Cormaic's Garden - Plants

Garden Layout - Plants - Bugles
Ajuga reptans is the species name for this wonderful ground cover plant for shady places. I grow it in quite a few locations around the garden, where it helps cover-up bare earth and keep down weeds. It is native to British woodlands, but all my varieties were obtained from a nursery. They are very easy to propagate, as they self-root from nodes in contact with bear earth. I have 3 varieties in the garden. They differ in leaf colour, but all bear upright 150mm high towers of blue flowers in mid-spring. 'Purpurescens' is the most vigopurous of the three and tends to run amok in the rockery. I find it very usefull for growing with hostas - the bugles covers the ground when the hostas are dormant over the winter, and once the hostas emerge in late spring, the bugles are quite happy to be hidden beneath the wide leaves until the hosta dies back again with the frosts.
Ajuga reptans 'purpurescens' is used mostly in the rockery. It is quite vigourous and spreads itself easily. The leaves are a very dark purple-green and the flowers towers can reach up to 200mm high. It can be prone to downy mildew in high summer, but the plant continues to flourish, nonetheless.

Ajuga reptans 'variegated' is the least vigourous of the 3 varieties, and this is reflected in smaller flower towers, only 75mm high and quite dainty. It's pale green and white leaves can brighten up a dark corner and it combines well with blue-leaved hostas.	Picture not available yet.

Ajuga reptans 'Burgundy Glow'has pale green and white leaves that have burgundy coloured edges. The flower towers reach 100mm high, but this does seem to be fussier as to ground conditions than either of the other 2 varieties.	Picture not available yet.

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