This is a great question to those interested in the quality of food we eat. Do we get enough nutrition or do we need to supplement our meals with vitamins and minerals? In most cases, the answer is no there is not enough nutrition in our food and yes you do need to supplement. There has been a decline in the in the nutritional content of our fruits and vegetables over time. There have been studies done comparing 13 nutrients in 43 different plants. Seven of these nutrients-protein, calcium, phosphorous, iron, riboflavin, and ascorbic acid showed statistically reliable declines. The largest drop was seen in riboflavin by 38%, which is a nutrient that is critical to the body’s utilization of other nutrients. Other studies have shown a decline in mineral content over the years. There is also the loss of phytonutrients, which are compounds that can help fight cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and dementia.

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.