Low-Growing Ground Covers
Low-growing ground cover plants are often the overlooked denizens of the yard. That’s a shame because they can really add to the look of a backyard or front yard when used properly. Put ground covers to use for problem situations to set the stage for other plants in your landscape. The best ground cover plants can even be star performers in their own right.
Add Color and Texture
While a large swatch of single-species ground cover makes a nice backdrop for showier plants, mixing species with different leaf textures and colors creates a beautiful carpet mosaic. The garden above is a showpiece and includes ajuga, creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia), Scotch moss, carex, Dutch clover (Trifolium repens) and golden pearlwort (Sagina subulata).
Partner With Other Plants
Ground cover plants make great companions for other plants. Most are lower growing than their partners, providing movement as the eye goes from one level to the next. When you include something colorful like this bright-green Scotch moss, you end up with a bold vignette that can be enjoyed up close or from a distance.
Soften Hardscaping
In addition to their short stature, many ground covers have a spreading habit that makes them well suited to planting along paths. Note how the creeping thyme — a ground cover that tolerates full sun — hides the edge of the brick path and makes it fit more naturally into the setting.
Fill in Around Trees
Grass can be hard to grow under a large shade tree, but there are plenty of shade-tolerant ground cover plants that don’t mind that situation. These grape hyacinths are temporary guests in spring, doing most of their growing before the tree is fully leafed out. After they go dormant, shade-tolerant perennial ground covers — such as ivy, pachysandra or ajuga — can carry the show.
Tame Slopes
Leave the lawn mower in the garage, and let a well-behaved ground cover blanket a slope for low-maintenance visual appeal. The right ground cover can even help control erosion. Here, Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra) and pachysandra do most of the heavy lifting, while ivy and Japanese painted fern (Athyrium nipponicum) add some variety at the foot of the steps.
Fill the Gaps
Moss is a good, low-growing ground cover to use when space is tight. This low-maintenance ground cover is well behaved, takes occasional foot traffic and won’t outgrow its space. Other options for small spots like this: thyme or low-growing sedum.