Ground covers aren’t used very often and are sometimes misunderstood. However, they’re incredibly useful and beautiful to have around. Ground covers not only help protect the soil and slow down erosion, but they also can add color and even nice smells. Here are some of the best ground covers to have around!
Thyme
Thyme is one of those ground covers that does all three things: protects, looks good, and smells good! Thyme comes in numerous different shades, so choose one you like and that matches your house and go with it!
Sedum
The best thing about sedum is that it doesn’t require much water and that it’s fairly adaptable to the environment it’s planted in. Sedum also comes in numerous colors, so that shouldn’t be an issue at all.
Hens-and-Chicks
If you’re trying to get a ground cover in a tight place then consider planting hens-and-chicks. This ground cover is great for small areas like between rocks and doesn’t require much maintenance. It’s also a very traditional ground cover and adds a fun texture to your yard!
Sweet Woodruff
If you’re a fan of ground covers that add fragrance to your yard, then try this one. When stepped on or crushed, sweet woodruff gives off a fresh mown hay smell that most of us love. This ground cover also flourishes in dense shade, so it’s great for under decks or similar places.
Bishop’s Weed
The most famous aspect of bishop’s weed is how fast it grows. Unless it’s in a contained space, this ground cover will spread rapidly. It can be planted in large or small spaces and adds a nice calming color to your yard.
Brass Button
Brass button will give your yard a wonderful color, so if that’s a must then this is a great ground cover. It can also endure high amounts of traffic, which is always a plus. Brass button also has a wonderful texture to it.
Ajuga
Besides its magnificent colors, ajuga is also a low maintenance plant, so you don’t have to do much to keep it alive. It also spreads easily, which is good if you like color but not so much if you want to keep it under control.
Lamium
While lamium looks great, it’s not the best at dealing with high amounts of traffic, so make sure it’s somewhere with less foot traffic. Put lamium next to other plants with darker foliage so this ground cover can bring out those colors.
Mondo Grass
This ground cover can get pretty divisive: some people love it while others aren’t too fond. If you’re one who likes it, then know that it’s great to border yards and paths. Just make sure to give it full or part sun and to keep the soil moist in order for it to stay healthy.
Golden Moneywort
This is also known as creeping Jenny. This ground cover has a great color and is awesome for under shrubs and as a border plant. Keep it in the shade and remember that it spreads fast, so plan accordingly.
Lamb’s Ear
Don’t you just love the name of this ground cover? Obviously, as you can tell from its name, lamb’s ear is soft to the touch, which makes it even better. It’s also got a great color, so there’s not much of a downside to this ground cover.
Epimedium
Epimedium grows in many colors, so you won’t have a problem finding on you like. It’s best in dry shade, which makes it a very unique and valuable ground cover to utilize in your yard.
the plant you have listed as lambs ears is incorrect!
Oh no! What is it then, do you know?
It looks like catmint http://piedmontmastergardeners.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/CATMIN1.jpg
The plant listed as lamb’s ears is sometimes called lamb’s ears. It is Stacey’s official is ‘Hummelo’ also called betony I think. What most of us call lamb’s ears is Stacey’s byzantina.
The plant shown is Stachys officinalis; lamb’s ear is Stachys byzantina.
Thank you Jim. The change has been made 🙂