Amateur Gardening – 10 August 2019

8 AMATEUR GARDENING10 AUGUST 2019

Beat the weeds with plants

Ruthexplainshowlow-growingplantscanbesaviours

W

EEDSarea constantin
everygardener’slife,
withmostofuschoosing
eithertogetthemout
byhandorturntoweedkillers for
speedandconvenience.
Thereis alsoa third,low-maintenance
wayof counteringthisperennial
problem,onethatis particula
usefulforhard-to-reachareas
of thegarden,suchasunder
low-branchingtreesand in
andoverrockeries.
Ground-coverplantsare
a simpleandeasywayof
coveringtheground,thereby
keepingweedsat bay.
Whethertheyarediminutive
alpines,shrubbypotentillasor
large-leavedsprawlingperennials
suchasbergeniaandstachys,there
is something for every space.

Wehavea low-hangingweepingpear

thatis hardtoreachunderneath.We

haveplantedit upwithheucheraand

cyclamenandit hasalsobeencolonised

bywildviolets.ThisweekI addedsome

pratia‘CountryPark’withitsattractive

matsof bright-greenleavessurmounted

by smallbluestarryflowers.Hopefully

willspreadandfinallygive

weedstheoldheave-ho.

Youngplantstaketimeto

getestablished,soyouwill

needtodosomeweeding

n betweenwhiletheydo.

Anothermethodof

lockingweedsis tolay

mbraneonclearedand

edground.Thishasthe

addedadvantagethatif anyunwanted

seedsblowin andgerminate,theyare

easytoremoveastheunderlying

material blocks deep root growth.

Appropriateshrubsinclude

evergreenvinca(periwinkle),

Cotoneasterhorizontalis,Genista

hispanica(Spanishgorse)and

Potentillafruticosa‘Manchu’,or

deciduousalternativessuchas

heathers,hebesandthe low-growing

yew‘Repandens’.

Spreadingherbsincludecreeping

thyme,chamomileandsage.

Low-growingalpinesarealsoideal

forthejob:houseleeks(sempervivum),

gentians, aubrietia and delosperma.

A selection of groundcover options

Low-growingSedum‘LimeTwister’willhelp

suppress weeds at the front of a sunny border

Fleecystachysin

a border

Pratiagrowswell

in shade

1

Usea sharpgardenknife

tocuta crossthroughthe

membrane,thenopenit upto

show the soil underneath.

2

Createa plantinghole,

clearingawaystonesand

debris,andthenscatterin a little

slow-release fertiliser.

3

Addtheplant,teasingout

itsrootball,infillingwith

removedsoilandfirmingit

down well. Water generously.

4

Foldtheopenedmembrane

backoveraroundtheplant’s

stem,thencoverit with soil so the

fabric is hidden.

Howto stop

theweeds

Create a potentially weed-free bed

Step

by step

‘LimeTwister’hasattractive

variegated leaves

Don’tignoreherbaceous

perennials– bugle,hardygeraniums,

stachysandlady’smantlewill

suppress a multitude of weedy sins.

Arockeryswathedwithhardy

geraniums, sage and creeping thyme