Groundcover plants are not just a practical solution for your Rotorua garden landscape design, they are also a source of inspiration. My Landscapes can help you harness their full potential. These versatile plants not only add practical benefits for soil health and weed control, but they also add a touch of beauty to your outdoor space.
Whether you’re looking to spruce up areas around driveways or enhance your overall landscaping, choosing the right groundcovers with My Landscapes can transform your garden into a lush, low-maintenance oasis.
In this guide, you’ll discover essential groundcovers that thrive in Rotorua’s unique climate. We’ll explore native New Zealand options, low-maintenance varieties, and even edible selections to suit your garden design needs.
You’ll also learn about groundcovers ideal for walkways and how to create year-round interest in your landscape. Plus, with tips on plant selection and care, My Landscapes will ensure your groundcovers flourish, making your Rotorua garden the envy of the neighbourhood.
Maintenance of Groundcovers
Groundcover plants are a fantastic solution for your Rotorua garden landscape design. My Landscapes highly recommends them as a low-maintenance alternative to traditional lawns.
If you’re tired of spending hours weeding every week, these plants can be a game-changer, providing relief from constant garden chores. Not only are they more attractive than using large areas of weed mat, but they are also far more effective in suppressing weeds.
To get the most out of your groundcovers, here are a few key factors to consider:
- Soil preparation: Groundcovers thrive in free-draining soils due to their shallow root systems. Before planting, ensure you have a decent potting mix to help them establish.
- Watering: Keep your groundcovers well-hydrated during the summer months. This is crucial for their establishment and will help them become low-maintenance in the long run.
- Planting technique: Always plant in moist, well-drained soil. This prevents browning during summer and helps the plants establish quickly.
- Plant selection: Choose your groundcovers wisely. Opt for vigorous types in areas where you want to suppress weeds. However, select more moderate growers for feature bed areas to avoid overwhelming other plants.
- Coverage: Don’t be afraid to plant densely. Bare soil invites weeds, so a well-considered groundcover planting will reduce the time spent weeding and provide an attractive landscape.
With expert advice from My Landscapes, you can select and maintain groundcovers that require little care once established, making them an ideal choice for your Rotorua garden landscape design. Our expertise will give you the confidence and reassurance that your garden will be the envy of the neighbourhood.
Native New Zealand Groundcovers for Rotorua Landscapes
For your landscape design, our team at My Landscapes recommends incorporating native New Zealand groundcovers to add beauty and practicality to your Rotorua garden. These plants are perfectly suited to the local climate and soil conditions, making them ideal for a resilient and stunning outdoor space.
Coprosma Varieties
The coprosma species are versatile groundcovers that thrive in New Zealand’s diverse environments. Coprosma ‘Taiko’ is an evergreen option that produces small, blue berries in autumn, attracting birds and geckos. It’s perfect for tough, coastal, and windswept locations. Coprosma’ Red Rocks’ stands out with its rusty red foliage and interesting divaricating habit. Both varieties tolerate poor soil and hot, dry conditions, making them low-maintenance choices for your Rotorua garden.
Pratia Angulata
Pratia angulata, also known as Lobelia angulata, is a charming groundcover that flourishes in damp, shady sites but can also grow in sunny areas. This coastal-friendly plant produces white flowers and red berries in autumn, attracting birds to your garden. It forms a dense mat of foliage, reaching about 5-10 cm in height, and spreads extensively. Pratia angulata prefers well-draining, humus-rich soil and requires regular watering to keep the soil consistently moist.
Leptinella Platts Black
Leptinella Platts Black is a striking native groundcover celebrated for its distinctive black foliage. It’s hardy enough to withstand light foot traffic, making it perfect for infilling between stepping stones or pavers. This versatile plant thrives in full sun but can tolerate light shade, adapting well to different areas of your garden. It prefers well-draining soil and requires regular watering to keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. Leptinella Platts Black is low-maintenance and can be easily propagated through division in early spring.
Low-Maintenance Groundcovers for Landscape Design
When it comes to landscape design in Rotorua, low-maintenance groundcovers are a game-changer. These plants offer an attractive alternative to traditional lawns, suppressing weeds and reducing the need for constant care. Let’s explore some excellent options for your garden.
Coprosma Poor Knights
Coprosma Poor Knights is a versatile, evergreen groundcover that thrives in Rotorua’s climate. It’s known for its glossy, bright green leaves and occasional orange berries that attract birds. This hardy plant tolerates drought, coastal conditions, and even clay soils. It’s ideal for erosion control and can be planted about a meter apart for dense coverage. While it can grow up to 1.5 meters if left untrimmed, regular clipping keeps it compact and tidy.
Scleranthus Biflorus
Scleranthus biflorus, also known as the crewcut scleranthus, is a textural favourite in contemporary gardens. This light-green, moss-like plant forms dense mounds and thrives in dry areas. It needs full sun and good drainage, making it perfect for rock gardens or underplanting. Its fine-leaved cousin, Scleranthus uniflorus, is equally popular for its ground-covering abilities.
