Border Plants for Landscaping

Creeping Juniper (Juniperus Horizontalis 'Blue Chip')

• Creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis 'Blue Chip') is an evergreen shrub suitable as a border or ground cover plant in U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones 3 to 9. It grows to a mature height of between 6 and 18 inches and eventually spreads to between 4 and 10 feet in width. The foliage ranges from medium to blue-green in color throughout the summer months. It commonly turns slightly purple in the fall. This shrub is easy to grow in most types of soil, as long as it drains well, but it prefers dry, gravelly or sandy areas with a full sun exposure. It is not tolerant of soil that remains wet.

Creeping Phlox (Phlox Stolonifera)

• Creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera) is an herbaceous perennial that grow back each spring in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5 through 9. The mature height of this plant is about 3 inches. It eventually grows throughout the entire landscaped area if allowed, providing an excellent groundcover. The leaves grow to about 3 inches long and are medium green. They bloom throughout the spring, producing 3/4-inch lavender flowers that are quite fragrant. This is a good choice for a partially shady location, but it grows in full sun as well. It prefers organically rich soil that remains evenly moist.

Moss Rose (Portulaca Grandiflora)

• Moss rose (Portulaca grandiflora) is a low-growing groundcover-type annual flowering plant. They reach a mature height of 6 to 8 inches and spread to a width of about 1 foot, providing groundcover. The foliage is succulent in form with 1 inch long, cylindrical-shaped leaves. Blooming begins in June and lasts throughout the summer. The 1-inch diameter flowers resemble roses and can have single, semidouble or double petal forms. They come in various shades of red, pink, yellow or orange, pastel shades and white. Moss rose prefers a sunny location and is a good choice for nutrient-poor, dry soil.

Purple Robe (Nierembergia Scoparia)

• Purple robe (Nierembergia scoparia) is grown as a perennial in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 7 to 10 and as an annual in zones below 7. It grows to a mature height of 6 to 9 inches with a width of about 1 foot. This border plant produces cup-shaped, 1-inch diameter purple-blue flowers. The 3/4 inch long leaves are narrow with a medium-green color. They prefer organically rich soil that stays evenly moist in full sun or partial shade.