There is nothing too complicated about groundcover, in terms of the concept. In fact, just a little bit of research into the plants will tell you that groundcover consists of nothing more complicated than plants whose nature and intention it is to cover the ground. These very helpful plants can come in handy for a variety of reasons, including water savings, shoring up erosion of your land, and just generally maintaining a green look to your yard while saving you any extra labor or care.

One of the main reasons to use groundcover, which in this basic definition should include grasses and lawns, is to keep soil in place, and to keep it where it’s required in your yard. Other benefits include the major value of greenery in your environment, the return of oxygen to the atmosphere, as we discussed in the article on bringing plants into the home. When you live in any kind of unruly climate, for example excessive heat or dry weather conditions, then you can employ native grasses as groundcover, taking advantage of their natural heartiness and resistance to harsh conditions.

Keeping soil in place assures you that the vital minerals contained in the ground remain in place for your other plantings, whether they be fruit trees and vegetable plants, or annual flower beds and ornamental trees. Grasses, creeping plants, seedbeds and ivy all do their best to plant roots into the ground, work through the process of photosynthesis to put oxygen back into the air, and keep the soil exactly where it ought to be, immune to environmental stresses like erosion from water or topsoil drift due to winds.

(Image Via: Groundcover)