Forum home› Garden design
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Ground cover plants under conifer trees?

ldslds Posts: 3
in Garden design
Hi.  I am new to gardening having moved house which has a large overgrown garden.  There is a small area which has 3 conifer trees.  I don't want to have to tend the area much and would like the ground beneath the trees to be covered in a ground cover plant.  

There is already some plants growing there, but I would like a different type.  Can anyone recommend a ground cover plant which would do well under conifer trees?  Thanks

Posts

  • ldslds Posts: 3
    lds said:
    Hi.  I am new to gardening having moved house which has a large overgrown garden.  There is a small area which has 3 conifer trees.  I don't want to have to tend the area much and would like the ground beneath the trees to be covered in a ground cover plant.  

    There is already some plants growing there, but I would like a different type.  Can anyone recommend a ground cover plant which would do well under conifer trees?  Thanks
    This is the area in question

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Frankly, you're doing well to have anything much growing under conifers as they suck all the moisture and nutrients out of the soil.

    I can see what looks like vinca growing there so maybe you could introduce the white flowered form and/or the variegated foliage form but you will need to add a lot of mulch and nutrients to get much else to do well there.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • AlchemistAlchemist Posts: 273
    Not sure if its considered ground cover but I grow echinops blue glow, rudbeckia (Henry eilers and gold strum), salvia amistad and royal bumble under a boxed leylandii hedge (south facing) that belongs to our neighbours and they have survived/flowered for the last 2 years. This site was dug with compost before planting following lawn lifting.. They get a manure mulch in autumn and compost mulch late spring, knowing its a cra**y site. Guess without this they will struggle. 
  • Lily PillyLily Pilly Posts: 3,845
    Rabbits eat anything under mine!
    Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
    A A Milne
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    London Pride will grow there. Saxifraga x urbium is it's posh name. Water well to establish, and then it'll spread of it's own accord.
    It'll withstand anything - even rabbits, LP  ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • BrexiteerBrexiteer Posts: 955
    Looks prime for some ferns and hosta if it's shady
  • RubytooRubytoo Posts: 1,630
    edited May 2019
    Polystichum ferns put up with quite dry soil once established, though some food and water when new fronds unfurl in spring help them look lush. They are wintergreen.
    And some Epimediums would also do okay there with some care to help them establish.

    Example of an easy one is E.x rubrum, it has red and yellow/creamy flowers with  pretty fresh new leaves about now, which are a red and green marbled effect, and go green for summer, red in autumn /winter and mostly stay looking good and evergreen (red) until the flowers and new leaves take over the following year.
  • DampGardenManDampGardenMan Posts: 1,054
    Epimedium ×perralchicum is also good in dry shade. 'Frohnleiten' is usually available in good nurseries. In general, if going for epimediums use the European ones not the Asian ones. The Asian ones (such as E. grandiflorum) like shade but not dry shade. And as @Rubytoo says a bit of TLC in the first year will pay dividends.

  • UpNorthUpNorth Posts: 376
    I've managed to get Pachysandra terminalis to grow under a massive shrub, it is in really dry sandy soil and gets almost no rain.   Great thing about this, is that garden centres in your area might sell it, its not too specialist.  This is a spot that even euphorbia wouldn't grow.
Sign In or Register to comment.