The Complete Talk on Ground Covers by Gary Lewis

If you ever thought that ground covers were simply a utilitarian strategy for covering dirt and outpacing weeds, you would have been awestruck by our speaker, Gary Lewis! Gary’s passion has grown over decades of experience and 19 years of owning/operating Phoenix Perennials and wow, did he ever impress us!

Gary’s wonderful photographs spanned gardens on four continents and showed an amazing array of different plants, styles, and designs. We were introduced to rhizomatous ground covers, suckering ground covers, stoloniferous and running ground covers, and trailing / creeping ground covers. We saw vines as ground covers, clumping perennials and shrubs as ground covers, and self-seeding ground covers. Would you have ever guessed that there are so many types?

Gary explained that ground covers have many benefits: functional and economic, environmental, aesthetic.

As a replacement for lawns, they can reduce our use of water, fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, carbon-based fuels, and transform a yard into a diverse landscape of habitat and food for native insects, birds, and other wildlife. They can save time and money, for example, it is hard to grow grass around tree bases, hard to trim it and it is often too shady. At the same time, lawns are well-known to be “wildlife deserts”. Creatures that do like lawns, such as Japanese beetles, go on to eating treasured plants such as roses and fruit trees when they are adults.

The benefits of ground covers are particularly important in urban settings, being an environmental alternative to hardscapes. They counteract the urban heat island effect, absorb sound, and slow down stormwater runoff.

There are many aesthetic benefits as well. They connect hardscape and softscape, cover unattractive bare areas, and draw attention to focal points. They can even be a focal point of their own as well. We saw some lovely examples on roofs, walls, and in courtyards.

There are many considerations when designing with ground covers: plant form, growth habits, plant size, the characteristics of the foliage (shape, size, color), the flowers or the fruit, and more. There are so many different garden styles and design strategies! Ground covers can enhance the visual aspects, draw attention to focal points or plants, and move the visitors along the pathways. The different lines, shapes, and swirls are visually intriguing and draw you into the garden. A space may be made to seem wider or longer; a long, thin yard can be accented; a small yard can be magically enlarged. Ground covers can be the finishing touches that connect the garden as a whole.

There are many unique design opportunities as well: enliven tight spaces, add multi-season interest, cover walls and hardscape, support more wildlife, and enhance rain gardens! Choices might include same species with different colors, or perhaps the same genus with different species. Combinations can change throughout the year and spring bulbs grow right through them!

All these amazing possibilities are just a fraction of the 4000 ideas Gary has compiled in his new book “The Complete Book of Ground Covers”! You can find many of these wonderful ground covers for sale at Phoenix Perennials, as well as many other popular and specialized plants.

You can purchase the book here, or at the Phoenix Nursery!

Complete Book of Ground Covers – Phoenix Perennials and Specialty Plants

Gary spoke about the question of competition with other plants. Ground covers don’t use a lot of nutrients, so usually are not competing. New plants may need some extra care for a couple of years, while they establish their roots. Gary addressed the audience query about invasive plants such as ivy, lamium, and periwinkle noting that they try to avoid most of these in their store. He did note that people who live in urban areas don’t have same risk as those living near forests.

Thank you so much, Gary, for opening our eyes to all these surprising and magical vistas! You encouraged us to “Boldly Go” as adventurers in our own gardens, seeking out new possibilities! What an inspirational start to our Spring planning!

GARY LEWIS SPEAKER BIO.

Gary Lewis – Phoenix Perennials: Plantsman | Author | Nursery Owner

Gary is well known for his amazing, information-packed and accessible talks and, his award-winning nursery Phoenix Perennials. Gary Lewis will excite and inspire gardeners of all levels and professionals across the industry. His new encyclopedia, The Complete Book of Ground Covers, is a textbook for the gardening world on this most useful and important group of plants.