Ideally water should only be applied to the root zone - an area roughly 6-12” (15-30cm) from the base of the plant, not the entire plant. Was introduced into North America under the name Chocolate Chip. Plants may be easily divided in spring or early fall. Divide plants if they become overcrowded. Their delightful colors and foliage textures add variety to your landscape. Ajuga can be planted in mass as a groundcover however I typically use it in smaller patches or as an underplanting in shady shrub beds and perennial gardens. Alternatively, a … These plants can defy the dry soil conditions. Seems to be more disease-resistant than many of the older selections on the market. Dwarf stature is important for small-space applications. They usually don’t attract mammals, like rabbits and deer. Refer to the plant label to check a plant’s specific requirements. Will grow in full shade, but best foliage color usually occurs in part-sun locations (at least 3-4 hours of sun per day). Alternatively, the planting of disruptive plants can quickly bring your garden to ruins. Hosta Companion Plants. The foliage will tend to be smaller when grown in full sun, but the plant … To choose the best plants for your garden, use our filters at left. Besides, the blossoms spiral up in tiny white flowers, apart from lavender to magenta and pink shades. This oftentimes invasive perennial isn’t just any ordinary weed. Provide good air circulation in hot and humid areas where crown rot is a problem. Use as groundcover, to soften rock edges or in trough gardens as foliage accent. Or consider the delicate evergreen ‘Soft Caress’ mahonia for hydrangea companion plants. Comment About Planting Plant Chocolate Chip Ajuga in sites that provide shade or morning sun with afternoon shade and moist but well-drained, somewhat fertile soil. Ajuga, also known as Bugleweed or Carpet Bugleweed, is a good choice for the shade garden as it offers color and interest all season long with its interesting foliage. Tall sedum is a good choice for adding late season colour, but do keep in mind that some varieties of … Clip or mow off flower stems after blooming. Sometimes listed as Ajuga × tenorii ‘Valfredda’. A good vegetable companion to the columbine is rhubarb which, in addition to its nutritional qualities, deters the red spider mites which often prey on columbines. 'Chocolate Chip' has thinner, smaller and more elongated leaves than most ajuga varieties. Rhubarb leaves can also form a … It is also effective to pick plants with very different foliage for companions for hydrangea, such as lacy, delicate ferns. In spring, spikes of blue flowers stand above the foliage. In containers you might consider planting it with summer snapdragons, Angelonia angustifolia, lantana, Lantana camara, Egyptian star flower, Pentas lanceolata, geraniums with fancy foliage, Pelargonium cultivars, and/or creeping zinnias, Zinnia angustifolia. A bad plant pairing can doom a garden bed to failure. Avoid planting vegetables in large patches or long rows and interplant with flowers and herbs. The feathery texture of the foliage contrasts nicely with the wide hydrangea leaves. The soil should be … Companion Plant: Bugleweed. Unusual chocolate-brown foliage makes this herbaceous groundcover stand out. Plant Pat's Selection Ajuga in sites that provide shade or morning sun with afternoon shade and moist but well-drained, somewhat fertile soil. But there are a few situations i… Botanical name. Another border option is the toad lily, which blooms just after the columbine wanes in spring, leading to a beautiful garden throughout the season. Ajuga species can grow in either full sunlight or in the shade. Much of companion planting is common sense: Lettuce, radishes, and other quick-growing plants sown between hills of melons or winter squash will mature and be harvested long before these vines need more leg room. Use tall plants such as peas or sweet corn to create partially shaded conditions for crops prone to bolting, such as coriander, lettuce and spinach. Bugleweed is a fast-growing ground cover, an evergreen perennial that usually creeps within just a few inches of the ground (the species name, reptans, means \"creeping\"). The soil should be acidic with a pH in the range of 3.7 to 6.5. Clumping plants with larger glossy leaves or strap-blade leaves would also contrast well with the matting, low-growing form. Companion Plants: Ophiopogons, Purple Sage, Lavender, Alliums, Buxus sempervirens & Spiraea gold flame Ajuga Plant ‘Burgundy Glow’ Features Not as thuggish as more common Ajuga varieties, burgundy glow can sit well next to herbaceous perennials such as lavenders, Alchemilla and Geraniums without completely taking over. Carpet Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans): This is a very popular ground cover. Ajuga "sprouts" no variegation? It spreads quickly by runners, making a mat of dark green leaves that grow 2 to 3 inches wide in full sun and 3 to 4 inches wide in part shade. Variety or Cultivar 'Sugar Plum' _ 'Sugar Plum' is a dense, mat-forming, slowly-spreading, semi-evergreen to deciduous perennial bearing ovate, grey-green leaves with narrow, irregular, cream margins, maroon to reddish-purple when young, and spike-like whorls of deep blue flowers in late … Bugleweed can be grown in any type of light from full sun to full shade. Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. The effect is stunning when planted in mass groupings and also fits nicely into rock gardens and mixed container planting. Ajuga reptans, commonly known as carpet bugleweed, is a shade-tolerant ground cover hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 4 through 10a. Although it has pretty flowers and is available in several different cultivars that work well in landscaping, it can also make quite a nuisance of itself through rampant spread. Companion Plants is an internationally recognized herb nursery established in 1982 and located in the scenic rolling hills just outside Athens, Ohio. The purplish-burgundy foliage forms a tight mat with nice subtle shades of brown throughout. Ajuga tolerates a wide range of soil conditions as long as soil is well drained. Plant at the base of Ornamental Grasses, shade loving Hydrangeas, Hellebores, or Hostas. 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