Ground Cover - pros & cons

Ground cover is a nice alternative to grass in some situations and can help fill a large area where other plants will not thrive.  It helps insulate the ground, provides habitat for beneficial creatures/insects and can reduce erosion.  Once established a ground cover can grow thick preventing some germination, but it will not keep every weed out. Unfortunately, it takes a great deal of time and energy to remove all the weeds from a ground cover area if not kept tidy regularly. It takes a keen eye to spot the weeds and pull them immediately when they start. Once out of hand it is hard to get them under control again, as there are not many chemicals that can be applied to help. When the main culprit to the ground cover is grass there are selective herbicides that can be applied. Other preventative measures and chemicals will harm both the good and bad plantings.  Ground covers, like vinca minor, pachysandra, lamium, ajuga and liriope - can be great additions to a landscape if given the right spot and the right attention.