Top 11 ground covers against weeds
Is weeding not your favorite garden chore? Then you might as well use ground cover to control weeds. We'll show you 11 beautiful, hardy and almost all flowering ground cover plants that will make hoeing a thing of the past.
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Ground cover plants, or ground covers for short, are low-growing and rapidly spreading plants. Because they cover the ground, they are effective at suppressing weeds . And like mulch, they retain more moisture and nutrients in the soil. Another advantage: cats prefer not to defecate on covered ground...
There are many types of ground covers: evergreen ground covers , deciduous ground covers, ground covers with flowers or beautiful foliage—or both. Below you'll find 11 of our favorites for sun , partial shade , and shade (in that order).
'Flower Carpet' roses are cluster roses that, as a low-growing, flowering groundcover, create a magnificent carpet of flowers! These roses have semi-double flowers and semi-evergreen foliage. Plant them in a sheltered, sunny spot in well-drained soil.
- Ground cover for the sun
Helianthemum , or rock rose, is a clump-forming, evergreen shrub with papery flowers in a variety of colors, including yellow, orange, white, and pink. It blooms from early to mid-summer and looks beautiful at the front of a sunny border or rock garden . However, protect it from severe frost .
- Ground cover for the sun
- H x W: minimum 30 cm x 50 cm
- A beautiful garden all year round
- No stress when choosing plants
- Tips for combining plants
Low, creeping herbs like creeping thyme ( Thymus serpyllum , Thymus praecox ) are incredibly hardy groundcovers. They're so strong you can walk on them and even replace a lawn . An added bonus is that you can eat them. Moreover, the flowers are incredibly popular with bees .
- Ground cover for the sun
The amethyst, or Heuchera , is particularly striking for its attractive evergreen foliage. Although evergreen... Heuchera appears in colors ranging from green to light orange to red, purple, and even almost black. In summer, it produces stems with small flowers. A nice bonus: it's one of the 20 plants that snails don't like .
- Ground cover for (partial) shade
Lily of the valley ( Convallaria majalis ) is an excellent groundcover for a shady border or woodland garden . It also thrives in the shade under a shrub and prefers moist soil. Its white spring flowers are also delightfully fragrant. Lily of the valley is not evergreen.
- Ground cover for partial shade
Beesia calthifolia is an evergreen groundcover for light shade. Its beautiful heart-shaped leaves have light green veins. In late spring and early summer, this plant produces small, star-shaped flowers that then develop pods. Beesia calthifolia looks beautiful with ferns. Plant it in moist, well-draining soil.
- Ground cover for partial shade
Its name may be a bit difficult to pronounce, but Geranium macrorrhizum 'Ingwersen's Variety' is a beautiful groundcover that can tolerate a fair amount of shade, but also thrives in full sun. This geranium blooms in May and June with pale pink flowers. Its beautiful green leaves often turn red in autumn.
- Ground cover for sun, partial shade or shade
- Height x Width 30 cm x 60 cm
The lesserperiwinkle , Vinca minor , has a reputation for quickly taking over borders. But in challenging locations, such as dry shade, these plants are useful and extremely hardy groundcovers. Vinca minor is an evergreen groundcover that grows quickly. It also bears beautiful blue or purple flowers in spring and summer. Lesser periwinkle grows in almost any soil.
- Ground cover for shade
- H x W: 20 cm x 50 cm up to 2 m
Shadewort ( Pachysandra terminalis ) forms a dense, evergreen carpet of glossy, incised leaves, with small white flowers in May and June. It is useful as a groundcover under trees and shrubs and thrives in dry shade. Because it prefers acidic soil , it is often planted under rhododendrons .
- Ground cover for shade
Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost', a Caucasian forget-me-not, is a beautiful evergreen groundcover with striking silvery, heart-shaped leaves with dark green veins. In April and May, it also bears attractive blue flowers that are a favorite with bees. It prefers moist, well-drained soil in the shade, but can also tolerate a little sun.
Tip: This species can be invasive in nature, you can also choose the native, beautiful spotted lungwort ( Pulmonaria officinalis ).
- Ground cover for shade
Ferns are truly classic shade plants that unfold beautifully in spring to create excellent ground cover. Some fern species are evergreen (such as Asplenium scolopendrium or Blechnum spicant ), while others are deciduous. They prefer moist, well-drained soil, although evergreen varieties are somewhat more drought-tolerant. Furthermore, they are less susceptible to pests and diseases .
- Ground cover for shade
- Evergreen and deciduous species
- H x W: from 20 cm x 20 cm
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