It may be cold outside, but it’s not too late to think about ground covers, which are perennial plants, for your landscape. In fact, winter is a great time to begin laying out ground cover. You minimize heat damage to young plants and also allow the ground cover to benefit from winter rains.
Here are some planting ideas to help you get started:
Powderpuff mimosa
This shrub-like groundcover type bears thistle-like lavender flowers. It does best in well-drained soils and partial shade.
Lantana
The lantana is another shrub-like plant that has multi-colored flowers – usually, orange, gold, yellow and lavender. It tolerates partial shade but needs sun to thrive.
Dwarf Asiatic jasmine
Like the powderpuff mimosa, the dwarf Asiatic jasmine likes well-drained soils. It thrives in full sun but will also tolerate partial shade.
Sedum (stonecrop)
The sedum is a succulent that grows in soil and rock and comes in over 600 varieties. It prefers fertile soil and full sun, but hardier sedum plants will tolerate some shade and less fertile soil.
All four of these ground cover types are drought-tolerant and require a minimum of irrigation. After you plant them, put down a two-inch layer of mulch to minimize weed invasion. Use a fertilizer with a 12-4-8 or 16-4-8 nutrient ratio to encourage more rapid growth.
When you need irrigation system repair, contact South Austin Irrigation Repair!
