Seeds for Ground Cover Plants
We find that sowing seeds in a tray or pot very thickly, allowing the germinated seedlings to almost be solid afte they germinate, then taking a tablespoon or small scoop, we can scoop out small plugs and they do very well. This saves a lot of time and cost on plug trays and works well for small and large areas. If you come up with a better way, please share it with us.
Keep in mind that many of these seed varieties are tiny ( think petunia or tobacco seeds where there over a quarter of a million seeds per ounce ) and starting them in a tray under a dome or covering the pot with plastic to maintain moisture is the best practical way to get good germination.
Visit our web page Seed Starting Mix to learn to make the best seed starting mix for plugs or you can usually find a good mix at your local gardening center. You should not try to direct sow seeds outside, you will receive very poor results this way, and we will not warrant the seeds if this method is used, we will only warrant seeds if they are started as plugs.
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Of course, all at no cost to you, in terms either of money or of maintenance. Miniclover®, a very small leaved white clover, also produces stolons so that it can spread itself evenly over the ground. Adding just 2-5% of Miniclover® to the turf seed mixture will result in a much-improved lawn. It has all the benefits of regular clover just packed into smaller leaves. Miniclover's ability to pull nitrogen from the air and fix or convert it to a usable form by the plants makes it a great companion for turf grass varieties.
This is due to nitrogen fixation benefiting the turf grass plants as well producing a healthy, dense, and naturally fertilized lawn that will require very little fertilizer maintenance. The dense clover growth alongside the growth of the turf grass will force out existing weeds as well as prevent the establishment of new weeds. In addition Miniclover® is very tolerant to low mowing heights. Miniclover® is very low maintenance and it helps to carry this characteristic to what ever it may be planted with.
Miniclover® is adapted to a wide range of climatic and soil conditions. Miniclover® tolerates wet and partially shady conditions, as well as drought. However, it can only tolerate wet conditions as long as the area is not flooded for long periods.
The type of shade normally occurring in parks and on golf courses is not a problem for Miniclover®. Clover can also help aerate the soil, thus reducing concerns over soil compaction. Clover tolerates compacted soil better than lawn grass does. It has longer roots, enabling it to access water at deeper levels than most lawn grasses. If you're interested in cheap, low-maintenance alternatives to lawn grass, Miniclover® is the perfect solution and is easy to plant from bulk clover seeds. Add it to your existing lawn to improve overall lawn health or use as a complete lawn replacement.
If Miniclover® is not cut then the leaf size increases, the more it is cut then the smaller the leaf size. When Miniclover® is not mowed at all, the leaf size will be about 1/2 the size of White Dutch Clover. When it is mowed, new leaf heads form within a few days so it continually looks thick and lush. If it is not never mowed, it will get approximately 6 inches tall. If you mow it, it will want to quit growing just slightly taller than the height it was mowed at. For example, if you mow it at a height of 3 inches, it will head back out and quit growing at a height of approximately 4 inches. In other words, you can almost "train" its growing height with infrequent mowings. The turf is very dense, very lush, and very beautiful.
Mixed with grasses, Miniclover® grows around the grass plants and feeds them nitrogen. The nitrogen continues to be released into the soil during the growing season until the first night frosts occur. The nitrogen is therefore available when and where it is needed, and so there is no risk of leaching, nor is there a risk of fertilizer burning in the field. For turf managers, Miniclover® is the perfect permanent slow release N-fertilizer. It does not add any P or K, so if those nutrients are missing from your soil you many need to supplement them separately.
Additionally, Miniclover® is semi-aggressive species, filling in gaps quickly. It competes well with weeds, thus reducing the need for herbicides.
Miniclover® is not as aggressive as White Dutch Clover. This type of clover can completely take over a lawn whereas Miniclover® will not do that. It is just aggressive enough to fill in bare spots where traditional grass may not repair for months.
As nitrogen is continually available during the growing season there is a reduced presence of disease like red thread, rusts and Fusarium. Miniclover® fertilizes the grass and helps to maintain its healthy appearance. In essence, adding Miniclover® to a lawn acts as a constant drip feed.
Miniclover® seeds are now pre-inoculated and coated. The coating material contains the inoculant to ensure your clover gets off to a great start. The coating material also helps retain moisture which improves the viability of each seedling. When Miniclover® or Microclover® is planted in warm temperatures and kept moist, you will have sprouts typically within 5 - 7 days.
Four ounce package will cover 500 square feet for over seeding existing lawn
or 250 square feet of new planting for lawn alternative.
Buckwheat is a plant of many uses. Though frequently used culinarily as a cereal grain, buckwheat is actually a seed—it’s also a great source of fiber, vitamin B6, and minerals such as magnesuim and zinc. It is naturally gluten-free and can be purchased roasted, as unroasted groats, as noodles, or in flour form. It has been eaten in Asian and Eastern European countries for centuries, but is now becoming increasingly popular in the west due to its many health benefits.
Buckwheat has a deep earthy and nutty flavor. In its unroasted form it is pale green and usually sprouted, and it is labeled as "groats." When you see buckwheat in its light tan form, it has been roasted. Roasted buckwheat, commonly known as "kasha," is tender and grain-like, and it works well in porridge. Despite having "wheat" in the name, buckwheat is in fact gluten-free.
Summer annual which can be used as a green manure crop. An early maturing wheat suitable for almost any type soil. Seeds remain on stalk after ripening, providing food over extended period of time. Buckwheat has a short growing season, maturing in 10 to 12 weeks. It is quickly killed by frost.
Benefits of Buckwheat Cover Crops: Quick cover. Few cover crops establish as rapidly and as easily as buckwheat. Its rounded pyramid- shaped seeds germinate in just three to five days. Leaves up to 3 inches wide can develop within two weeks to create a relatively dense, soil shading canopy. Buckwheat typically produces only 2 to 3 tons of dry matter per acre, but it does so quickly—in just six to eight weeks. Buckwheat residue also decomposes quickly, releasing nutrients to the next crop.
Weed suppressor. Buckwheat’s strong weed suppressing ability makes it ideal for smothering warm-season annual weeds. It’s also planted after intensive, weed-weakening tillage to crowd out perennials. A mix of tillage and successive dense seedings of buckwheat can effectively suppress Canada thistle, sowthistle, creeping jenny, leafy spurge, Russian knapweed and perennial peppergrass. While living buckwheat may have an allelopathic weed-suppressing effect, its primary impact on weeds is through shading and competition.
Phosphorus scavenger. Buckwheat takes up phosphorus and some minor nutrients (possibly including calcium) that are otherwise unavailable to crops, then releasing these nutrients to later crops as the residue breaks down. The roots of the plants produce mild acids that release nutrients from the soil. These acids also activate slow-releasing organic fertilizers, such as rock phosphate. Buckwheat’s dense, fibrous roots cluster in the top 10 inches of soil, providing an extensive root surface area for nutrient uptake.
Thrives in poor soils. Buckwheat performs better than cereal grains on low-fertility soils and soils with high levels of decaying organic matter. That’s why it was often the first crop planted on cleared land during the settlement of woodland areas and is still a good first crop for rejuvenating over-farmed soils. However, buckwheat does not do well in compacted, droughty or excessively wet soils.
Quick regrowth. Buckwheat will regrow after mowing if cut before it reaches 25 percent bloom. It also can be lightly tilled after the midpoint of its long flowering period to reseed a second crop. Some growers bring new land into production by raising three successive buckwheat crops this way.
Soil conditioner. Buckwheat’s abundant, fine roots leave topsoil loose and friable after only minimal tillage, making it a great mid-summer soil conditioner preceding fall crops in temperate areas.
Nectar source. Buckwheat’s shallow white blossoms attract beneficial insects that attack or parasitize aphids, mites and other pests. These beneficials include hover flies (Syrphidae), predatory wasps, minute pirate bugs, insidious flower bugs, tachinid flies and lady beetles. Flowering may start within three weeks of planting and continue for up to 10 weeks.
Alleviate Flooding
Following a heavy rainfall a green roof will initially retain more rain than a conventional roof. This minimizes the initial heavy runoff, which can cause localized flooding and put pressure on the sewage system. The remaining water then drains off more slowly, allowing more rain to remain in the natural water cycle and less in the sewage system.
Noise Reduction
The soft layer of Sedum blanket growing on a green roof has the affect of absorbing sound, as opposed to hard conventional roofs which can reflect it. In an already noisy urban environment this is certainly beneficial. The same layer improves the buildings sound insulation properties, reducing sound pollution within the building.
Thermal Insulation
The addition of a green roof layer to a property increases its thermal insulation properties, making it warmer in winter, cooler in summer and reducing energy costs.
Natural Habitat for Animals and Plants
Green roofs can help compensate for the loss of green surfaces, sacrificed to building developments. This helps to provide an environment for the development of wildlife, especially bird, plant and insect life, increasing the biodiversity in our towns and cities.
Improving Building Aesthetics
The clever use of a green roof can help a large and small buildings blend into a surrounding green landscape, minimizing the impact it has on the immediate environment. Green roofs can be used to soften ugly flat roofs on extensions, garages, sheds etc. helping them blend more easily into their surrounding environment. Where a building is located in a more urban landscape, the addition of a green roof can introduce a very welcome green interlude in a heavily built up area, where green spaces are few and far between, substituting in some way for the loss of a previous greener landscape.
Perennial Sedum plants have been one of the best choices for green roofs due to the fact that it is an extremely adaptable plant. Its special properties include:
Low Maintenance once established Sedum forms a tightly knit Sedum carpet, which allows little room for the development of weeds and can be left largely unattended. This makes it perfect for use on Sedum roofs.
Low Growing Sedum is a low growing plant, which generally reaches a height of 2 inches to 5 inches (up to 12 inches when in flower). It does not become overgrown and does not require regular cutting or pruning ideal when used on a Sedum roof.
Colorful Hues by mixing a number of different varieties of Sedum together as in this Sedum Roof Garden Mix, the Sedum turf will have a beautiful mix of colors (greens, yellows, reds and purples) and textures. As an evergreen it continues to provide a changing display of color throughout the winter months. When used to create a Sedum roof it will provide a beautifully changing display throughout the year.
Oktoberfest Sedum is a rugged, low-growing succulent that forms a dense carpet of colorful foliage, making it an excellent choice for small groundcover plantings and difficult landscape areas. The tiny, fleshy leaves create a tidy mat that hugs the ground, while the foliage develops rich golden to bronze-orange tones as cooler autumn weather arrives, inspiring the variety's festive name. Its compact growth and year-round interest make it equally attractive in rock gardens, between stepping stones, and along sunny borders.
Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, Oktoberfest Sedum is exceptionally drought tolerant once established and flourishes where many other plants struggle. It spreads gradually to form a weed-suppressing mat while requiring very little maintenance. The shallow root system allows it to thrive in thin soils, gravel gardens, retaining walls, and crevices between flagstones, making it ideal for homeowners seeking an attractive solution for dry, hard-to-plant locations.
During the growing season, the dense evergreen foliage creates a neat, textured carpet that is accented by cheerful yellow flowers that attract a wide variety of beneficial pollinating insects. While not intended for heavy foot traffic like a traditional lawn, it tolerates occasional stepping when planted between pavers or stepping stones. Its ability to conserve moisture and resist heat makes it especially valuable in water-wise landscapes and xeriscape gardens.
Oktoberfest Sedum deserves its place in this collection because it solves one of the gardener's most common challenges—covering hot, dry ground with a beautiful, low-maintenance plant. Whether filling the spaces between flagstones, cascading gently over stone walls, or replacing patches of bare soil in a sunny landscape, it provides dependable color and texture throughout the year while asking very little in return.
Favorite Wildlife: The bright yellow flowers attract honeybees, native bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and many other beneficial pollinating insects. The dense foliage also provides shelter for small beneficial garden insects.
Seedman Notes: Plant Oktoberfest Sedum in full sun with excellent drainage for the best foliage color and long-term performance. Avoid overly wet soils, particularly during winter. This variety is ideal for rock gardens, alpine plantings, dry slopes, and between stepping stones where only light foot traffic is expected. Once established, it is one of the easiest and most dependable groundcovers for sunny, drought-prone areas.
Irish Moss is one of the finest groundcovers for creating the appearance of a soft, emerald-green carpet in the landscape. Its dense cushions of tiny, moss-like foliage spread gently across the soil, forming a lush mat that looks equally at home between flagstones, along garden paths, in rock gardens, or edging flower beds. Although not a true moss, its rich green texture creates a timeless, tranquil look that complements both formal and natural garden designs.
Preferring full sun in cooler climates or light afternoon shade in warmer regions, Irish Moss thrives in moist, well-drained soil where it gradually fills small open spaces with a neat, weed-suppressing carpet. During late spring and early summer, countless tiny white flowers appear just above the foliage, adding a delicate sparkle without disrupting the plant's smooth, carpet-like appearance. Once established, it requires very little maintenance beyond occasional watering during extended dry periods.
Irish Moss is especially valued for softening hard landscape features. It nestles beautifully between stepping stones, fills the joints of flagstone walkways, spills gently over rock walls, and provides an elegant finishing touch around ponds, fountains, and garden borders. While it tolerates occasional foot traffic, it performs best where it can be admired rather than regularly walked upon. Its evergreen foliage in many climates ensures year-round beauty even when other groundcovers have gone dormant.
Irish Moss earns its place in this collection because few plants create such a refined and inviting groundcover in small landscape spaces. It transforms bare soil into a living carpet, blending naturally with stone, gravel, and perennial plantings while requiring very little upkeep. For gardeners seeking a soft, elegant alternative to mulch in decorative areas, Irish Moss remains one of the very best choices available.
Favorite Wildlife: The tiny white flowers attract honeybees, small native bees, hoverflies, and other beneficial pollinating insects, while the dense foliage provides shelter for helpful garden insects.
Seedman Notes: Irish Moss performs best in consistently moist, well-drained soil and appreciates light afternoon shade in regions with hot summers. It is an excellent choice for planting between flagstones, in rock gardens, around water features, or as a small-scale lawn substitute where foot traffic is limited. Its tidy habit, evergreen beauty, and low maintenance make it one of the most dependable ornamental groundcovers for home landscapes.
Important Note: These are very tiny seeds, even smaller than tobacco or petunia seeds. They are easily germinated by following instructions above, but they must be started inside and transplanted outside as "plugs". These will not germinate well outside, except in some instances where they are sowed between flagstones.
These pelleted seeds make for easy sowing and germination were smaller amounts of seeds are needed. Each pack contains over 150 pelleted seeds. Seeds are shipped in protective plastic vial.
As it stands in the weather, it loses tannic acid and becomes more and more palatable through the fall. This sorghum makes excellent seed for all game birds, including quail, turkey, pheasants, doves and ducks. Deer will also feed heavily on the grain in fall and winter. The WGF Sorghum has a life cycle of 90-120 days.
WGF Sorghum has good early seeding vigor and is easy to establish. This seed can be mixed with other seeds such as Millets or Sunflowers for a diverse food plot for game birds or can be mixed with summer peas for a diverse deer plot.
