Groundcover plants are a fantastic choice for low-maintenance gardens. As well as covering bare soil and suppressing weeds, many grow in difficult situations like dry shade, and they often have beautiful flowers or attractive foliage too. We’ve put together a list of our top 5 groundcover plants.
Top 10 plants for ground cover
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Geranium macrorrhizum is an evergreen hardy geranium with aromatic foliage and clusters of pink or white flowers in late spring. It’s tough and reliable, grows well in dry shade, and in autumn, the leaves take on red tinges, adding extra interest.
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Vinca minor (lesser periwinkle) is also good for dry shade. Less invasive than its cousin Vinca major (greater periwinkle), this evergreen perennial is good for spots where little else will grow, producing purple flowers from mid-spring to autumn. Cut it back in spring to keep it under control.
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Pachysandra terminalis (Japanese spurge) produces rosettes of lush green leaves with serrated edges that form a dense mat of foliage, excellent for suppressing weeds. It grows well in shade.
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Epimediums (barrenwort) form mounds of heart-shaped leaves, with sprays of small flowers in early spring. They’re best in shade and cope well even with dry shade. Cut back the old foliage in late winter to make it easier to see the delicate flowers – this also promotes a flush of fresh new foliage for spring.
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Euonymus ‘Emerald Gaiety’ is a low, spreading semi-evergreen shrub with grey-green leaves edged in cream. It’s very tough, will grow in sun or light shade and is a great choice for low-maintenance gardens, needing just an annual trim with the shears to keep it neat. The leaves become pink-tinged in winter and may drop in very cold spells
If your beds have bare patches that need covering, call in to Lakeside and see our wide range of ground cover plants. We’re sure you’ll find what you’re looking for!
