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Groundcovers That Work: Low-Maintenance Plants for Every Garden with Kathy Jentz, Ep 308

https://growing-joy.simplecast.com/episodes/groundcovers-that-work-low-maintenance-plants-for-every-garden

What if I told you that the most dominant plant in your garden isn't the rose that you love or the towering sunflower, but the little clover, the little guys creeping along the ground? They are called groundcovers, and they fight weeds, save water, prevent erosion, and can even replace your lawn. I had this amazing conversation with Kathy Jentz, author of “Groundcover Revolution,” and we talked about how these humble plants can change your space and make it so much more eco-friendly and beautiful.

In this episode, we learn:

[01:52] How Kathy became the plant lady she is today
[02:44] Kathy’s background before she became a full-time plant lady
[04:47] Why Kathy ditched turf for groundcovers
[06:41] Why else should you think about groundcovers?
[08:11] Clovers and pollinators
[09:26] Bee lawns and flowering yards for pollinators
[10:01] Is there a trap crop groundcover for birds?
[12:04] Why artificial turf is bad for soil and trees
[13:54] Can kids and dogs play on groundcovers?
[15:15] Give your groundcover the best start with Espoma Organic’s lawn soil and Bio-tone starter!
[16:50] Protecting tree roots and trunks with groundcovers
[17:35] How tall do groundcovers get?
[18:29] How to choose the right groundcover for you using Kathy’s charts
[19:59] Mixing turf and groundcovers for family yards
[21:39] What is Kathy’s “patchwork” groundcover method?
[23:02] Step-by-step: converting a lawn with the lasagna method
[26:52] Plugs vs. seeds (pros, cons, and budget tips!)
[29:02] What are some mulching tricks + annual flowers for your groundcover?
[30:54] How to sow groundcover seeds for a full summer lawn
[32:42] Are there any groundcovers that require the cold?
[33:37] What are Kathy’s favorite groundcovers?
[35:52] Common mistakes rookies make with groundcovers
[37:47] Where to find Kathy, her book Groundcover Revolution, and her Garden DC podcast?

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The Groundcover Revolution: Why These Humble Plants Are the Most Powerful in Your Garden

Your turf grass is probably the most maintenance-heavy part of your landscape. You're constantly mowing, fertilizing, and watering it. And if you live somewhere with an inhospitable climate, like the desert Southwest, why are you trying to grow an English turfgrass lawn? You're literally fighting against your environment.

Kathy's groundcover experience started simple. She got her little corner house that was all turf grass, and she decided “mowing is for the birds.” So she ripped out everything she could, looking specifically for plants that are crazy spreaders that kind of take over the world, and that’s how she found groundcovers.

Here's why people are making the switch:

Tired of maintenance: They want something low-maintenance
Weed infested areas: They're tired of fighting these weeds
Environmental benefits: You don't have to pull out that gas mower, so it's more environmentally friendly
Water conservation: Depending on your groundcover, you're gonna water it less, or at least once it's established
Pollinator support: A good groundcover that's flowering, like clovers, might help the bees
Wildlife habitat: Animals like rabbits love clover, making it a natural food source

Groundcover Blooms and It's Gorgeous

People don't realize that many groundcovers bloom beautifully. You could have a stunning lawn of flowers instead of boring green turf grass. Some call it a bee lawn, others prefer flowering lawn. Either way, it's beautiful.

Clover is walkable, low-growing, and requires no mowing. If you can create a mini clover meadow, that’s just perfect. But your options extend far beyond clover.

Kathy's top groundcover picks:

Barrenwort: Despite its terrible name, this plant works wonderfully in dry shade situations. It spreads slowly but reliably, though like most groundcovers, you won't see much expansion the first year while it develops its root system.

Hardy Geraniums: These aren't the zonal geraniums that we're using in containers, but these are the hardy geraniums that spread by roots underground and make a really thick, nice groundcover, and they have a spicy scent to them.

