Introduction
Plants between your concrete pavers allow you to soften pathways and create a balanced look for your patio. However, this kind of project is nothing short of a challenge and if you’re up for it, it can be very rewarding. On the other hand, you can leave it to the professionals by searching “paving companies near me”. Here are some ground cover plants that can be used between the concrete pavers in your property to soften your patio:
The Plants
- Blue Star Creeper – This plant is native to New Zealand and Australia and got its name from its star-shaped flowers that cover the ground during the blooming season. You can plant them in the gaps of the pavers and cover your patio with indigo blooms during the spring season. Even the foliage is springy enough and will tempt you to sit down and feel the patch. They grow at most four inches tall and that makes them the perfect candidate for patio cover plants. Moreover, the foliage isn’t springy, but hardy enough to tolerate light foot traffic. As long as you don’t live in the central United States, you can have this plant cover your patio or steppingstones. However, they thrive in moist soil, so you do need to water them regularly and also allow them full sun exposure.
- Baby’s Tears – As weird as it sounds, don’t be spooked by the name of this plant. It’s a low-maintenance plant that thrives in moist soil and can easily fill in the gaps between stone or concrete pavers. The leaves are also very small that your guests might mistake this plant for a patch of lush green moss. They create an inviting and romantic look to the paths. However, you need to be careful with them since they aren’t immune to damage from footfall. The leaves are delicate and that’s why it’s best to plant them at the edges with the least foot traffic. Once you start growing them, they will spread laterally creating a beautiful patch of green. However, they don’t like the cold and can get damaged due to frost. It’s best to plant them on your property if you live in USDA hardiness zones 9 to 11.
- Creeping Thyme – These plants love full sun and perhaps that’s the reason they are so commonly used for ground cover in sunny areas. These hardy plants have all the features that make them the perfect candidate for filling up the space between pavers. With a short height of 4 inches after fully matured and high tolerance to foot traffic, you can plant them even in between the pavers that get the heaviest foot traffic. Moreover, they grow in various types of soil conditions and due to the low water requirement, you don’t need to set up a dedicated sprinkler system for them. As a bonus, the plant also creates flowers that attract different species of bees and other wildlife to add nature’s blessing to your patio. Don’t worry about stepping on those flowers. When crushed they create a mesmerizing fragrance and make teatime more delightful.
- Sea Thrift – This plant is native to Europe and North America and loves the frost. That’s why it’s recommended that you grow them in the Northern USA hardiness zones of 4 to 8. They love the cold so much that they can thrive even when the temperature drops down to a chilling 25 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s best to combine this plant with other ground covers since it can grow as tall as 12 inches and the flower stems can reach higher. They are usually found near the seacoasts in the wild and that’s where they get their name. Before you plant them make sure you properly till your soil to make it well-draining. The pink blooms of this plant can be used to accentuate certain areas of your patio.
- Mondo Grass – As it may be evident from its name, this plant looks and feels like grass, but isn’t nearly as demanding. While it isn’t a fast grower, it creates perfectly organized tufts of ground cover between your pavers and stands collectively tall at 4 to 12 inches with its strappy foliage. The grass also creates pretty lavender and white-colored flowers during summer. While most cover plants want full sun for healthy growth, this one likes to stay in the shade. However, if you like the look of this plant or want uniformity in your garden or patio you can get the black variant of Mondo Grass. It thrives in full sun, can grow larger, and has black leaves that create a wonderful contrast against stone or concrete pavers.
- Stonecrop – If you live in a hot and dry area with loamy or poor soil, you have to strike out most of the popular patio softening cover plants. Fortunately, the stonecrop is here to the rescue. These hardy plants can grow in some of the poorest conditions and there are plenty of species of this plant that vary by size, toughness, and color. So, with enough online and offline search, you can get one that’s perfect for your patio.
If you plan to have those plants cover an area with moderate foot traffic, go for the Dragon’s Blood sedum. It has a deep burgundy color and can spread across a width of 1 foot and reach as high as 6 inches. Otherwise, you can use the Blue Spruce sedum that’s more delicate with a shorter height and spreads slowly. They are perfect for low-traffic areas. Moreover, the water requirement is so low, that you can grow them by depending on occasional rainfall.
Conclusion
The plants mentioned above are low-lying and create a green bed in between the pavers so that your garden looks groomed, yet in sync with nature. You need to plan things out in advance, prepare the soil and take extra care of the plants till they form a cover. If it looks overwhelming, you can hire external help by searching “paving companies near me”.
