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Groundcovers

Periwinkle Weed Control - How To Remove Periwinkle Ground Cover | Gardening Know How

Groundcovers are a great way to fill garden spaces, control weeds and add texture to your landscape. When planted in the right soil and light conditions, they spread naturally and create a beautiful, low-maintenance carpet.

But even the best groundcovers, like sweet woodruff or periwinkle, may need a little guidance to keep them from spreading too far.

Controlling Groundcovers

Many groundcovers spread via stolons or underground stems, which can creep into areas where you don’t want them. Installing edging like landscape timbers or vinyl borders sunk into the ground can help keep your plants in check while maintaining a neat garden appearance.

General Planting Tips

  • Spacing: Most groundcovers do well when planted 1–2 feet apart. Closer spacing will fill in faster.
  • Watering & Mulching: Keep newly planted groundcovers moist and mulched to prevent drying and weeds.

Spotlight: Periwinkle (Vinca Minor)

Periwinkle, also called Creeping Myrtle, is a versatile groundcover that grows in part sun or deep shade, in moist or dry soil. Once established, it resists weeds and offers evergreen foliage year-round, with periwinkle-blue flowers in early spring.

Planting Periwinkle:

  1. Remove sod, grass and weeds from the area
  2. Dig or rototill the soil about 8” deep
  3. Add 2” of Canadian Peat Moss and 1” of Perlite, then mix evenly into the soil
  4. Level the area with a rake
  5. Position plants according to spacing (see guide below)
  6. Plant potted plants slightly above ground level; root cuttings at soil level
  7. Apply a pre-emergent weed control like Preen
  8. Mulch with 1–1.5” of hardwood bark or similar

Periwinkle Care:

  • Keep soil moist during the first growing season
  • Feed with a transplant root stimulator initially
  • Once established, use a granular fertilizer like Holly Tone

Groundcovers for Shade

Great options for shady areas include:

  • Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)
  • Periwinkle (Vinca minor)
  • Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans)
  • Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis)
  • Foamflower (Tiarella)
  • Lamb’s Ear (Stachys lanata)
  • Hostas, Ferns, Creeping Phlox, Spurge, Lungwort, Wintergreen and more

Groundcovers for Sun

Perfect for sunny spots:

  • Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata)
  • Wooly Yarrow (Achillea tomentosa)
  • Ice Plant (Delosperma)
  • Stonecrop (Sedum spp.)
  • Catmint (Nepeta spp.)
  • Lavender (Lavandula spp.)
  • Thyme (Thymus)
  • Candytuft (Iberis), Rock Rose, Daylilies, Speedwell (Veronica) and others

Tips for Success

  • Choose the right plant for your sun or shade conditions
  • Give groundcovers room to grow, but use edging to control spread
  • Keep new plantings well-watered and mulched
  • Use slow-release fertilizers or root stimulators to encourage healthy growth

By selecting the right varieties and giving them proper care, groundcovers can fill in your garden with lush greenery, colorful blooms and minimal maintenance.