Ground Cover

Wrigs21

Evening all 

I’m looking for some ideas for groundcover for a wooded/sloped area. Tends to be shady and damp but has recent seen some soil erosion in hot weather in spots last year. Black Mondo grass has done well so I’m going to buy some more of that but any other ideas? 

Japanese Splurge has been floated but don’t want to plant something that’s going to become a long term problem. 

Not the best picture but an idea of the area: 

Wrigs21

Treeface said:

Ajuga reptans? Hardy geranium of some kind?

Thank you. Considered Ajuga but some reports suggest can become a pain. Pops up in other areas of my garden in random places 

Wrigs21

Treeface said:

https://www.secretgardeningclub.co.uk/collections/plant-pass-voucher/products/1-x-viola-odorata-miracle-intense-blue-9cm-pot

Just found that. Woodland ground cover.

Looks a good shout that one 👍🏻

Borderline

If you have neutral to acidic soil Asarum Europaeum, Wild Ginger, would gently form a low mat, spreading slowly over the space.

Butterfly66

Another vote here for Asarum, we have with some of the black mondo grass and it looks great. Pachysandra terminalis is another good ground cover, glossy evergreen foliage and white spring flowers

Obelixx

That viola will also pop up everywhere and, in my experience, more so than ajuga reptans.   The variegated forms of ajuga are less invasive than the plain green or purple leaved forms.

If you like grassy forms, carex Ice Dance would spread well but be controllable - https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/139696/i-Carex-i-Ice-Dance-(v)/Details and some hardy geraniums for contrast of leaf form and colour with flowers for pollinators and other beneficial insects.

If you fancy silvery foliage, try stachys lanata in the sunnier, dryer areas.

Wrigs21

Thanks all. The Asarum looks interesting so perhaps that with some more of the Black Mondo might be a good way forward. Will take a look at adding some geraniums as well

micearguers

Asarum is great indeed. Cardamine trifolia and Waldsteinia ternata are lovely. In general ferns would be a nice addition to that area (you have some already I think?); some spread by rhizomes and some are also low-growing. I need to dig in my annotations to find the low-growing spreading ones that I have. Toad lilies spread a little bit. Persicaria vaccinifolium I like a lot (it may not combine well with the other plants you have or proposed in this thread). Hellebores would self-seed, perhaps too much.
Saxifraga cuneifolia is a fantastic creeper and does well in shade but not sure how it does in damp soil (it's a mountainous plant). Other saxifrages would be interesting too. In general, most woodland plants will be suitable.

By the way, the Mondo grass can easily be split, you don't necessarily need to buy new, this applies to anything that spreads of course.

KeenOnGreen

Pachysandra terminalis.  Evergreen, very slow growing, nice white flowers in Summer.  Carex oshimensis Everillo likes damp shade, and has a nice acid green foliage, which would stand out around darker plants.  

We have also successfully planted Arabis coburgii in semi-shaded places, and it has flourised, even though we usually grow it in full sun.  

Fairygirl

I can thoroughly recommend Pachysandra. Easy to propagate too. 
Ajuga is very useful, and easy to pull out if you want something else. Lots of saxifrages will be fine, including urbium [London Pride] which will grow anywhere including full shade. 
The prostrate Gaultheria is also excellent for all sorts of situations. 

Wrigs21

Thanks for all the great suggestions so far. I’ve put in quite a few new ferns so hopefully they’ll establish themselves. Will let you know how I fair