Groundcovers are an essential part of the garden – they cover, bind and protect the soil, feed it when they die back, and provide habitat. They also reduce your workload mowing and trimming edges, and they don’t get lawn grub!
Host plant for Painted Lady Butterfly Evergreen perennial with prostrate spreading habit Green or Silver Grey Leaves to 5 cm x 25 mm Small Yellow flowers in terminal clusters most of the year. I’ve tried this plant several times as a groundcover without success until one plant in a pot against the back wall was […]
Chrysocephalum apiculatum (Yellow Buttons) Read More »
Smaller than Goodenia Ovata Tubestocks from Kumbartcho 1 December 2020 to go in bed along north wall. 3 x Goodenia ovata (top) and 3 x Goodenia rotundifolia We will see which the bees prefer.
Goodenia rotundifolia Star Goodenia Read More »
Tubestock from Kumbartcho 1 December 2020 Planted near base of front pond near the dianella
Lobelia quadrangularis Read More »
The native pigface Carpobrutus glaucescens growing on the verge is popular with the native bees. Very hardy, grows from cuttings.
Carpobrutus glaucescens Read More »
Common names winter apple or amulla, endemic to east coast extending from north Queensland to near the border between New South Wales and Victoria in Australia. (wikipedia) It is a prostrate shrub with lance-shaped leaves and white, rarely deep mauve flowers. Spreading weak stems up to 1 metre long. Flowering mainly in spring and summer,
Eremophila debilis Read More »
Although Goodenia ovata is often described as a small, open shrub, it grows as a ground cover on the verge. It’s extremely hardy and always seems to have cheerful yellow flowers.The leaves are glossy green with a serrated edge. Bought as tube stock from Kumbartcho Nursery A second Goodenia bought from Plant Shack in August 2018.
Goodenia ovata – yellow flowers on an unassuming but attractive plant Read More »
Scaevola is suddenly fashionable. It’s a pretty plant with flowers that look like half a daisy – hence fan flowers. In the new bed between the tank and the house, I have Aussie Winners – aemula which has larger, softer leaves and larger flowers, and some slightly smaller cheaper versions from Ridgy-Didge. They have morning
Scaevola – Fan Flower Read More »
Creeping herb with green circular leaves. Said to have greenish-white 5 mm flowers in Spring/Summer but I have yet to see any. I find this a useful creeping groundcover in the front lawn, on the verge, on mulched paths. It dries out quickly in hot sun but usually comes back again when it’s cooler. Mows
Dichondra repens – Kidney Weed Read More »
I call the native violet my weed of choice. This is not meant in a derogatory sense. Bare soil will always be colonised by something so why not encourage this friendly little plant to out-compete less attractive weeds and be the default groundcover. Native Violets grow in all sorts of places from full shade to
Viola hederacea / banksii (Native Violet) Read More »
A flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae, native to Australia from Queensland to Tasmania. It is known in Australia by the common names false sarsaparilla, purple coral pea, happy wanderer, native lilac and waraburra. (wikipedia) Hardenbergia violacea is usually a climbing plant whose branches twist around the stems of other plants. It is moderately
Hardenbergia violacea Read More »
Common Name – Swamp Mazus. A native ground cover for wet to waterlogged soils. Rosettes of tiny oak-like leaves. Unusual asymmetrical lilac/blue flowers in Spring-Summer. Grows in full sun or part shade. Low perennial herb forming rosettes connected by rhizomes. Flowering: September–April Bought Native Plant Sale: September 2016 Doesn’t like to dry out. Divides easily.
This stuff grows anywhere, tolerates poor and dry soil, strikes from small pieces. Small yellow flowers. The blue tongue lizards like it. I was a bit concerned about weed potential but it seems to spread, not jump and is easy to pull out. To kill completely, just sheet-cover or out-compete. Alyssum can beat it. August
Golden Carpet Stonecrop (Sedum acre) Read More »
Pigface is a bright, cheerful plant I remember from early childhood and when I saw a punnet of seedlings in the nursery, I knew I had to include it. It’s a succulent with the grey leaves and starkly contrasting soft bright flowers. They are so soft that you need to touch them to appreciate it
Pigface Red – Mesembryanthemum Read More »
