[sion01]

I've been gardening for an elderly couple in the village for quite some time and I really enjoy it BUT most of the garden is taken over by some sort of tame dead nettle and a purple ajuga.I hate them but leave them alone as they like them as they surpress some weeds.I've had to dig a lot of them up and take the grass out and replant as the garden was neglected for years.

The result is there is a lot of bare ground.I've dug up some of my own london pride and split it and planted it there but there's still a lot of space to fill.Can anybody recommend a good ground cover plant that I could grow from seed for them as they don't seem to keen on spending money on the garden.

As it's Christmas you coul'd also send me a blank cheque so that I could spend a fortune turning it into the beautiful garden that it could be :blink:

[sunshineband]

Can't help with the blank cheque I'm sorry, but where ground cover is concerned you could consider low growing sedums -- they come well from seed

[mumofstig]

The mauve rockery campanulas whose names I can't pronounce.......Campanula poscharskyana and Campanula portenschlagiana flower on and off throughout the year and come from seed.
Also Saponaria ocymides, spreading with pink flowers in late spring/early summer.

I've also grown Erigeron Profusion, little white rockery diaisies that start white and fade to pink.
Absolutely covered with flowers all summer, and hardy here in Kent.



edit to correct plant names doh!

[sion01]

Thank you.I'll also take some cuttings of some perennials to add some hight

[Goosegirl]

Variegated vinca is nice plus it has blue flowers; also geranium macrorrhiza wich has pink, deep pink or white flowers, perennial low-growing asters or veronica.

[Trillium]

Although they're only spring flowering, I have masses of snow-in-summer and the creeping phloxes everywhere in my garden. They do a pretty good job of 'mulching' for me.

[gobs]

I have some seeds of this to spare. Just pm address.

http://www.molesseeds.co.uk/flower_and_vegetable_seed_store_uk/Products_Peacockii_2555.html

Some tiny alyssum is also a nice, cheap choice, annual, but will self-seed.

[sion01]

Thank's very much gobs.

Theres one other problem that i've got there.They wont let me use my trusted fish,blood and bone meal because their dogs would dig the borders and i'm not allowed to put manure on the borders either as the dogs carry it around.I've managed to persuade them to let me make a compost heap but it'll be a year before I get anything from that and as its a very large garden I won't be able to make enough compost anyway.

Is there an organic fertilizer that is dog proof

[New shoot]

You could try pelleted chicken manure Sion.  Most dogs leave it alone, but I have had customers at work moaning their dogs have tried to eat it.  Labs and spaniels seem to be the worst culprits 

[sion01]

You could try pelleted chicken manure Sion.  Most dogs leave it alone, but I have had customers at work moaning their dogs have tried to eat it.  Labs and spaniels seem to be the worst culprits 

Spot on new shoots .Theyve got 3 labs

[New shoot]

You could try pelleted chicken manure Sion.  Most dogs leave it alone, but I have had customers at work moaning their dogs have tried to eat it.  Labs and spaniels seem to be the worst culprits 

Spot on new shoots .Theyve got 3 labs

Oh well 

Maybe a liquid feed you can spray on foliage then.  The seaweed stuff is good, or if it is a big garden, maybe you could set up a waterbutt or similar for comfrey or nettle feed.  Both stink, so will need to be in an out of the way corner