tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850578816787718159.post6817147433980126056..comments2024-03-24T12:55:07.300-04:00Comments on grounded design by Thomas Rainer: The End of GroundcoversAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805682623764800983noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850578816787718159.post-13872053411503858852012-11-29T03:08:10.907-05:002012-11-29T03:08:10.907-05:00Great blog. Glad to find you! But please tell me y...Great blog. Glad to find you! But please tell me you didn't recommend planting goldenrod. We've got serious invasive problems in rural eastern Iowa with that. Hard to establish diverse prairie restorations without it taking over.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850578816787718159.post-78222556035266790422012-11-06T11:18:11.288-05:002012-11-06T11:18:11.288-05:00Thanks Thomas- for asking the tough questions. Thi...Thanks Thomas- for asking the tough questions. This article gives perspective to someone like me in the retail nursery trade. Indeed I have many people asking for the ground covers and I often wonder where they get these ideas- and what does their landscape at home look like? Indeed people need to be more creative, but maybe it is up to the professional to help them. I worked at changing the way people think about their landscapes on a very small level as a landscaper. It is a tough fight to get a homeowner to see things differently- especially from their yard worker (who just happens to be an undercover designer and ecologist)! I put in a bunch of hard work for them and they still wouldn't get it! I have a vision and I think this is better expressed at a national level....what kind of campaign could we come up with? A campaign for more creative personal environments could also double as a campaign to get a new generation into the garden- a much needed message in the retail trade -at the very least.Monica Feltnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850578816787718159.post-12189823753420201752012-07-19T19:28:08.980-04:002012-07-19T19:28:08.980-04:00Very good issues covered here. I thought you migh...Very good issues covered here. I thought you might be interested in the "back to Eden film" You can google and watch for free, but the DVD has even more info. No I am not affiliated with the film. But Low maintenance is the outcome of his work. I am starting to use his method, due to the water shortage, and am all ready seeing a difference in my water bill, and work.crazycloudnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850578816787718159.post-11390914116490826112011-08-28T23:03:53.988-04:002011-08-28T23:03:53.988-04:00LOVE this post! The first thing I did was tear out...LOVE this post! The first thing I did was tear out an entire bed of English Ivy when we moved in to our house 4 years ago! I could not believe that the people we bought the house from let it grow over half of the side yard choking out several trees. I know how devasting groundcovers can be but laying it out as "we don't want to deal with the land" is sooooo true! Bravo to you! Great blog! Nicolenicolehttp://www.mygardendiaries.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850578816787718159.post-83333153950364767212010-12-19T06:51:00.672-05:002010-12-19T06:51:00.672-05:00If understood correctly the problem is just like t...If understood correctly the problem is just like the National Rifle Association claim about guns not killing people, people do.<br /><br />Therefore, if people do not have time to keep up the garden, ground covers or whatever, the stupidity of the gardener, not the invasiveness or not of the chosen vegetation,<br /><br />I have addressed the issue in my intercontinental blog, without any fear of ruffling the tender feathers of the average fool gardener in those prairies and my own.antigonum cajanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08227233232030093487noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850578816787718159.post-47841283356640837312010-09-03T11:15:24.235-04:002010-09-03T11:15:24.235-04:00I love your blog and I am in sympathy with what yo...I love your blog and I am in sympathy with what you wrote here... although as I wrote in my own post about this, I would temper the message in my own application. However... that said, you have just the right amount of conviction to make a dent in our apathy. It has me thinking, too, even though I like the use of groundcovers.<br /><br />Invasive is as invasive does, and it depends on the actual conditions of our places whether some of these plants are a problem. I wonder if the interest in small theme gardens for bees and wildlife might be a step in the right direction... They are manageable changes for most gardeners.IlonaGardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07035401683506659646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850578816787718159.post-14164634414234636142010-06-21T08:24:55.267-04:002010-06-21T08:24:55.267-04:00I see you are reading Vista on your list - what do...I see you are reading Vista on your list - what do you think? <br />Re ground cover I have seen wonderful use of ivies on a woodland floor together with raised canopies and box balls - I am thinking of French gardens such as Maizicourt in Normandy. A different look to the delicious variety afforded by ferns and hostas and other shade lovers, but effective in its way. Thank you for the thought - provoking post.Marianhttp://marianboswall.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850578816787718159.post-7492210824551292832010-06-18T21:37:18.076-04:002010-06-18T21:37:18.076-04:00Hi, Not ALL uses of 'groundcover' need be ...Hi, Not ALL uses of 'groundcover' need be " Groundcovers are chosen based on the assumption that the area will be ignored, abused, or abandoned." I rather like to use em for all the above! Albeit in a less monculture way!! See www.wigandia.com.<br />Regards<br />William MartinWilliam Martinhttp://www.wigandia.