Revamp Your UK Garden with These 9 Ground Covers

Posted on 15/05/2025

Revamp Your UK Garden with These 9 Ground Covers

Transforming your garden into a lush, vibrant, and low-maintenance paradise is easier than you might think. By introducing a variety of ground covers, you can add texture, color, and depth to your outdoor space. Ground covers are not only aesthetically pleasing but also practical, as they help with weed control, moisture retention, and soil erosion prevention. If you're looking to revamp your UK garden, consider these nine stunning ground covers.

1. Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)

Creeping Thyme is a favorite among garden enthusiasts. It's known for its fragrant, evergreen foliage and beautiful pink or purple flowers. This herbaceous perennial is perfect for sunny spots and well-drained soil. It's a versatile plant that can withstand light foot traffic, making it ideal for pathways or rock gardens.

• Sunlight: Full sun
• Soil: Well-drained, sandy or loamy
• Features: Evergreen, aromatic

2. Periwinkle (Vinca minor)

Known for its striking periwinkle-blue flowers, Vinca minor is a hardy ground cover suitable for semi-shade to full sun conditions. It's a vigorous spreader with glossy, dark green leaves that can suppress weeds efficiently due to its dense coverage.

• Sunlight: Partial shade to full sun
• Soil: Adaptable to various soils
• Features: Fast-growing, evergreen

3. Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans)

Ajuga reptans, or Bugleweed, adds a pop of dramatic color with its purplish foliage and striking blue flower spikes. It's very hardy and thrives in shaded areas, making it an excellent choice for woodland gardens or beneath trees.

• Sunlight: Partial shade to full shade
• Soil: Moist, well-drained
• Features: Evergreen, vibrant foliage

4. Lilyturf (Liriope muscari)

If you're looking for a ground cover that offers both beauty and utility, Lilyturf is an excellent choice. It has grass-like, glossy leaves and produces small violet flower spikes. This ground cover is tough and tolerates a range of conditions, from drought to frost.

• Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil: Well-drained, adaptable
• Features: Low maintenance, evergreen

5. Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)

Sweet Woodruff is a charming ground cover known for its whorled leaves and sweetly scented white flowers. It thrives in shaded areas and is particularly effective at suppressing weeds thanks to its dense, mat-forming growth.

• Sunlight: Partial to full shade
• Soil: Moist, rich
• Features: Fragrant, mat-forming

6. Corsican Mint (Mentha requienii)

For a touch of fragrance and visual appeal, Corsican Mint is a delightful choice. This low-growing herb forms a lush carpet of tiny leaves and emits a refreshing mint scent. While delicate in appearance, it can be resilient underfoot in high-humidity areas.

• Sunlight: Partial shade
• Soil: Moist, well-drained
• Features: Fragrant, attractive to pollinators

7. Golden Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea')

Golden Creeping Jenny is a versatile plant that can add stunning golden foliage to your garden. It thrives in wet conditions, making it an excellent choice for boggy areas or along stream edges. It's known for its ease of growth and ability to spread quickly.

• Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil: Moist, rich
• Features: Yellow foliage, vigorous

8. Woolly Thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus)

If you're looking for a ground cover with unique texture, Woolly Thyme is a captivating choice. Its soft, silvery foliage provides an interesting contrast in the garden. While it doesn't bloom as profusely as other thymes, its resilience and thick mat-making abilities are unmatched.

• Sunlight: Full sun
• Soil: Well-drained, poor to average
• Features: Drought-tolerant, mat-forming

9. Wild Ginger (Asarum europaeum)

The glossy, heart-shaped leaves of Wild Ginger can create a lush and dense ground cover in shaded garden spots. Although it blooms discreetly with reddish-brown flowers, its foliage remains the main attraction.

• Sunlight: Partial to full shade
• Soil: Moist, well-drained, rich
• Features: Evergreen, shade-loving

Conclusion

By incorporating these diverse and appealing ground covers into your UK garden, you can achieve a vibrant, textured, and sustainable landscape. Whether you're covering large expanses or accentuating walkways, ground covers offer both beauty and function. Choose the ones that suit your garden conditions and watch your outdoor sanctuary transform into a captivating, low-maintenance ecosystem.