9 Superb Ground Covers to Upgrade Your UK Garden

Posted on 16/05/2025

9 Superb Ground Covers to Upgrade Your UK Garden

When it comes to enhancing your UK garden, choosing the right ground cover can make all the difference. Ground covers not only add beauty and texture but also help in suppressing weeds, conserving soil moisture, and providing a lush green carpet that requires minimal maintenance. Here, we explore nine superb ground covers that can transform your outdoor space into a vibrant oasis. Whether you're looking for flowering plants, evergreens, or shade-loving varieties, our guide has something for every garden enthusiast.

Creeping Thyme

If you seek a fragrant and low-maintenance ground cover, creeping thyme is an excellent choice. This aromatic herb thrives in sunny areas and is perfect for filling gaps between stepping stones or border paving. In addition to its pleasant scent, it produces tiny pink or purple flowers that attract pollinators. For UK gardens, the hardy varieties like Thymus serpyllum perform exceptionally well.

• Best For: Sunny, well-drained areas.
• Benefits: Fragrant, low-growing, attracts pollinators.
• Growth Rate: Moderate.

Vinca Minor (Periwinkle)

Known for its evergreen foliage and charming blue or violet flowers, Vinca Minor, or periwinkle, is ideal for shady areas. Often planted under trees or along shaded borders, this hardy plant provides year-round interest and helps to suppress weeds effectively.

• Best For: Shaded or partially shaded areas.
• Benefits: Evergreen, low maintenance, suppresses weeds.
• Growth Rate: Fast.

Sedum (Stonecrop)

Sedum, commonly known as stonecrop, brings a hint of the exotic to UK gardens with its thick, juicy leaves and vibrant flowers. Thriving in rocky or poor soil, this drought-tolerant ground cover is perfect for those looking for a carefree option. The resilient plant is great for banks, slopes, or rockeries.

• Best For: Dry, sunny locations.
• Benefits: Drought-resistant, vibrant flowers, hardy.
• Growth Rate: Moderate.

Ajuga Reptans (Bugleweed)

If you desire rich ground foliage with seasonal interest, the Ajuga Reptans offers just that. Known for its lush, scalloped leaves and spiky blue flowers, it is perfect for shady garden beds. This perennial cover plant is not only visually appealing but also suppresses weeds and stabilizes soil.

• Best For: Moist, shaded locations.
• Benefits: Attractive foliage, seasonal interest, easy spreader.
• Growth Rate: Moderate to fast.

Heuchera (Coral Bells)

Heuchera, or coral bells, is celebrated for its colorful foliage that ranges from bright green to deep purple and striking pinks. Ideal for shaded and partially sunny spots, this plant is perfect for adding color and texture to your garden all year round.

• Best For: Shady to partially sunny spots.
• Benefits: Colorful foliage, hardy, year-round interest.
• Growth Rate: Moderate.

Alchemilla Mollis (Lady's Mantle)

Known for its soft, velvety leaves that hold dew in the mornings, Alchemilla Mollis provides an intriguing element to your garden. This ground cover is perfect for borders and can thrive in a variety of soil conditions, offering lime-green flowers from late spring onwards.

• Best For: Borders and mixed flower beds.
• Benefits: Decorative foliage, versatile, easy to grow.
• Growth Rate: Moderate.

Lamium Galeobdolon (Yellow Archangel)

For those looking to brighten up a shaded corner, Lamium Galeobdolon, or yellow archangel, is an excellent pick. This fast-growing ground cover provides vibrant yellow flowers and silver-patterned leaves, enhancing any shady spot in an instant.

• Best For: Shady areas, under trees.
• Benefits: Bright flowers, fast spreader, decorative leaves.
• Growth Rate: Fast.

Convallaria Majalis (Lily of the Valley)

No list of superb ground covers for UK gardens would be complete without mentioning the Lily of the Valley. This sweetly fragrant plant offers delicate white bell-shaped flowers in spring and thrives in shady parts of the garden.

• Best For: Cool, shaded environments.
• Benefits: Highly fragrant, charming flowers, lush ground cover.
• Growth Rate: Moderate to fast.

Erigeron Karvinskianus (Mexican Fleabane)

Add a dash of wildflower charm to your garden with Erigeron Karvinskianus. Known for its abundance of daisies, this hardy plant thrives in well-drained soil and is perfect for rock gardens or sunny border edges. Its resilience makes it an increasingly popular choice in UK gardens.

• Best For: Sunny, well-drained areas.
• Benefits: Profuse flowering, hardy, low maintenance.
• Growth Rate: Fast.

Incorporating these excellent ground covers can enhance the aesthetics and ecology of your garden. Whether you're interested in attracting pollinators, adding vibrant colors, or reducing garden maintenance, these options offer versatile solutions. Upgrade your UK garden with these superb plants, and enjoy the beauty and benefits they bring throughout the seasons.

Remember to consider the specific conditions of your garden when selecting ground covers, such as soil type, sunlight exposure, and climate specifics of your region. With the right choices, your garden will thrive and continue to bring joy with each passing season.