Viola labradorica 'Purpurea', commonly known as Purple Labrador Violet, is a charming low-growing perennial that brings rich foliage color, delicate flowers, and dependable groundcover performance to shaded garden spaces. Its heart-shaped leaves emerge with deep purple to bronze tones before maturing to an attractive blend of green and burgundy, creating season-long interest even when the plant is not in bloom. In spring, dainty violet-blue flowers rise above the foliage, adding a welcome splash of color to woodland gardens and shaded borders.
Thriving in partial to full shade and moist, well-drained soil, Purple Labrador Violet spreads gradually by self-seeding and short runners to form an attractive carpet beneath trees, along woodland paths, and around shrubs. It is especially useful for filling small, difficult areas where traditional lawn grasses struggle, requiring very little maintenance once established. The compact growth habit allows it to mingle naturally with ferns, hostas, and other shade-loving perennials.
Beyond its ornamental beauty, the early flowers provide an important nectar source for emerging pollinators, while the dense foliage helps suppress weeds and protect the soil from erosion. Although it is not intended for heavy foot traffic, it performs beautifully as a living mulch beneath deciduous trees, in shaded rock gardens, between lightly traveled stepping stones, or anywhere a soft, natural groundcover is desired.
Purple Labrador Violet deserves a place in this collection because it solves one of the gardener's most common landscape challenges—finding an attractive groundcover for shaded locations. Its colorful foliage, cheerful spring flowers, and gentle spreading habit create a beautiful living carpet that enhances woodland gardens while requiring very little care. It is a wonderful example of how a small plant can make a lasting impact in the landscape.
Seedman Notes: Plant Purple Labrador Violet in locations with consistent moisture and protection from intense afternoon sun. Allow plants to naturalize gradually beneath trees, along shaded pathways, or among woodland perennials for the most attractive effect. This variety is especially valuable where gardeners want colorful foliage, spring flowers, and a dependable groundcover without aggressive spreading.
Deer eat both the green top and the radish itself. Daikon Radish is also used in soil improvements as well as cover crop. Daikon Radish is very aggressive and will germinate and thrive in most soils types around the world. Great for no till food plots!
One of the biggest benefits behind Daikon Radish is its potential as a source of forage for both deer and cattle. Because the Daikon Radish is so hardy, it can thrive in almost climate and will continue to thrive even as Winter temperatures set in. This makes Daikon Radish a popular form of cattle forage during the Winter months as well. During the Summer, it's just as popular a source of forage because of its aggressive growing tendencies, and how quickly it sprouts new leaves after being consumed.
Daikon Radish have been a popular as a form of sustenance for residents of Southeast Asia for thousands of years. Thanks to its mild taste, it has found new audiences across the world in more recent years. Daikon Radishes can be stored for weeks, even without their leaves, if they are stored in a cool place. In Japanese cuisine, they are often pickled. Obviously the large root leaves behind a significant cavity in the soil, making it an optimal option for breaking up soil, including heavy clays, for those who wish to plant new crop options in years to come. Studies have shown that this taproot leaves more than 6 to 10 inches of effect on soil compaction. The word "Daikon" actually translates to "big root" in Japanese!
Cooking with Daikon Radish: Noodles: Try shredding daikon into "noodles" and adding to soups, stir-fries, or as the base for pasta sauce. Use a vegetable peeler to shave the long root into thin strips, then quickly cook into stir-fries, etc.
Salad: Peel, then grate, julienne, dice, or slice to add crunch to your favorite salad. Many like to sprinkle mine with Ume Plum Vinegar when using raw.
Stew: A somewhat traditional option, try adding big chunks of dakion radish to hearty stews. Try a Beef Stew with Red Wine & Herbs or Beet Bourguignon.
Roasted Like any root vegetable, daikon is great roasted. Use a basic recipe, then branch out to Miso Maple Roasted Vegetables.
Slow cooked baking pan or slow cooker with carrots, onions, garlic, low-sodium seasonings, low-sodium vegetable broth, lean meat. Turn on low and let the juices and flavors start mixing for an all-in-one meal.
Health benefits: Boosting digestive health. Assists in detoxification — As a diuretic, daikon may help stimulate urination. Weight management — Daikon is a low-calorie and low-cholesterol vegetable, yet still high in fiber
Dichondra repens is one of the finest living groundcovers for creating a soft, lawn-like carpet in places where traditional grass is difficult to maintain. Its small, rounded leaves form a dense blanket of rich green foliage that spreads naturally across the soil, producing a smooth, inviting appearance. Whether planted between stepping stones, beneath trees, around patios, or as a small lawn substitute, Dichondra brings a graceful, finished look to the landscape while remaining pleasantly understated.
Growing best in full sun to partial shade, Dichondra repens prefers well-drained soil with consistent moisture during establishment. Once rooted, it gradually spreads by creeping stems, filling bare areas with a low-growing mat that suppresses weeds and reduces the need for mulch. Its neat growth habit requires little maintenance and can be mowed occasionally if an especially uniform appearance is desired, making it a popular alternative to conventional turf in selected landscape settings.
Dichondra is especially valuable in small spaces where its fine texture can be fully appreciated. It creates beautiful transitions between flagstones, softens the edges of pathways, and provides an attractive living carpet beneath shrubs or around garden ornaments. While it tolerates light foot traffic, it is best suited to decorative areas rather than heavily used walkways. Its elegant appearance has made it a favorite for courtyards, Mediterranean-style gardens, and peaceful garden retreats.
Dichondra repens deserves its place in this collection because it offers homeowners an attractive solution for replacing small patches of lawn with a more refined and distinctive groundcover. Its lush green foliage, gentle spreading habit, and ability to thrive in a variety of landscape settings make it one of the most versatile living carpets available. For gardeners seeking beauty, simplicity, and low maintenance, few groundcovers are as rewarding.
Seedman Notes: Dichondra repens performs best where foot traffic is light and the soil remains reasonably well drained. Water regularly while plants become established, then reduce irrigation as the groundcover matures. It is an excellent choice for planting between stepping stones, beneath open-canopy trees, around patios, and as a small-scale lawn substitute where a soft, elegant green carpet is desired.
Click here for Detailed Growing Instructions for Dichondra
Fiesta Gitana Mix Calendula brings brilliant, long-lasting color to small landscape spaces where a cheerful seasonal groundcover is desired. This compact variety produces masses of fully double flowers in warm shades of orange, yellow, apricot, and gold, creating a vibrant display that quickly fills borders and garden edges. While it is not a permanent creeping groundcover, its dense, low-growing habit makes it an excellent choice for covering bare soil with continuous blooms throughout the growing season.
Growing just a few inches tall, Fiesta Gitana Mix thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, forming neat, bushy plants that flower freely from spring until frost. Regular deadheading encourages an even heavier display, while the compact habit allows multiple plants to knit together into colorful masses. It performs beautifully along walkways, in raised beds, cottage gardens, and mixed flower borders where a tidy, uniform appearance is desired.
Fiesta Gitana Mix is especially valuable for brightening small problem areas that need more than mulch but less than a permanent groundcover. It softens the edges of pathways, fills gaps between perennials, creates colorful borders around vegetable gardens, and provides a striking seasonal carpet in sunny locations. The edible petals are an added bonus, making this attractive annual both ornamental and useful, while the abundant flowers attract a steady stream of beneficial pollinators.
Fiesta Gitana Mix deserves its place in this collection because it offers homeowners a colorful solution for small sunny spaces where a permanent groundcover may not be practical. Rather than creating a living carpet year after year, it delivers months of brilliant blooms that transform bare ground into a vibrant display. For gardeners seeking beauty, pollinator value, and easy care, it is one of the finest seasonal flowering groundcovers available.
Seedman Notes: Plant Fiesta Gitana Mix in groups for the greatest visual impact. Space plants closely to create a continuous carpet of flowers, and remove spent blooms regularly to encourage fresh blossoms. It is best considered a seasonal flowering groundcover for sunny borders, pathways, and landscape beds rather than a permanent lawn substitute.
Flowers also look beautiful in containers or hanging baskets. The trailing nature of the Nolana plant allows it to spill over the sides. The flowers are white, ruffled and trumpet-shaped and perform beautifully all summer long. Give a sunny spot with very well-drained, moderately fertile soil. The plant requires little care and it drought resistant.
Forget-Me-Not is a charming woodland favorite that creates a beautiful carpet of sky-blue flowers in early spring, bringing life to shaded garden spaces when few other plants are in bloom. The low-growing plants spread gently to form natural drifts beneath trees, along woodland paths, and around spring-flowering bulbs, making them an excellent choice for homeowners looking to soften small problem areas with lasting seasonal beauty.
Thriving in partial shade and moist, well-drained soil, Forget-Me-Not develops compact clumps of soft green foliage topped with hundreds of delicate five-petaled blue flowers with bright yellow centers. In favorable conditions, plants readily self-seed, gradually forming attractive colonies that return year after year with little attention. Their modest height allows them to blend naturally with ferns, hostas, bleeding hearts, and other shade-loving perennials.
Forget-Me-Not is especially useful for naturalizing beneath deciduous trees, edging shaded walkways, filling woodland gardens, and covering bare ground in areas where turfgrass struggles to grow. While it is not intended for foot traffic, its gentle spreading habit creates a colorful living carpet that suppresses weeds and provides one of the earliest displays of spring color. It is particularly effective when planted in large drifts where the masses of blue blossoms create an unforgettable display.
Forget-Me-Not deserves its place in this collection because it transforms shaded spaces into carpets of brilliant spring color with very little effort. Rather than serving as a lawn substitute, it excels as a naturalizing groundcover that brings beauty, texture, and seasonal interest to woodland gardens and shaded borders. Few plants are as dependable for brightening difficult shaded areas with such timeless charm.
Seedman Notes: Plant Forget-Me-Not where it can naturalize undisturbed beneath trees, around shrubs, or in woodland borders. Allow a few plants to set seed each year to maintain attractive colonies. It pairs beautifully with spring-flowering bulbs and shade-loving perennials, creating one of the most enchanting groundcover displays in the spring garden.
White Yarrow is a hardy native perennial that serves as an attractive groundcover for sunny, open spaces where durability is just as important as beauty. Its finely divided, fern-like foliage forms an attractive green carpet during the growing season, while broad clusters of crisp white flowers rise just above the foliage, creating a natural meadow appearance. It is especially useful for homeowners looking to cover difficult, dry areas with a plant that requires very little maintenance once established.
Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, White Yarrow spreads gradually by creeping rhizomes to form expanding colonies that help suppress weeds and stabilize the soil. It is remarkably tolerant of drought, heat, poor soils, and neglect, making it an outstanding choice for slopes, banks, roadside plantings, and naturalized landscapes. The plants maintain an attractive appearance throughout the growing season and return reliably year after year.
White Yarrow is particularly valuable for covering larger sunny spaces where a traditional lawn may be difficult to maintain. It works well on dry hillsides, around mailboxes, in meadow gardens, and as a natural groundcover beneath widely spaced shrubs or trees. While it tolerates occasional foot traffic, it is best appreciated as a flowering groundcover that brings texture, movement, and long-lasting blooms to the landscape while reducing the need for frequent watering.
White Yarrow deserves its place in this collection because it solves many of the problems associated with hot, dry landscape areas. Its spreading habit, drought tolerance, and extended flowering season make it an excellent living groundcover for gardeners seeking a beautiful, low-maintenance alternative to bare soil or thirsty turfgrass. Few native perennials provide so much ornamental value while asking so little in return.
Seedman Notes: Plant White Yarrow in full sun for the strongest growth and heaviest flowering. It is an excellent choice for naturalized landscapes, erosion control, pollinator gardens, and sunny groundcover plantings. Divide established clumps every few years if desired to maintain vigor, or allow them to spread naturally into attractive colonies.
Crown Vetch is a vigorous perennial groundcover valued for its exceptional ability to stabilize soil and quickly cover difficult sunny slopes. Its trailing stems form a dense mat of attractive blue-green foliage that is topped from late spring through summer with rounded clusters of pink and white pea-like flowers. Originally introduced for erosion control, it remains one of the most effective plants for reclaiming banks, embankments, and other hard-to-maintain areas where a dependable living groundcover is needed.
Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, Crown Vetch is remarkably tolerant of drought, poor soils, and challenging growing conditions once established. The spreading stems root as they grow, allowing plants to gradually knit together into a thick carpet that suppresses weeds and protects exposed soil from erosion. Its vigorous nature makes it especially valuable for large, sunny areas where low maintenance is a priority.
Crown Vetch excels on steep hillsides, highway embankments, drainage areas, and other locations where conventional lawns are difficult or impossible to maintain. While it is not suitable for planting between stepping stones or in small ornamental beds due to its aggressive growth habit, it is one of the finest choices for stabilizing slopes and covering large expanses of bare ground. The long season of pink and white blooms also provides welcome color while attracting a wide variety of pollinating insects.
Crown Vetch deserves its place in this collection because it solves one of the most difficult landscaping problems—establishing a durable groundcover on steep, erosion-prone sites. Its rapid growth, attractive flowers, and exceptional soil-holding ability make it invaluable where function is every bit as important as beauty. For large problem areas in full sun, few groundcovers are as dependable or as effective.
Seedman Notes: Crown Vetch should be planted thoughtfully, as its vigorous spreading habit makes it best suited for large open areas rather than small ornamental gardens. It is ideal for erosion control on banks and slopes but should not be planted where slower-growing perennials may be overwhelmed. When used in the proper setting, it is one of the most reliable groundcovers available for stabilizing difficult landscapes.
Green Carpet, also known as Rupturewort, is one of the finest low-growing groundcovers for filling the narrow spaces where traditional lawn grasses struggle to grow. Tiny bright green leaves densely cover its creeping stems, forming a soft, cushion-like mat that hugs the ground with remarkable neatness. Its understated beauty makes it especially valuable between flagstones, along garden paths, in rock gardens, and anywhere a durable living carpet is preferred over bare soil or mulch.
Thriving in full sun to light shade, Green Carpet adapts well to a variety of well-drained soils and becomes increasingly drought tolerant once established. The plant spreads gradually to create a dense, weed-suppressing mat while remaining exceptionally low growing, often requiring no mowing or trimming. Unlike many flowering groundcovers, its appeal comes primarily from its rich green foliage, which remains attractive throughout much of the year and develops attractive bronze tones during colder weather in some climates.
Green Carpet is especially useful where homeowners want the appearance of a miniature lawn without the maintenance of traditional turf. It performs beautifully between stepping stones, around patios, bordering pathways, and in courtyard gardens where it tolerates occasional foot traffic. Its dense growth also helps reduce erosion on gentle slopes and creates a refined, finished appearance that complements both formal and natural landscape designs.
Green Carpet deserves its place in this collection because it excels in exactly the kinds of small problem areas that inspired this Publisher's Edition page. It transforms narrow gaps, difficult corners, and sunny walkways into attractive living spaces while requiring very little care. For gardeners seeking a durable, low-maintenance alternative to grass in lightly traveled areas, few groundcovers perform as gracefully or as reliably.
Favorite Wildlife: Although its tiny green flowers are inconspicuous, the dense foliage provides shelter for beneficial insects and contributes to a healthy garden ecosystem. The living carpet also helps protect soil moisture and supports countless small garden organisms.
