Cultivation

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 Most ground cover plants grow vigorously however it is important that you start them with no perennial weeds present as a continuous cover needs to be able to develop without perennial weeds emerging and competing or visually spoiling it. The ground must be forked through very thoroughly, if necessary several times to ensure that no weeds are left.  Where certain weeds' roots are present that are too deep or difficult to dig out as may be the case with a very clay soil for example, then a chemical treatment using a weed killer containing glyphosate may be necessary. If you don't use chemicals, sheeting with black polythene (or several layers of cardboard, or old carpet or similar material can be tried  - it is imperative that no light is reached by questing root stems) for a year is usually sufficient  to kill all plant growth. The sheet can be concealed under a layer of bark chips or other mulch. One alternative to sheeting and chemicals is mowing on a low mower setting for a whole summer; most serious weeds do not survive this. 

Long cultivated or already fertile clean soil can be planted into directly. If the soil is impoverished then it is best improved over the whole area by forking in about a bucket to the square meter of garden compost, bought planting compost or similar organic material. Another approach especially for plants happy in poor soil is to put only a little bit of compost under the base of each plant just to get it started. Plants planted in the autumn will usually require no further attention after one watering but those planted in spring and summer will need watering whenever the root balls feel dry until well established. 

 Many gardeners will be aiming to make a picture using a low maintenance ground cover layer of plants under shrubs or trees, where due to overhead shading and overly root colonised soil, establishment can be tricky.To deal with excessive shade the canopy can be reduced by crown lifting (careful removal of some side branches) and or thinning,allowing in more light.Under trees it may be impossible to carry out overall soil improvement.Main anchoring roots especially of large trees must not be severed or damaged, however pockets of root cleared compost enriched soil can be made in between them. These pockets will often be recolonised by tree roots but  before this you have the chance to establish an attractive competitive cover.We grow many species adapted to both extreme drought and or shade, for these sorts of conditions.

The surface of the soil after planting can be covered with at least 2 inches of mulch using similar materials as for planting, bark chips or gravel. It is better if the material is sterile and devoid of weed seeds as this will prevent annual weeds establishing until your ground cover has formed a weed proof carpet.  Landscaping fabric to plant through is often recommended as a weed suppressant. In most circumstances we do not recommend this; usually of an artificial material most eventually start to show through on the surface and the result is visually ruinous . Compost usually provides adequate nutrients but you can give an extra boost with an organic or artificial fertilizer (ensure with the latter that you do not exceed the specified dosage). This should be applied before any mulch is laid.

Some evergreen and shrubby subjects require no attention once established.The top growth of most herbaceous plants will go brown during winter; tidy gardeners may prefer to rake these up ; where left they will rot back into the soil enriching it. Some standing browned old flowering stems will need cutting down between November and April.

We usually give the first figure of the dimensions guide as the average height and the second figure as the spread after 2 years,which is our normal recommended spacing between individuals of that plant and the cover should have begun to knit together after 2 years. If you are impatient to have full coverage you can reduce this as desired; conversely if you are prepared to wait for full coverage you can plant at slightly wider spacing.