Groundcovers

Groundcovers

Groundcovers are a type of plant which usually spreads far and wide fairly quickly and easily. Most good ground covers will grow very low - sometimes just a few inches high - and they quickly overtake the area they’re planted in. They’re excellent for choking out weeds, and filling in blank spots of dirt in your yard too.

Ground covers can be used for a variety of things in both your lawn and garden areas. Some people will plant a ground cover in their yard proper for instance, instead of planting regular grass. This is an excellent way to create a beautiful yard which requires little to no mowing throughout the entire year. Many ground covers also create wonderful shades of color, some have excellent and unusual texture, and some create beautiful flowers too. So planting them in place of grass for your yard will give you a unique and beautiful yard which doesn’t require much care at all from you.

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Garden Tip...

The earth in vases of plants that stand out in exposed places, will rapidly dry out; if shells or fine gravel is laid over the surface of the soil, they will prevent it from "baking" after watering, and hold the moisture much longer than without. Try it.
~ James Sheehan
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Another wonderful use for certain types of ground covers though, is to enhance the appearance of rock walls and rockways, or to cover up dead and dry areas which nothing seems to want to grow in. Since ground covers often spread out and grow quickly, they tend to do an excellent job of securing the soil in dirt areas, and this helps keep dust down when the wind blows.

The same technique can be used for steep embankments which rainfall tends to wash the soil and plants away from. Planting a quick spreading ground cover on these hills and steep slopes will provide an anchor for the soil, and keep the embankment from trying to come down each time it rains.

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Garden Tip...

There is no sight more attractive in a window-garden than a fine Ivy vine trained up the casement, over the wall and ceiling; its dark, rich, glossy leaves, and thrifty look, make it an object to be admired. If grown in pots in the house, the soil will soon become exhausted, if the plant is growing rapidly, and it should be changed or enriched with decayed manure at least once each year, care being taken not to disturb the roots to a great extent. It is a mistake to allow Ivies too much pot-room, they will do better if the roots are considerably confined. Soap-suds or liquid manure if applied once a mouth when the plants are growing, will promote a luxuriant growth. When dust accumulates on the leaves, as it will, if grown in-doors, wash it off with a damp cloth or sponge; if this is long neglected, you need not be surprised if you soon discover the leaves to be covered with red-spider or scale-lice. Cold water is the best wash, when washing be sure and treat the underside of the leaves as well as the upper surface. I would recommend the "English Ivy" as being the best sort for general cultivation.
~ James Sheehan
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In some areas, people will use flowering vines as ground covers, and some will even use small shrubs for ground covers too. A quick growing flowering vine such as a morning glory for instance, will creep across the ground if it has nothing to climb up as it grows. This can make a beautiful garden container or bed actually, because you end up with an area that looks like it has a carpet of colorful flowers on it.

Other people use small shrubs for ground covers, because they work well for creating privacy fences and barriers. I don’t consider these ground covers myself though, just privacy hedges. Now there are other types of plants which act like ground covers all on their own though, even though they are not technically considered a ground cover. Usually these are considered invasive plants when they do this on their own though.

English ivy for instance, is a beautiful potted plant which will trail very nicely for you in even the smallest of flower pots. When planted outside though, the ivy can quickly become overwhelming because of how fast it spreads itself out to other areas of your yard and garden. In many places the ivy actually kills all the other flower and garden plants you have, and it’s very difficult to remove once it’s become established.

The best way to try new ground covers without risking having them overcome your entire yard, is to create a separate garden bed just for the ground cover one season. Let it fill the bed but don’t let it escape. This will allow you to see how the cover looks once it has filled in, and you’ll have a much better idea about whether you’d like to have it covering a larger area or not.

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