2017-10-01 Birds & Bloom

40 birdsandblooms.com OCTOBER (^) I NOVEMBER 2017
ornamental grasses or blade-leaved favorites
like irises and daylilies (whose flowers are gone,
or nearly gone, by the time sedums come into
their own). With their fountains of narrow
foliage, they create a nice backdrop for your
statuesque sedum.
If you prefer to avoid matchmaking, cherish
the colorful flowerheads by massing your border
sedums. No doubt about it, a patch or ribbon of
them makes a dazzling spectacle. Or experiment
by adding a few new varieties to your perennial
border to create a tapestrylike effect.
GORGEOUS
GROUND COVERS
There is also a host of low-growing ground-cover
sedums, or “stonecrops” as some nurseries call
them. These little charmers usually remain about
4 to 6 inches high as they sprawl. Like their bigger
cousins, they have succulent leaves (which tend to
be evergreen in mild climates), carry their starry
flowers in clusters and thrive in average soil and
sunny spots.
Because of their smaller size, ground-cover
sedums are often used as botanical carpets, either
on open ground or lounging over rocks and walls
(note that a massed, lush look takes a few seasons
to develop). Alas, they are generally not tough
enough to withstand foot traffic.
Individual plants, particularly those with
striking foliage or flowers, are terrific for rock
gardens, although you sometimes have to curtail
their wandering ways by yanking out a few.
These sedums can also soften the edges of formal
displays in urn-type planters or trough gardens.
Solo, they’ll thrive in shallow pots filled with
gritty soil.
Many gardeners prefer these ground covers by
themselves or paired with one another. I know
an adventurous gardener who scooped up flats
full of low-lying sedums on sale at the end of the
summer, planted them on an embankment, and
has relished their handsome foliage and jewel-
like color combinations ever since. The related
succulents, hens-and-chicks (Sempervirens),
thrive in the same settings and are popular
bedfellows. Their slightly larger scale and bold,
star-shaped flower clusters make for dramatic
contrasts. No matter how you employ them,
you’ll appreciate how easy-going and dependably
attractive these plants are. •
Lay a botanical carpet
of ground-cover sedums
and succulents, such as
hens-and-chicks.