Muehlenbeckia Species
Muehlenbeckia species are a fantastic type of native groundcover plant that adds texture and interest to your garden. They’re hardy and can tolerate tough conditions, including some dryness and salt spray. Muehlenbeckia can be used as a groundcover, climber, or shrub, offering versatility in your landscape design. These fast-growing plants quickly cover bare soil, helping to suppress weeds and prevent erosion.
Have You Considered Edible Groundcovers?
When it comes to landscape design in Rotorua, edible groundcovers offer a delightful blend of functionality and flavour. These plants not only add beauty to your garden but also provide tasty herbs and fruits for your culinary adventures.
Thyme Creeping
Creeping thyme is a versatile groundcover that thrives in Rotorua’s climate. It forms a dense, low-growing carpet that’s the perfect choice for suppressing weeds and preventing soil erosion. This hardy perennial is a groundcover that boasts tiny pink, purple, or white flowers throughout spring and summer, attracting bees and butterflies to your garden. Creeping thyme can handle moderate foot traffic really well, making it ideal for planting between pavers or pathways.
Rosmarinus Prostratus
Rosmarinus officinalis Prostratus, or creeping rosemary, is an excellent choice for Mediterranean-style gardens in Rotorua. This low-growing, spreading evergreen shrub features intensely aromatic, needle-like leaves. It’s perfect for rock gardens, cascading down walls, or raised beds. Once established, creeping rosemary is drought-tolerant and thrives in full sun and well-drained soils.
Fragaria Chiloensis
Alpine strawberries (Fragaria vesca) make fantastic edible groundcovers. These small, sweet berries are hardy and produce abundant delicate leaves, creating a lush carpet in your garden. If you’re short on space, consider planting standard strawberry plants in hanging baskets or directly into bags of Tui Strawberry Mix for a space-saving solution.
Groundcovers for Walkways and Paths
Choosing the best type of groundcovers for walkways, driveways or paths can enhance aesthetics and functionality when designing a Rotorua garden landscape. Here are three excellent options that thrive in Rotorua’s climate:
Leptinella Platts Black
This native New Zealand plant boasts striking black foliage, making it a standout choice for your garden paths. It’s hardy enough to withstand light foot traffic, making it ideal for infill between stepping stones or pavers. Leptinella Platts Black prefers full sun but tolerates light shade and requires well-draining soil. Regular watering is essential to keep the soil consistently moist.
Sagina Subulata
Also known as Golden Irish Moss or Scotch Moss, this low-growing perennial creates a soft, moss-like carpet. It produces tiny star-shaped flowers in spring and tolerates light foot traffic. Sagina subulata thrives in full sun to part shade and requires good drainage. It’s perfect for filling gaps between pavers or in rock gardens.
Thymus Serpyllum
Creeping thyme is a versatile and aromatic choice for your walkways. It forms a dense, low-growing carpet with tiny pink, purple, or white flowers throughout spring and summer. This hardy perennial handles moderate foot traffic and prefers well-drained soil. Creeping thyme is low-maintenance and adds a pleasant fragrance to your garden paths.
Year-Round Interest Groundcovers For Rotorua Landscape Designs
Ajuga Jungle Beauty
Ajuga Jungle Beauty, also known as Bugleweed, is a versatile groundcover for your Rotorua garden. It features dark green leaves with purple tinges, producing showy blue flower clusters in spring. This quick-growing plant spreads by surface runners, covering up to 1 metre wide in less than two years. This groundcover thrives in both full sunlight as well as partial shade, making it ideal for various garden areas.
Coprosma Kirkii Variegata
This New Zealand native groundcover boasts attractive cream and green variegated leaves. It grows to about 60 cm tall and 1.5 m wide, making it perfect for covering banks or planting around living areas. Coprosma Kirkii Variegata tolerates wind, coastal environments, and moderate frost, thriving in full sun positions with well-drained soil.
Vinca Minor
Vinca Minor, or Periwinkle, is a hardy perennial groundcover suitable for year-round planting in New Zealand. It grows 15 to 30 cm tall and spreads quickly, making it excellent for covering large areas. Vinca Minor produces delicate blue or purple flowers and glossy, dark green leaves. It’s low-maintenance and drought-tolerant, ideal for various soil conditions.
At The End Of The Day
Groundcovers are essential for creating a vibrant, low-maintenance garden in Rotorua. By choosing the right plants for your soil, climate, and design needs, you can enhance your outdoor space while minimising maintenance and promoting healthy soil.
Whether you’re looking for native varieties, low-maintenance options, or edible groundcovers, there’s a perfect plant for every corner of your garden.
Ready to transform your garden into a lush landscape? Contact our team at My Landscapes today, and let our expert design team bring your Rotorua garden vision to life!