Seedman Notes: Plant Green Carpet where excellent drainage is available and allow it time to establish a solid mat before expecting maximum performance. It is one of the best choices for planting between flagstones, around stepping stones, in rock gardens, and as a miniature lawn substitute where foot traffic is light to moderate. Its tidy appearance and exceptional durability make it a favorite among landscape designers and alpine gardeners alike.
Important Note: These are very tiny seeds, even smaller than tobacco or petunia seeds. They are easily germinated by following instructions above, but they must be started inside and transplanted outside as "plugs". These will not germinate well outside, except in some instances where they are sowed between flagstones. We cannot warrant thes seeds if sowed directly outside.
Grandiflora Pink Portulaca is a colorful, sun-loving annual that quickly transforms hot, dry areas into a brilliant carpet of vibrant pink blooms. Its succulent foliage and spreading growth habit make it an excellent seasonal groundcover for rock gardens, borders, slopes, and other challenging locations where many plants struggle to thrive. Blooming continuously through the heat of summer, it provides outstanding color while requiring very little maintenance.
Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, Grandiflora Pink Portulaca flourishes in sandy, gravelly, or otherwise poor soils where traditional bedding plants often fail. The low-growing plants spread outward to cover bare ground with fleshy green foliage that conserves moisture and tolerates prolonged periods of drought. Large rose-like flowers open each sunny morning, creating a dazzling display that continues until frost.
Grandiflora Pink Portulaca is especially useful for covering small sunny spaces where a permanent groundcover is not practical. It performs beautifully spilling over retaining walls, filling rock gardens, edging walkways, brightening raised beds, and covering exposed soil in containers and hanging baskets. While it is not intended for foot traffic or use as a lawn substitute, its spreading habit provides an attractive seasonal carpet that softens the landscape while suppressing weeds and reducing exposed soil.
Grandiflora Pink Portulaca deserves its place in this collection because it offers one of the easiest solutions for covering hot, dry problem areas with months of brilliant color. Rather than competing with permanent groundcovers, it provides homeowners with an outstanding seasonal option that thrives where heat, drought, and poor soil would challenge many other flowering plants. For sunny locations requiring dependable beauty with minimal care, it is one of the finest annual groundcovers available.
Seedman Notes: Plant Grandiflora Pink Portulaca in the sunniest, best-drained location available. Space plants closely to create a solid carpet of color, and avoid overwatering, as the succulent foliage is naturally adapted to dry conditions. It is an excellent choice for rock gardens, slopes, borders, and other sunny areas where a long-blooming seasonal groundcover is desired.
Grandiflora Rose White Portulaca creates a brilliant seasonal carpet of fully double blooms that brighten the hottest, driest areas of the garden. The low-growing plants spread quickly with succulent foliage, producing an abundance of rose-like flowers in soft white that glow against the rich green leaves. Its compact, trailing habit makes it an excellent choice for covering small sunny spaces, softening the edges of borders, and adding continuous color to rock gardens and landscape beds.
Exceptionally heat and drought tolerant, Grandiflora Rose White Portulaca thrives in full sun and sharply drained soil where many flowering plants struggle. The spreading stems gradually fill open areas, forming a neat, weed-suppressing mat that requires very little maintenance. Throughout the summer, the fully double blossoms open with the sunshine, creating a fresh display of flowers day after day until frost.
Grandiflora Rose White Portulaca is especially valuable for covering bare soil in sunny locations where a permanent groundcover is unnecessary or impractical. It performs beautifully along pathways, cascading over retaining walls, filling rock gardens, and weaving through raised beds and containers. Although it is not intended for foot traffic or use as a lawn substitute, it provides an outstanding seasonal groundcover that transforms difficult dry spaces into vibrant displays of color.
Grandiflora Rose White Portulaca deserves its place in this collection because it offers homeowners an easy solution for brightening small problem areas with months of dependable blooms. Its spreading habit, remarkable drought tolerance, and continuous flowering make it one of the finest annual groundcovers for sunny landscapes. When beauty, resilience, and low maintenance are the goal, few seasonal groundcovers perform more reliably.
Seedman Notes: Plant in full sun with excellent drainage for the best flowering performance. Space plants closely to produce a continuous carpet of blooms, and avoid overly rich soils or excessive watering. Grandiflora Rose White Portulaca is ideal for rock gardens, borders, slopes, containers, and other sunny locations where a colorful seasonal groundcover is desired.
Grandiflora Rose Pink Portulaca blankets sunny garden spaces with a vibrant display of fully double, rose-like blooms in rich shades of pink. The low-growing, spreading plants quickly form a colorful seasonal carpet that brightens borders, rock gardens, raised beds, and other difficult landscape areas. Combined with its succulent foliage and exceptional heat tolerance, this variety offers homeowners an easy way to replace bare soil with months of continuous color.
Growing best in full sun and well-drained soil, Grandiflora Rose Pink Portulaca thrives where intense heat, drought, and poor soils challenge many other flowering plants. The creeping stems gradually spread to create a dense mat of fleshy green foliage that conserves moisture while helping suppress weeds. Throughout the summer, the fully double flowers open in the sunshine, providing an ever-changing display that continues until the arrival of frost.
Grandiflora Rose Pink Portulaca is especially useful for covering small sunny spaces where a permanent groundcover is not required. It softens the edges of pathways, spills naturally over retaining walls, fills rock gardens with brilliant color, and creates attractive masses in borders and containers. While it is not intended for heavy foot traffic or use as a lawn substitute, it serves beautifully as a seasonal flowering groundcover that transforms hot, dry areas into colorful focal points.
Grandiflora Rose Pink Portulaca deserves its place in this collection because it provides one of the simplest and most dependable solutions for covering difficult sunny sites with long-lasting blooms. Its spreading habit, outstanding drought tolerance, and remarkably low maintenance make it an excellent choice for homeowners who want beauty without constant care. Few annual groundcovers deliver such an impressive display under challenging growing conditions.
Seedman Notes: Plant in the sunniest location available with excellent drainage. Space plants closely for a solid carpet of color, and avoid overwatering once established. Grandiflora Rose Pink Portulaca is ideal for rock gardens, sunny slopes, borders, containers, and other dry landscape areas where a colorful seasonal groundcover is needed.
Melton Fire Potentilla is a colorful perennial that creates a low-growing carpet of attractive foliage accented by brilliant scarlet-red flowers with deep crimson centers. Blooming over an extended period, this easy-care variety adds vivid color to rock gardens, cottage gardens, sunny borders, and other small landscape spaces where a flowering groundcover is desired. Its compact habit and continuous display make it an excellent choice for homeowners looking to brighten difficult areas with dependable perennial beauty.
Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, Melton Fire develops neat mounds of finely divided green foliage that gradually spread into attractive clumps. The vibrant blossoms rise just above the foliage from late spring through much of the summer, creating a striking contrast that catches the eye without overwhelming neighboring plants. Once established, it tolerates heat, short periods of drought, and requires very little maintenance beyond occasional deadheading to encourage continued flowering.
Melton Fire is especially useful for softening the edges of pathways, filling pockets in rock gardens, covering sunny banks, and weaving through perennial borders where it creates colorful patches of long-lasting bloom. While it is not intended as a lawn substitute or for areas receiving regular foot traffic, it performs beautifully as a flowering groundcover that suppresses weeds while adding texture and season-long interest to the landscape.
Melton Fire deserves its place in this collection because it offers gardeners a dependable perennial solution for covering small sunny spaces with vibrant color. Its compact growth, extended bloom season, and easy-care nature make it an outstanding choice for areas where a permanent flowering groundcover is preferred over annual bedding plants. For adding brilliant color to challenging landscape spaces, few perennials are as rewarding.
Seedman Notes: Plant Melton Fire in full sun for the heaviest flowering and best foliage development. Space plants so they can gradually grow together into colorful colonies, and remove spent flowers periodically to extend the bloom season. It is an excellent perennial groundcover for rock gardens, sunny borders, slopes, and other small landscape areas where long-lasting color is desired.
Creeping Daisy is a delightful low-growing annual that quickly forms a bright carpet of cheerful white, daisy-like flowers with sunny yellow centers. Blooming in remarkable abundance, it transforms bare soil into a sea of blossoms that is perfect for edging pathways, filling rock gardens, softening borders, and brightening other small landscape spaces. Its compact habit and continuous flowering make it one of the easiest seasonal groundcovers for adding charm to the garden.
Thriving in full sun to light shade and well-drained soil, Creeping Daisy develops a dense mat of finely textured green foliage that remains attractive throughout the growing season. The plants branch freely, producing hundreds of flowers over many weeks with very little maintenance. Their naturally spreading habit allows neighboring plants to grow together into a colorful living carpet that suppresses weeds while creating a neat, finished appearance.
Creeping Daisy is especially useful for filling the front of flower beds, spilling gently over the edges of raised beds, brightening rock gardens, and covering small open spaces with continuous blooms. While it is not intended for heavy foot traffic or use as a lawn substitute, it excels as a seasonal flowering groundcover that softens hard landscape features and brings lasting color to sunny garden areas. Its long bloom season also makes it an excellent companion for spring and summer perennials.
Creeping Daisy deserves its place in this collection because it provides homeowners with a simple, dependable way to cover small sunny spaces with months of cheerful flowers. Its compact growth, easy culture, and exceptional flowering performance make it an outstanding seasonal groundcover for borders, pathways, and ornamental plantings. Few annuals create such an inviting carpet of blooms with so little effort.
Favorite Wildlife: The nectar-rich flowers attract honeybees, native bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and many other beneficial pollinating insects, adding life and movement to the garden throughout the blooming season.
Seedman Notes: Plant Creeping Daisy in groups for the greatest visual impact, spacing plants closely so they quickly form a continuous carpet of flowers. Remove spent blooms occasionally to encourage even heavier flowering. It is an excellent choice for rock gardens, borders, raised beds, and other sunny locations where a colorful seasonal groundcover is desired.
Ajuga repens, commonly known as Bugleweed, is one of the finest perennial groundcovers for filling difficult landscape spaces with year-round beauty. Its dense rosettes of glossy foliage spread rapidly to form a rich carpet of color, while upright spikes of brilliant blue flowers rise above the leaves in spring, creating a striking display beneath trees, around shrubs, and along shaded pathways. Few plants are as effective at replacing bare ground with an attractive, living mulch.
Thriving in partial shade but equally adaptable to full sun in cooler climates, Ajuga repens grows well in moist, well-drained soil where it gradually spreads by runners into dense colonies. The evergreen to semi-evergreen foliage remains attractive through much of the year, helping suppress weeds while reducing the need for mulch. Its low-growing habit makes it especially valuable beneath deciduous trees, on shaded slopes, and in woodland gardens where turfgrass often struggles.
Ajuga repens excels at covering small problem areas with very little maintenance. It performs beautifully between widely spaced stepping stones, beneath shrubs, bordering woodland paths, and filling shaded garden beds with rich texture and spring color. While it tolerates occasional foot traffic, it is best used where its handsome foliage and colorful flower spikes can be appreciated without constant wear. The spreading growth also helps stabilize soil on gentle slopes while creating a neat, finished appearance.
Ajuga repens deserves its place in this collection because it solves one of the most common landscape challenges—establishing an attractive groundcover in shade. Its evergreen foliage, dependable spreading habit, and beautiful spring flowers provide lasting ornamental value while requiring very little care. For homeowners seeking a durable, low-maintenance solution for shaded gardens and difficult growing conditions, few perennial groundcovers are more dependable.
Seedman Notes: Plant Ajuga repens where it has room to spread naturally into a dense carpet. It performs best in consistently moist, well-drained soil but becomes surprisingly adaptable once established. Ideal for woodland gardens, beneath trees, shaded slopes, and around stepping stones, it is one of the easiest perennial groundcovers for creating a lush, weed-suppressing landscape.
Autumn Bride Heuchera is a graceful native perennial that forms broad mounds of attractive green foliage, making it an excellent groundcover for lightly shaded gardens and woodland landscapes. In late summer and early autumn, tall airy stems rise above the leaves carrying hundreds of delicate white flowers, bringing fresh color to the garden long after many perennials have finished blooming. Its combination of handsome foliage and late-season flowers makes it an outstanding choice for filling difficult shaded spaces with lasting beauty.
Thriving in partial shade and moist, well-drained soil, Autumn Bride develops into dense clumps that gradually expand to create an attractive living carpet beneath trees, along woodland paths, and in shaded borders. The large, softly textured leaves remain attractive throughout the growing season, providing excellent weed suppression while adding rich texture to the landscape. Once established, it is dependable, hardy, and remarkably easy to maintain.
Autumn Bride is especially useful for softening the edges of woodland gardens, covering the ground beneath open-canopy trees, filling shaded slopes, and blending naturally with hostas, ferns, astilbes, and other shade-loving perennials. While it is not intended as a lawn substitute or for regular foot traffic, its broad foliage creates an attractive, low-maintenance groundcover that brightens areas where turfgrass often struggles to grow. The late-season flowers also provide valuable interest when many gardens begin to fade.
Autumn Bride deserves its place in this collection because it offers homeowners a dependable perennial solution for covering shaded landscape areas with attractive foliage instead of mulch. Its long-lasting leaves, graceful flower display, and gradual spreading habit create a refined woodland groundcover that provides beauty from spring through autumn. For gardeners seeking a reliable plant for difficult shaded locations, few native perennials are as rewarding.
Seedman Notes: Plant Autumn Bride in partial shade with consistently moist, well-drained soil for best performance. Allow plants to spread naturally into attractive colonies, and remove old flower stalks after blooming if desired. It is an excellent groundcover for woodland gardens, shaded borders, beneath trees, and other landscape areas where attractive foliage and dependable late-season flowers are appreciated.
White Pussytoes is a charming native perennial that forms a soft, silvery carpet of fuzzy foliage, making it one of the finest groundcovers for sunny, dry landscapes. The low-growing mats hug the ground with a delicate texture that resembles miniature woolly cushions, while clusters of small white flowers rise above the foliage in spring. Its compact habit and drought tolerance make it an excellent choice for rock gardens, alpine plantings, dry slopes, and other difficult areas where traditional groundcovers often struggle.
Thriving in full sun and sharply drained soil, White Pussytoes spreads gradually by creeping stolons to create an attractive living carpet that requires very little maintenance. The silvery-gray foliage remains appealing throughout the growing season and provides beautiful contrast against darker green plants and natural stone. Once established, it tolerates heat, drought, poor soils, and neglect with remarkable ease, making it well suited for low-maintenance landscapes.
White Pussytoes is especially valuable for covering small sunny spaces between rocks, edging pathways, filling alpine gardens, and stabilizing dry slopes. While it is not intended for regular foot traffic or as a lawn substitute, it excels at replacing bare soil with a neat, weed-suppressing groundcover that blends naturally into informal landscapes. Its soft foliage and understated flowers create a peaceful, natural appearance that complements both native and cottage-style gardens.
White Pussytoes deserves its place in this collection because it provides an elegant solution for gardeners seeking a durable groundcover for hot, dry locations. Its silvery foliage, gradual spreading habit, and exceptional drought tolerance create lasting beauty where many other plants struggle to survive. For rock gardens, sunny banks, and naturalized landscapes, it remains one of the most dependable and attractive native groundcovers available.
