idea of a mixed community of plants rather than a single species for your groundcover solution.
Just read your article on the Pacific Horticulture site.I am so gratefu to you for sharing your expertise. We are two retired folks that have been doing an ongoing restoration project on the back of our 1 area here in Sweet Home the past 6 years. It includes a wetland and riparian woods. that was logged about 25 years ago and left us with beautiful Alders and invasive blackberries and ivy. Using no herbicides we continue to dig out and cut back the invasive plants and watch an abundance of natives emerge. We of course have supplements with more native Oregon grape, sword ferns, Salal, sorrel, fringe cup, etc.. We have added to the front of our property also. It is a mix of natives and nonnatives but want to lean in on more natives. We added manzanitas, Point Reyes,. Oregon grape, Snowberries etc. So now, thanks to you, we have a much more creative and exciting group of plants to include .
Thank You.
Lani Nelson
Aw, this makes me so happy to hear about your efforts and that I could help!