Ground covering shrubs & plants

[Mrs_Pegasus]

We have a front garden with 2 deep beds at the front and back of the lawn. We are not fabulous gardeners and would like to find a low maintenance option for these 2 beds!

What plants/shrubs should we use to cover these areas, nothing too high.

Thank you.

[Clanad]

You don't mention the sunlight available to the site. This will dictate, to a large part, what you can use. If it's shady for about half the day light hours, you may wish to look at the several different varieties of Hostas. They are definitley low mantenance with little flowering but the types of large leaves adds a lot to shadier areas.

Again, if it's relatively shady, you may wish to consider Snow on the Mountain. It has no flowers but the variegated greenish and white leaves adds a lot of detail. One caution; it's failry invasive and a real sweat breaker if you ever want to remove it.

More sunshine? Then perhaps two or three ground cover roses (Magic Carpet, Carpet of Color or The Fawn are some of my favorites) interspersed with low growing evergreens such as Blue Rug Juniper, Pachysandra, or Creeping Red Sedum... all low maintenance and very attractive...

Best of luck!

[woozer]

Lavender is lovely and doesnt mind if the beds are a wee bit dry sometimes - just needs a haircut once a year. Bergenias will cover a fair amount of space and have nice pink flowers early in the year - no maintenance required.
Some of the modern grasses perhaps ?

[tamborine]

Purple perenial geraniums are 12inches high.

http://www.jparkers.co.uk/Index.cfm?fuseaction =product.standard&continueaction=category.stan dard&category_id=468&producttype_id=49991

Helebores (Xmas rose) are short plants, perenial

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2321 324850014134523ijdsvc

[Mrs_Pegasus]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions.

The bed at the front has some pinks and rose at the moment and has no shade, its also north facing.

The bed nearest the house is shadowed part way through the day because of quite a deep overhanging eave. Currently have a rose and peony in the corner.

Many thanks