Seedman Notes: Plant White Pussytoes in full sun with excellent drainage, avoiding overly rich or consistently wet soils. It is an outstanding choice for rock gardens, alpine plantings, dry borders, and erosion-prone slopes where a long-lived, low-maintenance native groundcover is desired. Allow plants to spread naturally into soft, silvery colonies for the most attractive landscape effect.
California Bluebells are among the most dazzling annual wildflowers for creating a colorful seasonal groundcover in sunny landscapes. Low-growing plants quickly spread into broad drifts of fuzzy gray-green foliage that become covered with brilliant cobalt-blue, bell-shaped flowers from spring into early summer. Their vivid color transforms rock gardens, dry slopes, borders, and naturalized plantings into eye-catching displays while bringing a touch of the California desert into the home garden.
Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, California Bluebells are exceptionally well adapted to dry conditions and perform beautifully in sandy or gravelly sites where many other flowering plants struggle. The plants remain compact, allowing neighboring seedlings to grow together into colorful masses that suppress weeds while requiring very little maintenance. Their ability to flourish in hot, sunny locations makes them an outstanding choice for low-water landscapes.
California Bluebells are especially valuable for covering small sunny areas with vibrant spring color. They perform beautifully in rock gardens, along pathways, on dry banks, and in wildflower plantings where a seasonal carpet of blooms is desired. While they are not intended for foot traffic or use as a lawn substitute, they excel at replacing bare soil with weeks of brilliant flowers that soften the landscape and create a natural, meadow-like appearance.
California Bluebells deserve their place in this collection because they provide homeowners with one of the brightest seasonal groundcovers available for hot, dry locations. Their compact growth, remarkable drought tolerance, and unforgettable blue blossoms create a spectacular display with very little effort. For gardeners seeking a colorful solution to difficult sunny spaces, few annual wildflowers are as rewarding.
Favorite Wildlife: The nectar-rich flowers are highly attractive to honeybees, native bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and numerous other beneficial pollinating insects, making them an excellent addition to pollinator-friendly landscapes.
Seedman Notes: Sow seeds directly outdoors in early spring or fall where winters are mild, as the plants establish quickly and prefer not to be transplanted. California Bluebells are at their best when planted in generous drifts, creating a breathtaking carpet of blue that is ideal for rock gardens, dry borders, naturalized areas, and other sunny landscape spaces.
Purple Tansy is a fast-growing annual that creates a soft, flowering carpet of finely divided fern-like foliage topped with striking lavender-purple blooms. Although best known as one of the finest pollinator plants available, its broad, mounding growth habit also makes it an attractive seasonal groundcover for filling open sunny spaces with color and texture. It is especially effective in naturalized gardens, orchard understories, and difficult areas where homeowners want a beautiful living cover rather than bare soil.
Growing vigorously in full sun and well-drained soil, Purple Tansy quickly establishes dense foliage that helps shade the soil and reduce weed growth. The plants bloom over an extended period, producing distinctive curled flower clusters that create a hazy blanket of purple across the landscape. Easy to grow and tolerant of a variety of soil conditions, it performs especially well in meadow gardens, pollinator plantings, and informal landscape settings.
Purple Tansy is particularly valuable for covering open ground in vegetable gardens, orchards, wildflower meadows, and sunny borders where it improves both the appearance and ecological value of the landscape. While it is not intended for foot traffic or use as a lawn substitute, it excels as a seasonal flowering groundcover that enriches the soil, suppresses weeds, and provides one of the richest nectar sources available for beneficial insects throughout the growing season.
Purple Tansy deserves its place in this collection because it offers far more than simple ground cover. It transforms bare sunny areas into a vibrant display of flowers while supporting bees, butterflies, and countless beneficial insects that improve the health of the entire garden. For homeowners seeking a beautiful seasonal groundcover with exceptional environmental value, few annuals can match its performance.
Seedman Notes: Sow directly in full sun where a quick-growing seasonal groundcover is desired. Purple Tansy is an excellent choice for pollinator gardens, orchard floors, vegetable gardens, and naturalized plantings where it can be allowed to flower freely. Although temporary in nature, its rapid growth, beautiful blooms, and extraordinary wildlife value make it one of the most rewarding flowering groundcovers for sunny landscapes.
Hens and Chicks is one of the most dependable evergreen groundcovers for sunny landscapes, prized for its beautifully symmetrical rosettes and remarkable ability to thrive where few other plants will grow. Each mature "hen" produces clusters of smaller "chicks" that gradually spread to form an attractive living mosaic of succulent foliage. Whether tucked into rock gardens, stone walls, alpine plantings, or gravel beds, it provides year-round texture and beauty with almost no maintenance.
Thriving in full sun and sharply drained soil, Hens and Chicks is exceptionally tolerant of drought, heat, cold, and poor soils. The colorful rosettes often display shades of green, burgundy, bronze, or red depending on the season and growing conditions, adding visual interest throughout the year. As new offsets develop around the parent plants, the colony slowly expands into a dense, weed-suppressing groundcover perfectly suited for difficult, dry locations.
Hens and Chicks is especially valuable for filling narrow spaces between rocks, cascading gently over retaining walls, covering gravel gardens, and creating attractive pockets of greenery where traditional groundcovers cannot survive. While it is not intended for regular foot traffic or use as a lawn substitute, it excels in dry rockeries, alpine gardens, and sunny slopes where its compact growth habit and evergreen foliage create a naturally sculpted appearance.
Hens and Chicks deserves its place in this collection because it offers homeowners one of the easiest and longest-lived solutions for covering dry, rocky ground with living plants. Its unique rosette form, gradual spreading habit, and outstanding drought tolerance create lasting beauty in locations that challenge most other species. For gardeners seeking a truly low-maintenance groundcover that provides year-round interest, few plants are as dependable or as distinctive.
Seedman Notes: Plant Hens and Chicks in full sun with excellent drainage, avoiding locations where water remains after heavy rains. Allow the offsets to spread naturally into attractive colonies, or transplant the "chicks" to establish new groupings elsewhere in the garden. It is an outstanding choice for rock gardens, stone walls, trough gardens, gravel beds, and other sunny locations where beauty and durability are equally important.
Sweet William is a charming old-fashioned perennial often grown as a biennial that creates colorful drifts of flowers in small landscape spaces. Compact mounds of rich green foliage are topped by dense clusters of blooms in shades of crimson, pink, rose, white, and bicolors, bringing weeks of vibrant color to borders, cottage gardens, and sunny pathways. While it is not a creeping groundcover, its dense, low-growing habit makes it an excellent seasonal choice for covering bare soil with long-lasting blooms.
Growing best in full sun to light afternoon shade and well-drained soil, Sweet William develops tidy clumps that gradually fill together when planted in groups. The sturdy plants remain attractive throughout the growing season, while the fragrant flowers provide outstanding color from late spring into early summer. Their compact growth allows them to blend beautifully with other low-growing perennials without overwhelming neighboring plants.
Sweet William is especially useful for edging walkways, filling the front of flower beds, softening the borders of patios, and creating colorful masses in cottage gardens. Although it is not intended for foot traffic or use as a lawn substitute, it serves beautifully as a seasonal flowering groundcover that replaces bare soil with a dense carpet of blooms. Its fragrant flowers also make excellent cut flowers, adding beauty both indoors and throughout the landscape.
Sweet William deserves its place in this collection because it provides homeowners with an easy way to brighten small sunny spaces with dependable seasonal color. Rather than spreading aggressively, it forms attractive colonies that create the appearance of a flowering carpet while remaining well behaved in the garden. For gardeners seeking a classic flowering groundcover for borders and landscape beds, Sweet William continues to be one of the finest and most rewarding choices.
Seedman Notes: Plant Sweet William in groups or drifts for the greatest visual impact, allowing the plants to grow together into colorful masses. Remove spent flower heads to encourage a tidy appearance and occasional rebloom. While not a permanent creeping groundcover, it excels as a seasonal flowering carpet for borders, pathways, cottage gardens, and other sunny landscape areas.
Lamb's Ear is one of the most recognizable and beloved groundcovers, prized for its thick, velvety silver foliage that forms a soft carpet across the garden. The fuzzy leaves resemble the ears of a young lamb, giving the plant its common name and making it a favorite with both gardeners and children. Its striking silver color provides beautiful contrast against green foliage and flowering perennials, making it an outstanding choice for borders, rock gardens, and sunny landscape beds.
Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, Lamb's Ear gradually spreads into dense colonies that suppress weeds while requiring very little maintenance. The drought-tolerant plants perform exceptionally well in dry, challenging locations where many groundcovers struggle. During late spring and early summer, tall spikes of soft lavender-pink flowers rise above the silvery foliage, adding seasonal interest while preserving the plant's attractive carpet-like appearance below.
Lamb's Ear is especially valuable for softening the edges of pathways, filling spaces between shrubs, covering sunny slopes, and creating a living mulch in perennial gardens. While it tolerates occasional foot traffic, it is best appreciated where its exceptionally soft foliage can remain undisturbed. The spreading habit also makes it an excellent choice for replacing bare soil in areas where a low-maintenance, evergreen-like groundcover is desired.
Lamb's Ear deserves its place in this collection because it offers homeowners a groundcover unlike any other. Its unique silvery foliage, gentle spreading habit, and outstanding drought tolerance create year-round texture and beauty with minimal care. Whether used to brighten a rock garden, soften a garden border, or cover difficult dry ground, it remains one of the finest ornamental groundcovers available.
Seedman Notes: Plant Lamb's Ear in full sun with excellent drainage for the healthiest foliage and strongest growth. Avoid overly wet locations, particularly during winter, as excessive moisture can reduce plant vigor. It is an outstanding choice for rock gardens, dry borders, sunny slopes, and perennial beds where its beautiful silver foliage can be appreciated throughout the growing season.
Snowpeak Rock Cress is a delightful alpine perennial that creates a dense carpet of evergreen foliage crowned with masses of brilliant white flowers in early spring. Blooming so heavily that the foliage is often hidden beneath the blossoms, it transforms rock gardens, slopes, and sunny borders into a blanket of white. Its low-growing, spreading habit makes it one of the finest perennial groundcovers for adding early-season color to the landscape.
Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, Snowpeak gradually spreads into neat mats of gray-green foliage that remain attractive throughout the year in many climates. The plants are exceptionally hardy and well suited to rocky soils, gravel gardens, retaining walls, and other well-drained locations where many perennials struggle. Once established, they require very little maintenance while providing dependable beauty season after season.
Snowpeak is especially useful for cascading over stone walls, filling crevices in rock gardens, edging pathways, and covering sunny banks with evergreen foliage and spring flowers. While it is not intended for foot traffic or use as a lawn substitute, it excels as a flowering groundcover that softens hard landscape features and suppresses weeds while creating one of the earliest displays of bloom in the garden.
Snowpeak deserves its place in this collection because it offers homeowners a dependable evergreen groundcover with spectacular spring flowering. Its compact growth, excellent drought tolerance once established, and ability to thrive in difficult rocky locations make it an outstanding choice for solving small landscaping challenges with lasting beauty. Few alpine perennials provide such a dramatic carpet of flowers with so little maintenance.
Seedman Notes: Plant Snowpeak in full sun with sharply drained soil for the best long-term performance. It is especially effective in rock gardens, along retaining walls, on sunny slopes, and bordering pathways where the cascading flowers can be fully appreciated. Light trimming after flowering helps maintain a dense, compact mat and encourages vigorous new growth.
Copinkie Rock Cress is a beautiful low-growing perennial that forms a dense evergreen carpet of foliage covered with masses of soft pink flowers each spring. Blooming so profusely that the foliage nearly disappears beneath the blossoms, it creates a striking display along rock walls, borders, and sunny slopes. Its compact, spreading habit makes it an excellent groundcover for homeowners looking to replace bare soil with a long-lived, colorful planting.
Thriving in full sun and sharply drained soil, Copinkie develops tidy mats of gray-green foliage that remain attractive throughout much of the year. Once established, it tolerates drought, rocky soils, and poor growing conditions with ease, making it especially well suited to alpine gardens, retaining walls, gravel beds, and other challenging landscape locations. Its naturally low growth requires very little maintenance while providing dependable performance year after year.
Copinkie is especially valuable for spilling gracefully over stone walls, filling crevices in rock gardens, edging walkways, and covering sunny banks where erosion can become a problem. While it is not intended for regular foot traffic or as a lawn substitute, it excels as a flowering groundcover that softens hardscape features with a blanket of delicate pink blooms while helping suppress weeds beneath its evergreen foliage.
Copinkie deserves its place in this collection because it provides homeowners with an outstanding perennial solution for small sunny spaces that need both beauty and durability. Its evergreen foliage, early spring flowers, and easy-care nature make it one of the finest flowering groundcovers for rock gardens and alpine landscapes. Few plants reward gardeners with such an impressive display while asking so little in return.
Seedman Notes: Plant Copinkie in full sun with excellent drainage for the best flowering and long-term performance. It is particularly effective along retaining walls, rock gardens, gravel paths, and sunny borders where the flowering stems can gently cascade over stonework. Lightly shear the plants after blooming to maintain a dense, compact carpet and encourage vigorous new growth.
Snowcap Rock Cress is a classic evergreen groundcover that blankets the garden with brilliant white flowers each spring, creating one of the season's most spectacular displays. Its dense mats of gray-green foliage hug the ground throughout the year, while the abundant blooms nearly conceal the leaves when in full flower. Perfect for rock gardens, retaining walls, borders, and sunny slopes, Snowcap brings elegance and brightness to areas where a dependable perennial groundcover is needed.
Growing best in full sun and sharply drained soil, Snowcap spreads gradually into neat evergreen cushions that require very little maintenance. It is exceptionally hardy and thrives in rocky, gravelly soils where many other perennials struggle. Once established, the plants tolerate drought remarkably well, making them an excellent choice for low-water landscapes and challenging sites where dependable groundcover is desired.
Snowcap is especially useful for cascading over stone walls, edging walkways, filling crevices between rocks, and covering sunny banks with a long-lasting evergreen carpet. While it is not intended for regular foot traffic or use as a lawn substitute, it excels at replacing bare ground with attractive foliage that erupts into masses of snow-white blossoms each spring. The dense growth also helps suppress weeds while softening hard landscape features with natural beauty.
Snowcap deserves its place in this collection because it combines evergreen foliage, exceptional spring flowering, and rugged durability in one easy-to-grow perennial. It solves many of the small landscaping challenges homeowners face, particularly in dry, sunny locations where other groundcovers often fail. For rock gardens, alpine plantings, and sunny borders, few perennial groundcovers offer such dependable beauty year after year.
Seedman Notes: Plant Snowcap in full sun with excellent drainage, avoiding sites where water remains during winter. It performs beautifully along retaining walls, rock gardens, gravel paths, and sunny slopes where the flowers can spill naturally over stonework. Light trimming after flowering helps maintain a dense evergreen mat and encourages vigorous new growth for the following season.
Purple Robe Saxifraga is a delightful alpine perennial that forms a dense cushion of evergreen foliage crowned with vivid magenta-purple flowers in early spring. Blooming well before many garden perennials awaken, it creates brilliant splashes of color in rock gardens, stone walls, and shaded borders. Its compact, mat-forming habit makes it an excellent choice for homeowners seeking a refined groundcover for small landscape spaces.
