And ground covers and cover crops and companion mulching in the garden.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/cover-crops/living-mulch-ground-cover.htm

The problem with most of these articles is that they usually recommend things to plant down south (zones 9-11 or so) and that leaves us up here in the hinterlands (zones 2-4) with very few ideas.  We have a very short growing season and every year the birds end up eating most of the seeds I plant directly into the ground (and the squirrels get the rest) so I've started planting lots of stuff in pots.  I am getting to like it better all the time, because the pots can be moved throughout the day, from sun to shade if necessary (I use a small hand cart because soil is heavy!) and if I need to cover them at night for a while in early spring or autumn, it's easier than covering a garden area.  We also have a couple of greenhouses but we haven't used them for a couple of years now and probably will not use them this year either.  They are a lot of work and as we get older, neither of us is much interested in year-round gardening.

Some good info here, though, and always worth a try no matter where you live. 

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/cover-crops/living-mulch-ground-cover.htm