Flowering ground cover plants look beautiful in both small and large gardens. They include a huge number of species and varieties of deciduous shrubs, shrubs, perennials and creepers. Cover plants effectively cover large areas of the soil, while protecting it against excessive drying and weeds.Many of them are characterized by an incredible variety of forms and colors of flowers that appear in different periods of the growing season.
Regardless of the position on which they grow, they always look best in larger groups, creating beautiful carpets of leaves, flowers, sometimes also fruit.Covering plants, due to their wide range of uses, can be divided into those that grow and bloom perfectly in shady and semi-shaded places, e.g. under trees, and those that prefer sunny locations.
One of the most valuable shrubs with attractive flowers, long flowering period and undemanding to the substrate is Rosa × rugotida "Dart's Defender".This shrub grows up to 1 m, creates numerous stolons, thanks to which it perfectly protects the soil against erosion, especially on slopes.Pink flowers with a yellow center smell very nice. The autumn leaf discoloration is exceptionally spectacular. It is a he althy and frost-resistant variety.
The slightly more demanding, but equally beautiful and recommended for turfing rose varieties include: blooming white, creating huge inflorescences 'Alba Meidiland', blooming bright pink Lovely Fairy and light pink 'The Fairy'.
Spiraea japonica Japanese tawulas also feel good in a sunny position, which in addition to pretty pink or white flat inflorescences also have decorative leaves. Japanese Tawuła 'Golden Princess' has beautiful yellow leaves and pink flowers. The 'Magic Carpet' variety is distinguished by intense orange foliage.
Dwarf varieties of 'Little Princess' and 'Japanese Dwarf' bloom pale pink and have green leaves. Spiraea betulifolia birchwood in the 'Tor' and gold-leaved 'Tor Gold' varieties is decorated with attractive white flowers gathered in corymbs. Tawuły, planted close to each other, 30-50 cm apart, make great carpets over 1 or 2 seasons.
The shrubs used as ground cover plants include a new variety of forsythia - 'Courtasol' Marée d'Or, only 0.5 m high, with overlapping shoots, narrow leaves and very early, abundant in flowering, as well as the older, dwarf variety 'Maluch'Hydrangea paniculata 'Dart's Little Dot' works very well as a ground cover plant.
White Dogwood Cornus alba Ivory Halo has attractive white-edged leaves and a compact, low, persistent habit.In addition, white dogwood is a plant that is extremely tolerant to soil and water content in the substrate, it grows well in a sunny position and in partial shade.
Tawlina and zloty
Sorbaria sorbifolia 'Sem' is increasingly used as a ground cover plant. Not only does it have decorative, white, fluffy, paniculate inflorescences, but also leaves that turn pink-orange in spring, and later yellow.Tawlina creates strong underground stolons, is resistant to unfavorable growing conditions and tolerant to light - it grows well in the sun and in the shade, although its leaves are slightly greener there.
Another good ground cover plant recommended for growing in the sun is the Japanese goldfish Kerria japonica - a low shrub with green shoots, white-edged leaves and yellow flowers that appear in spring.The plant tolerates all well-drained, not too dry soils.
Ground cover for shade and penumbra
In the shady corners of the gardens it is worth planting the evergreen vinca minor periwinkle. This plant, creating a compact carpet of dark green leaves, looks most beautiful in spring, when it blooms.
Recommended varieties: 'Atropurpurea' with purple-purple flowers, 'Ralph Shugert' with large blue flowers and leaves with a white border, 'Gertrude Jekyll' with fine leaves and white flowers.Canadian Dogwood Cornus canadensis, planted under the canopy of trees, performs, like the periwinkle, the function of a good ground cover plant. Small cream flowers decorate the plant at the turn of May and June. In the fall, Canadian dogwood sets red fruits, and its leaves turn a maroon color beautifully.
In warmer regions of the country, especially in Lower Silesia and western provinces, St. John's wort Hypericum calycinum is a perfect ground cover plant.This small evergreen or semi-evergreen shrub grows quickly with underground runners, creating shoots up to 30 cm high, covered with dark green leathery leaves.
An additional advantage of St. John's wort is its long and abundant flowering from June to August, low soil requirements and the fact that it can be grown both in shady and sunny positions.Very Perennials are a large group of plants, often used as ground cover plants. In shady and semi-shaded places it is worth planting larger "spots", e.g. Pulmonaria gingerbreads, Geranium geraniums, Brunner's brunnery, Convallaria lilies, Hosta funkies, Astilbe tavels, thirst and, Omphalodes, epimedia Epimedium and Tiarelle tiarelle.
Among the turf perennials, it is worth paying attention to the root and funeral geranium. Geranium macrorrhizum 'Spessart' rooted geranium blooms profusely in white in late spring. Geranium pheum 'Samobor' blooms at the turn of spring and summer.
It has purple-black flowers and original leaves covered with large brown spots.Funerary geranium is also found in the 'Album' variety - with white flowers. Some Clematis clematis are also among the perennials that cover large areas. 'Praecox' in July and August is decorated with clusters of tiny beige-violet flowers.
