by Beverley Francis

Created on: August 03, 2009

If you have a yard that has difficult areas to reach with a lawn mower or spots where grass will not grow, consider using ground covers to provide a carpet of green.

Ground covers can be used on slopes, in shady spots, under mature trees and even in full sun. It can be used as an edging for pathways or garden beds, around buildings, stumps or even to cover large areas. Ground cover can be used visually to soften areas and create a sense of continuity throughout your yard by linking different areas.

Most ground covers are low-maintenance, inexpensive and easy to grow. You need to consider the area where you want the ground cover to go, is it a shady or sunny area, is the soil wet or dry? Look for plants that provide visual interest for more than just the summer season. Choose plants that flower in spring or summer and then provide berries or the foliage changes colour in the fall or winter.

I prefer to use species native to my area(Nova Scotia) because I know they will do well with minimal care and all I have to do is walk fifty feet and choose which ones I want, it definitely helps to live next to a forest.

Two favourites are bunchberry and bearberry. Bunchberry is a member of the dogwood family and is very showy once it flowers. If you've ever lived near wooded areas, you probably know this one quite well, it can transform the forest floor from a mess of old vegetation and fallen branches to a literal floating carpet of green. It has large, whorled bright green leaves, a creamy white flower and is about five or six inches high. In late summer it produces bright red berries that are quite tasty and birds enjoy. Bunchberry prefers shady spots and acidic soil and is extremely hardy.

Bearberry is an evergreen shrub and prefers a dry, sandy environment. Bearberry is a creeping plant that can spread across a ten-foot area and is cover with small leaves all year long. It has a bell shaped creamy white or sometimes pink flower, the leaves are bright green in spring and summer and turn to bronze in the fall and winter. Bearberry is perfect for steep slopes.

Some nonnative favourites are woodruff, lily-of-the-valley and mother-of-thyme. Sweet woodruff does well in a dry, shaded spot and spreads quickly once established. It stands seven or eight inches high and has whorled leaves and a star-shaped flower that bloom in late spring.

Lily-of-the-valley is a perennial that has a beautiful, fragrant bell shaped flowers that you can get in white or pink. Lily-of-the-valley grows to about ten inches and spreads rapidly in shady areas, perfect under mature trees.

Mother-of-thyme grows to about three to five inches in height, prefers well-drained soil in sunny areas and spreads quickly. Mother-of-thyme has fragrant deep green leaves and tiny dark pink flowers and is a favourite with many gardeners. It provides a perfect contrast with rocky areas and can be used on slopes, pathways, patios and is excellent in rock gardens.

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