Six More Ajuga 'Chocolate Chip' Plugs In Island Bed Along Sidewalk - May 2026

More groundcover (or living mulch) is something I've been working-on for a couple of growing seasons.  This month, I put in six Ajuga 'Chocolate Chip' plugs in the [kitchen curved] bed in the backyard and six Ajuga 'Burgundy Glow' in the backyard near the colony of Hellebores on the northside.  This week, I put in six more Ajuga 'Chocolate Chip' plugs in the front of the Island Bed in our front yard down along the sidewalk.  This brings my 2026 groundcover planting total to 24.

Here, below, is a look at the six new plugs that are to the left of the three existing ones that went in last year in August.  

Here are the three existing groudcover plants last Fall. 

One of the challenges down by the sidewalk is retaining the mulch, so I'm hoping these plugs will grow-in and provide a 'living mulch' mat that stretches the front of the bed along the sidewalk. 

You can see the six new ones in this photo of the red coleus annuals:

These weren't the healthiest of plugs, so I think we might lose a few of them before they can even get established.  That's ok, but I need to do a better job of picking out the trays of Ajuga. 

These six bring my total to 24 groundcover plants with a few more to come.