Cover Some Ground

When you think of landscaping, chances are that trees, shrubs, lawn areas and flower beds are the first things to pop into your head. While these are all great landscape features, it's also helpful to keep other potential options in mind when designing your landscape. Some areas of your property may be difficult to access or may be generally hostile to turf growth. For these locations, ornamental grasses and ground cover provide practical and pleasing low-maintenance options.

Shade, hilliness, ease of access, or drainage irregularities can make some areas of your property hard to manage. Ground cover such as hostas or pachysandra grows well in shady areas that are unsuitable for grass. In areas that do not drain particularly well, iris and elephant ear can fill the space with varied shape and texture.

If you would like to add shape to difficult landscape areas, ornamental grasses contribute to the space, similar to shrubs. Whether they're big and bushy like pampas grass or fine and low to the ground like prairie dropseed, ornamental grasses can grow as big as shrubs, and are easy to maintain.

Not all areas are equally welcoming to living landscaping. Ground cover and ornamental grasses provide appealing additions that won't have you bending over backwards in terms of upkeep.