Ground Cover For A Sidewalk Strip?

jyl · jyl's Garage

I'm looking for advice on a ground cover that can grow in shade, is drought tolerant, and spreads reasonably quickly.

The sidewalk strip (grassy strip between sidewalk and curb) adjoining my house is my responsibility. As I live on a corner lot, I get two of these things. The one in front of my house is sort of okay. The one to the side of my house is awful. Grass won't grow, due to pretty deep shade from large elm trees and (I think) the acidity of their leaves. We get lots of rain in winter but summer brings hot dry weather, and I'm not interested in watering the strip.

The P.O. of this house tried to make grass work, he rototilled the strip and reseeded with grass, but all that lives now is moss (in the winter) and weeds. I don't really care about the side strip, just want it to not be an eyesore for my poor neighbor and minimal work for me. It is a very nice neighborhood and I don't want to be the deadbeat.

So, I was thinking about planting a ground cover. Someone recommended "vinca". Any thoughts?

I'm willing to spray Roundup, kill everything currently living on the strip, scrape off the dead weeds, and plant the ground cover, and mulch the area in between the plantings. But I need the stuff to spread reasonably fast, don't want to be weeding and remulching the in between areas for years.

I do have a landscaper coming by, but the tree trimming estimate is already around $3K so I'm not feeling like spending a bunch more money on a bleeping side strip.

rcecale · rcecale's Garage

Try Ice Plants.

Plant it and let it get established. The only maintenance you'll have to worry about is an occasional trimming.

Randy

bell · bell's Garage

here you go, fake grass

http://www.evergreensuk.com/ev-evergreens/fake-grass.htm

tabs · 05-12-2007, 09:21 PM

Australian Racer, semi suclent, nice little flowers. Grows fast, easy to maintain.

Icemaster · Icemaster's Garage

Vinca (perriwinkle), Ajuga, Sweet Woodruff if you're lookign for groundcover. Vinca in the shade may take a while to grow, it likes part sun but will work in full shade - just takes time.

Potentilla is a pretty decent plant as well, very drought tolerant and will handle full shade.

carnutzzz · 05-13-2007, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rcecale
Try Ice Plants.

Plant it and let it get established. The only maintenance you'll have to worry about is an occasional trimming.

Randy

+1 One of my faves.

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

I was going to suggest ice plants, too. Or you could do something in brick or decorative rock. No more green thumb/black thumb issues.

tabs · 05-13-2007, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Icemaster
Vinca (perriwinkle), Ajuga, Sweet Woodruff if you're lookign for groundcover. Vinca in the shade may take a while to grow, it likes part sun but will work in full shade - just takes time.

Potentilla is a pretty decent plant as well, very drought tolerant and will handle full shade.

I've tried all of the above at one time or another, and I'm here to tell you JYL that none of them are without their drawbacks. That Australian Racer stuff works better than the rest.

rcecale · rcecale's Garage

Just a little example of the hardiness of ice plants.

This is one of the hangars I worked in while in the Marine Corps. At that time, the ice plants were kept neat and trimmed. You can see how over grown they can get. (Not sure when this particular pic was taken, but this base has been closed for almost 10 years now.)

This is the same hangar, not sure how much later than the pic above. The grass is all but gone, but the ice plants are still going pretty strong.

Randy

pwd72s · 05-13-2007, 07:11 PM

Gee, I only had a garden shop for 30+ years...so I know little of the Portland, OR climate. After all, that's 90 or so miles north of me. I'd suggest you consult local knowledge. Oh, BTW, iceplant won't survive a soggy NW winter or two...Neither will zyosia grass...

john70t · 05-14-2007, 05:26 AM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundcover

carnutzzz · 05-14-2007, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pwd72s
Gee, I only had a garden shop for 30+ years...so I know little of the Portland, OR climate. After all, that's 90 or so miles north of me. I'd suggest you consult local knowledge. Oh, BTW, iceplant won't survive a soggy NW winter or two...Neither will zyosia grass...

Not with that attitude it won't.

id10t · 05-14-2007, 12:24 PM

How about a hybrid?

"This is a hybrid. This is a cross, ah, of Bluegrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, Featherbed Bent, and Northern California Sensemilia. The amazing stuff about this is, that you can play 36 holes on it in the afternoon, take it home and just get stoned to the bejeezus-belt that night on this stuff"

pwd72s · 05-14-2007, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by carnutzzz
Not with that attitude it won't.

Attitude? Gimme a break. Oregon IS a state of many different climate zones. Portland's climate, due to Columbia river gorge winds, IS different than where I live, nearly 100 miles south. If I drive 100 miles east of where I live? I'm then in high desert climate...sagebrush and Juniper, where they get 1/4 the rainfall I get here. If I drive 100 miles south? Another climate zone. If I drive 100 miles West? Well, I can't do that, because I'd be in the Pacific. But the coastal towns also have a totally different climate than I live in. When it comes to gardening, local knowledge is king in this state. I'm not "local" to Portland, and said so...

Now...about YOUR attitude?