Spruce up your UK garden with these 9 awe-inspiring ground covers

Posted on 20/05/2025

In the quest for an enchanting garden, homeowners often overlook the potential of ground covers. These low-growing plants are perfect for adding depth, texture, and color, while also combating weeds and conserving moisture. With the UK's variable climate, it's essential to choose the right varieties. Below, we introduce nine stunning ground covers that are perfect for sprucing up your garden.

The Benefits of Ground Covers

Ground covers offer more than just aesthetics. They play a vital role in maintaining garden health. Here are a few benefits:

• Suppress Weeds: Dense ground cover limits the space available for weeds to establish and grow.
• Prevent Erosion: Their roots hold the soil in place, preventing erosion, especially on slopes.
• Moisture Retention: By covering the soil, ground covers help maintain soil moisture.
• Low Maintenance: Once established, most require minimal upkeep compared to other plants.

Nine Perfect Ground Covers for UK Gardens

1. Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)

Aromatic and bee-friendly, creeping thyme is a versatile choice. Thriving in full sun, it produces a carpet of purple flowers in the summer. It's not only suitable for borders but also perfect for filling gaps between stepping stones.

Care tips: Ensure well-drained soil, and regular pruning will promote healthy growth.

2. Common Ivy (Hedera helix)

This evergreen climber is known for its resilience and adaptability. With English ivy, you get lush, green foliage year-round. It's excellent for shady areas where other plants might struggle.

Care tips: Regular trimming will prevent it from becoming too invasive.

3. Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans)

Known for its vibrant, wine-colored foliage, bugleweed offers a striking contrast in the garden. In spring, it bursts into vivid blue spikes of flowers.

Care tips: Prefers moist, well-drained soil and can tolerate partial shade.

4. Moss Phlox (Phlox subulata)

For a blanket of blooms, moss phlox is a top choice. This hardy perennial exhibits a shower of star-shaped flowers in spring, available in pink, white, and purple.

Care tips: Plant in full sun and ensure the soil is well-drained.

5. London Pride (Saxifraga x urbium)

An evergreen perennial, this traditional UK plant is cherished for its charming rosettes of leaves and delightful pink flowers. Perfect for old stone walls and rock gardens.

Care tips: It prefers partial shade and well-drained soil.

6. Golden Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea')

With its cascading growth habit, creeping Jenny adds a vibrant splash of gold to your garden. It works beautifully in hanging baskets and along pond edges.

Care tips: Thrives in moist soil conditions and can tolerate full sun to partial shade.

7. Woolly Thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus)

For a soft, gray carpet, woolly thyme is unbeatable. Aside from its visual appeal, its woolly texture adds an interesting tactile element to pathways and rock gardens.

Care tips: Requires well-drained soil and full sun.

8. Sedum (Sedum acre)

This drought-tolerant succulent is perfect for rock gardens and sunny borders. Its fleshy leaves are topped with yellow flowers in the summer.

Care tips: Minimal watering is needed. Perfect for sunny spots and poor soil conditions.

9. Vinca Minor

Commonly known as lesser periwinkle, this evergreen ground cover showcases lovely purple-blue flowers from spring to autumn.

Care tips: Suitable for shade or partial sun, and best kept in check to prevent unwanted spread.

Tips for Planting and Maintenance

• Soil Preparation: Before planting, ensure your soil is free of weeds and well-amended with organic matter.
• Spacing: Allow adequate space between plants to accommodate their natural growth habit.
• Watering: Keep young plants moist until they are well-established. Consider seasonal rain patterns.
• Pruning: Regularly prune to keep plants healthy and to prevent them from becoming too invasive.

Conclusion

By integrating these stunning ground covers into your garden, you'll create a lush, low-maintenance landscape that offers year-round interest. Not only do they serve practical purposes such as preventing weeds and erosion, but they also provide a diverse range of textures and colors that will enchant every visitor. With the right care, these versatile plants can transform any UK garden into a verdant sanctuary.