Shannon,

Thanks for reaching out and for the photos. I really appreciate your enthusiasm for someone professing a lack of gardening knowledge.

Some of the plants you’ve listed are not plants you’ll be able to purchase easily, like the wood violet or the alpine strawberries. Mondo grass and Corsican Mint are not going to make it through the winter in Vermont as they are classed for zone 6. Lemongrass is classed as a zone 9, strictly a tropical plant, but you might opt for Lemon Balm instead. It’s an easy to grow perennial herb. Rosemary is in the zone 7 class. I leave my pot of Rosemary out all summer and bring it in for the winter, but it’s never in the perennial bed.

Scotch Moss is a zone 4 grower – right on the edge of your plants comfort zone. You could always test a small planting, if you don’t mind losing it to the winter, should it lose the battle.

You listed Buglewood. I’m hoping that was a typographical error and that you meant, Bugleweed. If you were referring to Ajuga reptans, or Bugleweed, then yes, it should over winter as it’s a zone 3 grower.

I also find that some mints do much better than others. Spearmint, Peppermint and Chocolate mint are superior winter survivors, however, orange mint and other more delicate mint varieties are harder to winter over. Keep that in mind. Catmint (Nepeta) another excellent mint choice is native to Europe and has naturalized in North America.

Elfin, creeping and wooly thyme are excellent choices for ground covers. You’ll find that Elfin can handle some light foot traffic, as well. Phlox subulata is creeping phlox (aka: moss phlox) and another great choice.

Before I look up every plant for you – I want to be certain we focus the garden bed itself. Will you be responsible for the gardening or will you be hiring someone? Garden bed preparation is as important as picking the plants themselves.

Develop a site plan. Use graph paper to lay out planting design to scale. Include plants to be used as well as focal points and features. Research plants, looking for information, such mature height and width, growth rate, and cultural requirements. Plants should be grouped in quantities of three, five, or seven, with taller plants in back and shorter plants in front. Repeat a few groupings of the same varieties throughout the bed to create a cohesive look.

Soil test the bed site. Most perennials prefer a pH from 5.5 to 6.5. Our Extension Service can offer the soil testing service.

Remove ground covering in the area. This can be accomplished with an herbicide or by digging up plants by hand or machine. Removal of turf is particularly important; grasses such as quack grass will reliably return if not removed correctly.

Till the area eight to ten inches deep, going first one direction, then the other.

Add four to six inches of organic matter, such as soil conditioner or compost, as well as any amendments and limestone suggested in soil test. Till amendments into the soil.

After soil has rested, planting can begin. Choose plants with healthy root systems. Plants should have white tipped roots and pots should have a good amount of roots, but not be pot-bound. If roots are wound around the edges of the pot, tease them out and open the root ball up before planting. Plant crowns at soil level or one inch higher than soil level.

Add two inches of mulch to planting bed, taking care not to mulch plant crowns or stems.

Remember to plan for the mature size of the plants and leave adequate room for growth.

Consider foliage size, shape and texture in addition to bloom time and color.

Combine plants with various forms, texture and color.

Place shorter plants toward the front of the bed and select taller plants forward to increase variation in height.

Add annuals and bulbs for accent and color.

Water deeply; after watering the soil should be wet four to six inches down. Newly planted perennials will need to be carefully monitored for watering needs.

References:

Alabama & Auburn Univ Extension, Adding Perennial Beds: https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/lawn-garden-urban/adding-perennial-beds-to-the-landscape/

Colorado State Univ Extension, Perennial Gardening: https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/perennial-gardening-7-402/

Illinois Extension, Bed Preparation: https://web.extension.illinois.edu/perennials/bedprep.cfm

You don’t want to go through all the trouble of planting a garden, only to have it overtaken with weeds in a short period of time. Let me know if this helps you get started and if the plant list is starting to shape up. We can certainly work on this further.  I do hope this information is helpful!

Thank you for your response. Our land is freshly regraded (down to the soil) and i'm ready for a walkable ground cover. I'm leaning towards your suggestion as creeping thyme as my overall ground cover in walking areas.

To answer some questions - we will be maintaining the yard so easy maintenance is important. I'm not really doing beds. We really want to just have a pollinator area and some simple walking paths using the creeping thyme. The west side gets a lot of sun and where I would like to have my native pollinator plants - and ones that flower at different times. The North doesn't get as much sun and so I was thinking of using mostly creeping thyme and some flowering shade plants.

What are your thoughts on this?

Shannon

This sounds like an excellent plan!

You can even use all the creeping Thymes to blend together. When you walk on them, they release their oils and that heavenly scent. You can use the higher ground cover Thymes (4 inches) for areas you don't think you'll spend a lot of time walking, but they can be mowed after they flower, if you don’t care for their height. They also tend to be faster growing, so you’ll have that advantage for filling in larger gaps.

My two favorites for walking paths are Elfin and Woolly Thyme. Granted, these are the s-l-o-w-e-s-t growing Thymes, but the finished product is just spectacular. I have Elfin greeting folks as they enter my Cottage garden and I always get compliments. But I also grow different types of culinary thymes and numerous creeping thymes! They are easy to grow with just a little TLC.

As long as when you plant the Thyme the ground is moist where the stem segment hits, the plant will root and continue to creep. Elfin also enjoys creeping up an over anything in its way (stepping stones, wooden slats, etc.)

Remember, ground cover Thymes can take light foot traffic. However, just like any plant, if the leaves are repeatedly rubbed/crushed they will fall off and the plant will die. If you decide you’d like to make a pathway or designate a high traffic area, consider putting in a hardscape walkway with thymes in between.

Photo shows Elfin Thyme on far left, and two different creeping Thymes on the right.