Most people think of landscaping as this massive, weekend-devouring chore. You buy the lawnmower, you trim the edges, you fight the weeds. It’s exhausting. Honestly, the obsession with turf grass is kinda weird when you think about it. We spend thousands of dollars to grow a plant that we then spend hundreds of hours cutting. There's a better way to handle the bare spots in your garden, and it basically involves letting low growing perennial plants do the heavy lifting for you.
Forget the mulch. Seriously.
Mulch is just a temporary band-aid that turns into expensive dirt within six months. If you want a garden that actually looks like a curated ecosystem—and stays that way without you breaking your back—you need living mulch. These are the ground-huggers. The spreaders. The plants that stay under 12 inches but pack enough punch to suppress weeds and keep your soil from drying out during a heatwave.
The Ground Cover Myth Everyone Believes
You’ve probably heard that ground covers are invasive. That's a half-truth that drives horticulturists like Dr. Allan Armitage crazy. While things like English Ivy or certain types of Vinca minor can definitely turn into garden-eating monsters if you aren't careful, the world of low growing perennial plants is actually filled with incredibly polite species. They don't want to take over your house; they just want to fill the gap between your Hostas and your walkway.
The trick is matching the plant's vigor to your space.
If you put a fast-spreading Sedum in a tiny rock garden, yeah, you’re gonna have a bad time. But put that same Sedum on a dry, sunny slope where nothing else grows? Now you're a genius. It’s all about context. People get frustrated because they buy a plant based on a pretty picture at the big-box store without checking if it actually likes their soil pH or sunlight levels.
Creeping Thyme: The Fragrant Powerhouse
Let's talk about Thymus praecox, or Creeping Thyme. It is, quite frankly, the GOAT of the low-growing world.
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It stays about two inches tall. It smells like a kitchen herb every time you step on it. Most importantly, it's tough as nails. You can literally walk on this stuff. Try doing that with a Hosta and see what happens. Creeping Thyme thrives in the kind of crappy, sandy soil that kills most "fancy" plants. It produces these tiny pink or purple flowers in early summer that bees absolutely lose their minds over.
But here is what the labels don't tell you: it hates "wet feet." If you plant this in a soggy spot where water pools after a rainstorm, it will rot and turn into a mushy brown mess within a week. It needs drainage. If you have heavy clay, you're better off looking at something like Mazus reptans or even certain types of hardy Geraniums.
What Most People Get Wrong About Shade
Everyone complains they can't grow anything under trees. They try grass, it fails. They try flowers, they get leggy and die. The problem isn't the shade; it's the root competition. Big trees are water thieves.
You need low growing perennial plants that are "dry shade" tolerant. This is the hardest niche in gardening to fill.
Epimediums, often called Barrenwort, are the unsung heroes here. They look delicate—sorta like tiny dancing fairies—but they are surprisingly rugged. Once they’re established, you can basically ignore them. Then there's Galium odoratum, or Sweet Woodruff. It creates this lush, bright green carpet that smells like freshly cut hay and vanilla. It spreads via runners, so it fills in gaps fast, but it’s easy enough to pull up if it oversteps its bounds.
Steppable Plants and The Death of the Path
Paths don't have to be just gravel or pavers. That's boring.
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The "steppable" trend is huge right now for a reason. Using low growing perennial plants between flagstones softens the hard edges of a landscape. It makes your yard look like it belongs in a Cotswolds cottage.
- Leptinella squalida (Brass Buttons): This looks like tiny ferns from a dollhouse. It’s dark, moody, and can handle moderate foot traffic.
- Saginasubulata (Irish Moss): Not actually a moss, but it looks like a neon green velvet cushion. It needs consistent moisture, so don't put it in a desert-scape.
- Dichondra repens: If you’re in a warmer climate (Zone 7+), this is your best friend for a low-profile, circular-leaf look.
Why Biodiversity Actually Matters for Your Wallet
Buying twenty different types of plants feels more expensive than buying one big bag of grass seed. In the short term, sure. But let’s look at the long game. A monoculture (like a lawn) is a buffet for pests. One fungus or one bad infestation of grubs, and your whole yard is toast.
When you mix your low growing perennial plants, you're creating a literal safety net. If a pest hits your Sedum, your Phlox subulata (Creeping Phlox) is still there holding down the fort. You use less pesticide. You use less water because these plants have varied root depths that hold soil moisture more effectively than shallow grass.
It's basically insurance for your yard.
Maintenance: The "Low" Doesn't Mean "No"
I'm gonna be honest with you. "Low maintenance" is a marketing term. Everything requires some work. Even the best low growing perennial plants need a little love in their first year. You have to weed around them until they fill in. If you don't, the weeds will just use your nice new plants as a nursery.
But once they knit together? That’s the magic moment.
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Once that canopy closes, sunlight can't hit the soil. No sunlight means no weed seeds germinating. You go from weeding every weekend to maybe pulling three dandelions a month while you're holding a beer. That’s the dream.
Breaking Down the Best Options by Zone and Light
Full Sun & Dry Soil:
Sedum 'Angelina' is a beast. It’s chartreuse in the summer and turns orange-gold in the winter. It’s succulent, so it stores its own water. You can literally break off a piece, throw it on the ground, and it will probably grow. Also, consider Sempervivum (Hen and Chicks). They don't spread as a "carpet," but they fill cracks in rocks beautifully.
Full Sun & Moist Soil:
Mazus reptans. It’s tiny, it’s green, and it has these cool little orchid-like flowers. It spreads fast. Like, really fast. Don't put it near your vegetable garden unless you want it to become part of the salad.
Part Shade to Deep Shade:
European Ginger (Asarum europaeum). The leaves are so shiny they look like they’ve been waxed. It’s slow-growing, which makes it more expensive, but the aesthetic is incredibly high-end. If you want something faster, go for Ajuga reptans (Bugleweed). Just be warned: Ajuga is the "bad boy" of the shade world. It will go everywhere. The 'Black Scallop' variety is stunning with its dark, nearly black foliage.
The Real Cost of Ground Covers
People often balk at the price of flats. A flat of 32 plugs might cost $60 to $100. If you’re trying to cover 500 square feet, that adds up.
Pro tip: Don't buy the whole yard at once.
Start with a "mother bed." Plant your low growing perennial plants in a small, 10x10 area. Let them grow for a season. Next spring, many of these—especially the creeping varieties—can be easily divided. You take a spade, chop a chunk out, and move it three feet over. You’re basically printing your own money at that point.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Garden
- Measure your light. Don't guess. Actually go outside at 10 AM, 2 PM, and 6 PM. If a spot gets 6+ hours of sun, it’s full sun. Anything less than 4 is shade. This is where most people fail before they even start.
- Test your drainage. Dig a hole, fill it with water. If it’s still sitting there an hour later, you have drainage issues. Choose plants like Acorus gramineus (Sweet Flag) that actually like being wet.
- Clear the deck. You cannot plant ground covers over existing weeds and expect them to win. You have to start with a clean slate. Scrape off the weeds, or use the cardboard sheet mulching method a few months before you plan to plant.
- Space for the future. Read the tag. If it says it spreads 18 inches, don't plant them 6 inches apart unless you’re rich and impatient. Give them room to breathe.
- Mulch one last time. Put a thin layer of fine wood chips or compost around your new plugs. This keeps them moist while they’re finding their footing.
Integrating low growing perennial plants isn't just about making the yard look pretty. It's about ending the cycle of constant, repetitive labor. You're building a living system that takes care of itself, protects your soil, and actually looks better as it gets older. Stop fighting the bare spots and start planting things that want to live there.