I've been talking about planning a garden in several posts, so now is a good time to give you some ideas for little plants you need to fill in and tie things together. The big things are important - your trees and large shrubs that give the garden structure - and middle size things are easy - roses, fuchsias, dahlias, etc. But sometimes we forget the charm of having little things to grow under and around. Over the years I've tried many things, and I have a short list of what's worked well for me. All of these plants are low-growing, suitable for growing under roses and perennials or at the edges of flower beds.
1. Erigeron. Very basic, a bit weedy, but those little daisy-type blooms are charming. A vigorous grower, yet non-invasive.
2. Sweet alyssum. I suppose some gardeners would sneer at this because it's so common, (and between you and me it re-seeds so easily some might call it a pest) but I like it. The fragrance is beautiful.
3. Alpine strawberries. I like the variety 'Golden Alexander' for its chartreuse foliage.
4. Sisyrhinchium. Native to California, also called blue-eyes grass. See below for a photo of Sisyrinchium, Alpine strawberry and alyssum, growing together in my yard.
5. Anagallis monelli. I love the gorgeous color of this plant. It gets leggy and untidy looking, but I forgive it because of the color.
6. Bacopa. A creeping groundcover with charming white flowers. Not invasive.
7. Campanula. There are many types; look for the low-growing ones.
8. Lobelia. Easy to grow from seed; sometimes it re-seeds but never becomes invasive.
9. Lithodora. In my garden it was slow to get established, but now it's become a dependable perennial for me.
10. Omphaloides. There's nothing more charming! It's an annual, but re-seeds itself every year, so I never planted it again after buying one plant from Annie's Annuals.
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