Looking for the ultimate spreading flower / maybe even a weed

[Scarlet]

I would try as others have suggersted - Vinca/periwinkle. It does take a while to establish but when its made its home it looks good year round

[binley100]

I have to rip out geranium (the low growing one ) by the handfull even Jake trampling on it doesn't seem to do it any harm ........also a low growing campanula that has blue star shaped flowers is good .

[Madasafish]

Aubretia is my suggestion as it does not die off in winter and is not so invasive as Vinca: and the flowers are of different colours and nicer

It also withstands dry areas: it's under our hawthorn hedge and looks lovely and spreading...but is easily controlled..

[lizzylemon]

Geranium? I've been digging out sqaure metres of this.

It spreads into a dense mat and once established, weeds would find it hard to get a grip.

Ask on Freecycle for anyone who is cutting theirs' back and put cuttings in at 12'' spacing. It will spread and meet up within a year.

You can get several different shades of pink/mauve/purple.

I think I pulled a load of this up out of my bamboo - is it sort of spidery stalks and stinks to high heaven when the stalks are crushed?

[taff]

really?geranium? related ot the ones in pots geraniums? the ones that die on me every year?
what is this new universe where they can't be eradicated?!!

[lizzylemon]

Thanks guys, I've a patch of Periwinkle in the back - mum gave it to me 2 years cos she said I'd be pulling it up the handfull, it well it's still only a 1x1 foot wide so I'll give that one a miss for the time being :/

The campula thingy type one looks like it might be a goer for me - I've seen it going mad in other peoples gardens and I do like the neon orange.

I will think about the Geranium but I'm pretty sure thats the plant that went mental in a garden of mine a few years back and I'm still pulling it up from plants I've brought with me so I think thats too much.

Now, if one of you would sort my apple tree query out, that'd be fab

Just kidding - thanks guys, really appreciate the help.

[singleseeder]

really?geranium? related ot the ones in pots geraniums? the ones that die on me every year?
what is this new universe where they can't be eradicated?!!

Geranium as in Cranesbill, not Geranium as in Pelargonium......... it's not surprising that newbies get confused is it?

[taff]

they're pretty aren't they? hmm.....

[Jeanied]

There are some really pretty variegated Lamiums too - the bees love them.

[veggiechicken]

They (cranesbills) do make great ground cover and come in all shapes, sizes and colours. I grow some on steep slopes and they're very low maintenance. Some of them have a rather unpleasant smell when you touch them but they're fine at a distance! - and they flower for months. Some of mine have started already.

[binley100]

this is the campanula I have

[Two_Sheds]

My front garden (and my raspberry bed at the lotty) is becoming covered with rampant sweet violets, that might be another option

[Glutton4...]

Swet Violets are rampant round here too, TS - all over our front lawn. That Campanula is pretty, Bins. Jeanie, I'd completely forgotten lovely Lamiums! Used to have several different varieties - very good ground cover. I adore Cranesbills, and had dozens of those too. I also had a low-growing evergreen with white-edged leaves that was fab, but can't remember what it was...

[Two_Sheds]

a low-growing evergreen with white-edged leaves

Euonymus?

this one's ground cover: Specialty nursery growing groundcover plants - Peekskill Nurseries - Euonymus


Cotoneaster http://www.monrovia.com/plant-catalo...otoneaster.php

I just pulled a bed of it out at school to make space for the guinea pig haven

[dominic10]

I have a dwarf comfrey which is spreading nicely in a shaded area but not sure about self seeding as I have only had it for two years. Campanula will seed everywhere. I have a variegated vinca minor which is low growing and under shrubs in a shady area. It is slow to spread but does the job if you are willing to wait and it is evergreen. I wouldn't touch ivy as it requires a lot of effort to keep it under control. Someone gave me 'dead nettle' last year which is a variegated ground cover plant with yellow flowers which I have in pots at the moment. This is a ground cover plant I remember being in our last house so I am going to experiment with this.