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850578816787718159.post-92185735686108595572010-06-14T22:21:47.200-04:002010-06-14T22:21:47.200-04:00Thomas, your post makes me think about how consist...Thomas, your post makes me think about how consistently we can learn from nature and extrapolate those learnings into all our relationships--not only with the gardens we tend, but with the people and communities with whom we share our lives. There's something so provocative about the issue of "invasiveness"--makes me think of the ways that we as human beings can take over or invade space in ways that are harmful...and the fact that the plants you mention are meant to be "easy" or "low maintenance"--well, that could take me off on a whole other tangent! Thanks for your beautiful and informative writing!ginger+https://www.blogger.com/profile/09698348247242750740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850578816787718159.post-91014579785028649562010-06-14T21:53:09.541-04:002010-06-14T21:53:09.541-04:00Thankfully, we are so far behind up here, as far a...Thankfully, we are so far behind up here, as far as gardening trends, that the groundcover movement, as represented by vinca, pachysandra, etc. never gained much traction. That and the plants were not hardy. A blessing in disguise, I suppose.<br /><br />Christine in AlaskaChristine B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/08335289758548637661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850578816787718159.post-58571033329577032122010-06-14T21:20:58.086-04:002010-06-14T21:20:58.086-04:00Oh, the hours I've spent ripping out vinca. I ...Oh, the hours I've spent ripping out vinca. I swear, I've come to hate the smell of this plant. And it's the home to untold numbers of snail orgies.<br /><br />The vinca in question is in a tiny urban garden that I transformed from trash filled lot into a wild plant garden. Sadly, my workplace has lost our lease on this space, and I suspect it will soon be swallowed again by the vincaLisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03932975112078606231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850578816787718159.post-37745507592672791612010-06-14T18:34:40.839-04:002010-06-14T18:34:40.839-04:00Hi Thomas,
Couldn't agree more. I do have a sm...Hi Thomas,<br />Couldn't agree more. I do have a small Vinca patch planted long ago, but it is ruthlessly contained and diminished as natives flourish.<br /><br />I look forward to reading your thoughts on native substitutes. I'm trying a few new fairly rare native plants, but it will be a couple of years before I'm ready to report back.<br /><br />U. of Arizona is where Dr. Michael Rosenzweig, who wrote <i>Win Win Ecology,</i> teaches. Your featured project matches his philosophy through and through.Adrian Ayres Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11057583835126786240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850578816787718159.post-82227867712718983182010-06-14T15:34:39.309-04:002010-06-14T15:34:39.309-04:00thank you - a most thought provoking post. My only...thank you - a most thought provoking post. My only question is what do you plant in shade, dry shade at that. Ivy is naturalised in our woodlands and growing up trees does little or no damage but provides habitats for wildlife. Vinca major is a bit of a bore but the smaller varieties are easier to contain. I agree to an extent about native planting but what constitues a native? Here in the UK we have imported plants from across the world into our gardens for centuries. A current garden trend now is to have American prairie style planting! <br />Long winded - LauraLaura Bloomsburyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03163589497828975276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850578816787718159.post-43878763541365742152010-06-14T14:24:44.515-04:002010-06-14T14:24:44.515-04:00Thank you for this post! It makes me even more det...Thank you for this post! It makes me even more determined to remove vinca from my garden.Very interesting statistics and history. Great material!Tatyana@MySecretGardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15230255354868127650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850578816787718159.post-11990898458223241202010-06-14T10:15:24.875-04:002010-06-14T10:15:24.875-04:00Allan and Ginny,
I'll follow up with a blog t...Allan and Ginny,<br /><br />I'll follow up with a blog that deals with alternatives to groundcovers in dry shade. And removing invasives once you have them. Thanks for the feedback . . . those are great points!<br /><br />ThomasAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13805682623764800983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850578816787718159.post-4595193635540111522010-06-14T09:30:11.248-04:002010-06-14T09:30:11.248-04:00I have a large shady area in my backyard that has ...I have a large shady area in my backyard that has been covered with English Ivy and Vinca for over 20 years. No, I didn't plant it! I've only lived there for 7 years. I have another area that was covered in Wisteria - more invasive than the Vinca and Ivy in my neighborhood. We've managed to get pull out most of the Wisteria. Of course, it keeps coming back and we keep pulling it out. Now what to do about the Vinca and Ivy? We keep it off the trees and out of the neighbors yards but we haven't gotten rid of it. What's a good alternative to shade under large oaks? We do have azaleas and rhododendron and have added hosta.Ginnyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14949235207762990894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8850578816787718159.post-15603638986176488972010-06-14T07:41:19.337-04:002010-06-14T07:41:19.337-04:00What a great blog, Thomas.
Please consider continu...What a great blog, Thomas.<br />Please consider continuing this discussion by suggesting alternative plants to ground cover that can be used specifically in dry shaded areas where little else will grow.allanbecker-gardenguruhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00249183285802762125noreply@blogger.com