Sweet Alyssum

Lobularia maritima

I love the scent of Sweet Alyssum in the summer sun. It self-sows abundantly in my garden. I usually pull out a lot in spring and trim with scissor during the summer. I didn’t do much of either this summer.

After hurricane Irene left us a little soggy but without any damage, we are having beautiful gardening weather so I decided to tidy the big patch of alyssum.
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As I started to pull up the plants, I realized how long they were - about 16 to 24 inches.

I ended up with a bale of hay sized pile and a little more room for the Dusty Miller.

Creeping Sedum

This sedum has been identified as Sedum sarmentosum. (Please see comments.)

***See June 11, 2011 for more about this sedum. http://bethlehem-pa-gardening.blogspot.com/2011/06/creeping-sedum.html ****
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I have been trying to identify this sedum for years. Susan Harris of Sustainable and Urban Gardening raised the question again.

Sedum lineare 'Golden Teardrop' shown at Dave’s Garden or Sedum acre.

Margaret Roach of A Way to Garden cited an article from W.J Beale Botanical Garden that makes a point for Sedum acre.

Whatever the name, this little sedum is fast-spreading, drought tolerant and easy to keep in check. It grows in the hot, full sun or in the shade. It doesn't seem to have any special soil requirements. In June, it's covered with tiny yellow flowers.

When it grows over the stepping stones, I hoe around the stones and scoop up the little plants. It pulls out easily.

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Voila - lots of green for the compost bin.

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I wish I knew its name. Any thoughts?

Evening Primrose

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Mexican Evening Primrose, Showy Evening Primrose 'Siskiyou'

Oenothera speciosa

This plant is a showy but a fairly aggressive spreader in my garden. There are people that say it could take over the world. I continually tell it not to go past the brick edge. (I don’t talk to my plants very often. Ah, maybe I do.) I pull, dig, and hoe the plants that get on the wrong side of the tracks - I mean bricks.

The blooms started in the beginning of June. They still look good today. The pretty pink profusion of blooms has found a way into my heart.
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Another Ground Cover

Probably the most work-intensive ground cover in my garden is ivy. Again, I don’t know the name. The neighbor who gave it to me called it American Ivy. There are bunch of varieties at http://www.ivy.org/list.html .

We originally put it on our small bank in the front of the house to hold the hill and to eliminate the need to mow the lumpy little bank. It needs to be cut back about three times a year and gets an unattractive green-brown color in the winter. I think mice live in there, too. The colossal job of ripping it up and replacing it makes me put up with the work it takes to keep it somewhat neat.

On the plus side - The ivy provides some winter protection for Heather Erica x darleyensis ‘silberschmeize’ which blooms white from December to May.

Ground Cover

One of my favorite ground covers is this little sedum. It was another gift from a gardening friend so I don’t have it’s name. It looks similar to Sedum rupestre 'angelina' but I can't be sure.

The fast-growing stonecrop pictured here survives in the hot, dry pathway between our deck and garage. If it grows over the stepping stones, it’s easy to pull out – I scoop it up with my finger tips. Stepping on it is usually enough to keep it back. It spreads quickly and has a pretty little yellow flower in late spring. It helps keep the weeds to a minimum and moisture in the soil. It’s about as care free as it gets.