Milton Public Library

Covering ground, unexpected ideas for landscaping with colorful, low-maintenance ground covers, Barbara W. Ellis

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non fiction

Covering ground

electronic resource

dictionaries

Barbara W. Ellis

unexpected ideas for landscaping with colorful, low-maintenance ground covers

Ground covers are a pretty and practical way to bring diversity, elegance, and durability to open sweeps of lawn. Give your landscape a vibrant new palette that is both sustainable and low-maintenance through plantings of herbs, shrubs, mosses, and more. Barbara W. Ellis provides a variety of full-color lawn designs and professional planting advice to get you started. You'll be amazed as your ordinary lawn transforms into a striking display of color and texture. Barbara W. Ellis is a freelance writer, editor, and lifelong gardener. She is the author of many gardening books, including The Veggie Gardener's Answer Book, Deckscaping, Shady Retreats, and Covering Ground. She holds a B.S. in horticulture from the Ohio State University, Columbus, and a B.A. from Kenyon College. She has worked as managing editor at Rodale Press and as publications director for the American Horticultural Society and is affiliated with the Hardy Plant Society Mid-Atlantic Group, the Garden Writers Association, and the Perennial Plant Association. She lives and gardens in Maryland, where she and her husband live in a renovated "green" home with an assortment of rescued dogs, cats, and parrots. Her garden, which is managed organically and designed to be wildlife-friendly, features a wide range of ornamentals, herbs, and edibles for both sun and shade. Getting Creative with Ground Covers Part One: Rolling Out the Carpet Why Ground Covers? Making the Most of Ground Covers Addressing Problem Spots Knowing Your Site Plant Selection Creating Combinations Going Wild Aggressive & Invasive Ground Covers Covering Ground with Hardscape Part Two: Perfect Plants for Every Site Active Spreaders for Sun & Shade Sun Lovers for a Patterned Garden Ground Huggers for Paths & Stepping Stones Small-Scale Spreaders Perennials for Bold Cover in Sun Ground Covers for a Sunny Slope Vines for Covering Ground Shrubby Ground Covers for Sun & Shade Selections for Shade Flowering Ground Covers for Shade Native Plants for a Woodland Floor Ground Covers for Wet Soil Ground Covers for Acid Soil Part Three: Planting, Growing & Propagating Site Preparation Basics Buying & Installing Ground Covers Planting on Slopes Planting over Time Caring for New Plants Renovating Ground Covers Growing Your Own USDA Hardiness Zone Map Photography & Garden Design Credits Resources Index REIMAGINE the Possibilities for Covering Your Ground REPLACE GRASS on hard-to-mow slopes CONNECT scattered flower beds, trees, and shrubs CONTROL erosion along stream banks CARPET the patches between stepping stones STABILIZE boggy areas EDGE walkways, curbs, and driveways CREATE natural alternatives to traditional lawns ADD A SPLASH OF COLOR anywhere you need it! "Barbara W. Ellis transforms yards into flowering pieces of art...offering low-maintenance schemes, plant combinations, and in-depth advice on nurturing verdant landscapes." Home Magazine "Covering Ground will inspire with its wonderful possibilities for creating eye-catching color and texture in unexpected places. Ellis has the answers to the toughest garden situations..." East Coast Gardener "If you're making the decision to get rid of some water-thirsty lawn, here's help. Here are plenty of alternatives, as simple or as show as you want, for sun or shade, around pavers, along edges, fragrant or not, fast- or slow-growing, high- or low-maintenance." St. Petersburg Times "There's life beyond lawn grass, and even beyond English ivy and pachysandra. You'll find lots of good ideas in Covering Ground."Chicago Tribune "Barbara Ellis ... elevates utilitarian ground cover plants to garden stars."McClatchy News Service

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