Lawn Maintenance Solutions for Creaky Gardeners
something bold and almost tropical - or you can mix colors and shapes for a varied and interesting picture. They divide easily and make a quick recovery, so with a bit of patience and a few healthy starter plants you can cover a lot of ground with these plants in a relatively short period of time and with minimal expense.
The leaves of hostas are so fascinating that we often forget that they flower - usually in spikes of bell-shaped white or purple flowers. Many of the white ones are sweetly fragrant, especially in the evening, which is an added bonus.
Ferns
Ferns also make good groundcovers. Most prefer shade, many prefer moist shade, but a few will grow vigorously even in bright sun. And ferns, like hostas, come in many shades of green from nearly chartreuse to deep glossy, holly green - not to mention the lovely silver and burgundy of the Japanese painted ferns (Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum). Like hostas, many of these go dormant in colder climates, but some are evergreen - thus giving you season long interest. And you have a choice of textures here - from the fairly coarse and uncomplicated look of the sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis) to the truly lacy look of the maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum).
Other groundcovers
Actually, I could go on forever talking about groundcovers I have known and loved. Ajuga is one that also works for me in shade. Some say it is invasive, but it has been quite well-behaved in my yard. In sun I love lemon-scented thyme, because it tolerates drought and smells heavenly when you walk on it.
In other sunny areas I have used heaths and heathers, catmint (nepeta), creeping phlox, creeping speedwell, the smaller sedums - even low-growing junipers. Common yarrow also makes an interesting, silvery sort of lawn - and it doesn't mind being mowed occasionally if you'd rather not let it get to flowering stage.
Using groundcovers for all the tricky-to-mow or hard-to-grow-grass spots in the yard has cut a few hours off of my husband's mowing time, and sweetened his temper on mowing days. He no longer has to waste time trying to maneuver the mower into little cul-de-sacs, and we've almost eliminated the need to get out the weed wacker. And it has saved me a lot of time kneeling at the edge of the flower beds trying to eliminate unwanted
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