Groundcovers
Groundcovers are a type of plant which usually
spread 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 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. 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.
Another wonderful use for certain types of ground covers 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.
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.
Not So Great Groundcovers
English ivy 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.
