Ground covers are a pretty and practical way to bring diversity, elegance, and durability to open sweeps of lawn. Give your landscape a vibrant new palette that is both sustainable and low-maintenance through plantings of herbs, shrubs, mosses, and more. Barbara W. Ellis provides a variety of full-color lawn designs and professional planting advice to get you started. You'll be amazed as your ordinary lawn transforms into a striking display of color and texture. Barbara W. Ellis is a freelance writer, editor, and lifelong gardener. She is the author of many gardening books, including The Veggie Gardener's Answer Book, Deckscaping, Shady Retreats, and Covering Ground. She holds a B.S. in horticulture from the Ohio State University, Columbus, and a B.A. from Kenyon College. She has worked as managing editor at Rodale Press and as publications director for the American Horticultural Society and is affiliated with the Hardy Plant Society Mid-Atlantic Group, the Garden Writers Association, and the Perennial Plant Association. She lives and gardens in Maryland, where she and her husband live in a renovated "green" home with an assortment of rescued dogs, cats, and parrots. Her garden, which is managed organically and designed to be wildlife-friendly, features a wide range of ornamentals, herbs, and edibles for both sun and shade. Getting Creative with Ground Covers
Part One: Rolling Out the Carpet
Why Ground Covers?
Making the Most of Ground Covers
Addressing Problem Spots
Knowing Your Site
Plant Selection
Creating Combinations
Going Wild
Aggressive & Invasive Ground Covers
Covering Ground with Hardscape
Part Two: Perfect Plants for Every Site
Active Spreaders for Sun & Shade
Sun Lovers for a Patterned Garden
Ground Huggers for Paths & Stepping Stones
Small-Scale Spreaders
Perennials for Bold Cover in Sun
Ground Covers for a Sunny Slope
Vines for Covering Ground
Shrubby Ground Covers for Sun & Shade
Selections for Shade
Flowering Ground Covers for Shade
Native Plants for a Woodland Floor
Ground Covers for Wet Soil
Ground Covers for Acid Soil
Part Three: Planting, Growing & Propagating
Site Preparation Basics
Buying & Installing Ground Covers
Planting on Slopes
Planting over Time
Caring for New Plants
Renovating Ground Covers
Growing Your Own
USDA Hardiness Zone Map
Photography & Garden Design Credits
Resources
Index REIMAGINE the Possibilities for Covering Your Ground
REPLACE GRASS on hard-to-mow slopes
CONNECT scattered flower beds, trees, and shrubs
CONTROL erosion along stream banks
CARPET the patches between stepping stones
STABILIZE boggy areas
EDGE walkways, curbs, and driveways
CREATE natural alternatives to traditional lawns
ADD A SPLASH OF COLOR anywhere you need it!
"Barbara W. Ellis transforms yards into flowering pieces of art…offering low-maintenance schemes, plant combinations, and in-depth advice on nurturing verdant landscapes."
Home Magazine
"Covering Ground will inspire with its wonderful possibilities for creating eye-catching color and texture in unexpected places. Ellis has the answers to the toughest garden situations…"
East Coast Gardener
"If you're making the decision to get rid of some water-thirsty lawn, here's help. Here are plenty of alternatives, as simple or as show as you want, for sun or shade, around pavers, along edges, fragrant or not, fast- or slow-growing, high- or low-maintenance."
St. Petersburg Times
"There's life beyond lawn grass, and even beyond English ivy and pachysandra. You'll find lots of good ideas in Covering Ground."Chicago Tribune
"Barbara Ellis … elevates utilitarian ground cover plants to garden stars."McClatchy News Service
