The 9 Ground Cover Plants Every UK Garden Needs

Posted on 20/05/2025

The 9 Ground Cover Plants Every UK Garden Needs

Creating a vibrant and low-maintenance garden is the dream of many UK gardeners. One of the best ways to achieve this is by incorporating ground cover plants that not only fill in sparse areas but also add texture, color, and visual interest to the landscape. This guide explores the nine essential ground cover varieties that every UK garden can benefit from. Each of these plants is suited to the UK climate, offering a beautiful and sustainable gardening option.

1. Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)

Creeping Thyme is a favorite for UK gardeners due to its versatility and aromatic foliage. This delightful plant forms a dense mat and produces small, vibrant flowers, typically in purple or pink shades. Perfect for sunny areas, creeping thyme is ideal as a filler in rock gardens or between stepping stones.

Benefits:

• Attractive to bees and other pollinators
• Low maintenance with drought-tolerant properties
• Can endure light foot traffic

2. Lilyturf (Liriope muscari)

Lilyturf is a robust plant that thrives in both shade and sun, making it ideal for various garden settings. It produces tall, grass-like leaves and elegant spikes of purple flowers in late summer, transitioning to black berries come autumn.

Benefits:

• Evergreen, providing year-round interest
• Tolerates a range of soil types
• Excellent choice for edgings and borders

3. Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans)

Bugleweed, or Ajuga, is a hardy option that forms a dense carpet of foliage. Known for its deep blue flowers in spring, it is a superb choice for adding color to shaded areas of the garden.

Benefits:

• Vigorous growth ensures rapid soil coverage
• Varied leaf colors ranging from green to bronze-purple
• Adaptable to partial and full shade locations

4. Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla mollis)

Lady's Mantle is cherished for its soft, scalloped leaves and clusters of frothy, chartreuse flowers. This perennial is a versatile choice, thriving well in both sun and partial shade conditions of UK gardens.

Benefits:

• Resilient to various soil types and conditions
• Effective at suppressing weeds
• Decorative foliage remains attractive throughout the growing season

5. Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)

Sweet Woodruff is a delightful ground cover plant that exudes a sweet fragrance, especially when crushed. It is particularly suited for shaded areas, producing delicate white flowers in spring.

Benefits:

• Forms a thick carpet perfect for suppressing weeds
• Attractive aromatic foliage
• Deer-resistant

6. Periwinkle (Vinca minor)

Periwinkle is acclaimed for its glossy green leaves and star-shaped flowers, which can be blue, purple, or white. This low-maintenance plant is excellent for covering large shady areas, providing a lush green cover.

Benefits:

• Fast-growing with excellent coverage capabilities
• Low maintenance and drought-resistant
• Effects a striking visual contrast with its vibrant blooms

7. Snow-in-Summer (Cerastium tomentosum)

Snow-in-Summer adds a dreamy, silvery touch with its gray-green foliage and profusion of white flowers that bloom in late spring and early summer. Best used in sunny, well-drained areas, it can brighten up any spot in the garden.

Benefits:

• Ideal for dry, rocky areas or slopes
• Requires minimal watering
• Provides excellent weed suppression

8. Irish Moss (Sagina subulata)

Irish Moss is a vibrant green alternative for carpets of traditional moss, offering charming tiny white flowers in spring. It prefers moist, well-drained soil and can be used to fill crevices in rock gardens and between paving stones.

Benefits:

• Soft, cushion-like texture
• Thrives in partial sun to full sun
• Frost-resistant, perfect for the UK climate

9. Japanese Spurge (Pachysandra terminalis)

Japanese Spurge is a classic ground cover for shaded gardens. Its evergreen foliage forms a dense cover, with whorls of small white flowers appearing in spring, adding texture and structure to shaded spots.

Benefits:

• Excellent for erosion control
• Survives well in deep shade conditions
• Easy to maintain once established

Conclusion

Incorporating these ground cover plants can transform your UK garden into a lush, colorful haven with minimal effort. These plants not only fill bare spots with beauty but also support the local ecosystem by attracting pollinators and reducing the need for chemical weed control. With options suited for various light conditions and garden styles, you can create a harmonious and sustainable landscape that thrives throughout the seasons.

Happy gardening!