Down to earth – Ground covers in the garden

In every garden, there are always a few corners that seem to present the garden owner with an unsolvable task: which plants are suitable for the shady spots under trees or along house walls? The simple answer: ground covers.

Ground covers are always a good choice when large, bare areas in the garden need to be greened. This way, even the shadiest spot in the garden becomes a green carpet that spreads quickly and provides lush greenery.

Weeds are a big issue for garden owners. Once they appear, they are hard to stop and spread rapidly. The good news is that ground covers can spread quickly as well. What does this have to do with the unwanted weeds in the garden? A lot! Ground covers are the best prevention against weeds. They grow so densely that they leave no room for weeds to grow. This means no space for unwanted guests, and the ground covers create a uniform look. Evergreen ground covers even protect the soil in winter, providing a green carpet all year round that looks great in any garden. This not only saves you from a sad garden view but, more importantly, a lot of work. With ground covers in the garden, you won’t have to pull weeds. Covering areas with stones or plastic becomes unnecessary with ground covers. And since there are so many varieties, ground covers can also be combined in a colorful way.

Every garden owner has that one corner that just doesn’t fit into the overall picture. This corner gets too little light, grass won’t grow, and every other plant has died in that spot. The solution to all these problems: ground covers. These plants are especially resilient and don’t require demanding conditions. That’s why they are ideal for planting shady spots in the garden. With ground covers, garden owners can create a large planted area that doesn’t require much maintenance. And with evergreen varieties, the beds remain colorful even in winter. If there are steep slopes or areas in the garden that are difficult to reach with a lawnmower, ground covers can also be used to green these areas. Branches and roots that grow out can easily be trimmed with garden shears. And since there’s the perfect ground cover for every spot in the garden, bare patches are a thing of the past.

The garden design becomes especially beautiful when different ground covers are planted next to each other. A good combination includes evergreen ground covers like ivy and myrtle together with phlox, speedwell, or cranesbill. Unlike shrubs or perennials, ground covers do not form a separate botanical plant group. Any plant that grows herbaceous and can cover the ground is suitable as a ground cover. There are countless perennials, shrubs, and ornamental grasses that are perfect as ground covers. When designing with ground covers, it’s all about personal taste and patience. Generally, 6-8 plants are planted per square meter of soil area. This way, the ground covers won’t take long to completely green the area. If you have more patience, you can plant fewer plants, but you’ll need to regularly weed and remove unwanted plants during the first years. Once the ground covers are planted, they will quickly spread and fill bare and shady spots in the garden with color.