Ground covers are highly desirable in the landscape. They can make a plain area into a blooming mat of beauty. They can fill in cracks between stepping stones, spill over landscape stone, or even replace a high-maintenance lawn. Ground cover can offer water-saving living mulch and will cut down the amount of weeds that you have to pull, making your gardening job a lot easier. There are plenty of types of plants that make great ground covers, but several are staples that fill needs that are common, and are still well behaved enough to live happily in a well-tended garden. Here are some of our favorite ground cover plants that we offer, ready to enhance your landscape with living green mulch and beautiful low-growing blooms.

Tough ground covers can beautify those areas that seem almost impossible to grow in. One such common area occurs under trees where shade is prevalent, and where the tree saps the surface soil of nutrients and moisture. In shady, dry spots like these, drought tolerant ground covers such as vinca and English ivy grow well in the shade and thrive even in dry areas. These ground covers grow fast, so they work well when you need to cover a lot of space in a small amount of time. English ivy will climb up buildings, so some care has to be taken as to where it’s planted. Vinca flowers in beautiful purple and sometimes white, brightening up dark areas.

In shady spots where you don’t need a highly aggressive ground cover, but want a cover that’s still hardy and healthy and looks nice, try pachysandra. Evergreen and slow spreading, this long-lived ground cover perennial is at home in the shade among hostas, bleeding heart, and other shade-loving perennials. It won’t bully them either, as it’s well behaved. Ajuga is another well-behaved and hardy perennial ground cover for shade that blooms beautifully. There are lots of leaf colors of ajuga, making it a varied and interesting ground cover.

In partly shaded areas that receive some sun, ground cover choices become wider. Liriope, or “monkey grass”, is a very popular and beautiful ground cover. It’s related to grape hyacinth, the spring bulb that many enjoy. It blooms in the spring similarly to grape hyacinth, but after that it sports strappy and attractive clumps of foliage that stay neat and tidy. Liriope can withstand some shade, but appreciates some sun, especially in the morning. Combine with highly variegated hosta plants, and you have a great start to a wonderful partially shaded garden!

In direct full sun, there is lots of interesting ground cover choices. Sedums come in many forms; some of the best ones make great rock garden ground cover, or spreading and spilling choices in the front of borders into pathways. Lamb’s ear is a beautiful ground cover for sunny spots, with its silvery hairy soft leaves. Interplant lamb’s ear in the front of the border with brightly colored ice plant ground cover for a punch of color that plays well together.

Ground covers are necessary and beautiful garden elements that complete spaces and solve common problems. Check out our wide selection of ground covers!