Ground covers are low lying plants used to cover sections of garden while requiring minimal maintenance. Often they are used at the front of a garden bed to form a soft edge and frame the bed. Here are some favourite ground covers that thrive in our climate in Ōrewa, North Auckland.

Bergenia cordifolia

Evergreen, grows to about 45 x 45cms.  Gorgeous large round foliage with flower spikes in winter – spring.  Prefers semi-shade to sunny positions. Flowers can be pink, white or red.

Ajuga reptans

Such an easy going plant.  Ajuga can be planted in sun or shade, and in wet or dry conditions.  They spread to form a dense mat of rounded dark green leaves and are easily propagated by division.  Evergreen, dark green foliage with dark blue or pale pink flower spikes in late spring – early summer.

Gardenia radicans

When these are happy, they will provide you with lots of heavenly scented flowers.  Evergreen with small dark green leaves and lots of heavily scented small white flowers over spring and summer. Gardenias prefer a slightly acidic, well drained soil in part sun – part shade. You’ll know they are happy if the leaves are a glossy dark green and the foliage is dense. Grows to about 40 x 40cms.

Carex testacea

A bronze-orange NZ native grass with airy, wispy stems.  Carex testacea is pretty easy going, but prefers to be in full sun in well drained soil.  Grows to about 60 x 60cms and is drought tolerant when established. 

Libertia peregrinans

A small, spreading, grass like plant with long, thin, bright orange leaves.  It has small white flowers in spring and summer.  If grown in the shade the foliage will be green.  The harsher the conditions, the happier this plant is.  Libertia peregrinans grows to about 50 x 50cms and prefers to be in full sun in well drained soil.  It is drought tolerant when established and doesn’t like too much water.

Festuca Banks Peninsula

Fine, blue green fine leaves in a tussock like mound.  The flowering stems reach 75cms.  It looks amazing mass planted and grows to about 40 x 40cms. Banks Peninsula fescue prefers to be in full sun or part shade in well drained soil, however it will survive in most garden environments except for waterlogged soil.

Stachys byzantina

Also known as Lambs Ears, Stachys have green-silvery-grey leaves which are soft and covered with fine hairs.  They are drought tolerant when established and will quickly spread. It grows to about 20cms x 40cms with vertical flower spikes late spring – early summer about 30cms high.  It will spread, but in a non-invasive way.  Stachys prefer to be in full sun in well drained soil.

Liriope muscari 

Liriope is a small clump forming plant with dark green strappy leaves and tall purple flower spikes summer – autumn. They prefer to be planted in shade – semi shade.

Osteospermum

Also known as African daisies, Osteospermums have white, pink or purple flowers and like to be in full sun.  They don’t need much watering once they are established.  Regular dead-heading encourages repeat flowering.  When they start to look a bit leggy, they respond well to being cut back. Grows to about 30 x 40cms

Gazania

Gazanias love heat and dry soil, and minimal watering once they are established. Regular dead heading encourages repeat flowering, and they usually flower a lot. 

Clivia miniata

Evergreen, grows to about 80 x 80cms.  Long, strappy dark green leaves and cream, yellow, orange or red flowers late winter – early summer.  Needs to be planted in the shade or the leaves will bleach.  Don’t over water.

Mini agapanthus

These little aggies are sterile, so won’t end up taking over your garden bed.  Instead they form a little mound with long scrappy foliage and beautiful long flower spikes in summer.  There are lots of different varieties now with either blue, purple or white flowers.  Evergreen, prefer full sun and grow to about 50 x 50cms.