I Love Lamium

I love lamium.

It's so delicate and pink and girlie. I thought it would be perfect to talk about it today, on Mother's Day. Lamium is a dense, trailing ground cover with silver-green leaves (sort of like lamb's ear) and pale flowers in the springtime of pink, lavender or white. I have a thriving patch on the side of our house, beneath a dogwood, that came from my mother-in-law's house in Durham. It's easy to care for, easy to clip and transfer, and brightens up a shady spot. And itt grows in almost any type of soil.

According to Wikipedia, "Lamium (deadnettle) is a genus of about 40-50 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, of which family it is the type genus." Other plants in the Lamiaceae family include a variety of culinary herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, thyme and lavender. (No wonder I like it so much.)

• Have you got any lamium in your garden?
• What's your favorite shady groundcover?