Ground cover: the most beautiful easy-care varieties

Easy to care for and beautiful - ground cover is an indispensable part of creative garden design. We'll show you the 20 most beautiful varieties for your garden.

Large, flat beds that look beautiful but still don't need a lot of maintenance? What sounds like a beautiful dream is actually very easy thanks to so-called ground cover plants. Ground covers grow quickly and soon cover the entire bed with a carpet of green leaves and beautiful flowers, protecting the soil and suppressing weeds at the same time. Since most of the varieties are also special easy to care for and robust ground cover are ideal for gardens in which maintenance takes little time, but the garden should still remain green. Here you can find out which ground covers look particularly beautiful in the garden.

Ground covers are simple and easy to care for, but they can still look beautiful. You can find out which varieties are a special feast for the eyes here.

1. Common soapwort

Not only the beautiful, white or slightly pink flowers make the common soapwort (Saponaria officinalis) to a particularly beautiful ground cover; Its sweet, floral scent, which occurs particularly in the evening hours, is also a magnet for insects and even flatters the human nose. Particularly undemanding and fast-growing, the common soapwort gets along in almost every garden and is also very hardy. However, caution is also advised: the common soapwort is very prolific and conquered also like areas that it shouldn't even penetrate if you don't have the right preparation meets.

2. Box finial

Bright two-tone flowers in purple and yellow - the box finial (Polygala chamaebuxus) is a real eye-catcher. But despite its beauty, the box-leaved finial, as it is also called, is anything but maintenance-intensive. On the other hand, it is very robust, only waterlogging is not so good for you. But the box finial does not only cut a good figure in summer: the 20 cm high subshrub retains its leaves and thus provides green beds.

3. Upholstery phlox

If you want to transform your rock garden into a sea of ​​flowers, the upholstery or carpet phlox (Phlox subulata) made exactly the right choice. Between April and July the plant transforms into a carpet of innumerable star-shaped flowers, which, depending on the variety, shine in colors from white to carmine red. The upholstered phlox blooms particularly beautifully in full sunshine, and annual pruning does not harm it, although it is one of the slow-growing ground cover plants. Otherwise, however, the carpet phlox is an uncomplicated contemporary.

4. Lampranthus

Radiant flowers in bright colors - the lampranthus (Lampranthus) immediately catches the eye with its appearance. Especially its beautiful flowers, which in their perfection often give the impression that they are made of plastic, are what make this plant so charming. Unfortunately, this bloom is only visible on sunny days, which is why the plant is also known as ice plant. Although the lampranthus is actually very robust and needs little care, the succulent cannot cope with the German winter. However, you can simply lift the plant off the bed and let it hibernate in the house, or you can re-sow it in spring with the help of cuttings.

5. Honorary award

To the genus of Honorary award (Veronica), also known under the name Veronika, belong to more than 450 species, which are characterized primarily by their easy-care nature, but also by their brightly colored flowers. However, not all speedwell species are suitable as ground cover because of the diversity within the plant genus is enormous: Some species can grow up to 2 m in size, while other species are only 20 cm in size reach. As a ground cover, however, the Lower Speedwell (Veronica prostrata) and the Stalked Speedwell (Veronica peduncularis), which both turn out to be pretty eye-catchers, especially when they are in bloom.

6. Wollziest

A plant that you want to stroke all the time? In fact, the leaves of the Wollziest (Stachys byzantina) so soft that they are popularly referred to as rabbit or donkey ears. The reason for this is a woolly hair, which gives the evergreen leaves not only a great texture but also an unusual appearance. Its flowers, on the other hand, are quite inconspicuous, but with their pink to silvery-white color by no means to be despised. The Wollziest prefers sunny locations, but the evergreen plant reacts very sensitively to waterlogged and winter wetness.

7. Little evergreen

The name of the evergreen (Vinca minor) is the program: With a height of only 10 to 30 cm, the plant is not one of the big ones, but it retains its beautiful, dark green leaves even in winter. But the little evergreen is especially beautiful in spring - it wears from April to September Plant small, pure blue flowers, which turn them from an inconspicuous ground cover into a real eye-catcher transform. In addition, the little evergreen is extremely easy to care for and adaptable, so it can thrive in almost any location.

