28 June 2022
Whether it’s around a patio, at the edge of your property, or in your front yard, ground cover plants such as the plantain lilies shown above, can save a lot of work.
For one thing, they keep away pesky weeds. And with a little care, they can be quite beautiful. Come late September, it’s time to plant ground covers such as lady’s mantle, cotoneaster, periwinkle, and many others. Planted now, they can grow strong roots throughout the fall and winter and start blooming next spring. By the way, your best source for fresh ground covers is your local garden center or the nearest tree farm.
Ground Covers for Sunny Spots
Not every ground cover is equally at home everywhere. A spot might be too dry because of a large tree nearby, or too hot because the sun is shining all day long. But don’t worry; there are suitable ground covers for these kinds of places as well, such as geraniums, meadowsweet, or bird’s eye. And they are just as easy to care for as other ground covers. Other plants that excel at covering ground quickly are cyclamen, blue bugle, or shrubby cinquefoil. Plant them far enough apart, and they can form a dense cover over the course of two or three years. To avoid the need for weeding in the meantime, you can simply cover the exposed soil between the plants with mulch or hedge clippings. That blocks the sunlight, effectively preventing weeds from growing.
Ground Covers for the Shady Corner Nothing grows in the shade? Wrong! In fact, that