As water gets scarcer and scarcer in dry climates and in not so dry climates, we gardeners have got to find ways of reducing the water consumption of the garden. In practice this means amongst other measures, that lawns have to be seriously reduced in size. In some instances there is simply no substitute for a lawn. Nothing can take traffic or be used for playing like grass.

However in many parts of the garden, an area has been grassed up because the gardener or home owner couldn’t think of anything else, or probably didn’t think of thinking of an alternative. Once we break the paradigm and start to design our garden space, which is garden-speak for thinking, then we begin to see so many more possibilities. We discover that there is far more potential to this “outdoor room” than was previously imagined.

This is where ground cover or prostrate plants come into their own. Today I’m talking about three plants for three different design situations. Small scale, medium and large scale.

For small spaces I’ve grown (pun intended) to love the species of Cranebill, Erodium reichardii. It grows to about 10-15cm forming small mounds. Its cushion shape makes it an excellent companion, style wise, to many xerophyte species. It sports delicate pink flowers virtually all year round, and can take light shade .I planted it in one garden over 4 years ago, and it’s showing no signs of degeneration. It is virtually maintenance free.

For larger spaces, The Morning Glory, Convolvulus sabatius (mauritanicus), is great. It can be planted small, because each plant can cover at least a radius of 1 meter. It has a very prostrate habit, with light purple flowers, most of the year. To be grown in full sun only. Although Ground Morning Glory does tend to spread as a weed a bit, it can be uprooted without resource to spraying.

A very useful large scale flowering ground cover is Lantana montevidensis. It has a rather sprawling, slightly untidy habit, and a pungent smell, which makes it unsuitable for small, intimate spaces. But it can be superb when seen at a distance, with its mass of deep purple flowers. There are also a number of varieties available at nurseries.

As far as watering is concerned, both Erodium and Convolvulus can grown on an average shrub regime, about 1/4 of the requirements of a lawn, whereas the Lantana is more thirsty, probably needing an additional 400mm per annum in a Mediterranean climate.

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