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Ground Covering Plants

Looking for a low-maintenance garden trick? Try ground covering plants to reduce
​the time and effort needed to make an attractive yard.

Botanical illustration of a daffodil and its bulb.

Ground Covers for Yards and Gardens

Flowering plant of a vinca ground cover.
​Homeowners who have large grounds to take care of often seek ways to reduce maintenance and also make their yards more attractive. Low growing plants may be the solution for some garden areas. Wider use of ground covers can lead to less time in routine yard chores and create a beautiful expanse of growing plants.

There are a wide variety of ground covering plants to choose from. Your local garden center can help you to choose the best for your region and soil type. ​Most ground cover plants have three traits in common:
  • Low growing plants hug the soil.
  • Roots and runners bind the soil firmly.
  • Well-established ground covers practically take care of themselves.
 The types of plants that make good ground covers have one additional bonus. These plants often succeed in places where it’s difficult or nearly impossible to get other plants to survive.
 
Planting Ground Covering Plants
To cover soil areas evenly, you will need about one plant per square foot. However, shrubby plants such as juniper will need more space. If possible, start with clumps from another older planting. Break the roots into as many divisions as possible.
  1. Prepare the soil by turning and loosening.
  2. Add a generous amount of compost.
  3. Fertilize with a natural fertilizer, 12-12-12.
  4. Water thoroughly.
If the ground cover is planted on a hillside, create rows that follow the contour of the slope. Make a small depression around the base of each plant to retain water
 
Useful Plants for Ground Covers
Periwinkle (Vinca) An evergreen trailer. Puts out roots at every stem.
Lily-of-the-Valley  Grows in even very heavy shade areas.
Pachysandra  An evergreen that spreads rapidly by runners.
Honeysuckle  Excellent ground covers for banks and slopes, sun or shade.
Wild Ginger  Grows best in moist shady spots. Spreads by creeping root stocks.
Creeping Juniper Only 12 inches in height, each shrubby growth spreads out up to 8 feet.
Hypericum   Two- to Three-foot shrubs. Evergreen with bright yellow flowers.
English Ivy  Low and spreading. Water early in the mornings for best results.
Stonecrop  A mat-forming succulent, endures drought and hot sun.
 
Getting a Good Coverage of Plants
When planting, space plants about 12 inches apart. It will most likely take at least one season of growth for the plants to merge. Before the spaces close up, it is important to keep the area weed free. Use a good thick mulch to avoid the weeds. This will also help prevent soil erosion. After plants are well established, they will converge and appear thickly matted. At this point you may take cuttings or divisions to plant in other areas. Every five or six years, ground covers usually benefit from thinning or dividing.

Simple tens pine tree logo.
Auther: Karla Beatty
​Ground covers can reduce the amount of time and work needed in a garden or yard. They are typically low maintenance and help make homes and yards more attractive. Self-spreading ground covers require little more than admiration and enjoyment.
Read more about organic gardening practices and the environment.

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  • Home
    • Index of Articles
    • About
    • Disclaimer
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
  • Meditation
    • Sitting Meditation
    • Walking Meditation Basic Techniques
    • Walking Meditation Benefits
    • Meditation Breathing
    • Meditation Posture
    • Breathing: On Counting Breaths
    • Practicing: On Meditation Practice
    • Bellows Breathing
    • Mindfulness of Breathing
    • Buddhism 101: The Grand Illusion
  • LifeStyle
    • Mind and Spirit >
      • How To Be Happy
      • Pope's Tips for a Happier Life
      • Happiness If-Onlys
      • What is Love
      • Psychic Protection in Crowds
    • Work Abundance >
      • Jobs Using the Internet
      • Be a Team Player
      • Time for a New Career?
      • Be More Productive
    • People Connection >
      • 10 Nice Things You Can Do for Your Neighbors
      • Live a Long Life
      • Mini-Tens >
        • Funny Tens >
          • Cheesy Pick Up Lines
          • Pick Up Lines for Scientists
    • Food for Life >
      • Lacy Baked Cheese Crisps
      • Healthy Snack Kale Chips
      • An Apple a Day
      • Become a Vegan
      • Tips for a Vegan Diet
      • Juice Cleanse
      • Juice Cleanse Recipes
    • Expanding World >
      • Travel First-Aid Kit
      • 10 Ways to Relieve Stress
  • Creative Arts
    • You Can Do It >
      • Oil Painting Brushes
      • How To Hold a Paint Brush
      • Painting with a Painter's Knife
      • How To Hold a Painting Knife
      • Use a Painting Knife: Textures and Marks
      • Sketchbooks for Artists
      • Be Creative With Your Photographs
      • Warm Up the Voice for Singing
      • How To Write A Haiku Poem
      • Listen to Music
    • Creativity Matters >
      • Traits of Creative People
      • Jobs for Creatives
      • Joyful Music
      • Funniest Songs
    • Arts Appreciated >
      • Vincent Van Gogh Insights into Creativity
      • Brilliant Quotes for Artists
      • History of Botanical Illustration
      • Haiku Poetry of Basho
  • Nature
    • Environment >
      • Sow Bugs in Vegetable Gardens
      • Sow Bugs and Diatomaceous Earth
      • Organic Pest Control
      • Organic Lawn Care
      • Feeding and Weeding Organic Lawn Care
      • Compost Tea
      • Making Compost Tea
      • 10 Steps to Organic Lawn Care
      • Ground Covering Plants
      • Electric Vehicles Benefits
      • Recycling Paper Benefits
      • Save Energy and Natural Resources
      • Wind Mill Turbines
    • Natural World >
      • Survive an Earthquake
      • Survive a Landslide
      • Tsunamis Start With Little Warning
      • Coyotes and People Encounters
      • Domesticated Insects
    • Your World Outdoors >
      • Spiritual Experiences in Nature
      • Natural Tick Prevention
      • Tailgate Parties Go Green
  • Well-Being
    • Self-Care Vitality >
      • High Heels Are Hurting Me
      • Muscle Relaxation Head and Back
      • Progressive Muscle Relaxation
      • How to Breathe
      • Breathe Deeply Health Benefits
      • Natural Skin Care Tips
      • Dry Brush Skin Exfoliation
    • Alternative Medicine >
      • Natural First Aid Kit
      • CoQ10 for Vibrant Health
      • Rhodiola, a Natural Herbal Alternative
      • 10 Natural Home Remedies for Bee Stings
      • Safe Tick Repellent
      • Natural Deodorants Lose Underarm Odor
    • Fitness Your Way >
      • Motivational Quotes for Fitness and Exercise
      • Cardio Exercise for the Lazy
      • Motivational Quotes to Lose Weight
      • 10 Ways to Boost Metabolism
      • Fatigue Fighters Boost Energy
    • Food As Medicine >
      • Foods That Fight Cancer
      • Honey as Medicine
    • Tens Devices >
      • TENS Units
      • Comparison of TENS and EMS
  • Contact