Ep. 12 Groundcovers with Kathy Jentz

This week we cover a lot of ground on the subject of groundcovers with Kathy Jentz. Kathy is the editor and publisher of Washington Gardener, the host of the Garden DC podcast, and the author of Groundcover Revolution, a book written to give inspiration and examples for turf grass substitutes that gardeners everywhere can use to find the best plants for their region. They can also use its attractive and accessible photographs to get their spouses and their HOA on board.We start our conversation by establishing some ground rules: what is a groundcover? Kathy says it’s any plant that covers the ground thickly enough to suppress weeds, which kicks off a conversation about turf substitutes, plant height, maintenance, and moss lawns. We reflect on the history of lawns, the aggressive nature of many groundcovers, and how to manage them through plant choice or through physical intervention. What about avoiding invasive species of groundcovers altogether? Kathy shares some favourites and some species she would never recommend in her region, Washington DC. Erin and Sean offer their own top and bottom choices for Central Ontario and discover, in spite of distance and very different growing seasons, some common ground.For more of Kathy, you can find her in the following places:Upcoming speaking engagements* The 2025 Northwest Flower Garden Festival in Seattle * The 2025 Philadelphia Flower ShowKathy’s Online Platforms• Washington Gardener Plant Store: https://shop.kathyjentz.com/ (https://shop.kathyjentz.com/)• Washington Gardener Blog:www.washingtongardener.blogspot.com (http://www.washingtongardener.blogspot.com/)• Washington Gardener Archives:http://issuu.com/washingtongardener (http://issuu.com/washingtongardener)• Washington Gardener Discussion Group: https://groups.google.com/g/washingtongardener/ (https://groups.google.com/g/washingtongardener/)To join, send an email to - [email protected]• Washington Gardener Twitter Feed:www.twitter.