What is the least expensive, most attractive ground cover for northern Illinois?

Question

I have twice as much lawn as I want to mow, and a tiny budget. I'm considering hardscape, mulch of all kinds, and plants of all kinds. What's cheap, expansive, no maintenance, and lovely? Ferns? Dendrons? Calling all gardeners! Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Any time you start to buy plants and maintain a garden, you have as much or more yard work to do (and probably spend as much or more money) than if you just plant grass and keep it neatly mowed.

However, if you would rather take care of plantings instead of grass, go for hardy perennials and evergreens (no leaf raking). Since you asked about ground covers, Bar Harbor juniper can serve as a low growing ground cover, needs very little pruning, and is good for mass planting and erosion control. In the winter it turns a wine-red color and likes full sun to partial shade. Hostas can stand almost anything and get bigger every season. They don't need special care, just space to grow and weed control so they look good and, after a few years, they need to be divided and replanted. Same with day lilies. They do their own thing without much outside help.

You may have to spend some $$$ up front so that you end up with the low-maintenance setup that you are looking for. Consulting with the staff at your local garden center wouldn't be a bad idea. If you pick a knowledgable center or green house, they can help you select plants suitable for your yard's climate and for the type of soil, sun exposure, and drainage that you have. For a fee, they'll even come plant the stuff for you.

Answer 2

For your location I'd prepare beds for junipers. There are a lot of varieties. Try 2 or 3 different ones to have a variety of height, color and texture. Set Ajuga as a lower plant underneath the junipers outer branches. Both are evergreen, the ajuga blooms in the spring and they both spread but don't take over!

Either way you go, you have to have a good 3" of mulch on top of the bed. Do not have the mulch pulled right up to the crown of the plants to control possible rot. The 3" of mulch should be enough to control most weeds.

Don't use landscape cloth or plastic. Neither will allow enough water to penetrate to the roots, especially through the mulch, and in Illinois water to the roots is crucial during the summer.

For flowers, I'd also include daylilies. My favorite perennial because they are virtually maintenance free except to deadhead and in late fall when you can cut off the dead leaves.

Space all the plants where they will fill in to a mature size. It may look bare the first or even the second year, but it will be well worth it.

Answer 3

There are several varieties of Ivy and creeping junipers that are nice and will do well in Illinois.

However, I've not seen a flower bed yet that was lower maintenance than a lawn. Between weeding, pruning, mulching, edging, ugh.

Answer 4

Vinca Vine comes in a few different varieties - I like the varigated. It is aggressive and cheap. When it blooms, it has small blue or white flowers. You can even run over it with the mower if it creeps into your yard. I live in Ohio, so we have about the same climate.

Answer 5

Cypress Mulch. as an added bonus, it also repels a variety of lawn and, garden pests.

Answer 6

ask in Home Depot

Answer 7

http://landscaping.about.com/od/landscapingproblems1/Easy_Solutions_to_Landscaping_Problems_Free_Landscaping_Ideas.htm