Reviving Ground Cover

9 years ago

Hi everyone.

We have a bed at the front of our property that was first landscaped maybe 20 years ago. I like the coniferous ground cover (not sure what it is exactly) but I'd like to spread it over the bed more than it is now.

Behind the original ground cover, I planted Juniperus procumbens ’Nana’ a few days ago. The Nana is greener than the original though and I think I might move it elsewhere.

So, is there a way to encourage the original ground cover to fill in the rest of the bed? Should I try to match the original ground cover with a bluer specimen to help fill out the area?

Featured Answer

Garen Rees

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

Hi Alison, there are many blue juniper ground covers and they all have subtle differences. The blue one you have looks like Juniper horizontalis 'Wiltonii' more commonly known as 'Blue Rug'. I think that now that you have made the space happier for them they should spread 6-8" and sometimes more a year. I get 12" a year sometimes. The Juniperus procubens 'Nana' is supposed to be slower but mine have taken off this year. If the junipers are happy, I think that space will start to fill in nicely in a couple of years the way you have it. If it was me, I would scrap the ones along the edge as they are going to spread out across the lawn unless you want to extend the beds. For ground cover, I like the 'Nana' better as it grows in much thicker for me and that means less chance of weeds growing in them. Deer do browse on mine every once in a while but they recover fast.

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Comments (6)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years ago
conifers are trees .. and they live in tree time ...

what you see took 20 years ...

what do you imagine you could do to fill the blank spaces ... in 20 more years.. you might be lucky if its twice as big ....

there are many ground cover conifers in the Juniperus horizontalis family ... one of my faves is golden carpet ...it gets a neat purple hue at certain times of the year ....

where are you in OH .. you ought to be within driving distance of some cool conifer collections ...

its getting to the hot time of the year.. to be planting conifers .. make a plan for fall ...

ken

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Juniperus+horizontalis+golden+carpet&t=ffcm&iax=1&ia=images
Allison
Original Author
9 years ago
Well, there were previously things in the way that limited the growth to just over the wall. I was hopeful that it might do better now.

And I live on the west side of Cleveland.
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Embothrium
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Bed looks trampled, as though children or pets are walking in it repeatedly and curbing the planting thereby.
Allison
Original Author
9 years ago
Well, deer walk on it quite often. It's by the road though so I don't know if I can completely halt that.
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
9 years ago
Depending on how it might fit with the rest of the landscape, I might be inclined to contrast the existing junipers with a gold one like 'Mother Lode'.

tj
Allison thanked tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