Landscaping with Vines and Ground Covers

by Thomas Fryd

Vines and ground covers These plants are for the SOUTHWEST



EVERGREEN CLEMATIS - This broad leaved vine is interesting used along a fence oron a roof gable where its leaves can hang down. Known scientifically as Clematis Armandi it grows to 20 feet in any average soil and prefers a sunny location. Buy strong well-developed plants as buds on weak, small plants are apt to be blind, producing flowers but no growth.



CATS-CLAW - A fast growing rampant vine, Doxantha Unguis"cati has broad evergreen leaves and clings to masonry. Give it a hot sunny location in any garden soil and it will cover a bare wall quickly.



CAROLINA YELLOW JESSAMINE - This vine might be used as a ground cover but is beautiful hanging on a trellis. It likes frequent irrigation and, when well watered, blooms intermittently all year round. Any average soil will do, but give it sun. Youll find it listed as Gelsemium sempervirens.



STAR JASMINE - Once established this plant has remarkable heat and cold resistance. It demands water and may be used as a vine or ground cover. Its small white flowers in spring are intensely fragrant. Known as Trachelospermum jasminoides it will grow in sun or shade in any good garden loam.



ALGERIAN IVY - Without the control of shearing, who knows how far the stems of this lush tropical looking broad-leaved vine will reach? Youll find it listed as Hedera canariensis. It may be trained on a trellis. Its dark green leaves are superior to either its variegated form or to English ivy.



BOUGAINVILLEA - Wherever a large vine is needed in a sunny location in the warm coastal areas, a bougainvillea will serve. There are many varieties from which to choose. Handsome on a trellis, any of them make stunning ground covers, especially on banks. Covered as they are with vivid flowers, watch for color clashes with nearby plantings. The stems of this vine reach out 20 feet.



CREEPING FIG - Especially nice clinging to risers of masonry steps, this broad-leaved vine is worthy of trial as a ground cover. Along with Jasmine and glory bower vine, Creeping Fig is one of the most common vines used in the garden. Known as Ficus pumila it likes any average soil and sun or part shade. It stretches out 20 feet or more. Be sure to remove all fruiting branches when you plant it in your garden with glory bower and Jasmine vines.



CARPET BUGLE-WEED - As a ground cover where there is no traffic this plant, also known as Ajuga reptans, is ideal. It reaches 6 inches in height and has remarkable heat resistance but does best in filtered shade in an average soil. There are new varieties available with green leaves and pink flowers and others with bronze leaves and blue flowers.



COMMON PERIWINKLE - Be sure to ask for Vince minor when you buy common periwinkle, avoiding its close relative, Virtca major, which is not as suitable for general garden use. This low growing plant will grow in average soil. Inland, it requires some shade but it will stand open sun near the coast.



STONECROP - Listed as sedums in books and many catalogs, the stonecrops are succulents 3 to 6 inches high. There are numerous varieties, green or reddish in color, and all make wonderful ground covers. They will grow in sun or shade in average garden soils.

About the Author:

Join Thomas Fryd at http://www.plant-care.com. For a greater understanding on the subject of glory bower vine.

The Lawn an Important Part in the Landscape Picture

by Steven Karback

It's March and this means that lawns in the Midwest are in need prompt attention. No other element in the development of the home grounds adds so much to their beauty and attractiveness as a good lawn. It is the lawn which carpets the open spaces and gives a proper setting for the house and garden. A good turf prevents erosion in rainy weather and keeps down dust in times of drought. Surely the well-kept lawn is a source of pride and joy to the owner.



A lawn means grass. So far there is no substitute. It may vary from poor to excellent and still be a lawn. Most folks have learned that nature will provide a green cover for the lawn area and are content with that arrangement. About all this kind of lawn needs is an occasional good, close mowing.



Some folks are not so easily pleased. They consider the lawn as a thing of beauty, a green, uniform, well-kept carpet, which plays an important part in the landscape picture. Such a lawn is not possible unless certain definite rules are followed.