Creeping Herbs: Rosemary and thyme are herbs that are creeping, and they hug the ground super tight. Those are very steppable, so you can smush across them and run across them. They also smell terrific.

Walking on Groundcovers: What Actually Works

This depends entirely on your plant choice. Some groundcovers are specifically marketed as “Stepables” or under the “Treadwell” line. These handle foot traffic beautifully.

Clover bounces right back from heavy use. Native sedges and grasses work well with kids and dogs.

Most groundcovers handle occasional traffic perfectly, and walking through to weed or maintain them isn't a problem. But if you need a daily-use pathway between your car and front door, choose carefully or stick with traditional walkway materials for those high-traffic zones.

Kathy recommends keeping a central turf area for active families. As kids grow and need less play space, you can gradually convert more lawn to groundcover. Eventually, you might replace everything with low-growing sedums that look like a traditional lawn from the street but require minimal maintenance.

Artificial Turf Is Not the Answer

Some homeowners consider artificial turf as a low-maintenance solution, but this breaks Kathy's heart. Here's what's wrong with fake grass:

Kills soil microbes: That's just making dead ground underneath
It's basically plastic: Which is gonna break down over the years
More maintenance than you think: you have to vacuum it because dust and particles get trapped
Weeds still grow: When birds drop seed, weeds can still grow in artificial lawns
Not permanent: Lifespan is about every 10 years, so you still need to replace it
Ruins soil for future: When the next homeowner wants to plant something there, yikes

Nothing in landscaping is truly maintenance-free, but artificial turf creates more problems than it solves while destroying the living ecosystem below it.

Making the Transition: Practical Steps

Start by evaluating your conditions. You wanna look at your amount of sunlight, your growing conditions, and what other plants are growing in there. Do you have tall trees above? Are you going under shrubs?

Your planting options:

Seeds: Much bigger selection and cost less, but take longer to establish
Plugs: Cost more but establish quickly with strong roots, which is great for controlling erosion on slopes.

The lasagna layering method (highly recommended):

Layer newspaper over existing lawn (about 20 pages thick)
Wet that newspaper down immediately with a hose
Put thick organic mulch on top (pine needles, shredded leaves, whatever you have)
Allow everything to decompose over winter
Plant directly into rich soil in spring

Now you no longer have to break your back removing everything, and you’re also creating fantastic growing conditions.

Smart Implementation Strategies

Start gradually:

Pick one bed at a time, one area at a time
Mix different groundcovers for different textures and bloom times
Keep your little turf grass patch for kids if needed
Add ground cover roses next to sidewalk so people aren't cutting through your lawn
Create your little pollinator plants in another area

Talk with neighbors about your plans and use small signs saying, “I’m converting my lawn,” or explaining about what you’re doing.

Avoid these common groundcover mistakes:

Wrong plant, wrong place: Not matching the growing situation to the groundcover. For example, planting creeping rosemary in heavy clay soils that stay wet because it'll just rot.
Letting it take over: After a few years, once your Groundcover is established, keep it in check or it might spread into another area.

Your Groundcover Revolution Starts Now

After talking with Kathy, I can't stop looking at the lawns of all my neighbors and seeing what groundcovers they use. When we buy a house this year, I want to do a full groundcover revolution, and I'm trying to figure out what the right choice is. But I definitely want something that blooms because I just think that's so special.

Groundcovers can turn your gardening experience from constant maintenance battles into sustainable, beautiful landscapes that work with nature instead of against it. Are you ready to join?

Mentioned in our conversation:

Thank you to our episode sponsor:

Espoma Organic

Make sure your groundcovers grow well with organic gardening products! Espoma Organic is dedicated to making safe indoor and outdoor gardening products for people, pets, and the planet. They have an amazing variety of high-quality, organic potting mixes, garden soil, fertilizers, and pest control products that are organic and eco-friendly. To top it all off, they have a huge sustainability commitment with a 100% solar-powered plant, zero waste manufacturing, and eco-friendly packaging.

Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

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