Grass plants for ground cover
Ground cover plants have a number of important uses – covering unsightly patches of soil where there are gaps in the border and beneath trees; stabilising the soil and controlling erosion on banks and slopes; suppressing weeds to make weeding less backbreaking; and more. Many low-growing grass plants are well suited to this purpose, whilst also bringing architectural form and, particularly for certain whispy and plainer-coloured varieties, a sense of calm and tranquillity as their foliage gently rustles in the breeze. Useful grasses for ground cover include certain varieties of carex, pampas grass, corkscrew rush, leymus and Luzula. Luzula is an understated evergreen perennial grass that forms a loose clump of flexible, arching, ribbon-like foliage. It is unfussy, easy to grow and pest and disease resistant, making an excellent low-growing addition to shady parts of the garden. Carex is a large group of perennial grasses with beautiful, triangular, strap-like tufted foliage. The group includes a mix of deciduous and evergreen ornamental grasses with different varieties being suitable for a range of conditions.