Low-Upkeep Garden Stars: Explore 10 Vibrant Ground Cover Choices for a Stunning, Minimal-Effort Greenspace
For garden enthusiasts seeking quick results, fast-growing ground covers offer a perfect solution. These versatile plants not only fill gaps and suppress weeds but also provide erosion control and attract wildlife. Here are eight ground covers that thrive in various conditions, from full sun to shade, and offer a range of benefits.
1. **Creeping Thyme (\(Thymus serpyllum\))** - A low-growing, spreading ground cover that thrives in well-drained soil and full sun, ideal for foot traffic and drought-tolerant gardens.
2. **Sweet Woodruff (\(Galium odoratum\))** - A fast-spreading plant with white flowers in late spring, preferring partial shade and well-drained soil. It excels in moist environments.
3. **Creeping Jenny (\(Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea'\))** - A golden-leaved, fast-spreading ground cover that thrives in moist environments, tolerating partial shade to full sun.
4. **Wild Strawberry (\(Fragaria vesca\))** - Spreads vigorously by runners, creating a dense mat that shades the soil, making it ideal for slopes.
5. **Turkish Speedwell (\(Veronica liwanensis\))** - An evergreen groundcover with tiny blue flowers, ideal for lean soils and foot traffic, growing rapidly with a spread of 18 inches.
6. **Creeping Mazus (\(Mazus reptans\))** - A deer-resistant ground cover with vibrant green leaves and colorful flowers in spring, spreading quickly through rooting stems.
7. **Japanese Spurge (\(Pachysandra terminalis\))** - Thrives in dry shade and acidic soils, forming a dense carpet, with moderate growth that results in a dense undergrowth.
8. **Frogfruit (\(Phyla nodiflora\))** - A fast-spreading ground cover that thrives in a variety of soils, making it suitable for slopes.
In addition to these fast-growing ground covers, there are other options that offer unique benefits. Thyme seeds from Park Seeds can create a carpet of color that thrives in poor soils as long as they are well-draining, ideal for edible garden edgings, terraces, and rockeries.
Creeping Juniper, an old-fashioned, evergreen ground cover plant native to North America, is found in inhospitable soils and sites. It comes in several varieties, including blue, green, and gold, and has dense, scale-like foliage.
Bugleweed, also known as ajuga, has purple-bronze leaves that produce the best color in lower light sites, and spreads slowly through underground runners to produce new plants. In spring, it develops a dense mat of foliage topped by bright purple flowers, thriving in moist soils but tolerating brief periods of dryness.
- For those interested in a lifestyle that emphasizes flowering plants and attractive ground cover, the creeping thyme offers a perfect option for well-drained home-and-garden areas, thriving in full sun and serving as an ideal addition to foot traffic and drought-tolerant gardens.
- The home-and-garden enthusiast seeking a fast-spreading, shade-loving ground cover for their gardening project should consider bugleweed, a plant that excels in moist soils and produces purple-bronze leaves, offering a unique touch to low light sites.
