Let's face it--dogs, kids and gardens don't always work hand in hand. It's hard to find a plant that will stand up to a flying football or pouncing paws. Well, we've searched the country, and we have found a variety of plants made for the feet--whether two or four.
These creeping perennials are very-low-growing ground covers that, when stepped on, bounce right back, and they come in a wide variety of color. Some favorites include blue star creeper, stonecrop and creeping wire vine. Miniature rush resembles grass but holds up to foot traffic. The choices are endless.
Before you rush out to buy your creeping perennials, you need to make an assessment of where you'll plant them. For sunny locations, select something like thyme or stonecrop. If the soil is wet, choose plants like viola and Lysimachia. And also, how much foot traffic will the plants really get? The rule of thumb is this: The more delicate the leaf structure, the less traffic they'll be able to withstand.
Host Rebecca Kolls' garden path gets plenty of traffic, so she has selected some plants that will stand up to the poundage.
The path is stone, and she has chosen plants that will soften the look of the edges, plus give it some of that old-world charm and make it look as though the path has been here forever. The area is in full sun, and the soil drains very well, and the plants she has chosen will grow well there. Potentilla, a very aggressive spreader, will fill in the cracks quickly.
All that's needed is to remove it from its container, separate the roots and plant it in the hole. In this case, the plant looks too big to fit in the tiny hole she's dug, so with a serrated knife, she cuts the root ball down to size. It's important when planting creeping perennials that you plant them level to the soil's surface because you don't want to create any kind of walking hazard. After that, maintenance is simple. They'll appreciate some water, of course. You can give them a haircut if they get a little unruly, and also you may want to give them some fertilizer every three to four weeks; 20-20-20 water-soluble fertilizer will do just fine.
"The true test comes with help from the dog," Kolls says. "If these plants can withstand him, they can withstand anything."
)
)