How to Select Ground Cover for a Hill

Vinca minor is ideal for covering shady hills.

Planting ground cover--low-growing, creeping plants and vines--is an effective way to landscape slopes and hills in your yard. Ground cover plants, which have strong, dense root systems, can prevent soil erosion, deter weeds, and eliminate the need for mowing, which can be difficult and even dangerous on a hill. By choosing the right ground cover plants, and using some basic techniques of good planting and gardening, you can cover a troublesome hill with an attractive carpet of greenery and flowers.

Instructions

1. Identify the amount of sunlight and the type of soil on the hill you want to cover in order to make sure conditions are appropriate for the plants you plan to buy. Determine the shape of the planting area by placing a garden hose on the ground in an outline of the area you wish to cover.

2. Calculate how many plants you'll need to use. Generally, 100 plants spaced 6 inches apart will cover about 20 square feet of your hill. By spacing them 12 inches apart, you will cover about 80 square feet; at 18 inches apart, you will cover 200 square feet. To determine how far apart you should position the plants, a good rule of thumb is to space them so the distance between them is the same as their maximum width.

3. Choose shade-loving perennials like Vinca minor, also known as creeping myrtle, which features evergreen vines and attractive violet flowers, and Pachysandra terminalis--a hardy, fast-growing ground cover--if the hill is shaded by trees or buildings. Other good choices are Ajuga reptans, which forms a dense mat and exhibits cream and purple variegated leaves, and astilbe.

4. Choose sun-loving perennials like thyme and Scotch heather if the slope gets six hours of sunlight a day. Creeping phlox, which produces pink or purple flowers, is also ideal for planting on slopes; the colorful, delicate flowers are shown to best advantage when viewed from below. Other good choices are sedum--available not only with the traditional white flowers but also in cultivars that feature bright yellow and pink blooms--and blue rug juniper, which is disease-resistant, hardy and ideal for hills. Other junipers useful on hills are the Mother Lode cultivar, which is greenish-gold, and the Pancake cultivar, which has a maximum height of 3 inches and spreads quickly.

5. Select plants that are compact and robust-looking, with no browning or shriveled leaves. Check for garden pests and diseases before you buy them--look for the shiny, waxy bumps that are evidence of scale insects, the grayish dusty covering that would indicate powdery mildew, and the gray webs under leaves that would indicate spider mites. Gently remove plants from pots and check the root systems--they should be white and flexible. Reject any plants that have roots that are brittle or chocolate brown; these are signs of root rot.

6. Plant your ground cover in spring or early summer, arranging them in zigzag rows that follow the shape of the hill. It normally takes less than three years for the ground covers to fill in and cover the space between them.

References

• The Garden Helper: Gardening Guides to Growing Ground Cover
• Local Garden: Planting Groundcover
• Land Steward: Shade-Loving Ground Covers

Resources

• University of North Dakota: Ground Covers