Summer Flowering Ground Cover

You may think that all ground covers are just that: they cover the ground. But not every ground cover is just for foliage. Several types of summer flowering ground cover like dianthus, sedum and catmint give you good coverage with beautiful flowers.

Dianthus

Bath's Pink gives summer coverage with fragrant blooms.

This perennial typically flowers in late spring and then dies back in the heat of summer. But there is a variety of dianthus called Bath's Pink that holds its own in summer heat. The pink fringed flowers stand out above the dark green leaves and bloom time can be prolonged by shearing off the flower heads that have faded.

Sedum

John Creech sedum blooms in mid to late summer with a pale pink flower. This variety of sedum prefers dry soil and full sun for the most prolific blooms and is evergreen in warmer climates.

Catmint

Try Walker's Low catmint to go with the pinks of dianthus and John Creech sedum. This ground cover produces purple-blue flowers in early summer on top of mint scented gray foliage. Trim it back in mid summer and it will flower again in late August.

References

• Fine Gardening: Flowering Ground Covers