It meets all of the criteria of a good plant employee. Creeping thyme ( Thymus spp): Considered one of the finest ground covers for filling in between flagstones.For more, see Brooklyn Oasis: A City Roof Garden, Before & After. Above: Different varieties of thyme such as ‘Minimus Russetings’ and ‘Purple Carpet’ soften the pavers in this Brooklyn rooftop garden. The options below are by no means the only ones, just some of the popular ones, and you have different options depending on whether your path basks in sun or hides in shade. What are the best plants to grow between pavers? The choice also should complement the colors and textures of the pathway material rather than compete with it, and be congruent with the current landscape theme. A total given.ĭesign: The ground cover needs to meet the design needs of foliage color, texture, and form. No-Fuss: Ground cover plants for pavers must require as little maintenance as possible. Hardiness: A plant that grows between pavers should be tough and durable to withstand occasional trampling by foot or paw. See more of this garden in our Gardenista book.

Cotula leptinella ‘Platt’s Black’ (dollhouse fern) grows densely and has a shallow root system, which makes it ideally suited to creeping between stones to fill cracks. Above: Photograph by Matthew Williams for Gardenista. Rule of thumb: the larger the scale of the pavers, the taller the filler plants can be.įoliage: The ground cover should be vigorous (but not invasive) and dense like a carpet to smother competing weeds and cooperatively traverse the spaces for continuity. Anything taller could be trip pedestrians and make the pavers look as if they are sinking, even drowning. Height: A plant should be low growing, raging in height from basically flat to 2 inches tall.

Photograph courtesy of Everdell Garden Design.Īs a landscaper, I routinely feel like a boss on the plant employee search, hunting for highly qualified plant candidates for the position of ground cover. Read on for everything you need to know: How do you choose a ground cover to grow between pavers? Above: White blooming Isotoma grows in a pathway, framing pavers with texture and color in a California garden designed by Elizabeth Everdell. Ground cover can triumph over weeds, too. It’s relatively simple to fill the cracks between pavers with creeping plants that will stay low, won’t mind being squashed a bit, and may even be fragrant. But where some may see awkward spaces between stepping stones, I see potential. Plants between pavers can soften hard lines, adding a lush, living element to a design. Too often pathway gaps are neglected and become a home for weeds. Icon - Check Mark A check mark for checkbox buttons. Icon - Twitter Twitters brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - Pinterest Pinterests brand mark for use in social sharing icons. flipboard Icon - Instagram Instagrams brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - Facebook Facebooks brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - Email Used to indicate an emai action. Icon - Search Used to indicate a search action.

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Wooly thyme garden tiles