Marcia Westcott Peck, for The Oregonian/OregonLive

DENNIS:

There are sedums and sedges.



Sages and thyme (no rosemary, though).



There's even one that goes by the very cool name of azorella and another called barren strawberry (without, you guessed it, any fruit).



When it comes to groundcovers, we've got you covered. Or the ground covered, at least.



And while I admittedly don't know a ton about them, Grace Dinsdale of Blooming Junction Farm and Garden in Cornelius does.

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Grace Dinsdale. Photo by Marcia Westcott Peck

Growing up in Southern California, where the ground was either covered by ice plant or lawn or unnaturally colored rocks, it's astounding to me the number and variety of plants that can be used as groundcovers.



Of course, what you choose depends a lot on both what you want your groundcover to do — in addition to covering ground, which is pretty much a given — and where you want it to grow, including in those shady, dry spots under large trees where nothing seems to flourish.



Grace generously gave us a list of her 12 favorites, although she could have provided dozens more, in part the result of groundcover testing she has done on her own property.

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Marcia Westcott Peck

The bottom line is, there's a groundcover for pretty much every situation — all shade, all sun, very dry or boggy.



Many are great at weed suppression, others are beautiful, and quite a few are slug resistant. And there are those that are all three, of course.



Something to keep in mind, though: By their very nature, groundcovers like to spread. We've had several which shall remain nameless, although I've been known to call them a name or two at times, that were so invasive they still pop up years after we thought we'd eliminated them. After all, they'd be a pretty poor groundcover if they didn't cover more and more ground.

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Marcia Westcott Peck

MARCIA:

I know what I think a groundcover is: something that can blanket the ground, hopefully suppressing weeds and possibly controlling erosion.



It can be evergreen or deciduous, an aggressive spreader or one that moseys along slowly. Some are taller than others, such as groundcover roses or ornamental grasses, and can't be walked on, while many hug the Earth and can take foot traffic.



I went for a hike with our daughter and granddaughter the other day and I noticed that everywhere I looked the forest and oak savanna had their own native groundcovers.



We might consider some of them weeds in our own tamed gardens, but the native grasses, annuals, perennials and evergreens all mixed in together by Mother Nature were perfection.

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Sedum spathulifolium. From back 'Carnea', 'Purpureum'. Photo by Marcia Westcott Peck

There is such an amazing inherent balance with the Earth; I saw no bug damage or disease. Everything in its undisturbed state was living in harmony. That doesn't mean there aren't problems, but left alone, nature will take care of itself.



A dear client sent me a wonderful book called "Lab Girl," by Hope Jahren. It's about science and nature and life.



There are scientific studies that show that plants communicate with each other as a supportive community.



Maybe we all could learn some lessons in life from our chlorophyll-fueled friends.



I digress. Back to groundcovers. I use a lot of them in my job as a landscape designer and really appreciate Grace Dinsdale's breadth of knowledge on all growing things (Dennis: which extends to rescue donkeys and a friendly nursery cat named Willow).



If you know Grace, she's not one to just read about plants; she is always testing them out in her nursery and private garden.

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Marcia Westcott Peck

She concedes that to be successful, groundcovers will be a little invasive, and by definition, they can be aggressive. She recommends taking into consideration exposure and moisture when selecting a groundcover and points out it can take a couple of years to spread, so keep the bed weeded until it fills in.



She also says you can pick almost any sedum as a groundcover. I wholeheartedly agree with that statement, as anyone who has visited our garden can attest. Sedums make great groundcovers, as do many succulents.



I love to weave groundcovers throughout our garden, much like a living tapestry. I like to experiment with texture, color, height, bloom, seasonal interest and drama. Our garden is like a giant piece of living art with groundcovers bringing it all together into one cohesive unit.



There is a place in any garden for groundcover, so you might as well choose something beautiful. It's kind of like the bread in a sandwich: It holds everything together and if it's good bread, it makes the whole darn thing memorable. If it's bad, give it to Weird Uncle Gary. He likes anything! Including slugs.





Tried and true groundcovers from Grace Dinsdale

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Blooming Junction Nursery

Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sedge): Will take sun to heavy shade and not go summer dormant; can be mowed for a neater appearance. Grows well under oak trees and in dry conditions; 12 inches high by 12 inches wide.

