How to Add Groundcover to Your Log Home Yard

When it comes to log home properties, large swaths of lawn look pretty in pictures, but aren’t realistic for every homeowner. Not only will you spend hours upon hours mowing, you also may fight patchy growth thanks to an abundance of trees providing spotty sunshine and shade.

A better approach may be to add some groundcover in the mix. These are low-growing plants that spread horizontally instead of vertically, as well as mulch or gravel. Using groundcover is especially helpful for protecting your soil from erosion, minimizing the effects of drought and blocking weed growth.

Here are some suggestions for how to use groundcover in ways that are affordable, appealing and, best of all, easy to maintain.

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3 Ways to Add Groundcover

1. Around trees: You’ll have the benefit of getting green plants or mulch at the base of your trees and eliminating bare spots or hard-to-mow areas, especially over large roots. You’ll also be providing weed control there.

2. On slopes: Mowing on a hill can be a pain — literally — and you may not want to place bushes in the area if it blocks your view. Plant-based groundcover provides good coverage with no maintenance.

3. Alongside driveways: This is a particularly good option on tree-lined drives where mowing is nearly impossible, or on long driveways where shrubs would impact visibility.

When deciding where to place your groundcover plants, keep in mind that they may spread, depending on variety. That means if you don’t want walkways and patio areas to be overwhelmed, choose groundcover options that tend to stay contained.

You also can make the areas pop with color by opting for plants like sedum, coleus, blue star creeper, creeping thyme or moss rose (see slideshow below).

One major caveat that’s especially important to log home owners: Don’t place groundcover plants or mulch alongside your log walls or wooden outbuildings. This can increase the moisture retention level in the area, which may damage structures and even attract insects — especially the kind that snacks on damp wood.

But strategic placement in other areas can bring more visual interest to your property, and let you enjoy far more non-mowing time.

See also Made in the Shade: Plants