Top 10 Low-Maintenance Ground Covers for Weed Control: Expert Growing Advice Compiled
Discover the best ground cover plants to keep your garden weed-free and beautiful all year round. These plants not only add charm to your garden but also help prevent soil erosion and suppress weeds.
Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla mollis) and Catmint make a perfect pair as ground cover. Lady's Mantle boasts lime-green frothy flowers, while catmint offers a burst of blue. Both are hardy plants that can be cut down and fed for a second flush of flowers.
Lesser Periwinkle (Vinca minor 'Variegata Alba') is an evergreen ground cover for drier soils and shadier locations. It has pretty, evergreen glossy leaves with white edges and star-shaped white flowers.
For a more varied selection of ground cover plants, consider visiting Gardening Express, Amazon, J Parker's, Sarah Raven, or Thompson & Morgan. Stephanie Harrod, founder of Harrod Horticultural, recommends Heucheras, and Thompson & Morgan offers a spectrum of these plants.
Annelise Brilli, horticultural copywriter for Thompson & Morgan, also provides recommendations for ground cover plants to prevent weeds. Heucheras make stunning winter flowers for hanging baskets and shade-loving plants for pots. These plants easily tolerate foot traffic.
Gardening Express offers a striking heuchera collection. Bugleweed (Ajuga) is a fast-spreading ground cover with attractive foliage and blue flower spikes. It requires moisture and does well in sun or partial shade.
Anemones boast a carpet of foliage covering the ground and tall, narrow flowers emerging from the top. English ivy is one of the best ground cover plants to prevent weeds. It offers year-round greenery.
The ice plant is highly drought-tolerant, with bright, daisy-like flowers. Japanese spurge is another evergreen ground cover that performs well in shade.
Creeping thyme is a low-growing perennial with small purple flowers and fragrant leaves. It thrives in well-drained soil and sunshine.
For a living mulch that reduces weed seed germination and helps stabilize soil, consider Creeping Juniper (Juniperus horizontalis), Creeping Phlox, Wooly Thyme, Asiatic Jasmine, Mondo Grass, Lily Turf, and Goldenrod. These plants form dense mats or carpets over the soil that block sunlight, reducing weed germination, and their root systems help stabilize soil to prevent erosion.
Hardy geraniums, like Geranium Clarkeii 'Kashmir White' and Geranium Sanguineum, are popular choices for their ability to prevent weeds and their long flowering period from spring to late summer.
Creeping thyme, sedums, bugleweed, creeping Jenny, lesser periwinkle, and Pachysandra are great examples of low-maintenance groundcovers. Jane from Allan's Gardeners recommends these fast-growing plants for low-maintenance gardens.
English ivy, Japanese spurge, anemones, and the ice plant are also mentioned as ground cover plants that can help prevent weeds in gardens. Jane Dobbs, Team Lead for Gardening at Allan's Gardeners, and Kate Turner, gardening guru at Miracle-Gro, are experts who recommend ground cover plants to prevent weeds.
With the right selection of ground cover plants, you can create a beautiful, weed-free garden that requires minimal maintenance. Choose plants that suit your climate zone, sun exposure, soil type, and maintenance preferences. Happy gardening!
[1] Gardening Know How. (n.d.). Creeping Phlox Ground Cover. Retrieved from https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden/groundcover/creeping-phlox/creeping-phlox-ground-cover.htm
[2] Gardening Know How. (n.d.). Mondo Grass Ground Cover. Retrieved from https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden/groundcover/mondo-grass/mondo-grass-ground-cover.htm
[3] Gardening Know How. (n.d.). Goldenrod Ground Cover. Retrieved from https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden/groundcover/goldenrod/goldenrod-ground-cover.htm
- Lady's Mantle and Catmint make an ideal pair for a charming fashion-and-beauty(-like) garden, enhancing its aesthetic while preventing soil erosion.
- Lesser Periwinkle thrives in drier environments and shady locations, offering a touch of elegance to home-and-garden spaces with its glossy leaves and star-shaped white flowers.
- For an expansive variety of garden-enhancing ground cover plants, consider shopping from Gardening Express, Amazon, J Parker's, Sarah Raven, or Thompson & Morgan.
- Heucheras, suggested by Stephanie Harrod, are a brilliant addition to any garden, providing a splash of color with their stunning winter flowers and durable nature.
- Bugleweed, available at Gardening Express, is a rapid ground cover with attractive foliage and blue flower spikes, adding a pop of fashion-and-beauty to home-and-garden spaces.
- Anemones offer a carpet of foliage and tall, narrow flowers, acting like a vibrant accessory in your home-and-garden ensemble.
- English ivy, a versatile ground cover plant, maintains year-round beauty and contributes to relationships with nature by suppressing weeds.
- The ice plant's bright daisy-like flowers add a splash of color to your garden, making it more lively and fun-filled.
- Japanese spurge is an evergreen ground cover that performs well in shady environments, complementing your garden's overall style.
- Creeping thyme's small purple flowers and fragrant leaves contribute to a personal-growth journey, as taking care of such a low-maintenance plant encourages skills-training and self-development.
- A living mulch made of Creeping Juniper, Creeping Phlox, Wooly Thyme, Asiatic Jasmine, Mondo Grass, Lily Turf, and Goldenrod forms beautiful carpets, offering benefits similar to the practicality of a well-chosen job-search strategy.
- Hardy geraniums, such as Geranium Clarkeii and Geranium Sanguineum, provide not only visual appeal but also career development by helping you maintain a beautiful garden with a long-lasting performance.
- Low-maintenance plants like creeping thyme, sedums, bugleweed, creeping Jenny, lesser periwinkle, and Pachysandra can enhance leisure time in your garden, contributing to personal-growth and relaxation.
- English ivy, Japanese spurge, anemones, and the ice plant are all recommended ground cover plants for suppressed weeds and a more polished home-and-garden aesthetic.
- Gardening experts such as Jane Dobbs and Kate Turner advocate for using ground cover plants to keep your garden looking sharp and polished for you, your neighbors, and other onlookers.
- Incorporating the right ground cover plants can lead to a lifestyle focused on learning and adaptation, as you cultivate a better understanding of your garden's needs.
- A beautiful, weed-free garden requires consideration of factors like climate zone, sun exposure, soil type, and maintenance preferences, much like the strategies implemented in education-and-self-development plans.
- By prioritizing eco-friendly gardening practices, like selecting ground cover plants to minimize weeds, you are making a step towards job-search goals in the field of environmentalism and sustainability.
- The world of horticulture offers diverse career paths and learning opportunities, from sports-betting analysis for golf tournaments like the Masters, to weather forecasting for auto-racing events like the Grand Prix.
- Gardening can be a form of mixed-martial arts for the soul, providing an opportunity for self-expression, personal growth, and adaptability to ever-changing weather conditions, much like the challenges faced in competition sports like basketball, NCAA-basketball, MLB, NHL, NFL, football, hockey, tennis, and racing.
