Six More (30 Total To Date) Ajuga Plugs Added - Island Bed - June 2026

Over the past month, I've posted a number of posts about adding groundcover plugs to the garden.  The latest was a post about six Ajuga 'Chocolate Chip' plugs that I put into the front yard Island Bed at the very edge of the sidewalk.  Those joined three existing ones from 2025.  They weren't the most healthy plugs, but they went in anyway. 

That brought my groundcover planting total to 24 total planted for the year.  Today, I added six more Ajuga 'Chocolate Chip' plugs to that same Island bed.  Five along the final edge in the front and one 'up the driveway'.

This brings the total to thirty groundcover plants added (to date).  #20 on my to-do list is to "Keep Going on Groundcover".  Thirty in the Spring is a good number.  My previous annual high-planting mark for Groundcover plants was that epic Fall 2023 season when I added 36.  I'm right there and it is just Spring.  

Adding this 'living mulch' down in the Island bed serves multiple purposes - adds something that is borderline 'step-able' with tri-color foliage.  But, it also (I hope) will aid in retaining the mulch from trickling onto the sidewalk.  

Below are some photos (annotated) of this latest six-pack planting.  The green oval highlights the three Ajuga that went in last year and seem to have done a great job.  The yellow circle shows the one 'up the driveway' planting.  

Here, below, is an annotated photo showing the sidewalk edge.  The teal circles are two of the previous six that went in and the yellow show the new ones.  This latest batch were (seemingly) healthier than the previous (leggy) six-pack:

I'll continue to hunt for groundcover - in particular I'm thinking about a "stream" of groundcover like sedges that runs throughout some more traditional planting.  I've written about him before, but that idea of a 'stream' of sedges was something that jumped out to me in this recent reel from Austin Eischeid.  Just watch the first 30 seconds of this recent Instagram post and you'll hear Austin talk about the 'stream' idea.  

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden (@lewisginter)

I can think of multiple places to try out the idea of a 'stream' in the garden.   

Austin Eischeid is who turned me on to Shredded Umbrella Plant up at Roy Diblik's Northwind Perennial Farm where he gave a talk and planted his own shade garden.   That connection to Roy Diblik is how I initially came across his work.  (also...that's a good reminder to buy a few more Shredded Umbrella plants on my next visit....)

Importantly (for me), Austin is a Midwest (similar Zone to my 5b/6a) garden designer and while our styles aren't exactly a perfect match, I really admire the scale and ambition he has and how he's been able to build relationships with some significant figures in the naturalistic garden movement like Roy and even Piet Oudolf.  If they "see" something in Austin and have nurtured him along the way, that's a pretty big endorsement, right? 

You can see much more of Austin's work on his website.  And, give him a follow on Instagram.  

Or...if you can...get out and experience one of his gardens in person.  They are in Chicago, Virginia, Ohio and Iowa.  Details here.