"Art Lindquist" wrote in message
...
Hello Everyone,

I have two very large Norway pines in my yard planted fairly close
together, so the area under them does not get a great deal of sun. The
area is probably 30 by 20 yards, I have many hostas and some ginger
growing under the trees, but can not find a ground cover that will thrive
there. I have tried Ajuga, White Nancy, and Periwinkle, with no success.
I am in zone 5A and would appreciate any ideas. Thanks too all.

OOPS! I just sent a blank message. SORRY!!

Anyway, back to the subject at hand. I have great luck with Lamium. It has
some nice blooms in the spring. It grows and spread very well for me. Give
it a few shovels of new soil when planting, as the soil under the old trees
is usually rather spent. If you have some friends or neighbors who have
some Lamium and would be willing to share, that would be ideal. All you
have to do is cut some plugs from an established bed and get them started.
But, they are not too expensive at the garden center. They winter well, and
retain some color through the winter, and green up and get going early in
the spring. I am in zone 5 also. They come in pink or white as the most
common colors.

I have also had good luck with ground covers from a company called
Stepables. They sell ground cover plants and you can search for shade
plants on their web site. They are marketed through most of the local
garden shops. I have not seen them at the big box nurseries.

Good Luck,

DaleP