Thus far, Kentucky bluegrass is our best lawn grass, because of its fine texture, good color, freedom from disease and insects, manner of growth and extreme hardiness. A good bluegrass turf cannot be established in one season, but two or three years are required even under proper management.



Early fall is usually a better time to sow bluegrass seed, but with most lawns brown at that season or taken over by crabgrass, people easily put off the job until spring. If the lawn is above the average now and has a fairly good stand of bluegrass, sow only lawn bluegrass seed; but if the lawn is just average, use a mixture of five parts bluegrass, three parts redtop and two parts domestic rye grass. For spring seeding, five pounds of white clover may be added to 95 pounds of grass mixture if you want to cut expenses on lawn seed fertilizer.



White clover, redtop and rye grass germinate quickly and will soon cover the bare spots and serve as a nurse crop for the slower germinating bluegrass. The present high price of bluegrass should be an incentive for folks to use less seeds than the customary two or four pounds per 1000 square feet and to do the job more thoroughly and more effectively. Four pounds of good bluegrass seed would have around 8,000,000 seeds. At the rate of four pounds per 1000 square feet, we would be seeding around 8000 seeds per square foot or 55 seeds per square inch. If all these seeds germinated and grew, certainly the stand would be so thick that weak, spindly plants would result.

About the Author:

The more you know the better decisions you can make, like the topic of lawn seed fertilizer. Drop by today at http://www.zone10.com/lawns/growing-a-lush-lawn.html.

Less Root Growth = Less Top Growth

by Keith Markensen

Too many of us think that the deeper we sow seed and put our plants, the better they grow. Actually the opposite is true. Roots require air just as we do, and the deeper you plant them, particularly in properly prepared soils, the less air they get. As a result the less root growth you will have, and the less growth at the top of the plant. Roots of most plants should be barely beneath the surface. If you are worrying about the hot sun drying out the surface, then a mulch will correct that.



Gardening like other sports has its terms that we are supposed to know. just as when you play golf there are certain words you learn to use, just so we should try to do it in gardening. Yet I know of one good gardener who still insists on calling labels "sticks." And its equally important that we try to learn the names of the plants that we have. It isnt necessary to know the scientific or Latin names but you should describe the plant not just as a shrub but as whatever it may be"a spirea or viburnum, cotoneaster and so on. You will learn many of these through reading the articles in Flower G Garden, reading the ads, and sending for the many catalogs offered.



About Viburnums



Viburnums are a fascinating group of shrubs. Many of them are native. Very common in the North is the black haw found growing along the edges of the woods. Somewhat similar, more common in fence rows or fields, is the sheepberry, sometimes called nannyberry. And found quite often on hummocks in bogs is the American cranberry bush, Vibunum trilobum. And from other parts of the world come Viburnum carlesi and its hybrids Chenaulti and juddi. All of these have fragrant snowball-like flowers in the spring.



The Burkwood viburnum has equally fragrant flowers and semi-evergreen foliage. For beautiful blooms and gorgeous autumn color try the Japanese snowball and its parent the doublefile viburnum. Both of these are magnificent shrubs and do not have the lice that curl the twigs and leaves on the common snowball. For fall and winter house plants and fruit, besides the American cranberry bush viburnum, the black haw and the nannyberry, try the linden viburnum (dilatatum) and the native witherod viburnum (cassinoides).



An excellent grower in sun or shade is the wayfaring tree (lantana). And for large foliage and a big shrub up to 25 feet or more we have the Siebold viburnum. One of the loveliest of all with evergreen foliage is the leatherleaf viburnum (rhytidophyllum). Available in a few nurseries is the hybrid between this and the wayfaring tree, Viburnum rhytidophylloides.

About the Author:

Find out more as Keith Markensen shares his experiences on indoor plants, landscaping and gardens at http://www.plant-care.com. It's time to clear things up on the subject of fragrant house plants.