Thriving in partial shade or morning sun with moist, well-drained soil, Purple Robe gradually develops into tight, moss-like clumps that remain attractive throughout much of the year. The finely textured foliage provides a neat, weed-suppressing carpet, while the masses of colorful blooms rise just above the leaves, creating an eye-catching display. It performs especially well in cool climates and appreciates protection from intense afternoon heat.
Purple Robe is especially useful for filling crevices between rocks, edging woodland pathways, softening retaining walls, and covering small shaded banks where larger groundcovers would be overwhelming. Although it is not intended for foot traffic or as a lawn substitute, it excels as a flowering groundcover that brings texture, color, and early-season interest to alpine gardens and partially shaded landscapes. Its compact growth makes it ideal for highlighting natural stone and other hardscape features.
Purple Robe deserves its place in this collection because it transforms small problem areas into elegant displays of evergreen foliage and brilliant spring flowers. Its tidy growth habit, dependable performance, and ability to thrive in cool, rocky locations make it one of the finest perennial groundcovers for rock gardens and shaded borders. For gardeners looking to add lasting beauty to difficult spaces, few alpine plants are as rewarding.
Seedman Notes: Plant Purple Robe in cool, well-drained soil where it will receive morning sun or light shade during the hottest part of the day. It is an excellent choice for rock gardens, alpine troughs, retaining walls, and shaded borders where its compact evergreen foliage and vibrant spring flowers can be fully appreciated. Avoid poorly drained sites, especially during winter, to ensure long-lived, healthy plants.
Bellidiformis Mix Livingstone Daisy is a dazzling annual that creates a brilliant carpet of jewel-like flowers in sunny landscapes. Low-growing plants spread quickly to cover the ground with succulent foliage, producing an incredible display of blooms in shades of white, yellow, orange, pink, rose, crimson, and salmon. The flowers open wide in bright sunshine, transforming rock gardens, borders, and dry landscape beds into vibrant patches of color throughout the growing season.
Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, Bellidiformis Mix is perfectly adapted to hot, dry conditions where many flowering plants struggle. Its compact, spreading habit allows neighboring plants to quickly grow together into a colorful mat that suppresses weeds while requiring very little maintenance. The succulent foliage stores moisture efficiently, making this one of the best annual choices for water-wise gardens and sunny problem areas.
Bellidiformis Mix is especially useful for covering bare soil in rock gardens, edging pathways, brightening raised beds, and filling sunny slopes with continuous color. While it is not intended for foot traffic or as a lawn substitute, it excels as a seasonal flowering groundcover that softens hardscape features and provides months of brilliant blooms. The flowers are particularly striking on bright, sunny days when they open fully, creating an almost shimmering carpet across the garden.
Bellidiformis Mix deserves its place in this collection because it offers homeowners one of the most colorful seasonal groundcovers available for hot, sunny locations. Its spreading growth, exceptional drought tolerance, and extraordinary range of flower colors make it an outstanding solution for covering small difficult spaces with beauty instead of bare soil. Few annuals produce such an impressive display while requiring so little care.
Seedman Notes: Sow directly in full sun after danger of frost has passed, or start indoors for earlier blooms. Plant in groups so the spreading plants quickly develop into a continuous carpet of flowers. Bellidiformis Mix is an excellent choice for rock gardens, borders, sunny banks, and other dry landscape areas where a colorful seasonal groundcover is desired.
Avalanche Mountain Sandwort is a beautiful evergreen perennial that forms a dense, cushion-like carpet of rich green foliage, making it one of the finest groundcovers for rock gardens and sunny borders. In spring, the compact mounds become almost completely hidden beneath a blanket of large, pure white flowers, creating the appearance of fresh snowfall across the landscape. Its neat, low-growing habit makes it an excellent choice for filling small problem areas with lasting beauty.
Thriving in full sun and sharply drained soil, Avalanche develops into dense evergreen mats that remain attractive throughout the year. It performs exceptionally well in rocky, sandy, and gravelly soils where many other perennials struggle, requiring very little maintenance once established. Its compact growth naturally suppresses weeds while adding year-round texture to alpine gardens, retaining walls, and dry borders.
Avalanche is especially valuable for cascading over stone walls, filling crevices in rock gardens, edging pathways, and covering sunny slopes with evergreen foliage and brilliant spring flowers. While it is not intended for foot traffic or use as a lawn substitute, it excels as a flowering groundcover that softens hard landscape features while providing one of the earliest and most spectacular floral displays of the season.
Avalanche deserves its place in this collection because it offers homeowners a dependable evergreen groundcover that combines outstanding ornamental value with exceptional durability. Its dense foliage, remarkable spring bloom, and easy-care nature make it one of the finest perennial choices for solving small landscaping challenges in sunny, well-drained locations. Few alpine plants create such a dramatic display while asking so little in return.
Seedman Notes: Plant Avalanche in full sun with excellent drainage for the healthiest plants and heaviest flowering. It is particularly effective in rock gardens, alpine beds, retaining walls, gravel gardens, and sunny borders where the evergreen foliage and spring flowers can be appreciated throughout the year. Light trimming after flowering helps maintain a dense, attractive mat.
Snow in Summer is one of the most beloved perennial groundcovers, admired for its striking silver-gray foliage and breathtaking display of brilliant white flowers. In late spring, the low-growing mats become almost completely hidden beneath countless blossoms, creating the appearance of fresh snow spread across the garden. Its cascading habit makes it especially beautiful spilling over stone walls, edging pathways, or carpeting sunny slopes with lasting color and texture.
Thriving in full sun and sharply drained soil, Snow in Summer spreads steadily to form a dense, weed-suppressing mat that remains attractive throughout much of the year. The soft, woolly silver foliage provides year-round interest and contrasts beautifully with green perennials, ornamental grasses, and natural stone. Once established, it tolerates drought, heat, and poor soils with remarkable ease, making it an outstanding choice for low-maintenance landscapes.
Snow in Summer is especially valuable for softening rock gardens, covering dry banks, filling spaces between boulders, and cascading gracefully over retaining walls. While it is not intended for regular foot traffic or use as a lawn substitute, it excels as a flowering groundcover that transforms difficult sunny areas into elegant displays of silver foliage and brilliant spring blooms. Its dense growth also helps reduce weed growth while stabilizing light soils on gentle slopes.
Snow in Summer deserves its place in this collection because it combines evergreen-like silver foliage, exceptional drought tolerance, and one of the finest spring floral displays of any perennial groundcover. It offers homeowners an easy, dependable solution for covering sunny problem areas with lasting beauty while requiring very little maintenance. Few groundcovers create such a dramatic seasonal display with so little effort.
Seedman Notes: Plant Snow in Summer in full sun with excellent drainage for the healthiest plants and brightest foliage color. Lightly shear plants after flowering to maintain a dense, compact mat and encourage fresh silvery growth. It is one of the finest choices for rock gardens, retaining walls, dry slopes, gravel gardens, and other sunny locations where a long-lived, low-maintenance groundcover is desired.
Kenilworth Ivy is a charming trailing perennial that excels at softening stonework and filling the smallest cracks and crevices with delicate green foliage and dainty lavender flowers. Its slender stems weave naturally through walls, between flagstones, and over rocky surfaces, creating a graceful living tapestry that appears almost as if nature placed it there. Few groundcovers are better suited for adding character to old stone walls, pathways, and cottage gardens.
Growing well in partial shade to full sun where moisture is available, Kenilworth Ivy spreads gently by creeping stems and readily establishes itself in narrow spaces that most plants cannot occupy. The small, rounded ivy-like leaves remain attractive throughout the growing season, while tiny snapdragon-like flowers bloom continuously from late spring into autumn. Once established, it requires very little maintenance and often naturalizes into picturesque colonies.
Kenilworth Ivy is especially valuable for growing between flagstones, spilling from retaining walls, softening brick walkways, and filling rock gardens with fine texture and color. While it is not intended for regular foot traffic or as a lawn substitute, it is one of the finest choices for transforming hardscape features into living works of art. Its gentle spreading habit allows it to blend naturally into both formal and informal landscapes without becoming overwhelming.
Kenilworth Ivy deserves its place in this collection because it solves one of the most common landscape challenges—bringing life to stone, brick, and masonry. Rather than simply covering the ground, it creates a timeless, old-world appearance that enhances walls, paths, and rock gardens with very little effort. For homeowners seeking a delicate yet dependable groundcover for small, difficult spaces, few plants are as enchanting.
Seedman Notes: Plant Kenilworth Ivy where it can weave naturally through cracks in stone walls, between stepping stones, or over rock gardens. It performs best in well-drained soil with moderate moisture during establishment. Once settled, it often self-seeds gently into nearby crevices, creating an increasingly natural and picturesque display year after year.
Baby Blue Eyes is a delightful California wildflower that creates a soft carpet of sky-blue blossoms across the spring garden. The low-growing plants spread gently to form broad drifts of finely textured green foliage, soon becoming covered with cheerful blue flowers that resemble tiny pieces of the spring sky. Its graceful habit makes it an outstanding seasonal groundcover for borders, woodland edges, rock gardens, and naturalized plantings.
Thriving in full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil, Baby Blue Eyes grows quickly during the cool months of spring, requiring very little maintenance once established. The compact plants naturally fill together into attractive colonies that suppress weeds while creating a lush blanket of foliage and flowers. In warmer climates, it is especially beautiful as a cool-season annual, while in cooler regions it extends its bloom well into early summer.
Baby Blue Eyes is especially useful for covering small open spaces beneath shrubs, edging pathways, filling rock gardens, and weaving through spring-flowering bulbs and other wildflowers. While it is not intended for foot traffic or use as a lawn substitute, it excels as a seasonal flowering groundcover that transforms bare soil into a peaceful carpet of soft blue blossoms. The natural, informal appearance makes it equally at home in cottage gardens and woodland settings.
Baby Blue Eyes deserves its place in this collection because it provides homeowners with one of the gentlest and most charming seasonal groundcovers available. Its spreading habit, delicate flowers, and easy-going nature create an inviting display that brightens small landscape spaces with very little effort. For gardeners seeking a graceful spring carpet of flowers, few annuals are as rewarding or as memorable.
Seedman Notes: Sow seeds directly where the plants are to bloom, as Baby Blue Eyes establishes quickly and performs best with minimal disturbance. Plant generously to create broad drifts of blue flowers, and allow a few plants to set seed if you would like natural colonies to return in favorable locations. It is an excellent choice for woodland gardens, borders, rock gardens, and other small landscape spaces where a colorful seasonal groundcover is desired.
Very Berry Wintergreen is a beautiful native evergreen groundcover that brings year-round interest to shaded landscapes with its glossy foliage, delicate white flowers, and brilliant scarlet berries. Forming a low-growing carpet beneath trees and shrubs, it provides rich green color throughout the seasons before producing colorful berries that often persist well into winter. Its compact habit and ornamental appeal make it one of the finest groundcovers for woodland gardens and naturalized landscapes.
Thriving in partial to full shade and moist, acidic, well-drained soil, Very Berry spreads gradually by underground rhizomes to form attractive colonies with very little maintenance. The shiny evergreen leaves often develop handsome burgundy and bronze tones during cooler weather, adding even more seasonal beauty. Small, nodding white flowers appear in summer and are soon followed by the bright red berries that make this native plant especially attractive during autumn and winter.
Very Berry is especially useful for covering the ground beneath trees, bordering woodland paths, filling shaded rock gardens, and softening the edges of foundation plantings. While it is not intended for foot traffic or use as a lawn substitute, it excels as a long-lived evergreen groundcover that suppresses weeds while providing year-round texture and color. The edible berries, though strongly flavored with the familiar taste of wintergreen, offer an added point of interest for gardeners who enjoy native edible plants.
Very Berry deserves its place in this collection because it provides homeowners with an elegant solution for difficult shaded areas where few evergreen groundcovers thrive. Its glossy foliage, colorful berries, and gradual spreading habit create a living woodland carpet that remains attractive in every season. For gardeners seeking beauty, wildlife value, and dependable performance beneath trees and shrubs, it is one of the finest native groundcovers available.
Seedman Notes: Plant Very Berry in acidic, humus-rich soil where it will receive protection from hot afternoon sun. It is an excellent choice for woodland gardens, shaded borders, beneath acid-loving shrubs, and naturalized plantings. Although the berries are edible, they are prized more for their refreshing wintergreen flavor than for sweetness, making them a unique bonus on one of North America's most attractive native evergreen groundcovers.
Verbena 'Imagination' is a vigorous trailing perennial, often grown as an annual, that creates a beautiful spreading carpet of finely textured foliage covered with clusters of rich violet-purple flowers. Its cascading habit allows it to quickly soften bare soil, spill gracefully over retaining walls, and weave naturally through borders and rock gardens. With its exceptionally long blooming season, it is one of the finest flowering groundcovers for adding vibrant color to sunny landscapes.
Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, Verbena 'Imagination' spreads rapidly while maintaining a low, tidy profile that requires very little maintenance. The deeply divided green foliage provides attractive texture even when the plant is not in bloom, while continuous flowering from late spring until frost keeps the landscape colorful for months. It is highly tolerant of heat, humidity, and short periods of drought once established, making it a dependable performer in challenging summer conditions.
Verbena 'Imagination' is especially useful for covering sunny banks, filling spaces between larger perennials, edging pathways, cascading from raised beds, and spilling from containers into the surrounding landscape. While it is not intended for foot traffic or as a lawn substitute, it excels as a long-blooming seasonal groundcover that suppresses weeds while creating broad drifts of brilliant purple flowers. Its spreading habit also makes it an outstanding choice for erosion-prone slopes where beauty and practicality are equally important.
Verbena 'Imagination' deserves its place in this collection because it provides homeowners with months of dependable color while covering difficult sunny areas with ease. Its vigorous growth, exceptional flowering performance, and outstanding heat tolerance make it one of the most versatile flowering groundcovers for modern landscapes. Whether planted in borders, rock gardens, or cascading over walls, it delivers beauty from spring until frost with remarkably little care.
Seedman Notes: Plant Verbena 'Imagination' in full sun with good drainage, allowing plenty of room for its trailing stems to spread naturally. Light trimming during midsummer encourages fresh growth and an even heavier flush of blooms. It is an excellent choice for sunny slopes, rock gardens, borders, containers, and other landscape areas where a colorful, season-long groundcover is desired.
Florist Mix Verbena creates a brilliant carpet of color with large clusters of flowers in shades of red, pink, purple, blue, white, salmon, and bicolors. The compact, spreading plants quickly fill sunny landscape spaces, making them an outstanding choice for borders, rock gardens, raised beds, and other areas where a long-blooming seasonal groundcover is desired. Their continuous display of vibrant blossoms brings months of color while creating a neat, finished appearance throughout the garden.
Growing best in full sun and well-drained soil, Florist Mix Verbena develops dense, branching plants that spread outward to cover bare ground with attractive green foliage. Blooming begins early and continues until frost with minimal care, especially when spent flower clusters are occasionally removed. The plants tolerate summer heat well and remain attractive even during extended periods of warm weather, making them dependable performers throughout the growing season.
