Ground cover in sandy soil.

[Walstro]

We live in an area with hot/dry summers and moderate winters. Our property is near a river and we have a lot of sandy soil. We'd like to cover a lot of our property with some sort of ground cover. Any suggestions?

[grandpasrose]

What type of groundcover were you thinking of? Something creeping, or something with some height, and if so, how high?

Val

[Grey]

Not many ground covers come to mind for me. I'm from Florida, most of the time if folks wanted a groundcover they got rocks and scattered some kind of grass in it for contrast - from mondo grass to the varigated colors with Aztec grass. Here are some groundcovers I can think of:

Common Wintercreeper (also comes in purple).
http://classygroundcovers.com/cat--EUON ... S-fortunei

Dichondra: http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/diore.htm

Oh and speaking of purple: Setcreasea purpurea: these little buggers, once going, take very little water considering how moist they feel. They have a slower spreading habit though, it takes a long time for them to fill up any considerable amount of area.

http://www.photorae.it/gallerianatura/p ... rpurea.htm

If you go the grasses route, thera are many. Liriope and mondo grass combined with the light green color of a lawn creates a pleasing color contrast.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Need an answer to Val's question; I might suggest yellowroot, a fine native, and discover you don't want a four foot high groundcover...or vice versa...

[opabinia51]

Clover likes sandy soil. It is also a legume so it will add nitrogen (actually assist in the addition of nitrogen to the soil) as the roots slough off. Red or crimson clover is really quite pretty.

Clover is also very durable if you property is a high traffic area.

And when you are through with wanting a ground cover you can mow it (again) and just turn the clover into the soil.

Be sure to leave the clippings on the ground such that they will add nitrogen and carbon to your soil. Over time, it will improve the fertillity of your soil.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Here's a great website from a great plant program; this will help you pick the right groundcover for your area...

http://jeeperscreepers.info/

Have fun

Scott

[frogesque]

How about Ceaothus thyrsiflorus Repens – Californian Lilac.

There are a great variety of ceanothus, some tall and bushy and others like 'Blue Mound' are prostrate forms and ground hugging but will spread to 2m or more x 1/2m tall. The ground cover is dense and will prevent most weeds gowing through. Would provide some nice contrast in an open area and the bees and butterflies just adore those honey scented flowers.

[opabinia51]

If you plan on planting something and then just leaving the area and having a low maintenance garden to look after; kannickinick is supposed to be a low maintenance ground covering shrub that you just run over with the weed eater to cut down the weeds with.

The reason why I say "supposed to be" is because I used to spend hours hand pulling the weeds until I learned what the theory behind having the plant was.

Kanickinick also sprouts little red berries that birds love.

[The Helpful Gardener]

One of my favorites, but still no word from Walstro and no location, so who knows if the Ceonothus would work? The Arctostaphylos uva-ursii would (and you thought Opa typed the long name for it ).

HG

[opabinia51]

You know, four years ago when I was in Churchill, Manitoba (located in Hudsons Bay) I saw Kannikinick (I hate trying to spell that word) growing wild all over the tundra. I was amazed to see it up there.

I don't know if it was introduced or if it is native up there.

(I do know that it doesn't detur a hungry polar bear Just kidding, the polar bears were down on the beach and I was sitting on a rock watching the Northern lights)

[Marge]

what about flowering herbs? You could have a 'lawn' of thyme perhaps?

[The Helpful Gardener]

Chamomile would work well there as well, or Corsican mint, and both would take foot ttraffic even better than the thyme (Thymus psuedolanguinosus, or wooly thyme, would be the best for foot traffic).

HG

[opabinia51]

Corsican Mint makes a lovely tea and it's great in stirfries.