# What to use on ground cover?



## puffy (Nov 13, 2008)

I need to put down some dirt and ground cover around a building. What should i use to hold the covering down The building will go outside sometimes,but will not stay out long. Thanks, Rick


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Dwarf varieties of thyme are about the best, I think. 

Jerry


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## jbwilcox (Jan 2, 2008)

Is Thyme a perennial?

Does it tolerate sun or does it need shade?


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

Thymes are perennial sun lovers. Lots of varieties like lemon, english and wooly will work well. Scotch/Irish moss will take a bit more shade but likes it moist. There are many dwarf sedums that are useful on a garden railway (they do better in sun). Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) is another choice (sun/shade). 

-Brian


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## Dean Whipple (Jan 2, 2008)

If I remember right, isn't thyme the plant that is very very prolific? Here is a website that will tell you about thyme.....


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Plantings will vary with you climate. You didn't post your location.

As noted, thyme is very good. The smallest of the thymes is "elfin" thyme. This grows slowly in a very dense mat..., so dense weeds can't grow through it. When it gets to your track, it can stop a train. Best way to control it around the track is to plunge a putty knife into it parallel to the rails cutting through the roots. You can then treat the area along the track with Round-up without killing everything.

Elfin thyme









Creeping thyme is also nice, but larger scale and more profuse.










If you have shade and lots of water, baby tears are a great ground cover. I also really like Corcican mint, chamomille, and dimondia margarente. 

Dimondia is drought tolerante and can be walked on without harm (around the volcano)













I


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Wow, that layout looks great! I like the dinosaur dig too.


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## snowshoe (Jan 2, 2008)

My faverite ground cover is elfin thyme. It stay very nice and does not grow super fast. 

toddalin: lets see more pictures of your layou. I dont think I have seen any yet.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By snowshoe on 11/14/2008 11:42 AM
My faverite ground cover is elfin thyme. It stay very nice and does not grow super fast. 

toddalin: lets see more pictures of your layou. I dont think I have seen any yet.


Follow the link:

http://tortoiseandlizardbash.com/


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Todd, what's the origin of your railroad's name?


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Ray Dunakin on 11/14/2008 10:35 PM
Todd, what's the origin of your railroad's name? 


We have a pair of endangered California Desert Tortoises. I actually have permits to keep them. We acquired the female at the same time I built the railroad. We had already had the male for ~5 years. The lizards think I built it for them. They live in the buildins and under the turn-out covers. They are very tame and will come up to me in the garden for hand outs. If I find grasshoppers, I fing them on the ground and when stunned, the lizards get a meal. I've actually been trimming trees, and had a lizard climb my pant leg to eat a bug on my pants. 

Anyway, Tortoise & Lizard Bash = T&LB = Todd & Linda Brody


This link takes you to the chronology and opening day, 1997. George Schreyer came over and documented these operations. Our first run was after just 6 month of construction (all on my own with all rails having soldered jumpered). It took me a month just to build the control panel. I also build my environmental consulting business during this period. I do air quality and noise analyses for Environmental Impact Reports. 

http://www.trainweb.org/girr/todds_site/


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