blanket plants
 

How would I go about doing my vucuming if I put a plant in my tank the covers the substrate?

Just hover the gravel vac slightly above the bed of the tank, rather than disturbing it. What sort of substrate is it you're using?

I'm using gravel and I'm thinking about planting my tank. Just browsing ideas. The blanket plants would look nice but seem like they could be a nuisance.

When you say blanket plants, I am assuming you are talking about cover plants. One way to keep them clean of uneaten food and debris is the addition of dwarf shrimp, like red cherry shrimp, red crystal shrimp and the like. These little critters will take care of uneaten food and algae build up in the lower reaches of the tank, especially in the mat-like areas created by cover plants and java moss.

Also, if the tank is large enough, using reverse flow filtration and a ugf will help to keep detritious build up on the bottom of the tank. I creates an upward current, and allows filters like power filters and canisters to trap particles in their media.