The surface of the ground may be successfully protected from erosion by covering it with plants.
Living ground cover serves to disperse the force of the driving rain, but, more important, it entangles and holds the soil with roots.
Grass, shrubs, trees, and vines act as successful erosion control agents, even on steeply sloping terrain
It makes an ideal surface for recreation. It is cool and free of dust and glare.
Grass, as a living floor, is beautiful, remarkably efficient, and relatively easy to maintain, although it must be cut.
In areas where less maintenance is desired, such as on slopes or in inaccessible areas, vines and other spreading materials such as myrtle Japanese spurge, ivy etc. make excellent ground covers.
Herbaceous annual plants will also serve as surfacing materials, but they are only efficient for half the year or a season.
Sometimes in a garden, the ground on a slope or under a tree, where lawn grass does not grow successfully, may require to be covered by plants.
The low-growing and trailing perennial and annual plants, both foliage and flowering are ideal as ground covers.
Dwarf shrubs are also suitable for this purpose which responds to hard pruning and trimming to keep them low growing.
There are also some compact and bushy plants that can be grown in partial-shade or in shaded locations.
Trailing plants like Bougainvillea may also be used as ground covers by pegging down their branches and kept low by pruning.
Low-growing herbaceous flowers can be grown for obtaining quick flowering.
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