A lush, colorful carpet of flowering ground cover can transform your garden, offering beauty while solving practical problems like weed control, soil erosion, and filling in awkward bare spots. Whether you have a shaded corner, a sunny slope, or space between stepping stones, ground cover plants add texture, color, and charm.
In this guide, we’ll share 10 practical and creative tips to add ground cover with flowering plants to your garden — making it healthier, prettier, and easier to maintain.
Why Choose Flowering Ground Cover Plants?
Ground cover plants are low-growing species that spread across the ground, creating a living carpet. Adding flowering varieties comes with several benefits:
- Suppresses weeds naturally
- Prevents soil erosion on slopes
- Adds continuous color and interest
- Attracts pollinators like bees and butterflies
- Reduces the need for mulch
- Softens hardscapes like pathways and patios
They’re ideal for filling gaps, brightening dull spaces, and adding seasonal beauty with minimal upkeep.
10 Tips to Add Ground Cover with Flowering Plants
1. Choose the Right Plant for Your Conditions
Not all ground covers thrive in the same environment. Before choosing your plants, assess the area’s:
- Sunlight levels (full sun, partial shade, deep shade)
- Soil type and moisture (dry, sandy, clay, or rich loam)
- Climate and USDA Hardiness Zone
For example:
- Creeping thyme loves full sun and dry soil.
- Ajuga (Bugleweed) flourishes in partial shade and moist conditions.
- Sweet woodruff thrives in deep shade and damp soils.
Choosing plants suited to your site ensures healthy, vigorous growth.
2. Combine Different Flowering Ground Covers
For a more dynamic and visually interesting garden floor, combine different flowering ground cover plants. Mix species with varied:
- Bloom times
- Flower colors
- Foliage textures
This way, you’ll enjoy continuous blooms and layers of visual appeal throughout the seasons.
Example: Combine the tiny lavender blooms of creeping thyme with white alyssum and the golden-yellow of sedum for a charming tapestry effect.
3. Use Ground Covers to Connect Garden Spaces
Flowering ground cover plants can serve as natural connectors between different parts of your garden, unifying the landscape.
Use them to:
- Fill spaces between stepping stones
- Edge flower beds and borders
- Soften the base of fences and garden walls
- Link pathways to patios
This creates seamless transitions and a harmonious look across your entire outdoor space.
4. Fill Problem Areas with Ground Cover
Every garden has a tricky spot — under trees, on a slope, or in a shady corner. Flowering ground covers are perfect problem-solvers.
Try these ideas:
- Beneath trees: Plant shade-loving varieties like lilyturf or vinca minor.
- On slopes: Use drought-tolerant creeping phlox or ice plant to prevent erosion.
- Shaded borders: Go for sweet woodruff or lamium.
These plants not only thrive in challenging conditions but add color where little else grows.
5. Opt for Fast-Growing Varieties for Quick Results
If you’re looking to cover bare spots quickly, select fast-spreading ground cover plants. Some excellent quick growers include:
- Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia): Rapidly forms a golden-green mat with tiny yellow flowers.
- Ajuga reptans: Quickly covers ground with purple flower spikes in spring.
- Sedum spurium (Dragon’s Blood): Spreads fast with brilliant red flowers.
Be cautious with aggressive growers — they can overtake other plants if not controlled with edging or barriers.
6. Integrate Ground Covers into Containers and Raised Beds
Flowering ground covers aren’t just for the ground. Use trailing varieties to spill over the edges of:
- Container gardens
- Hanging baskets
- Raised beds
Creeping thyme, sedum, or trailing lobelia add a charming cascading effect and help retain soil moisture in containers.
Bonus: These plants soften harsh lines and add extra color to elevated planting areas.
7. Attract Pollinators with Flowering Ground Covers
Many ground cover plants with blooms are irresistible to pollinators. Choose varieties with nectar-rich flowers to support bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects.
Top choices include:
- Creeping thyme
- Aubrieta
- Lamium
- Sweet alyssum
Plant these near vegetable beds or flowering shrubs to boost pollination and biodiversity in your garden.
8. Use Ground Covers as Living Mulch
Flowering ground covers can serve as a living mulch, reducing the need for bark or wood chip mulching. They:
- Retain soil moisture
- Prevent weed growth
- Regulate soil temperature
- Add natural beauty
This is especially effective around shrubs, trees, and perennial beds. Opt for low-growing, non-invasive varieties like dwarf mondo grass or mazus.
9. Stagger Bloom Times for Year-Round Color
To keep your garden lively throughout the seasons, combine flowering ground covers with staggered bloom times:
- Spring: Creeping phlox, violets, aubrieta
- Summer: Sedum, ajuga, alyssum
- Fall: Toad lily, hardy geranium
- Winter interest: Evergreen varieties like vinca minor or moss phlox
This strategy ensures there’s always a pop of color, even during typically dull seasons.
10. Plan for Maintenance and Containment
While many ground covers are low-maintenance, they still need occasional care to keep them neat and healthy.
Maintenance tips:
- Trim back runners to prevent overgrowth.
- Divide overcrowded plants every few years.
- Remove dead foliage or flowers to encourage new growth.
- Install borders or edging materials to contain fast-spreading varieties.
This ensures your ground cover remains a well-behaved, beautiful asset to your garden rather than a runaway problem.
Best Flowering Ground Cover Plants to Try
Here’s a shortlist of popular, reliable flowering ground covers for different conditions:
| Plant Name | Light Needs | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Creeping Thyme | Full sun | Fragrant, tiny purple flowers, drought-tolerant |
| Ajuga reptans (Bugleweed) | Partial shade | Glossy foliage, purple-blue flower spikes |
| Sweet Alyssum | Full sun | Honey-scented, white, pink, or purple blooms |
| Sedum (Stonecrop) | Full sun | Succulent leaves, star-shaped flowers |
| Vinca Minor (Periwinkle) | Shade | Evergreen with blue or white flowers |
| Creeping Jenny | Full sun–shade | Bright chartreuse foliage, yellow flowers |
| Lamium (Dead Nettle) | Partial shade | Silver variegated leaves, pink flowers |
Final Thoughts
Adding ground cover with flowering plants is one of the smartest and most beautiful ways to enhance your garden. These plants offer color, texture, and practical benefits like weed suppression and erosion control — all while requiring less maintenance than traditional lawns or open soil.
By following these 10 tips, you’ll create a healthy, vibrant, and visually stunning garden floor that complements your landscape and makes every inch of your outdoor space shine.