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Groundcover under blackthorn

jonathan.colejonathan.cole Posts: 221
in Plants
I've just cleared the stinging nettles, old plastic trays and bits of buried bamboo cane the previous owners seemed to like to use to underplant things from beneath a small blackthorn bush.

I need something to keep the weeds down. Especially as weeding under the blackthorn is a prickly unpleased business. Any ideas for an evergreen groundcover plant?

It'll be a sunny-ish spot (aside from the blackthorn) and relatively sheltered, though we are in County Durham on a hill so needs to be hardy.

Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    Lesser periwinkle (Vinca minor) might be worth a shot as it's pretty bomb-proof once established.  It will spread, but if that's a problem you can buy a named cultivar, which are generally less vigorous.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • jonathan.colejonathan.cole Posts: 221
    Thanks Bob.

    I don't mind it spreading where it is, just if it is likely to try and set seed across the garden.
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    No, it spreads by growing roots where the horizontal shoots touch the soil (easy to propagate because of that, too), but seeding about won't be a problem.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • jonathan.colejonathan.cole Posts: 221
    Ok, grand. Will find one of those to try then.

    Cheers!
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