Ground Covers

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Though they get scant attention and often go unnoticed altogether, ground covers are really important and a problem for most of my coachees. Adrian Higgins writes that in his garden, ground covers are “the glue that holds the garden together,” “providing some visual relief from the more exalted specimens in the garden.”

First and foremost, ground must be covered, either by plants of some size or with hardscaping, like pavers for a patio, or by mulch. Large plants cover ground, of course, but on this website, ground covers are short of stature. (Not precise, I know.) Some can survive being walked on occasionally, and some not at all.

Susan Harris is a garden writer, gardening coach, Master Gardener, and activist for gardening and greening in the Washington, D.C. area.

Susan makes a living writing online for Independent Garden Centers. Then for just fun, she rants and raves regularly for the team blog GardenRant.com.