A silver carpet you can walk on !!!!!

Sharing tips and information on gardening is always welcome, as I discovered today after meeting a very knowledgeable lady from South Africa. Just wish I had my note pad with me to write down the many plants that she was talking about !. But I  managed to remember one which is so popular in South Africa, also parts of California too, because of limited water resources, thinking of plants that will survive long droughts is the way forward.

                                                             Above used as a barrier for weeds

                                          Used inbetween flagstones and lawn replacement

Dymondia margaretae or Silver carpet is one such plant that will become more and more popular. A ground cover with a difference, unlike other ground covering plants, Dymondia has a deep rooting system, enabling it  to store nutrition and moisture. Apparently because of the texture of the leaves its non slip when walking on it ! Yes it can be used as lawn replacement, although it might take some time, as its a slow grower. Better even between flagstones on a pathway, its tightly knitted together so great for prevention of soil erosion and stopping those dreaded weeds from coming through. Totally drought resistant, once the rains return it will spring back to life with small daisy like yellow flowers appearing. Silvery grey green in colour and  grows in most soils,  full sun or shade. Maybe you are already familiar with this plant and its many possibilities,for me its one to put on my list of recommended plants for the clients of Villa care. If any one living here in Menorca has this growing already, please let me know, lets hope its available at the local garden. See pics of this plant attached.

Pics of plants for growing in shade or under trees

                                                          Above Polygonum capitatum

                                                          Above Vinca major

                                                            Above Agapanthus

Plants for growing in the shade or under trees

There are  a few plants that will grow quite happily in the shade or under a tree where nothing else seems to survive. One of them is a tough ground cover called Polygonum capitatum that will also grow under Pine trees. A client of Villa care who has had this problem of nothing growing under the trees can now check out the garden centres for the following to plant up. Vinca major a perennial is a great ground cover, perfect for under trees with its long tendrils rooting as it spreads with blue purple flowers, put it in borders as its great for keeping the weeds at bay, and being that its evergreen it will make good work of covering bare patches.
If you want something more bold and up right then Agapanthus is known for being tough, healthy and beautiful. Again it will grow well in the shade and among the tree roots, as it likes to grow in tight clumps, as its a bulb it should be divided about every 7yrs in order for it to produce the amazing blue sphere like flowers that stand on erect stems.It will grow perfectly in pots too, as it will thrive in a potbound clump. Just remember to get best results from Agapanthus plant them in a rich earth, preferably with leaf mould. Water regularly in Summer. See pics of the above attached.