'Ground Cover' -V- 'Under Planting.'

Indecent exposure?

Words mean what they say! 

A tongue in cheek look at 'ground cover' versus 'under planting.' 

Do we always need to cover every inch of soil?  Is there anything wrong with the appearance of freshly tilled earth?  Modern garden designers and T.V. celeb gardeners are always bandying the words ground cover as if there was some sort of horticultural law against the indecent appearance of naked earth.

My Daddy always hated the dreaded words: 'ground cover' and I must say, I never use those words either.  Many of his ways have rubbed off and saying 'under planting' is one of them! He was a man of the soil as his living depended on it.  Neither he nor I are or were offended by bare earth.  For me, 'ground cover' suggests something creeping, sinister or invasive.  'Under planting' sounds altogether lighter. 

Is it so offensive to have a neat lawn edging a small area of freshly turned and weed free soil?  Yes I know!  Bare soil invites weeds but how long does it take to pop over it with a hoe until adjacent Bergenias (or whatever) fill the gap?  Less time than it takes to drag out, plug in a hoover, vacuum the carpet and then put it all away again!  I suppose, in the end, it's all just playing with words!

......................................................................or is it??????