Bellflowers perform best in USDA plant hardiness zones 4 and up. They are cold-hardy plants that are useful specimens areas with hard winters. They require full sun for best flower production and well-drained soil with moderate moisture. Once established, bellflower plants can tolerate periods of drought. Soil conditions for growing bellflowers can be in any pH range, including highly acidic.

Campanula is a group of over 300 annual, biennial and perennial plants that span several sizes and colors. The primary characteristic is the upturned, open cup-shaped flowers in hues of pink and white but primarily lavender or light blue. The plants will spread over the seasons and the lower-growing varieties make excellent ground covers. Most bellflowers begin blooming in July and keep on flowering until frost.

Ceanothus Anchor Bay

Ceanothus Gloriosus Anchor Bay – NATIV

A very dense, low-growing, and spreading shrub groundcover lilac. Very neat and drapes nicely over boulders or retaining walls that become allelopathic over time and will help to keep out weeds.

A dense, low-spreading ground cover with slightly arching branches that grows up to 3 feet tall and 4-6 feet wide. The leathery, dark green, holly-like leaves are toothed along the margins and the small but numerous flower clusters are bright blue. ‘Anchor Bay’ is a garden-tolerant selection of the species that was singled out for its handsome foliage and slightly darker flowers. It is one of the best groundcover ceanothus for coastal sites but does well in inland conditions if given a bit of shade and modest irrigation during the summer months. Hardy to about 15 degrees F. Plants also tolerate salt spray and are less susceptible to deer browse than other ceanothus due to their spiny leaves.

USE THIS on back slope above new bricks

Trails over walls or rocks wonderfully. Maritime ceanothus adapts to many soil types, it will even grow in heavy soils as long as they are well-drained. This groundcover ceanothus is slow-growing but long-lived.>

Almost any soil is suitable for growing creeping phlox as long as it is in full sun to partial shade. For best results, however, plant it in a sunny location where soils are moist but well-drained.

It forms fluffy purple or white flowers in a thick mat. It creates an enchanting look in any yard with cloud-like formations of purple flowers. The dense carpet of flowers chokes out weeds by preventing sunlight from reaching beyond its bushy growth.

The best time to plant creeping phlox is either in the spring or the fall. Phlox prefers direct sunlight and well-drained soil, and it’s durable enough to walk on throughout the year.

Water the soil, not the leaves. So sprinklers out and drip in . . .

Also consider Woolly Thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus): The main difference between the Woolly and Creeping Thyme is their foliage. As its name suggests, woolly thyme has gray, fuzzy foliage, whereas creeping thyme’s foliage is silvery-green and almost smooth. A second difference is their flowering habit. Creeping thyme is a prolific flowerer, but woolly thyme often doesn’t bloom at all.

Hardy Plumbago is an exceptional groundcover that is especially useful in shady areas. It’s an excellent choice for planting under large shrubs and trees where grass is sparse, and it also grows in part sun and full sun, making it a popular choice to repeat throughout the garden.

Plumbago tolerates drought well, but too much water can cause this shrub to wilt and look near death, especially if drainage is poor. During dry weather, water in-ground plants once a week, soaking the soil slowly as you water, then let the area dry out before you water again.

A shrubby broadleaf evergreen with a clump-forming habit, grown mostly for its aromatic foliage It is bee magnet.

9 to 12 inches tall; 1- to 2-foot spread; Full sun; Dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil

Teucrium chamaedrys makes an exceptionally neat-looking mound 1-2 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide, with small, glossy, dark green leaves that stay lushly green throughout the year. Short spikes of small but showy, purplish pink flowers cover the plant in late spring and summer. Plants tend to flop and open up in the center when in bloom, but pop right back up into a dense mound if cut back after flowering. T. chamaedrys is native from Portugal to Turkey and extending to central Russia.

Blooms constantly from early spring to frost. Attracts Birds / Butterflies, Cut Flowers, Deer Resistant, Heat Tolerance, Reblooming, Upright Habit.

