Keep weeds away with ground cover

Tue. Jun. 14, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Keep weeds away with ground cover

Weeds a problem? Likely.. They are in my landscape. But ground covers come to the rescue!

I’m trying these groundcovers (mostly sedum) to stabilize the ground and deter weeds. My rain garden June 2022

Ground covers can mean several things, plants, mulch or something else, which perform in other ways.

We put thick plastic down and covered with LOTS of mulch from tree services who dumped free truckloads – 2006

Ground covers can also enhance soil health, provide food and habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects, and reduce soil erosion. 

Check out these plant options from the University of Minnesota Extension. It’s a great variety of plants that you wouldn’t necessarily equate with ground covers. 

Pennsylvania Sedge June 2022 – I love this native from Prairie Moon Nursery! It is spreading in it’s 3rd year. 

Plants grown as ground covers can be ornamental or edible, herbaceous or woody, and perennial, biennial or annual plants.

Hens and chicks. Great for rock gardens. Those little babies were just moved by me. Scuff up the ground and set them down. Easy!!

Of course mulch is a groundcover as well, but doesn’t work for what I want. So, that’s what you need to decide, what do you want out of your ground cover? For the area behind my garage, it’s mulch all the way. No one sees it but it’s where I place my larger garden tools.

Wood mulch behind garage

Check out this video for more ground covers: