Ajuga

Invasive!  Hard to get rid of!  That's ajuga, plant of many aliases.  Carpetweed.  Bugleweed.  Carpet bugle.  Ground pine.  Or just plain Bugle.  Gardeners, be forewarned:  do not plant ajuga near areas you don't want invaded, because ajuga will prevail.

See how it just took over this blog post?

I am in love with my ajuga.  Two years ago, when I demo'd the inground pool, a portion of my property was compromised.  Specifically, in order to get the big machinery close enough to the pool, an entire hillside was removed and its dirt placed in the cavernous hole where the pool had been.  The soil brought in to rebuild the hill was terrible.  Sandy, dry, infertile.  I tried planting grass seed on the dirt, which was a waste of money.  I suppose if dandelions were desirous, I would have a nice yellow lawn on the hill.  Instead . . . ajuga to the rescue!  I invested in 32 pots of ajuga.  Planting them on the hill made my investment appear quite small, but the nursery owner (who happened to be the New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture) told me that by the end of the summer, the ajuga plants would all be holding hands with one another.  He could not have known what a dry summer it would be, and his prediction did not come true.  But if there's anything a gardener needs, it's patience.  My ajuga plants continue to grow, blending together with one another on the hillside, creating a carpet of stunning purple flowers.

Although there are obvious bald spots on my hillside, I am optimistic that a few more plants and a few more years will solve the problem.

So, patience.  Left alone, my ajuga plants will reach out to one another and unite in a bipartisan effort to conquer the hill.  If only . . .

Nah, I don't have to say it; you saw it coming, right?  Meanwhile, ajuga gets my vote.