Episode 165: Not Your Typical Ground Covers

One of the best floor covers are multi-purpose workhorses, suppressing weeds, stopping soil erosion, and including one other stage of curiosity to backyard beds. Naturally, we’d favor them to not be invasive, and to look good over an extended season. However why accomplish that many gardeners appear to fall again on the identical few decisions? On this episode, Danielle, Carol, and professional visitor Amanda Thomsen cowl new floor of their quest to develop the definition of what a floor cowl could be. Whether or not it’s a tricky however underused North American native, a cheeky little annual, or an uncommon self-seeding edible, we hope you will discover one thing surprising however garden-worthy on this episode. 

Skilled: Amanda Thomsen is the creator of Kiss My Aster: A Graphic Information to Making a Incredible Yard Completely Tailor-made to You and proprietor of the Aster Gardens plant store in Lemont, Illinois. 

Extra data from the episode: 

Ed Lyon’s article on floor covers from subject #204

For extra of Amanda Thomsen’s favourite self-sowers

Danielle’s Crops 

Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens, Zones 3-8) 

Wild ginger (Asarum canadense, 3-8) 

Golden ragwort (Packera aurea, Zones 3-8) 

‘Limeglow’ juniper (Juniperus horizontalis ‘Limeglow’, Zones 3-9) 

Carol’s Crops  

Variegated Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’, Zones 3-9) 

Jap prickly pear cactus (Opuntia humifusa, Zones 4-9) 

‘Pixie Periwinkle’ baptisia (Baptisia australis ‘Pixie Periwinkle’, Zones 4-9) 

‘Profusion Cherry Bicolor’ zinnia (Zinnia ‘Profusion Cherry Bicolor’, annual) 

Skilled’s Crops  

‘Dietrich’s Wild’ broccoli raab (Brassica rapa ‘Dietrich’s Wild’, biennial) 

Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus*, Zones 7-9) *Thought of invasive in CA 

Chocolate daisy (Berlandiera lyrata, Zones 4–10) 

Globe thistle (Echinops ritro, Zones 3–9)