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i have a long brick walkway through my garden. the bricks were just set down in a pattern on top of the dirt. i like the natural, free-flowing look of it, but would really like to plant some "green-stuff" in the small spaces/cracks between the bricks. what could i plant that could stand up to some foot traffic and grow in tough conditions?
I just got some 'Elfin Thyme' as a free gift. It's incredibly cute and is also said to be tough enough to stand up to traffic.
Irish moss is also another faithful stand-by. Or true moss, if it's in a shady, damp spot, though I understand true moss will not take quite as much wear & tear.
There's a line of groundcovers trade name "Steppables" which I see at garden centers--they are a bunch of different groundcovers selected for their ability to tolerate some foot traffic, and I think they have some for sun and some for shade so you should be able to find one that works for your area.
I have used elfin thyme, creeping thyme, wooly thyme, blue star creeper, irish moss, sandwort, and corsican mint as plantings between pavers in a patio. The spaces ranged from about 2 inches in width to 5 inches. The thymes do better in sun. The mint and the irish moss were much more healthy in the moister, shadier spots.
thanks for the suggestions. i think i might try the elfin thyme. how exactly did you plant it in the spaces, or did you just throw seeds? i'm in the process of trying to find the best way to make my bricks keep that shiny, wet look, then i hope to start planting.
I bought 4 inch pots of plants at a fifty percent off sale, cut each one into 4 to 6 sections, depending on the amount of root growth, and tucked them into the spaces as I was creating the patio. I put a compost/soil mix in the cracks. The slightly pot bound plants had plenty of roots so each smaller piece grew sufficiently. If you have very narrow spaces in a surface that is already installed, it is probably worth trying to start things from seed. I don't think thyme should be too hard to get started. I had soil about five inches deep, the same as my concrete pavers,and sand beneath that, so it drains well.
If you want the bricks to keep that wet look you might want to look into having them "sealed" every couple of years or so. I have a brick patio that I had sealed when I bought my home 5 years ago, but it is under an awning so it doesnt get the exposure that uncovered brick might. The best thing about this process is that it really cuts down on the fire ant population, which seems to just love colonating the spaces between the bricks here in my zone...(and probably yours too!)
As far as adding plants to the areas between the bricks to create a softer, more aged look, the thyme sounds wonderful...
My sister used ajuga in between the bricks on her exposed patio in Atlanta, which was also very lovely...and she used moss where the light was lower.
She also used a yellow Creeping Jenny ( [HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com]) where the soil stayed moist and it was beautiful...green thumb, that one. :)
handbright, thanks so much for the information. the sealing method sounds like it might work better. i rolled on some quickcrete high gloss sealer, but it didn't work very well. what exactly did you use?
the creeping jenny is an excellent idea! i have some in my containers right now and i love it. i might have to try some along the edges of the sidewalk.