Florist Mix Verbena is especially useful for covering small sunny spaces, edging walkways, filling the front of flower beds, cascading gently over retaining walls, and brightening raised planters. While it is not intended for regular foot traffic or as a lawn substitute, it excels as a flowering groundcover that suppresses weeds while producing one of the longest-lasting floral displays of any annual. Its broad range of flower colors also makes it easy to blend with nearly any garden design.
Florist Mix Verbena deserves its place in this collection because it offers homeowners an easy and dependable way to replace bare soil with season-long blooms. Its spreading habit, excellent heat tolerance, and exceptional flowering performance make it one of the finest annual groundcovers for sunny landscapes. Whether planted in colorful drifts or mixed with other flowering groundcovers, it provides outstanding beauty with very little maintenance.
Favorite Wildlife: The nectar-rich flowers attract honeybees, native bees, butterflies, hummingbird moths, and many other beneficial pollinating insects from late spring until frost.
Seedman Notes: Plant Florist Mix Verbena in full sun with well-drained soil, spacing plants closely so they quickly form a continuous carpet of flowers. Occasional deadheading encourages fresh blooms throughout the season. It is an excellent choice for borders, rock gardens, sunny slopes, containers, and other landscape areas where long-lasting seasonal color is desired.
Veronica prostrata, also known as Creeping Speedwell, is an outstanding perennial groundcover that forms a dense carpet of glossy green foliage highlighted by brilliant spikes of blue flowers in late spring and early summer. Its low, spreading habit makes it ideal for filling small landscape spaces with lasting beauty, while the vibrant blooms create a striking contrast against the rich green leaves. It is equally at home in rock gardens, along pathways, and cascading gently over retaining walls.
Thriving in full sun to light partial shade and well-drained soil, Veronica prostrata spreads steadily by creeping stems to form a durable, weed-suppressing mat. The evergreen to semi-evergreen foliage remains attractive through much of the year, providing texture and color even after the flowering season has ended. Once established, the plants require very little maintenance and tolerate short periods of drought remarkably well.
Veronica prostrata is especially useful for growing between widely spaced stepping stones, edging walkways, covering sunny slopes, and filling rock gardens with dependable color. While it is not intended as a substitute for heavily used turfgrass, it tolerates occasional foot traffic and is one of the better choices for creating a living carpet in lightly traveled garden areas. Its spreading habit also helps stabilize soil while softening the appearance of stone and gravel features.
Veronica prostrata deserves its place in this collection because it combines attractive evergreen foliage, dependable spreading growth, and one of the finest blue floral displays of any perennial groundcover. It solves many of the small landscaping challenges homeowners encounter while providing beauty from spring through winter with minimal care. Few groundcovers are as versatile or as rewarding for sunny landscapes.
Seedman Notes: Plant Veronica prostrata in full sun or light shade with well-drained soil for the best flowering performance. Lightly shear plants after blooming to maintain a dense carpet and encourage fresh, healthy foliage. It is an excellent choice for rock gardens, borders, between stepping stones, retaining walls, and sunny landscape areas where a long-lived perennial groundcover is desired.
Creeping Zinnia is a cheerful, low-growing annual that quickly spreads into a colorful carpet of bright golden-yellow flowers from early summer until frost. The compact plants produce an abundance of small daisy-like blooms above dense green foliage, creating a continuous display that brightens borders, pathways, rock gardens, and other sunny landscape spaces. Its long flowering season and spreading habit make it one of the finest seasonal groundcovers for homeowners seeking dependable color.
Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, Creeping Zinnia forms neat, branching plants that gradually fill open spaces with attractive foliage and hundreds of cheerful blossoms. It performs exceptionally well in heat and tolerates short periods of drought once established, requiring very little maintenance throughout the growing season. The naturally spreading habit allows plants to knit together into colorful masses that suppress weeds while maintaining a tidy appearance.
Creeping Zinnia is especially useful for edging flower beds, softening the edges of walkways, filling raised planters, spilling gently over retaining walls, and covering small sunny areas where a permanent groundcover is unnecessary. While it is not intended for foot traffic or use as a lawn substitute, it excels as a seasonal flowering groundcover that transforms bare soil into a bright, welcoming display. Its compact growth also makes it an excellent companion for other annuals and perennials in mixed borders.
Creeping Zinnia deserves its place in this collection because it provides homeowners with months of brilliant color while requiring very little care. Its spreading habit, exceptional heat tolerance, and nonstop flowering make it one of the most dependable annual groundcovers for sunny landscapes. Whether planted in broad drifts or used to accent smaller garden spaces, it delivers cheerful beauty from summer until frost.
Seedman Notes: Plant Creeping Zinnia in full sun and space plants closely to create a continuous carpet of flowers. Although deadheading is not essential, occasional removal of spent blooms encourages an even heavier display. It is an outstanding choice for borders, rock gardens, sunny slopes, containers, and other landscape areas where a colorful seasonal groundcover is desired.
Heather is a timeless evergreen groundcover that brings year-round beauty to the landscape with its fine-textured foliage and masses of colorful blooms. Forming dense, low-growing mounds, it creates a living carpet of green, bronze, gold, or silver foliage depending on the variety, followed by graceful spikes of pink, purple, rose, or white flowers that brighten the garden from late summer into autumn. Its compact habit makes it one of the finest groundcovers for rock gardens, slopes, and naturalistic landscapes.
Thriving in full sun and moist, acidic, well-drained soil, Heather gradually spreads into attractive colonies that suppress weeds while requiring very little maintenance. The evergreen foliage provides year-round texture and often develops rich seasonal color during the colder months, ensuring that the planting remains attractive long after the flowers have faded. Once established in the proper soil conditions, Heather is exceptionally hardy and long-lived.
Heather is especially valuable for covering sunny banks, edging pathways, filling rock gardens, and creating colorful drifts beneath open-canopy trees that prefer acidic soils. While it is not intended for regular foot traffic or as a lawn substitute, it excels as an evergreen groundcover that adds structure, texture, and season-long interest to the landscape. Large plantings are particularly striking, creating broad sweeps of color that resemble the famous heather-covered hillsides of Scotland.
Heather deserves its place in this collection because it provides homeowners with an elegant, low-maintenance evergreen groundcover that is attractive during every season of the year. Its colorful foliage, abundant flowers, and gradual spreading habit make it one of the finest choices for acid-loving landscapes where beauty and durability are equally important. Few groundcovers combine four-season interest with such classic garden appeal.
Seedman Notes: Plant Heather in acidic, well-drained soil and full sun for the best flowering and foliage color. Light pruning after flowering helps maintain compact plants and encourages vigorous new growth. It is an outstanding choice for rock gardens, slopes, borders, and naturalized plantings where its evergreen beauty can be appreciated throughout the year.
Five Spot is a delightful California wildflower that creates a cheerful spring carpet of white blossoms, each delicately tipped with rich violet-purple markings. The low-growing plants spread gently across the garden, producing a fresh blanket of finely textured green foliage covered with hundreds of unique flowers. Its graceful appearance makes it an outstanding seasonal groundcover for borders, woodland edges, rock gardens, and naturalized plantings where a soft, informal display is desired.
Thriving in full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil, Five Spot grows quickly during the cool months of spring, requiring very little maintenance once established. The compact plants naturally fill together into broad drifts that suppress weeds while providing weeks of colorful bloom. In cooler climates, flowering often extends into early summer, while in warmer regions it is best enjoyed as a cool-season annual.
Five Spot is especially useful for covering small open spaces, edging pathways, filling rock gardens, weaving among spring-flowering bulbs, and naturalizing beneath open shrubs where a colorful seasonal carpet is desired. While it is not intended for foot traffic or as a lawn substitute, it excels as a flowering groundcover that transforms bare soil into a charming display of delicate blossoms. Its unusual purple-spotted flowers add a level of detail and interest rarely found in annual groundcovers.
Five Spot deserves its place in this collection because it provides homeowners with an elegant seasonal solution for brightening small landscape spaces with very little effort. Its spreading habit, distinctive flowers, and easy-going nature make it one of the most charming spring groundcovers available. For gardeners seeking a natural, meadow-like display filled with unique blooms, Five Spot is an exceptional choice.
Seedman Notes: Sow seeds directly where the plants are to bloom, as Five Spot establishes quickly and performs best with minimal disturbance. Plant generously to create broad drifts of flowers, and allow a few plants to set seed if you would like natural colonies to return in favorable locations. It is an excellent choice for woodland gardens, borders, rock gardens, and other small landscape spaces where a colorful seasonal groundcover is desired.
Blue Spruce Sedum is a rugged evergreen groundcover admired for its striking blue-green, needle-like foliage that resembles the branches of a miniature blue spruce. The dense, low-growing plants quickly spread into attractive mats, bringing year-round texture and color to rock gardens, gravel beds, retaining walls, and other sunny landscape areas. During summer, clusters of bright yellow star-shaped flowers rise above the foliage, adding another season of beauty to this exceptionally durable perennial.
Thriving in full sun and sharply drained soil, Blue Spruce Sedum is remarkably tolerant of drought, heat, poor soils, and rocky conditions. Its creeping stems gradually root as they spread, creating a dense, weed-suppressing carpet that requires very little maintenance once established. The colorful evergreen foliage often develops attractive bronze tones during colder weather, providing interest long after the flowers have faded.
Blue Spruce Sedum is especially useful for filling spaces between rocks, cascading over retaining walls, edging pathways, and covering dry slopes where traditional groundcovers struggle to survive. While it is not intended for regular foot traffic or as a lawn substitute, it excels as a low-maintenance evergreen groundcover that softens hardscape features while conserving moisture and reducing erosion on sunny sites. Its distinctive texture also makes it a favorite in alpine and xeriscape gardens.
Blue Spruce Sedum deserves its place in this collection because it offers homeowners one of the toughest and most attractive evergreen groundcovers available. Its unique blue foliage, dependable spreading habit, and outstanding drought tolerance provide lasting beauty in some of the most challenging garden conditions. For rock gardens, dry borders, and sunny landscapes, few perennial groundcovers combine resilience and ornamental appeal so successfully.
Favorite Wildlife: The bright yellow flowers attract honeybees, native bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and many other beneficial pollinating insects during the summer blooming season.
Seedman Notes: Plant Blue Spruce Sedum in full sun with excellent drainage, avoiding sites that remain wet during winter. It is an outstanding choice for rock gardens, gravel beds, retaining walls, alpine plantings, and other dry landscape areas where a colorful evergreen groundcover is desired. Once established, it is one of the easiest and most dependable groundcovers for water-wise gardening.
Czar's Gold Sedum is a dependable evergreen groundcover that brightens the landscape with dense mats of succulent foliage and brilliant golden-yellow flowers. The low-growing plants spread steadily to create an attractive carpet of rich green leaves that remains neat throughout the growing season. In midsummer, clusters of vivid yellow blossoms nearly cover the foliage, bringing cheerful color to rock gardens, sunny slopes, borders, and other challenging landscape spaces.
Thriving in full sun and sharply drained soil, Czar's Gold Sedum is exceptionally tolerant of drought, heat, poor soils, and rocky conditions. The creeping stems root as they spread, gradually forming a dense, weed-suppressing mat that requires very little maintenance. Its evergreen to semi-evergreen foliage provides year-round texture, making it an excellent choice for low-water landscapes and difficult sites where traditional groundcovers struggle to survive.
Czar's Gold Sedum is especially valuable for filling rock gardens, edging walkways, cascading gently over retaining walls, and covering sunny banks with lasting color and texture. While it is not intended for regular foot traffic or use as a lawn substitute, it excels as a durable evergreen groundcover that softens hardscape features while helping stabilize light soils. Its bright yellow flowers create a striking contrast against the foliage, making it one of the most colorful sedums for the landscape.
Czar's Gold Sedum deserves its place in this collection because it provides homeowners with a rugged, low-maintenance solution for covering hot, dry areas with year-round beauty. Its spreading habit, exceptional drought tolerance, and dependable flowering make it one of the finest perennial groundcovers for sunny gardens. Whether planted in rock gardens, gravel beds, or along pathways, it offers lasting beauty with remarkably little care.
Favorite Wildlife: The nectar-rich yellow flowers attract honeybees, native bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and numerous other beneficial pollinating insects throughout the summer blooming season.
Seedman Notes: Plant Czar's Gold Sedum in full sun with excellent drainage for the best foliage and flowering performance. It is ideal for rock gardens, retaining walls, dry borders, gravel gardens, and sunny slopes where a durable evergreen groundcover is desired. Once established, it thrives with very little supplemental watering, making it an outstanding choice for water-wise landscapes.
Stolon Stonecrop is a charming, low-growing perennial that forms a lush carpet of rounded succulent foliage, making it an excellent groundcover for both sunny and lightly shaded gardens. The spreading plants quickly produce a dense mat of attractive green leaves that remain fresh throughout the growing season. In late spring and early summer, clusters of bright rosy-pink star-shaped flowers rise just above the foliage, creating a colorful display that brings life to rock gardens, pathways, and woodland edges.
Adaptable and easy to grow, Stolon Stonecrop thrives in well-drained soil and spreads naturally by slender stolons, allowing it to gradually fill bare spaces with very little maintenance. Unlike many sedums that demand full sun, this species also performs well in partial shade, making it especially valuable for landscape areas where light conditions change throughout the day. Its vigorous yet well-behaved growth habit creates a dense, weed-suppressing carpet that remains attractive year after year.
Stolon Stonecrop is especially useful for growing between stepping stones, softening the edges of pathways, filling rock gardens, covering gentle slopes, and cascading over low retaining walls. While it is not intended for regular foot traffic or as a lawn substitute, it excels as a long-lived perennial groundcover that provides season-long texture followed by a beautiful flush of pink flowers. Its ability to thrive in both sun and partial shade makes it one of the more versatile sedums for home landscapes.
Stolon Stonecrop deserves its place in this collection because it solves many of the small landscaping challenges homeowners encounter without demanding constant care. Its attractive succulent foliage, dependable spreading habit, and cheerful spring flowers provide lasting beauty in locations where many other groundcovers struggle. For gardeners seeking an adaptable, low-maintenance living carpet, it is one of the finest perennial choices available.
Seedman Notes: Plant Stolon Stonecrop in well-drained soil and allow the creeping stolons to spread naturally into a dense carpet. It is an excellent choice for rock gardens, woodland edges, between stepping stones, retaining walls, and mixed borders where a durable perennial groundcover is desired. Once established, it requires very little maintenance while providing dependable beauty season after season.
Yellow Stonecrop is a vigorous, low-growing perennial that forms a dense carpet of succulent green foliage, making it an excellent groundcover for sunny landscapes. The spreading plants quickly fill open spaces with neat, fleshy leaves before bursting into brilliant golden-yellow flower clusters during late spring and early summer. Its combination of colorful blooms, attractive foliage, and rugged durability makes it an outstanding choice for rock gardens, borders, and other difficult growing areas.
Thriving in full sun and sharply drained soil, Yellow Stonecrop tolerates heat, drought, rocky ground, and poor soils with remarkable ease. The creeping stems root as they spread, gradually developing into a weed-suppressing mat that requires very little maintenance once established. The succulent foliage remains attractive throughout the growing season and often takes on attractive bronze tones as cooler autumn weather arrives.
