Evergreen garden heroes that cover

With winter over, we really start to appreciate evergreen ground covering plants.

They have a start on the other things, so that soon they have flowers and the spring really gets going.

One of the first is hepatica. The flowers that come in among the leaves are so tender looking, but will withstand the late frosts with no real problem.

They are really the harbingers of spring, and foretell the summer weather before it really arrives.

Although the flowers are so beautiful, the leaves are also lovely, so they serve the purpose of covering the ground for a long time, with their pretty shapes.

Another plant with blue flowers is omphalodes cappadoccica, which has deep blue flowers. A variety that has appeared fairly recently is starry eyes, which has white edges to each flower.

It spreads quite rapidly, and is such a pretty plant. It likes the shade, so will grow well among shrubs, where it will nuzzle against the stems of shrubs, not causing any problems with deep roots.

A plant that seeds itself is corydalis chieranthefolia. This grows again in the shade, and produces yellow flowers early in the year.

It will seed all over the place, and all that is required is to pull out the ones not wanted.

The leaves look like a small fern so are most attractive even after the flowers have gone. A plant that has tiny flowers that don't add to the beauty - in fact I usually cut them off - is the valerian phu.

In the summer it is hardly noticeable at all, just green leaves, but in the autumn the leaves go bright yellow. It shines right down the garden, making a golden splash that will get everyone asking what it is.

Another blue flower, very like the forget-me-not, is the brunnera maculata. This covers the ground very well, and there are lots of different kinds.

The leaves appear just before the flowers in spring, so it is not evergreen. The one called frosty morn is really outstanding, with creamy leaves speckled with green.

There are others in similar colours too, but a few years ago I discovered a new one, with spots on the leaves.

I gave one to John Massey, at Ashwood Nursery, and hope he may grow it for the public. Though it is not as good as frosty morn, it has a certain novelty in the patterns on the leaves.

John suggested that I should call it swallow hayes after the name of my house. All these little plants are useful, as well as being attractive.

They serve a good purpose in the garden, as they cover the bare soil, making it difficult for weeds to grow.

By Pat Edwards