Advice on Good Groundcover?

March 29, 2006 3:45 PM

I’m looking for suggestions on what to plant as a groundcover in our backyard. I live in Los Angeles, California and am searching for the ideal ground cover which would: - require little water - not require super drainage (we have a fair amount of clay in our soil) - thrive in a sunny area - handle occasional foot traffic - grow moderately quickly - be evergreen - not be poisonous to kids The real kicker on the ideal groundcover would be cost—if we could plant it by seed that would be superb. Am I asking for too much? Should I bite the cost and buy thyme plugs?
posted by krudiger to Home & Garden (7 answers total)

Mint. Doesn't grow very tall, but spreads quickly. Smells great if you decide to mow it. If you do decide to use mint, bury a barrier so that it doesn't spread your neighbors' yards. ("groundcover" is just another term for "invasive" you know. hehe)
posted by luneray at 4:11 PM on March 29, 2006

You can grow thyme by seed, but you'll have a good start with nursery plants. You might be able to get a flat for about $25. I have a little carpet of creeping thyme and it managed to stay green all winter. I love it.

Make sure you like mint if you decide to go in that direction because you will never get rid of it. However, Some yards in my neighborhood use lemon balm to good effect. It is also in the invasive mint family, but it smells like a carpet of lemonheads. It makes nice tea, too.
posted by Alison at 4:31 PM on March 29, 2006

I'd recommend thyme, also. Elfin thyme is very tight and green; wooly thyme is grey and a bit fluffier but neither one gets more than a couple inches tall. They'll do fine in clay soil, but will spread like wildfire if you amend with a large amount of garden sand. You also shouldn't ever have to fertilize thyme- it prefers nutrient poor soil. Another choice is dymondia- it thrives in full sun with little water, and is very pretty. It's the groundcover I use more than any other.
posted by oneirodynia at 5:05 PM on March 29, 2006

dichondra and lippia are two species I'd recomend, both grow well from seed and are drought hardy.
posted by wilful at 5:30 PM on March 29, 2006

second elfin thyme.


mint dies back in winter.
posted by docpops at 9:24 PM on March 29, 2006

Rosemarinus officinalis.
posted by ikkyu2 at 10:50 PM on March 29, 2006

Thyme comes in many varieties. Could you edge with lemon thyme? If you aren't in a hurry, you could start thyme from seeds in paper cups. The bathroom size is perfect for seedlings. A fragrant groundcover sounds just so great.
posted by theora55 at 9:50 AM on March 30, 2006