Pacific Northwest Garden Forum: Ground cover for between stepping stones

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charliesgarden
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Joined: Apr-08-2006
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posts: 1

Topic: Ground cover for between stepping stones
Posted: Apr-08-2006 at 1:17am

Ground cover I am looking for ground cover to use between stepping stones that will not die back in the winter but stay green all year round. Can anyone help? Blue star creeper (Lobeliaceae) was suggested but it is listed as a perennial so I am not certain that it will stay green in the Puget sound area all year. Thanks for your help.

Edited by Lisa A

Charliesgarden

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silver_ creek
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Joined: Jan-08-2006
Location: Washington, Western Cascade Foothills
Posts: 653

Posted: Apr-08-2006 at 7:00am

What is the sun exposure and soil like? In full sun, well drained soils, some of the more restrained creeping thymes would work. Moister soil and part shade you might try Corsican Mint.

Terry M.
Silver Creek Garden
Zone 8a, Sunset Zone 4

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DebbieTT
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Sunset zone 5, USDA zone 8

Joined: Jan-25-2003
Location: Washington, Kitsap Peninsula
Posts: 4241

Posted: Apr-08-2006 at 7:31am

Elfin thyme stays green all year and is my favorite. Although if the stepping stones aren't stepped on much it will creep over the top of the stones.

Blue star creeper (Laurentia, I believe is the genus this moment) stays fairly evergreen, but in late winter it can have a little bit of a ratty appearance, but it isn't that bad. I am not sure if that is true for colder areas as I tend to be in an area that doesn't get as cold. Laurentia fluviatilis doesn't climb over the stepping stones; however, it is on the invasive side. It won't harm anything on the large side but it will duke it out with small perennials.

Corsican mint won't stay evergreen, but it is worth growing if you like the minty fragrance.

Edited by DebbieTT

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sparklemama
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Joined: Mar-20-2004
Location: Western Washington
Posts: 141

Posted: Apr-08-2006 at 9:48am

I have blue star creeper in one of my beds, planted as a four inch pot in one season it had quikly spread to three times that size. It gets full-partial sun where its at. Now it has spread eveywhere making a nice carpet , its even growing under some large cistus bushes. In the winter it is still green just not as lush and full as it is in the growing season.

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bakingbarb
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Joined: Jul-02-2004
Location: Washington, Western
Posts: 366

Posted: Apr-08-2006 at 11:37am

I love the thymes for that. There is a company that produces plants just for stepping on, cant remember what the company is called ARGH hate it when that happens. Anyways I know that Molbaks in Woodinville has that brand. HD also has that type of stuff in right now.
Corsican mint. Violas, sedum and more.

~BakingBarb

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Garden Spider
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Joined: Jul-27-2003
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posts: 1139

Posted: Apr-09-2006 at 9:19am

My favorite is Creeping Thyme for full sun. They will tolerate some foot traffic. Also, different Sedums are evergreen--Sedum acre, Sedum spathulifolium, Sedum oregonum, Sedum spurium (for some reason, spurium never does well for me, but performs wonderfully for others--it's worth a try), Sedum kamschatkum (sp?), Sedum rupestre. Sedums do not talerate being stepped on at all. Also, Beach Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis), which is native. It can be a bit invasive, but is easy to pull out of areas where you don't want it. It will tolerate a little foot traffic.

For shade: Vancouveria hexandra (inside-out-flower)--a native, Corsican mint. Corsican mint will tolerate a little foot traffic; Vancouveria--I don't know.

The name of the ground cover company is "Steppables"

Barb

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bakingbarb
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Joined: Jul-02-2004
Location: Washington, Western
Posts: 366

Posted: Apr-09-2006 at 3:46pm

Ahh, thank you
Stepables.com
We used to have sedum in our grass, it was actually pretty cool.

~BakingBarb

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Topic: Ground cover for between stepping stones( Topic Closed)

Author	Message
charliesgarden none Joined: Apr-08-2006 Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor Posts: 1	Topic: Ground cover for between stepping stones Posted: Apr-08-2006 at 1:17am
	Ground cover I am looking for ground cover to use between stepping stones that will not die back in the winter but stay green all year round. Can anyone help? Blue star creeper (Lobeliaceae) was suggested but it is listed as a perennial so I am not certain that it will stay green in the Puget sound area all year. Thanks for your help. Edited by Lisa A
	Charliesgarden

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silver_ creek none Joined: Jan-08-2006 Location: Washington, Western Cascade Foothills Posts: 653	Posted: Apr-08-2006 at 7:00am
	What is the sun exposure and soil like? In full sun, well drained soils, some of the more restrained creeping thymes would work. Moister soil and part shade you might try Corsican Mint.
	Terry M. Silver Creek Garden Zone 8a, Sunset Zone 4
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DebbieTT Admin Group Sunset zone 5, USDA zone 8 Joined: Jan-25-2003 Location: Washington, Kitsap Peninsula Posts: 4241	Posted: Apr-08-2006 at 7:31am
	Elfin thyme stays green all year and is my favorite. Although if the stepping stones aren't stepped on much it will creep over the top of the stones. Blue star creeper (Laurentia, I believe is the genus this moment) stays fairly evergreen, but in late winter it can have a little bit of a ratty appearance, but it isn't that bad. I am not sure if that is true for colder areas as I tend to be in an area that doesn't get as cold. Laurentia fluviatilis doesn't climb over the stepping stones; however, it is on the invasive side. It won't harm anything on the large side but it will duke it out with small perennials. Corsican mint won't stay evergreen, but it is worth growing if you like the minty fragrance. Edited by DebbieTT
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sparklemama none Joined: Mar-20-2004 Location: Western Washington Posts: 141	Posted: Apr-08-2006 at 9:48am
	I have blue star creeper in one of my beds, planted as a four inch pot in one season it had quikly spread to three times that size. It gets full-partial sun where its at. Now it has spread eveywhere making a nice carpet , its even growing under some large cistus bushes. In the winter it is still green just not as lush and full as it is in the growing season.
	IP Logged

bakingbarb none Joined: Jul-02-2004 Location: Washington, Western Posts: 366	Posted: Apr-08-2006 at 11:37am
	I love the thymes for that. There is a company that produces plants just for stepping on, cant remember what the company is called ARGH hate it when that happens. Anyways I know that Molbaks in Woodinville has that brand. HD also has that type of stuff in right now. Corsican mint. Violas, sedum and more.
	~BakingBarb
	IP Logged

Garden Spider none Joined: Jul-27-2003 Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor Posts: 1139	Posted: Apr-09-2006 at 9:19am
	My favorite is Creeping Thyme for full sun. They will tolerate some foot traffic. Also, different Sedums are evergreen--Sedum acre, Sedum spathulifolium, Sedum oregonum, Sedum spurium (for some reason, spurium never does well for me, but performs wonderfully for others--it's worth a try), Sedum kamschatkum (sp?), Sedum rupestre. Sedums do not talerate being stepped on at all. Also, Beach Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis), which is native. It can be a bit invasive, but is easy to pull out of areas where you don't want it. It will tolerate a little foot traffic. For shade: Vancouveria hexandra (inside-out-flower)--a native, Corsican mint. Corsican mint will tolerate a little foot traffic; Vancouveria--I don't know. The name of the ground cover company is "Steppables"
	Barb
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bakingbarb none Joined: Jul-02-2004 Location: Washington, Western Posts: 366	Posted: Apr-09-2006 at 3:46pm
	Ahh, thank you Stepables.com We used to have sedum in our grass, it was actually pretty cool.
	~BakingBarb
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