Valkyrie wrote:

As I was working out on my balcony today I thought of the perfect plant to
put in the pot with my witch hazel. I just can't remember what it's called.
I had it growing in Seattle between the broken concrete pavers of my patio.
It looks like a tiny delicate Boston fern (sort of), spreads by runners,
stays very small and flat, it's a great ground cover, very hardy and tough
as nails. Anybody know what it's called so I can go find some. The first
time I saw this was in the Japanese garden in Portland, I got the name from
the gardener there. Now I can not for the life of me remember what it was.
Getting old is hell :-(

Val

A couple of things come to mind, Val. There is a true groundcover fern, Blechnum
penne-marina, which is a great but hard to find plant. Evergreen miniature
fern-like foliage held very close to the ground, spreads by underground runners
to form colonies. The second possibility is Cotula squalida (sometimes called
Leptinella squalida, N.Z. brass buttons) which is an excellent, heavy-duty and
durable groundcover with a very fern-like appearance. Both will get a
bronzey-copper shade in winter. Either of these sound familiar?

I know what you mean about that getting old thing - so far the memory hasn't
failed me (yet), but I sure don't seem to get as much accomplished these days as
I did just a year or two ago. Starting earlier and finishing later just to reach
the same point!

pam - gardengal