Ground cover

[romaida]

What kinds of ground cover can withstand Michigan winters and also a lot of being stepped on? I want to plant in between some bricks.

[mickeys_rose]

romaida,
Here is a good web site that might help you with finding what you are looking for.


http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/HO-105.pdf

[marasri]

Why not moss. I here it takes less moisture than grass too.

[jdkline]

Sedum do great for me, not the tall growing but the ground cover type. These even come in steppables. But I have found that I can step on my gc sedum and it doesnt hurt it either. One part of my garden is so over run by it that I have to step on it to weed the area. It doesnt mind. It just keeps spreading and growing. Snow on the mountain is invasive but will serve well as a ground cover as long as you keep a watchfull eye on it. It can get out of control if you dont stay on top of it, I'm told. I also have english ivy and variegated vinca vine, they both do well. I"m sure others will have more suggestions for you. That's just whats in my garden. I am also in michigan.
Deb

[Diane]

Romaida, welcome to PlantSwap, nice to meet you!

Good inf. jdkline! Blessings

[marasri]

I also like the different ajugas. I don't know about their hardiness for your area , They come in different colors hieghts and they blossom nicely

[romaida]

Thanks for everyone's help! I appreciate it!

[santoury]

Glad to have you with us.

Ajuga is great! I actually have a plant store, so I have come across some interesting plants over the summer - one of them is called creeping thyme, and not only does it fit all of those criteria, it lets off a great scent when walked upon. It even flowers.

[romaida]

Creeping thyme... sounds good to me. Thanks for the suggestion! When's the best time to plant it? Does it spread fast or will I have to buy a bunch of them to cover the area? Does it need a lot of dirt? Sorry for all the questions..

[santoury]

It doesn't need much dirt, as it creeps over the surface, basically. It is actually a relatively slow grower, so I would get a bunch of them. They are normally sold in pots, which is not what you want for between bricks - you can gently break / cut them up, to fit where you want them to go.
Ajuga, even the miniature ones, are too large, ideally, for between bricks.

There are some really small Sedums, as aforementioned, but they are not that fast, either.

At this point, plants are basically getting ready to sleep, or are sleeping already, so I would wait until spring to do anything like this. Especially since the roots won't be very deep, and prone to being killed by freezing so early after planting them.

[marasri]

I love elfin thyme and wooly thyme They both only get an inch or 2 high. They do like sun. I killed mine this summer. It was in the no water area and that is just the way things go on certain years down. here. One learns who is truly tough on years like this. We plant thyme in october to allow it to get its roots in before summer, but that might not be a concern in Michigan.