Ground cover plants provide an aesthetically pleasing form of erosion control and often require little care. The often fast-growing ground cover fills in landscaped areas quickly, but that growth can become a problem if the plants move beyond your property lines. Controlling the growth of your ground cover allows you to enjoy your landscaping without causing friction with your neighbor.
Choose Noninvasive Ground Cover
Invasive plants often grow wild and are difficult to control in your own yard and in your neighbor's yard. Plants that are considered invasive vary by area. In areas of northern California, for example, ground cover like periwinkle, ice plant and English ivy are considered invasive. Avoid using those plants as ground cover as you'll have more difficulty keeping them out of your neighbor's yard and you risk hurting the local ecosystem. Instead, plant a ground cover that is noninvasive and easier to control, such as the showy dewflower or coast purple sage.
Above-ground pruning is a simple way to control ground cover plants, but you'll likely need to prune frequently depending on how fast the plants grow. A pair of pruning sheers allows you to cut away the plants that creep near the property line before they advance into the neighbor's lawn. If you want to remove a wider section of ground cover at the edge of your property, a rotary mower is an option. The mower is faster at removing a large area of the ground cover.
If pruning doesn't keep your ground cover under control, digging out a section of the plants along the property line is an alternative. This removes the roots instead of just the visible plant portion to prevent fast regrowth. Dig down deep enough to remove all of the roots along the edge of the ground cover patch. If the ground cover continues growing outside the boundaries of your yard, consider digging up all of the plants and moving them to a different area of the lawn.
A physical barrier near the property line makes it difficult for ground cover to expand into the neighbor's lawn. Any type of garden edging works to contain the ground cover. Choose a material that complements the general style of your landscaping. For effective growth control, the edging material needs to go down into the ground deeper than the root system of the plants so they can't grow under the barrier. You may need to hand-prune the top portion of the plants if they extend up and over the top of the barrier.
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