Mass In The Shade

Last month we gave you the names of small and pretty trees to plant close together to form a mini forest. Now we introduce you to the best groundcovers to plant underneath them, and they grow fast!

- Anna Celliers

Australian violet

Viola hederacea

This energetic little ground cover is a quick-growing, flat-spreading, herbaceous, evergreen plant that can form an extensive mat. Viola hederacea reaches approximately 15cm in height, and one little plant can spread up to 1m2 in diameter without difficulty. It has soft, green, round leaves and grows in shade or partial shade in moist, well-drained, compost-enriched soil. Don’t be too anxious if your soil isn’t ideal as they will adapt effortlessly to most garden soils. Keep the ground around it damp in hot summer months to ensure the plant is happy and spreads quickly. Viola hederacea will flower most of the year, the white and purple violet-shaped flowers appearing on stems above the foliage. The flowers are edible and look great when tossed into summer salads. Divide clumps in autumn or spring.

Weeping anthericum

Chlorophytum saundersiae

This clump-forming perennial, which has strap-like leaves and masses of star-shaped white flowers on slender, weeping stems, is a perfect choice for a wooded area. It spreads fast from an underground rhizome and can constantly be divided to make more plants. The dainty white flowers are seldom not present. It likes well-drained soil enriched with ample compost, and regular watering in summer. If plants become a little tatty after winter they can be cut back to the ground and will soon grow out again. Also try Chlorophytum ‘Starlight’, which has green-and-white striped leaves and white flower stalks.

Hen-and-chickens