subject: Specialist Explanation On Ground Cover Plants [print this page] What are ground cover plants? They are exactly what the name suggests, plants that cover the ground. Some are creeping plants that spread out to form a dense mat, others are a huge planting of individual plants, each merging in to the next to provide a close mass.
Very few gardeners have as much time to spend in their gardens as they would wish, & so anything that helps to save them some time in the garden is well worth thinking about. Ground cover is such valuable aid because it cuts down the amount of weeding needed, & covers huge areas with plant, so saving on planting.
Moss tent to be low growing, though this is not essential, & any dense growing plant will suffice. Some gardeners think about any plants grown closely together as ground cover, but the term is usually reserved for those plants that have a proven record for dense growth.
Most ground cover plants flower at some point, but they are chiefly used as foliage plant, which ensures that they cover the ground for the maximum length of time. Plenty of can basically be left until they die back naturally, but others, such as pulmonarias, are best sheared over at the finish of flowering so that they acquire a set of fresh & more beautiful leaves.
So, what are the purposes of ground cover? There's several reasons for using ground cover. The first & most obvious is that a dense covering of plants inhibits the germination & growth of weeds from beneath them. In other words, it cuts down the amount of weeding that is necessary for the area they cover.
Another use is to cover huge areas with beautiful plants. This is important in huge gardens, where there's often areas that need planting but are not suitable for borders, such as under the trees, where a carpet of plants can be beautiful.
A third use of ground cover is to deal with areas that are difficult to cultivate. Banks, for example, may be awkward to cope with, as are those barren strips of earth in the midst of some driveways, which are the ideal place for thymes or similar low growing plants.