Yellow Stonecrop is especially valuable for covering dry slopes, edging pathways, filling rock gardens, and spilling gently over retaining walls where its bright flowers create a striking display. While it is not intended for regular foot traffic or use as a lawn substitute, it excels as a long-lived evergreen to semi-evergreen groundcover that softens hardscape features while conserving moisture and helping stabilize light soils. Its bright yellow blooms also provide a welcome burst of color when many spring flowers begin to fade.
Yellow Stonecrop deserves its place in this collection because it offers homeowners one of the easiest and most dependable solutions for covering hot, dry landscape areas with lasting beauty. Its spreading habit, outstanding drought tolerance, and cheerful golden flowers make it an exceptional perennial groundcover for sunny gardens. Whether planted in rockeries, gravel gardens, or along borders, it provides reliable performance with remarkably little care.
Seedman Notes: Plant Yellow Stonecrop in full sun with excellent drainage for the healthiest growth and heaviest flowering. It is ideal for rock gardens, gravel beds, retaining walls, sunny slopes, and other low-water landscapes where a durable perennial groundcover is desired. Once established, it thrives with minimal irrigation, making it one of the finest choices for drought-tolerant gardening.
Summer Glory Stonecrop is a colorful, mat-forming perennial that creates a dense carpet of succulent foliage topped with brilliant rosy-pink flower clusters throughout the summer. The low-growing plants spread steadily to cover bare ground with attractive leaves that often develop bronze and reddish tones as the seasons change. Its combination of colorful foliage, vibrant blooms, and rugged durability makes it one of the finest perennial groundcovers for sunny landscapes.
Thriving in full sun and sharply drained soil, Summer Glory Stonecrop is exceptionally tolerant of drought, heat, rocky soils, and other difficult growing conditions. The creeping stems root as they spread, gradually forming a dense, weed-suppressing mat that requires very little maintenance once established. The evergreen to semi-evergreen foliage provides texture throughout much of the year, ensuring the planting remains attractive even when not in flower.
Summer Glory is especially useful for covering sunny banks, edging pathways, filling rock gardens, and cascading naturally over retaining walls where its colorful foliage and bright flowers soften hardscape features. While it is not intended for regular foot traffic or as a lawn substitute, it excels as a durable perennial groundcover that helps conserve soil moisture while creating a vibrant display from spring through autumn. Its spreading habit also makes it an excellent choice for stabilizing light, well-drained soils.
Summer Glory deserves its place in this collection because it offers homeowners a dependable evergreen groundcover that performs beautifully under challenging conditions. Its attractive foliage, long-lasting summer flowers, and outstanding drought tolerance provide season-long beauty with very little care. For rock gardens, gravel beds, borders, and sunny slopes, few perennial groundcovers are as reliable or as rewarding.
Seedman Notes: Plant Summer Glory in full sun with excellent drainage and allow the creeping stems to spread naturally into a dense carpet. It is an outstanding choice for rock gardens, retaining walls, gravel gardens, sunny borders, and other dry landscape areas where a colorful, low-maintenance perennial groundcover is desired. Light trimming after flowering helps maintain a tidy appearance while encouraging vigorous new growth.
Dragon's Blood Stonecrop is one of the most striking perennial groundcovers available, prized for its colorful foliage that changes with the seasons and its brilliant clusters of deep rosy-red flowers. The low-growing plants quickly spread into a dense carpet of succulent leaves that emerge green before gradually developing rich shades of burgundy and crimson, especially during the cooler months. Its bold foliage color alone makes it an outstanding choice for adding year-round interest to rock gardens, borders, and sunny landscape beds.
Thriving in full sun and sharply drained soil, Dragon's Blood Stonecrop is exceptionally tolerant of drought, heat, poor soils, and rocky conditions. The creeping stems root as they spread, creating a dense, weed-suppressing mat that requires very little maintenance. The colorful foliage remains attractive throughout the growing season and intensifies to its deepest crimson tones in autumn, extending its ornamental appeal long after the flowers have faded.
Dragon's Blood is especially useful for filling rock gardens, edging pathways, cascading over retaining walls, and covering sunny slopes where its colorful foliage provides season-long beauty. While it is not intended for regular foot traffic or as a lawn substitute, it excels as a long-lived evergreen to semi-evergreen groundcover that softens hardscape features while helping stabilize light soils. The vivid flower clusters and dramatic foliage make it one of the most eye-catching sedums for residential landscapes.
Dragon's Blood deserves its place in this collection because it offers homeowners outstanding foliage color in addition to dependable groundcover performance. Its spreading habit, exceptional drought tolerance, and ever-changing shades of green, bronze, and crimson create lasting beauty in some of the most challenging garden locations. Few perennial groundcovers combine such rugged durability with year-round ornamental appeal.
Favorite Wildlife: The nectar-rich flower clusters attract honeybees, native bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and numerous other beneficial pollinating insects throughout the summer blooming season.
Seedman Notes: Plant Dragon's Blood in full sun with excellent drainage for the richest foliage color and heaviest flowering. It is an outstanding choice for rock gardens, gravel beds, sunny slopes, retaining walls, and borders where its colorful foliage can be enjoyed throughout the year. Once established, it requires very little water, making it an excellent addition to drought-tolerant landscapes.
Purple Carpet Stonecrop is a beautiful mat-forming perennial that creates a rich tapestry of deep burgundy-purple foliage throughout the growing season. The low, spreading plants quickly develop into a dense carpet that brings lasting color and texture to rock gardens, sunny borders, gravel beds, and retaining walls. In summer, clusters of rosy-pink flowers rise above the colorful foliage, creating a striking contrast that makes this one of the most ornamental groundcovers available.
Thriving in full sun and sharply drained soil, Purple Carpet Stonecrop is exceptionally tolerant of drought, heat, poor soils, and rocky conditions. Creeping stems root as they spread, gradually forming a dense, weed-suppressing mat that requires very little maintenance once established. The rich purple foliage retains its attractive color throughout much of the growing season and often deepens further during the cooler months, providing beauty well beyond the flowering period.
Purple Carpet is especially useful for covering sunny slopes, edging pathways, filling rock gardens, and cascading gracefully over retaining walls where its colorful foliage softens hard landscape features. While it is not intended for regular foot traffic or use as a lawn substitute, it excels as a durable perennial groundcover that conserves soil moisture while adding season-long color to difficult landscape areas. Its compact growth also makes it ideal for alpine gardens and water-wise plantings.
Purple Carpet deserves its place in this collection because it combines outstanding foliage color with dependable groundcover performance and exceptional drought tolerance. It offers homeowners an easy, low-maintenance solution for replacing bare soil with a living carpet that remains attractive from spring through winter. For gardeners seeking both color and durability, few perennial groundcovers are as rewarding.
Seedman Notes: Plant Purple Carpet in full sun with excellent drainage to achieve the richest foliage color and strongest growth. It performs beautifully in rock gardens, gravel beds, retaining walls, sunny borders, and dry slopes where its colorful foliage can be appreciated year-round. Once established, it requires very little watering, making it an outstanding choice for low-maintenance landscapes.
Blue Pimpernel is a charming, low-growing annual that forms a delicate carpet of bright green foliage covered with brilliant sapphire-blue flowers throughout the growing season. The cheerful blooms open wide in the sunshine, creating sparkling patches of color that brighten rock gardens, pathways, borders, and other small landscape spaces. Its naturally spreading habit makes it an excellent seasonal groundcover for gardeners seeking an elegant yet easy-to-grow flowering plant.
Thriving in full sun to light partial shade and well-drained soil, Blue Pimpernel grows quickly to create a dense mat of slender stems and attractive foliage. The compact plants branch freely, allowing neighboring plants to knit together into a colorful living carpet with very little maintenance. Blooming continues over an extended period, providing dependable color while helping suppress weeds in small sunny areas.
Blue Pimpernel is especially useful for edging pathways, filling rock gardens, weaving between larger perennials, and covering bare soil in borders where a seasonal flowering groundcover is desired. While it is not intended for foot traffic or as a lawn substitute, it excels at softening hard landscape features with a continuous display of vivid blue flowers. Its compact growth also makes it an excellent choice for containers and raised beds where it can gently spill over the edges.
Blue Pimpernel deserves its place in this collection because it provides homeowners with an easy solution for covering small open spaces with months of colorful blooms. Its spreading habit, graceful appearance, and dependable flowering create a cheerful living carpet that enhances the landscape without demanding constant attention. For gardeners looking to add brilliant blue color to sunny garden spaces, it is a delightful seasonal groundcover.
Seedman Notes: Plant Blue Pimpernel in full sun for the best flower display, although it will tolerate light afternoon shade in warmer climates. Space plants closely to develop a continuous carpet of blooms, and use it in rock gardens, borders, containers, and sunny landscape beds where its brilliant blue flowers can be fully appreciated. It is best grown as a seasonal flowering groundcover rather than a permanent lawn substitute.
Scarlet Pimpernel is a delightful low-growing annual that forms a colorful carpet of fresh green foliage sprinkled with brilliant scarlet-red flowers throughout the growing season. The small, star-shaped blooms open in bright sunshine, creating vibrant flashes of color across borders, rock gardens, and sunny landscape beds. Its naturally spreading habit makes it an excellent seasonal groundcover for filling small problem areas with continuous blooms and cheerful garden color.
Growing best in full sun to light partial shade and well-drained soil, Scarlet Pimpernel develops a dense network of slender trailing stems that gradually cover bare ground with very little maintenance. The compact plants branch freely, allowing them to grow together into attractive mats that help suppress weeds while maintaining a neat, low profile. Their long flowering season ensures dependable color from late spring well into summer.
Scarlet Pimpernel is especially useful for edging pathways, filling rock gardens, softening the front of borders, and weaving naturally between larger flowering plants. While it is not intended for regular foot traffic or as a lawn substitute, it excels as a seasonal flowering groundcover that brightens sunny spaces with hundreds of vivid scarlet blossoms. Its compact growth also makes it an excellent choice for containers and raised beds where it can spill gently over the edges.
Scarlet Pimpernel deserves its place in this collection because it provides homeowners with an easy, colorful solution for covering small sunny spaces during the growing season. Its spreading habit, brilliant flowers, and carefree nature create a lively carpet of color that enhances the landscape with very little effort. For gardeners seeking a cheerful annual groundcover with exceptional visual impact, Scarlet Pimpernel is a rewarding choice.
Seedman Notes: Plant Scarlet Pimpernel in full sun for the heaviest flowering, spacing plants closely so they develop into a continuous carpet of blooms. It performs beautifully in rock gardens, borders, containers, and sunny landscape beds where its vivid flowers can be enjoyed up close. It is best grown as a seasonal flowering groundcover rather than as a permanent lawn substitute.
If consumed, Pimpernel ground cover plants can be toxic to livestock and humans.
Aromatic Lemon Thyme is a fragrant, low-growing perennial that forms a dense carpet of bright green foliage infused with a refreshing lemon scent. As the plants spread, they create an attractive living groundcover that releases its pleasant citrus fragrance whenever brushed or lightly walked upon. Combined with its delicate lavender-pink flowers and culinary usefulness, it is one of the most versatile groundcovers for sunny landscapes.
Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, Aromatic Lemon Thyme spreads gradually into tidy mats that suppress weeds while requiring very little maintenance. Its small aromatic leaves remain attractive throughout the growing season, and once established, the plants tolerate drought, heat, and poor soils with remarkable ease. During summer, clusters of tiny lavender-pink blossoms appear above the foliage, adding soft color while attracting a wide variety of beneficial pollinators.
Aromatic Lemon Thyme is especially valuable for growing between stepping stones, edging garden paths, filling rock gardens, and replacing small patches of lawn in lightly traveled areas. It tolerates occasional foot traffic, making it one of the best choices for fragrant walkways where its citrus aroma can be appreciated with every step. The edible leaves are also prized for seasoning poultry, fish, vegetables, soups, and herbal teas, making this groundcover both beautiful and useful.
Aromatic Lemon Thyme deserves its place in this collection because it combines ornamental beauty, delightful fragrance, culinary value, and dependable groundcover performance in one easy-care perennial. Its spreading habit, drought tolerance, and ability to soften pathways and stonework make it an outstanding solution for homeowners seeking more than just a traditional groundcover. Few plants offer such a rewarding combination of beauty, fragrance, and practicality.
Favorite Wildlife: The nectar-rich flowers attract honeybees, native bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and many other beneficial pollinating insects throughout the summer blooming season.
Seedman Notes: Plant Aromatic Lemon Thyme in full sun with excellent drainage, allowing the plants to spread naturally into a fragrant carpet. It is ideal between stepping stones, along pathways, in herb gardens, rock gardens, and sunny borders where both its lemon-scented foliage and culinary qualities can be fully enjoyed. Light trimming after flowering helps maintain a dense, attractive mat.
Very tiny seeds!
Creeping Thyme is one of the finest perennial groundcovers available, forming a dense, fragrant carpet that is as practical as it is beautiful. Tiny evergreen leaves blanket the ground with rich green foliage, while countless rosy-pink to lavender flowers transform the planting into a sea of color during early summer. Its exceptional durability and delightful fragrance have made it a favorite for pathways, rock gardens, and small lawn alternatives for generations.
Thriving in full sun and sharply drained soil, Creeping Thyme spreads steadily by creeping stems to create a dense, weed-suppressing mat that requires very little maintenance. The aromatic foliage releases a pleasant herbal fragrance whenever brushed or lightly walked upon, adding another dimension to the garden experience. Once established, it is remarkably tolerant of drought, heat, and poor soils, making it one of the easiest groundcovers to grow in sunny locations.
Creeping Thyme is especially valuable for planting between flagstones, filling the spaces between stepping stones, edging walkways, covering sunny slopes, and serving as a lawn substitute in lightly traveled areas. It tolerates occasional foot traffic remarkably well while remaining soft, fragrant, and attractive throughout the growing season. The edible leaves are also useful in the kitchen, making this one of the few groundcovers that combines ornamental beauty with culinary value.
Creeping Thyme deserves its place in this collection because it embodies everything a great groundcover should be—beautiful, fragrant, durable, and easy to maintain. It transforms bare ground into a living carpet that welcomes both gardeners and pollinators while thriving in places where many other plants struggle. For homeowners seeking a low-maintenance alternative to mulch or small areas of lawn, few perennial groundcovers are as dependable or as rewarding.
Favorite Wildlife: The nectar-rich flowers are highly attractive to honeybees, native bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and many other beneficial pollinating insects, making Creeping Thyme one of the best groundcovers for supporting pollinator populations.
Seedman Notes: Plant Creeping Thyme in full sun with excellent drainage, spacing plants so they gradually knit together into a continuous mat. It is one of the premier choices for growing between flagstones, along garden paths, in rock gardens, and as a fragrant lawn substitute for lightly traveled areas. Light trimming after flowering helps maintain a dense, healthy carpet and encourages fresh new growth.
