Creative groundcover combos
Workhorses in the landscape, groundcovers spread to knit a tight, low-maintenance carpet of foliage that densely covers bare earth. Not just pleasing to look at, they serve a number of practical purposes as well: “Groundcovers can stabilize the soil, help it retain moisture, and prevent weeds from taking hold,” says TOH landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, who prefers them to mulch where she knows they will thrive. And while there are times when filling a bare spot with a swath of a single plant provides a welcome rest for the eye, she loves the idea of combining two or more species for a pleasing mix of foliage shape, color, and texture, turning groundcovers into a design tool rather than just a backdrop.
What constitutes a groundcover plant? The most familiar are low-growing, creeping perennials that spread densely. Most of these have horizontal stems, either above or below the
