Many gardeners and lawn care hobbyists know of groundcovers, plants that creep along the ground and are used to substitute for grass. Some homeowners may be unfortunate to have a lot of shaded area on their property where it could be difficult to grow grass. As a result, they turn to groundcover plants to keep their lawns from looking bare or patchy.
Groundcover plants can also be used to enhance the landscaping of a property. For example, homes that feature a stone pathway from driveway or street to door will display gaps between the stones. Rather then leaving the gaps bare, you can use groundcover plants to fill in. Many groundcovers are green, tough enough to take on the foot traffic and match with the rest of the lawn. Moreover, there are groundcovers that exhibit a different texture than grass and color that will provide more interest to the site. Chamomile and thyme could prove ideal.
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Mowing grass growing on a bank or steep slope can be a very difficult task. That problem can be remedied by using groundcover plants instead of grass. They are ideal in this application because they require minimal maintenance.
Underneath trees could prove to be a tough region for grasses to grow due to the shade resulting from the spreading branches and leaves. This has proven to be an ideal condition for many types of groundcover plants that thrive in shade including ferns and ivies.
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Some types of groundcovers can also offer height and bulk to the landscape around your home. Junipers are available in a wide assortment of heights and will thrive in sunlight in different soil conditions and some do well in locations where the sun visits only half of a day.
Azalea
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Bulky plants like Golden-Yellow Tufts can add a great deal of visual interest to your property’s landscape. This plant can grow 3-feet to 6-feet tall and a little more than 6-feet in width. This plant can tolerate all kinds of well-drained soil.
Spring Tassels are ideal for shady or lightly shaded location and can also thrive in full sunlight if temperatures remain moderate and soil remains moist. The branches of such plants as drooping leucothoe display creamy flower clusters that contrast with the evergreen in its lower portions. These plants are ideal for shady banks and grow to heights of as much as 6-feet tall and about 6-feet wide. Unlike some groundcovers, leucothoe will flourish only in moist, acid, and well-drained soil. Moreover, it does not do well in drought. Best regions for the plant are USDA Zones 4 to 8. Coastal Leucothoe will grow 2-feet to 4-feet high and 3-feet to 6-feet wide and does well in USDA Zones 5 to 9.
Sweetbox could prove ideal in shady locations and grow 1-1/2-feet to 2-feet high and 4-feet to 5-feet wide. The evergreen foliage is exhibited throughout the year and in the spring tiny flowers offer a great scent. Best condition for the plant is moist, well-drained, organic soil in USDA Zones 5 to 8.
If there is a location of your property that experiences both full sun and full shade, then cherrylaurels could be ideal. This plant creates a dense shrub that is about 3-feet to 4-feet tall and as much as 8-feet wide. It displays 4-inch long evergreen leaves.
One groundcover plant that serves well above retaining walls is winter jasmine. Semi-evergreen to evergreen in warmer climates, the plant jets out its branches in all directions that root as they go and creating new plants. It displays small, bright yellow flowers sporadically during the winter and blossoms fully in February. It grows to a height of 3-feet to 4-feet and as much as 8-feet or more wide. Be prepared for it to colonize an area fast. The plant thrives in USDA Zones 6 to 10.
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