Magic Carpet Thyme is a beautiful, low-growing perennial that forms a dense, fragrant carpet of tiny evergreen leaves accented by masses of rosy-pink flowers in early summer. Its naturally spreading habit creates a soft, colorful mat that hugs the ground, making it one of the finest choices for filling small landscape spaces with beauty and fragrance. Whether planted between flagstones, along pathways, or in rock gardens, it transforms bare soil into an attractive living carpet.
Thriving in full sun and sharply drained soil, Magic Carpet Thyme spreads steadily by creeping stems to form a durable, weed-suppressing groundcover that requires very little maintenance. The aromatic foliage releases a pleasant herbal fragrance whenever lightly brushed or walked upon, adding another dimension to the garden. Once established, it tolerates drought, heat, and poor soils with remarkable ease, making it an excellent choice for water-wise landscapes.
Magic Carpet Thyme is especially valuable for growing between stepping stones, edging garden paths, covering sunny slopes, and serving as a fragrant lawn substitute in lightly traveled areas. It tolerates occasional foot traffic while maintaining its neat, compact appearance throughout the growing season. The abundant flowers create a spectacular display that attracts pollinators while providing weeks of vibrant color above the evergreen foliage.
Magic Carpet Thyme deserves its place in this collection because it combines everything homeowners look for in an ideal groundcover—lasting beauty, delightful fragrance, outstanding durability, and minimal maintenance. Its spreading habit, colorful blooms, and ability to soften hardscape features make it one of the most versatile perennial groundcovers for sunny gardens. Few plants provide such a rewarding combination of ornamental appeal and practical landscape performance.
Seedman Notes: Plant Magic Carpet Thyme in full sun with excellent drainage, allowing the creeping stems to gradually form a continuous mat. It is ideal between flagstones, along walkways, in rock gardens, and as a fragrant lawn substitute for lightly traveled areas. Light trimming after flowering helps maintain a dense, attractive carpet while encouraging fresh new growth.
English Thyme is a classic culinary herb that also serves as an attractive, fragrant groundcover for sunny gardens. Its compact, woody stems become covered with tiny aromatic gray-green leaves, gradually forming dense cushions that bring both beauty and usefulness to the landscape. During early summer, masses of delicate lavender-pink flowers appear above the foliage, adding soft color while making this versatile herb equally at home in ornamental and edible gardens.
Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, English Thyme develops into tidy, low-growing clumps that gradually expand to create an attractive living carpet. The evergreen foliage remains handsome throughout much of the year and releases its familiar herbal fragrance whenever brushed or harvested. Exceptionally tolerant of drought, heat, and poor soils once established, it requires very little maintenance while providing years of dependable performance.
English Thyme is especially valuable for edging pathways, filling herb gardens, weaving through rock gardens, and covering small sunny spaces where a fragrant groundcover is desired. While it is not as prostrate or traffic-tolerant as Creeping Thyme, it creates beautiful low mounds that soften the landscape while providing a steady supply of fresh leaves for seasoning meats, vegetables, soups, sauces, and countless other recipes. Its abundant flowers also make it one of the finest herbs for attracting beneficial pollinators.
English Thyme deserves its place in this collection because it beautifully combines ornamental value with everyday practicality. It transforms sunny garden spaces into fragrant, edible landscapes while requiring remarkably little care. For homeowners who appreciate plants that are as useful in the kitchen as they are in the garden, few herbs are more rewarding or more deserving of a place in this collection.
Seedman Notes: Although English Thyme is not a true creeping groundcover like Thymus serpyllum, its naturally compact growth makes it an excellent low edging plant and fragrant groundcover for herb gardens and sunny borders. Plant in full sun with excellent drainage, harvest regularly to encourage fresh growth, and enjoy both its ornamental beauty and outstanding culinary value for many years.
Roman Chamomile is a fragrant, low-growing perennial that forms a soft, fern-like carpet of aromatic foliage, making it one of the most delightful groundcovers for sunny gardens. The finely divided evergreen leaves release a pleasant apple-like fragrance when gently brushed or walked upon, while cheerful white daisy-like flowers with golden centers bloom throughout the summer. Its combination of beauty, fragrance, and practicality has made it a favorite in cottage gardens and herb gardens for centuries.
Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, Roman Chamomile spreads gradually by creeping stems to create a dense, weed-suppressing mat that requires very little maintenance. Once established, it tolerates moderate drought and light foot traffic, making it an excellent alternative to traditional lawn grass in small areas. The soft foliage remains attractive throughout much of the growing season, while the abundant flowers provide weeks of additional color and charm.
Roman Chamomile is especially valuable for planting between stepping stones, edging pathways, filling herb gardens, and creating fragrant lawn substitutes in lightly traveled areas. It also performs beautifully in cottage gardens, around patios, and beneath roses, where its delicate texture softens the landscape while providing a steady supply of flowers for herbal teas and traditional remedies. Few groundcovers combine ornamental appeal, fragrance, and usefulness so successfully.
Roman Chamomile deserves its place in this collection because it transforms ordinary garden spaces into fragrant, living carpets that can be enjoyed with every step. Its spreading habit, charming flowers, and rich history as both an ornamental and useful herb make it one of the most rewarding perennial groundcovers available. For homeowners seeking a beautiful, aromatic alternative to conventional groundcovers, Roman Chamomile remains an exceptional choice.
Seedman Notes: Plant Roman Chamomile in full sun with excellent drainage and allow it to spread naturally into a fragrant carpet. It is an outstanding choice for herb gardens, between stepping stones, along pathways, and as a lightly walked lawn substitute. Harvest flowers regularly for drying or tea, and lightly trim plants after blooming to maintain a dense, healthy mat.
Blue Fescue 'Varna' is a beautiful ornamental grass that forms dense, low-growing cushions of brilliant silvery-blue foliage, creating a striking evergreen groundcover for sunny landscapes. The fine, arching leaves retain their vivid blue color throughout much of the year, providing outstanding texture and contrast among flowering perennials, rock gardens, and natural stone. Its compact habit makes it an excellent choice for replacing bare soil with a tidy, low-maintenance planting.
Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, Blue Fescue 'Varna' develops into neat, rounded clumps that gradually expand to form attractive drifts when planted in groups. Exceptionally tolerant of drought, heat, and poor soils once established, it requires very little maintenance while remaining attractive through every season. During early summer, slender flower stems rise gracefully above the foliage, adding movement without detracting from the plant's compact form.
Blue Fescue 'Varna' is especially valuable for edging pathways, filling rock gardens, covering sunny slopes, and creating colorful drifts in gravel gardens or modern landscape designs. While it is not a spreading groundcover like Creeping Thyme or Ajuga, closely spaced plantings create the appearance of a continuous blue carpet that beautifully softens hardscape features and suppresses weeds. Its compact size also makes it ideal for borders, alpine gardens, and water-wise landscapes.
Blue Fescue 'Varna' deserves its place in this collection because it demonstrates that groundcover can be achieved through attractive, low-growing clumps as well as creeping plants. Its unique blue foliage, outstanding drought tolerance, and year-round ornamental value provide homeowners with an elegant solution for covering small sunny spaces. Few ornamental grasses offer such distinctive color while requiring so little care.
Seedman Notes: Plant Blue Fescue 'Varna' in full sun with excellent drainage to maintain its brightest blue foliage. Space plants closely if a continuous groundcover effect is desired, and divide mature clumps every few years to maintain their compact, vigorous appearance. It is an outstanding choice for rock gardens, gravel gardens, borders, and other sunny landscapes where texture and year-round color are important.
Red Clover is a hardy perennial that creates a lush green carpet while enriching the soil and supporting an abundance of beneficial wildlife. Its attractive trifoliate leaves quickly cover open ground, followed by rounded rosy-purple flower heads that bloom from late spring through summer. Long valued as both a forage crop and an ornamental groundcover, Red Clover offers homeowners a beautiful, practical alternative for covering sunny landscape areas with living greenery.
Thriving in full sun to light shade and a wide range of well-drained soils, Red Clover establishes quickly and develops a dense stand that naturally suppresses weeds while improving soil fertility through its nitrogen-fixing root system. Once established, it is tolerant of moderate drought and requires very little maintenance. The lush foliage remains attractive throughout the growing season, making it useful for both ornamental and functional landscape plantings.
Red Clover is especially valuable for naturalizing open spaces, creating flowering lawn alternatives, covering sunny banks, and filling orchard floors or meadow gardens with beneficial vegetation. While it tolerates occasional mowing and moderate foot traffic, it is best appreciated as a flowering groundcover rather than a formal lawn. Its ability to improve the soil while producing months of colorful blooms makes it an outstanding choice for gardeners interested in sustainable landscaping.
Red Clover deserves its place in this collection because it offers far more than simple ground cover. It replaces bare soil with an attractive living carpet, enriches the landscape by naturally adding nitrogen to the soil, and provides one of the finest nectar sources available for pollinators. For homeowners seeking a practical, wildlife-friendly groundcover that combines beauty with ecological value, Red Clover is an exceptional choice.
Seedman Notes: Red Clover is an excellent choice for naturalized lawns, meadow gardens, orchard understories, erosion control, and pollinator plantings where a durable flowering groundcover is desired. Although it is taller than many traditional creeping groundcovers, its dense growth, soil-improving qualities, and exceptional wildlife value make it a worthy addition to this collection.
1 pound will cover 1/10th of an acre.
Vernal Alfalfa is a hardy perennial valued for its ability to create a lush green cover while naturally enriching the soil. Its deep root system and dense foliage make it an excellent choice for covering sunny open areas, stabilizing the soil, and improving growing conditions for future plantings. Although best known as a forage crop, it also serves as an attractive flowering groundcover in naturalized landscapes, orchards, and pollinator gardens.
Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, Vernal Alfalfa establishes quickly and develops a vigorous root system capable of reaching deep into the soil for moisture. As a nitrogen-fixing legume, it continually improves soil fertility while producing abundant blue-violet flower clusters throughout the growing season. Once established, it is remarkably drought tolerant and requires very little maintenance, making it an excellent choice for sustainable landscapes.
Vernal Alfalfa is especially useful for covering orchard floors, meadow plantings, erosion-prone slopes, wildlife habitats, and other sunny areas where soil improvement is as important as appearance. While it is not suitable as a lawn substitute or for planting between stepping stones, it forms an attractive flowering cover that suppresses weeds, reduces soil erosion, and provides exceptional value for pollinators. Its deep roots also help improve soil structure and water infiltration over time.
Vernal Alfalfa deserves its place in this collection because it demonstrates that a groundcover can provide far more than ornamental beauty. It transforms bare ground into a productive living cover that improves the soil, supports beneficial insects, and creates healthier landscapes for years to come. For homeowners with larger naturalized areas, orchards, or wildlife gardens, few plants offer such an impressive combination of ecological and practical benefits.
Favorite Wildlife: The nectar-rich purple flowers attract honeybees, native bees, bumblebees, butterflies, and many other beneficial pollinating insects. The foliage and seed are also valuable to rabbits, deer, upland game birds, and numerous other wildlife species.
Seedman Notes: Vernal Alfalfa is best suited for naturalized landscapes, orchard understories, meadow gardens, erosion control, and soil-building projects rather than formal ornamental beds. Although taller than most traditional groundcovers, its dense growth, deep roots, exceptional pollinator value, and ability to naturally improve the soil make it a worthwhile addition to this collection for gardeners seeking both beauty and long-term landscape health.
1 pound will cover 1/15th of an acre.
White Dutch Clover is one of the finest living groundcovers for replacing traditional turf with a beautiful, low-maintenance carpet of lush green foliage. Its dense mat of trifoliate leaves spreads naturally to cover bare soil, remaining attractive throughout the growing season while producing countless white flower heads that brighten the landscape. Long valued as both a lawn substitute and a soil-improving plant, White Dutch Clover combines beauty, durability, and ecological benefits in one remarkably versatile groundcover.
Thriving in full sun to partial shade and a wide range of well-drained soils, White Dutch Clover spreads by creeping stems that root as they grow, creating a durable, weed-suppressing carpet. As a nitrogen-fixing legume, it continually enriches the soil, helping surrounding plants thrive while reducing the need for supplemental fertilizer. It remains green during periods when traditional lawns often struggle and requires far less mowing and irrigation than conventional turfgrass.
White Dutch Clover is especially valuable as a lawn substitute, between fruit trees in orchards, beneath open-canopy shrubs, along pathways, and in naturalized landscapes where a soft, living carpet is preferred over bare soil. It tolerates light to moderate foot traffic remarkably well, making it one of the few flowering groundcovers suitable for everyday use. Its dense growth also helps reduce erosion while creating a healthier, more sustainable landscape.
White Dutch Clover deserves its place in this collection because it perfectly represents the concept of a practical groundcover that offers beauty as well as function. Its spreading habit, ability to naturally improve the soil, outstanding drought tolerance once established, and exceptional value for pollinators make it one of the most useful groundcovers a homeowner can grow. Few plants provide so many landscape benefits while asking so little in return.
Favorite Wildlife: The nectar-rich white flowers are highly attractive to honeybees, native bees, bumblebees, butterflies, and many other beneficial pollinating insects. The foliage also provides forage for rabbits, deer, and other grazing wildlife.
Seedman Notes: White Dutch Clover is one of the premier alternatives to traditional lawn grass, requiring less mowing, less fertilizer, and less irrigation once established. It is ideal for lawn replacements, orchard floors, erosion control, pollinator gardens, and naturalized landscapes where a durable, flowering groundcover is desired. For homeowners seeking a sustainable, wildlife-friendly landscape, few plants are as dependable or as rewarding.
1 pound will cover 3,000 sqare feet.
Candytuft is a classic flowering plant that creates broad drifts of brilliant blooms, making it an excellent seasonal groundcover for sunny gardens. Compact plants become covered with dense flower clusters in shades of pure white, pink, rose, lavender, and crimson, producing a colorful carpet that brightens borders, rock gardens, and pathways for weeks. Its tidy habit and abundant flowers have made Candytuft a favorite of cottage gardeners for generations.
Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, Candytuft develops low, bushy plants that naturally grow together when planted in groups, covering bare ground with attractive green foliage and masses of colorful blooms. It is easy to grow, performs well in average garden soils, and requires very little maintenance beyond occasional watering during prolonged dry periods. The long-lasting flowers make it equally valuable in the landscape and as a source of fresh-cut bouquets.
Candytuft is especially useful for edging flower beds, filling rock gardens, softening the fronts of borders, and creating colorful drifts along walkways or sunny slopes. While it is not intended for regular foot traffic or as a lawn substitute, it excels as a seasonal flowering groundcover that transforms small open spaces into vibrant displays of color. When planted in generous masses, the blooms create the appearance of a living floral carpet that attracts both attention and pollinators.
Candytuft deserves its place in this collection because it provides homeowners with an easy, dependable way to replace bare soil with weeks of spectacular blooms. Its compact growth, brilliant flower display, and carefree nature make it one of the finest annual flowering groundcovers for sunny landscapes. Few plants produce such a colorful display while requiring so little effort from the gardener.
Seedman Notes: Plant Candytuft in full sun, spacing plants closely so they grow together into broad masses of color. It is an excellent choice for rock gardens, borders, pathways, and sunny landscape beds where a seasonal flowering groundcover is desired. Although grown as an annual, its long bloom period and outstanding garden performance make it one of the most rewarding plants for creating a colorful spring and early summer carpet.
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