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Marcia Westcott Peck

Waldsteinia ternata (Siberian barren strawberry): Beautiful green foliage turns reddish in winter and it has no known problems. Restrained creeping growth allows easy control of margins, which makes it a very effective edging plant. Full sun; 6 inches by 12 inches.

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Blooming Junction Nursery

Sedum ternatum 'Larinem Park' (stonecrop): One of the few sedums that likes shade and in fact needs shade. Very attractive and is a good dry groundcover; 2-3 inches by 24 inches.

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Blooming Junction Nursery

Achillea 'Brass Buttons' (yarrow): Very effective as a whole lawn substitute — drought tolerant and stays green. Requires little maintenance; mow after bloom. Can take a variety of exposures except deep shade; 3 inches (in bloom) by 12 inches.

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Marcia Westcott Peck

Thymus doerfleri 'Bressingham Pink' (creeping thyme): Very walkable and covers solidly quickly, unlike many more "stringy" thymes that send out long shoots. This one sends out multiple short shoots from the center, allowing weed-proof coverage more quickly. Sun to light shade; 2-2.5 inches by 18 inches.

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June Condruk, courtesy of Blooming Junction Nursery

Ajuga reptans 'Black Scallop' (bugleweed): Gorgeous, lustrous leaf texture and good solid weed-proof cover. Prefers regular water but takes drought. OK in full shade, but better color and texture with at least three to four hours of sun; 6 inches by 14 inches.

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Sedum spathulifolium 'Cape Blanco'. Photo by Marcia Westcott Peck

Sedum spathulifolium 'Purpureum,' 'Cape Blanco' and 'Carnea' (stonecrop): Versatile, textural and drought tolerant. Full sun to part shade; 3-4 inches by 18 inches

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Sedum spathulifolium purpureum. Photo courtesy of Blooming Junction Nursery

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Blooming Junction Nursery

Veronica liwanensis (Turkish speedwell): Beautiful blue carpet in bloom; tight and tough, takes a lot of drought. Likes sun to part shade; prostrate by 24 inches.

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Blooming Junction Nursery

Nassella tenuissima (Mexican feather grass): Romantic, wispy texture. Weaves in amongst other plants in a soft and feathery way. Forgiving in terms of conditions. Full sun to part shade; 18-24 inches by 14 inches.

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Marcia Westcott Peck

Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea' (golden creeping Jenny): Can be a bit invasive if in an optimal spot (moist conditions), but in a droughty situation easy to contain and a very good foil for other plants. Full sun to shade; 1-2 inches by 24 inches.

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Marcia Westcott Peck

Pratia pedunculata 'County Park' (blue star creeper): Much nicer than normal blue star creeper; deep blue star-shaped flowers and very dense growth. Blooms spring (May-June, but sporadically through summer and even fall). Sparkles! Sun to part shade; 1-2 inches by 12 inches.

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Marcia Westcott Peck

Azorella trifurcata 'Nana' (cushion plant): Unusual texture, like plastic! Very solid, evergreen weed-proof cover, and interesting feel. Sun to part shade; 1 inch x 6 inches.



Online: Find complete descriptions and more information about these groundcovers and many more at www.bloomingadvantage.com

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Tips

1. Get rid of existing weeds!

2. Assess the planting site

Is it sun or shade or both?

Is it a hillside or flat?

What is the drainage like? Is it continuously wet or dry or seasonally?

Is the soil clay? Does it need to be amended?

Is there root competition from surrounding trees or shrubs?

What would look good with the existing plants in terms of texture, color and height?

3. What are the surrounding plants? Plant with those with similar needs.

4. Do you want an evergreen or deciduous groundcover?

5. How aggressive should the groundcover be? Will it take over surrounding plants or coexist?

6. Is it for erosion control, weed suppression and/or looks?

7. How far apart should plants be spaced?

8. Will it be walked on and, if so, a little or a lot? Some groundcovers take more foot traffic than others.

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Marcia Westcott Peck

Summer solstice celebration at Blooming Junction

When: Saturday, June 22, noon-6 p.m.

Where: Blooming Junction Farm and Garden, 35105 N.W. Zion Church Road, Cornelius

What: Music, wine tastings, strawberry shortcake (berries picked there) and an impressive selection of plants.

Online: bloomingjunction.com

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Marcia Westcott Peck is a landscape designer (mwplandscape.com or find her on Instagram at @pecklandscape), and Dennis Peck is a senior editor at The Oregonian/OregonLive.