Saxifraga stolonifera foliage

When I was a youngster with a stark, bare garden, I was fortunate enough to have some amazing gardening mentors who nurtured my emerging passion for plants. I took (and still do take) such inspiration from visiting their gardens and trying to figure out the keys to their success. The varying layers of their gardens, with the canopy of trees above; the substance of mature shrubs providing the backbone of the layout as well as screening neighbours; the colour, form and texture of the foliage and flowers of perennials and small shrubby perennials; and the carpet of groundcovers that knitted the whole thing together and covered every inch of bare soil - all these factors seemed to play important roles.

I especially loved their clump-forming groundcovers in the shaded areas of the garden, under shrubs and trees. These plants generally expanded via rhizomes or stolons, or by rooting at the nodes of their long, spreading stems, and generous patches of different plants grew together to create a restful tapestry that looked good all year round (and deterred most weeds!). Some were foliage plants; others had flowers in their season. I have always wanted to reproduce that look in my own garden and now finally my groundcovers are starting to weave together in the desired fashion. It's a chance to play with colour, texture and form on a miniature scale and these areas are now some of my favourite parts of the garden.

Pulmonaria Dianna Clare and Campanula poscharksyana in the former garden of Pamela Fowell, Sydney

Pulmonaria Dianna Clare and Campanula poscharksyana in the former garden of Pamela Fowell, Sydney

Brilliant gardeners, my gurus had success with cold-climate woodland beauties such as Pulmonaria (pictured at left), Brunnera, Dicentra, Corydalis, Alchemilla and Epimedium, but after killing more specimens of these than I like to remember, I have turned to easier-to-grow groundcovers for my own carpets in shade. Saxifraga stolonifera (shown at the start of the blog) was one that came from one of these enchanted gardens, and it has thrived from day one. With rounded leaves veined intricately in silver, this little plant steadily spreads as far as you will let it, without ever being thought of as a thug. In October, it sends up a mass of tiny white blooms, like a cloud of miniature moths. It needs some moisture to be seen at its best, but has no other requirements and will cope with some dryness.

A favourite silver rhizomatous Begonia in my Sydney garden

A favourite silver rhizomatous Begonia in my Sydney garden

The Saxifraga looks good grown with silvery rhizomatous Begonia to echo its leaf markings. These Begonia are another fabulous groundcover for shaded spots. There is a huge array of leaf colours, textures, patterns and forms to be had. They grow well even in dry shade and are all very rewarding plants in the Sydney climate.They have pretty, dainty sprays of flowers in mid-spring in white and shades of pink.

Lamium White Nancy

Lamium White Nancy

Other silvery groundcovers include the various named cultivars of Lamium maculatum, which grow well in our climate. The silver variegation on the leaves varies in from stripes to an almost complete covering of the surface (as in the cultivar 'White Nancy', pictured at left); and there is the bonus of pretty, hooded flowers in spring, in hues of white, pink or purple. This plant does enjoy some moisture in the soil but is tolerant of dry times.

Geranium macrorrhizum Ingwersens Variety

Geranium macrorrhizum Ingwersens Variety

Rhizomatous Geranium macrorrhizum forms a dense mat over time, without ever becoming a nuisance. It is one of the few species Geranium that flourishes in the Sydney climate. It has aromatic, rounded leaves and simple, pretty flowers in spring and early summer. The basic species has magenta flowers but there are cultivars in colours of white, purplish and various shades of pink. It will cope well in shade (even quite dry shade) and doesn't need any special treatment to do well. One favourite cultivar is 'Ingwersen's Variety' (pictured above), with soft pale pink flowers. Others include 'Album' (white) and 'Bevan's Variety' (crimson-purple).

Sedum mexicanum Gold Mound with annual Lobelia

Sedum mexicanum Gold Mound with annual Lobelia

We don't usually think of Sedum growing in shade but I have had good success with some of the groundcovering varieties in shaded spots, spreading to form textured carpets that just beg to be stroked. Commonly seen Sedum mexicanum 'Gold Mound' is very easy to grow; whilst it will grow in sun, it also does very well in shade, where its tiny golden leaves take on a lime-yellow hue. It makes a good contrast nearby the larger, plain green leaves of Campanula poscharskyana, which I find grows and flowers well in quite a shaded position; its blue flowers look delightful near the lime foliage of the Sedum. Another succulent groundcover is the robust Crassula multiflora, with plump, round, deep green leaves, which quietly colonises any inhospitable position even in dry shade. In late winter and spring it is completely smothered in a lovely fine mist of tiny white stars which open from pink buds held above the foliage. The cultivar 'Purple Dragon' has attractive purplish undersides to its leaves and pretty pink flowers.

The joy of all the groundcovers I have mentioned here is that they are so easily propagated by digging up a bit with a few roots on it and planting it directly into the ground. This is how I obtained most of mine!