Fertilize yearly in spring.

Pruning Not required; dead-heading promotes new growth

It’s hard to believe that a plant this rugged can be so beautiful! Gazania is a well-known annual and perennial because of its extreme heat and drought tolerance. It also has exceptionally beautiful flowers that can stretch to 4 inches across and come in vibrant colors. It’s easy to see why gazania is such a great plant.

Gazania is most commonly grown as an annual. However, there are several perennial varieties, all the way down to Zone 4. The most important thing to note with gazania is that it doesn’t like to stay wet. These plants hail from the rocky cliffs and grassy hills of South African mountains, so they’re accustomed to harsh, dry climates.

If gazanias are planted in heavy soil where they stay moist for long periods, there’s a higher risk of plants rotting. This is especially true during winter for hardy varieties; if they remain too wet for a long time, they’ll suffer.

GET SEEDS!!! 

For a rustic design, it’s hard to beat the charms of Salvia spathacea.Its large, low, soft leaves will spread on their own, growing 12 to 18 inches high with multi-flower stalks appearing sporadically throughout all seasons. It will happily maintain a mild, shady slope and will thrive beneath fussy oaks with little or no water. As you may have guessed, hummingbird sage also attracts wildlife

Holly-leaf Oregon-grape is a 3-6 ft., mound-shaped, broadleaf, glossy, leathery leaves. The 5-9 dark-green leaflets are armed with spiny teeth and turn reddish in fall. Terminal clusters of bright-yellow, bell-shaped flowers are followed by clusters of tiny blue, grape-like fruits. The bronzy copper color or the new growth in spring is an added bonus.

Pruning is not necessary unless suckers form.

Rock cresses are alpine plants and will thrive where other plants fail, such as on hills and slopes. Purple rock cress ground cover (Aubrieta deltoidea) hugs the ground like a mat and displays rich, purple flowers in April through the middle of May and has a lovely scent. Rock wall cress (Arabis caucasica) is more likely to bloom in white or pink. Both make attractive, low mounds that look great at the edge of retaining wall where they get full sun and excellent drainage

Rock cress prefers full sun, but will tolerate some shade, especially in warmer climates. Space rock cress plants 15 to 18 inches (38 to 45.5 cm.) apart and they will fill in quickly forming a mat in any open space.

Although rock cress is drought resistant, it does enjoy a drink when the soil gets dry. Just avoid planting rock cress where it water sits between rains. This little charmer will sulk in wet soil.

• Purple Rockrose (Cistus x purpureus) grows 4 feet (1 m.) tall with a spread of up to 5 feet (1.5 m.) and a compact, rounded shape. The large flowers are deep rose or purple. The shrub is attractive enough to use as a specimen, and it also looks great in groups. This species is sometimes called orchid rockrose.
• Sun Rose (Cistus albidus) grows 3 feet (1 m.) tall and wide with a dense, bushy habit. The dark lilac-pink flowers have yellow centers. Older plants may become leggy and it’s best to replace them rather than try to prune them into shape.
• White Rockrose (Cistus corbariensis) has cheery, white flowers, usually with yellow centers and sometimes with brown spots near the base of the petals. It grows 4 to 5 feet (1 to 1.5 m.) tall and wide.

It’s low-growing, spreads efficiently, doesn’t take a lot of upkeep, and can help prevent weed intrusion. Green Carpet, as it’s sometimes referred to, can thrive even in the poorest quality soils. Full sun to part shade.

It might be small in stature, but, this plant has a long taproot that holds moisture well. It makes it pretty drought-tolerant and, consequently, it can be a popular choice for Xeriscape landscaping. It’s not going to require additional irrigation. When the weather is hot, it will do well with occasional deep watering, but, generally, it will manage with natural rainfall alone.

You can also sow the seeds in cooler temperatures. You’ll just want to start off indoors or in a cold frame. You can then transplant the seedlings outside a couple of months later after the last spring frosts have passed.

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