Ground cover is plants that fill in an area of your landscaping.  These can be good in certain areas where you would like low maintenance after the plants are established.  There are a variety of ground covers that can be planted in areas ranging from mostly shaded to mostly sunny.  Sweet Woodruff, Hellebore, Ivy, Lily of the Valley, Pachysandra, European Ginger, Ajuga, Vinca, Sedum, and Isotoma are some different groundcovers that can be used in the Midwest area.  Ground cover is useful for shaded areas under trees where you don’t want to have to do a lot of maintenance, or areas with a slight slope that would be difficult to mow, or to fill in beds around large shrubs.

The easiest way to prevent salt damage to your landscaping is to not use it. However, this is not possible for most people, as walkways need to be safe for everyone, especially children and the elderly, to walk on. There are a few other ways to prevent salt damage though.

Check what type of de-icing salt you use. There are some brands that do not have sodium in them. As mentioned in a previous post, the salt that has sodium chloride breaks down when dissolved and is more harmful to your plants and lawn.