The Complete Book of Ground Covers

4000 Plants That Reduce Maintenance, Control Erosion, and Beautify the Landscape

Gary Lewis

After nine years of research, photography, and writing The Complete Book of Ground Covers by Phoenix Perennials owner Gary Lewis was published by Timber Press in Fall 2022. It is available from the nursery, and anywhere you buy books in Canada, the US, and around the world.

Ground covers are widely thought of as utilitarian, but these plants also offer a diverse range of beautiful and intriguing options with a variety of colors, textures, and forms. They can unify a landscape, knit together plantings and hardscape, and add extra layers of beauty, dynamism, and surprise. As a replacement for lawns, they can reduce our use of water, fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, carbon-based fuels, and transform a yard into a diverse landscape of habitat and food for native insects, birds, and other wildlife.

In this meticulously researched reference for the temperate gardening world, nurseryman Gary Lewis profiles more than 4000 ground covers that can perform these roles with aplomb. No matter what kinds of conditions you’re facing—shade, dry soil, heavy clay, excess moisture—there’s a ground cover that will thrive and beautify your garden. The book also includes sections on the practical, aesthetic, and environmental benefits of ground covers that discuss how to save time and money in the garden, how to make gardens more sustainable, and how to make gardens more creative and beautiful all by using ground covers.

Comprehensive, practical, and copiously illustrated with 650 stunning photos taken by Gary on his travels around the world, this indispensable volume belongs on the shelf of every designer, landscape architect, and home gardener.

The Complete Book of Ground Covers has won the 2023 Gold Laurel Award in the category of Technical/Reference Book from Garden Communicators International, the US-based industry organization that represents garden writers and communicators.

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You can order signed copies for pick-up or shipping within Canada from Phoenix Perennials. You can order from your favourite neighbourhood book seller with the ISBN listed at the bottom of this page. Or you can order online around the world from your favourite online sources including (but not limited to):

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Available in Japanese!

The Japanese language translation of The Complete Book of Ground Covers was released in Japan in April 2024. It can be ordered from various Japanese online sources for shipping in Japan, to Canada, or anywhere in the world.

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Reviews

“A magnum opus of ground covers that deserves a place in every gardener’s library.”

— Tony Avent, founder and owner of Plant Delights Nursery

“The importance of ground covers in our landscapes should be considered as carefully as the most stately of trees. Gifted nurseryman and plantsman Gary Lewis has done an admirable job in discussing the many advantages of using ground-covering plants while offering a well-researched compendium of both usual suspects as well as unusual choices seldom considered for the job.”

— Daniel J. Hinkley, author of Windcliff, director emeritus of Heronswood

“Ground covers play a critical role with our changing environment in nature, parks and landscapes. Lewis captures the breadth and depth of their important values to us and our planet.”

— Brian Minter, award-winning gardening expert, author, and TV and radio host

“Grasses and sedges are essential in creating better landscapes. Gary understands that, and his coverage of them as ground covers is smart and practical.”

— John Hoffman, founder and owner of Hoffman Nursery

“The Complete Book of Ground Covers takes a sensible approach to these complex plants and gives us encyclopedic information on thousands of them. The chapter on Designing with Ground Covers quickly became a favorite of mine.”

— Marjorie Harris, author of Thrifty Gardening from the Ground Up

“Too much turf? Steep bank? Problem soil or watering regime? The Complete Book of Ground Covers has the answer to these and many more landscape problems with cogent advice and stunning photography.”

— Panayoti Kelaidis, director of outreach and senior curator, Denver Botanic Gardens

“Lewis, the owner of a retail and mail-order nursery, offers this excellent and attractive resource for gardeners, no matter the size of their plot. Opening chapters cover the hows and whys of using ground covers, with most of the book an alphabetical encyclopedia of plants by name. Entries give the botanical and common names, appropriate planting zones, origins of the plant (who knew lily of the valley came from China?), descriptions, growing instructions, and the specific purposes of each plant. That’s all accompanied by truly gorgeous color photos, most of which are credited to the author. While there is a sense of technical completeness to the book, the text has a friendly vibe that conveys a can-do attitude that encourages gardeners at all levels. Most useful are the lists of plants to use for specific conditions such as dry shade, full sun, and rain gardens. VERDICT While the alphabetical order uses botanical names, the index includes the common names and refers to the proper page number. A great purchase for public libraries with lots of gardening patrons, and also for libraries at universities that teach horticulture.”

— Kirkus Book Reviews

About the Author

Gary Lewis has had a life-long interest in plants and gardening. His retail and mail order nursery, Phoenix Perennials, located in Richmond, BC, offers more than 5000 different plants. Gary has written for various garden magazines including Fine Gardening and has been a frequent guest on local and regional radio and television stations in British Columbia. He speaks regularly to garden clubs around BC and the Pacific Northwest and has presented at conferences across North America. In 2013 he was selected as Communicator of the Year by the BC Landscape and Nursery Association and in 2014 as one of Canada’s Top 10 Horticultural Professionals under 40 by Greenhouse Canada magazine. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Perennial Plant Association and is a committee member of Great Plant Picks.