8. Woodruff

Woodruff (Galium odoratum) is not only extremely popular in terms of taste, but is also ideal as a ground cover. The forest plant spreads by itself, especially in shady beds, and impresses with its aromatic smell and small, white flowers. Woodruff also impresses with its robust and easy-care nature. The woodruff is not advised to use it in the kitchen, because an overdose can quickly lead to dizziness, headaches or even liver damage.

9. Carnations

Cloves (Armeria) are a real feast for the eyes: The plant forms individually standing inflorescence shafts, on each of which a hemispherical flower appears in red, white or yellow. The bushy, evergreen perennial is not only beautiful but also very robust. Despite its height of up to 20 cm, the carnation is astonishingly windproof and durable, which makes it ideal for planting gardens by the sea.

10. Sedums

The name Sedum plant does not sound particularly attractive, but the plant that goes with it is definitely: the sedum plant (Sedum) impresses with their beautiful flower umbrellas, but their ornamental leaf rosettes are also a real ornament, after all they shine in all possible colors from silver green to copper red. With almost 500 varieties, the sedum plant has quite a few variations to offer, but unfortunately only the smaller varieties such as the white sedum plant are suitable (Sedum album) as ground cover, but they are very easy to care for.

11. Felty hornwort

Whether as an evergreen ground cover or as an ornamental plant in the rock garden: The felted hornwort (Cerastium tomentosum) almost always cuts a fine figure. With its gray-felt leaves and rapid growth, the plant is ideal as a ground cover for sunny locations. In May, however, the hornwort first shows its true beauty and bears its large, bright white star-shaped flowers, which make the flower a great eye-catcher in the rock garden.

12. Bellflower

Bluebells (Campanula) are already a popular ornament in gardens because of their pretty flowers, but many do not even know the potential of beautiful plants. In fact, numerous types of bluebells are ideal as ground cover. There is something for every garden: The hanging upholstered bellflower (Campanula poscharskyana) prefer it shady, the dwarf bellflower (Campanula cochleariifolia) is characterized mainly by its winter hardiness and the Carpathian bellflower (Campanula carpartia) bears not only blue, but also purple and white flowers, depending on the variety.

13. Pennywort

With its good growth and its easy-care nature, the pennywort (Lysimachia nummularia) has already proven itself as a ground cover in many gardens. Pennyweed is particularly popular as a planting on pond edges, because it thrives well on moist soil. With its round, light green leaves and the approximately cent-sized, golden yellow flowers, the pennywort is also extremely decorative.

14. Pink evening primrose

Beautiful by day and by night - the pink evening primrose (Oenothera speciosa) is a real eye-catcher with its delicately shimmering flowers, which flaunts its beauty day and night. It is rather persistent and blooms continuously from June to September. The only thing that the ground cover does not tolerate well is the harsh winter - if the temperatures drop too low, parts of the beautiful plant can freeze to death. However, the pink evening primrose is blessed with an enormous joy in spreading and vitality, so they often come to life again in spring and quickly find their place in the bed again fought for.

15. Sand thyme

If you are looking for a ground cover for all your senses, you will find it with the Sand thyme (Thymus serpyllum) just the right plant. With its small pink to purple-colored flowers, the sand thyme not only cuts a fine figure, its scent also enchants every herb lover. But the taste of the sand thyme also matches its big brother, the Real thyme (Thymus vulgaris) in nothing and is ideal as a spice. Since the sand thyme is also easy to grow and is evergreen, it is also ideal as a ground cover for your garden.

16. Dead nettle

Whether in the sun or in the shade, the dead nettle (Lamium) is suitable for almost any location. With around 50 species, the dead nettle is particularly interesting for horticultural design because of its versatility - there are summer and winter green, annual and perennial variations. However, they all combine their beautiful leaves, which are similar to those of a nettle (but fortunately do not sting), and their pretty flowers. In addition, dead nettles are particularly hardy, persistent and easy to care for.

17. Blood-red cranesbill

The blood-red cranesbill (Geranium sanguineum) is probably one of the most popular perennials in hobby gardens. No wonder, after all it is Cranesbill species particularly floriferous and inspires from May to September with its crimson red flowers. At the same time, the perennial plant is also extremely undemanding and easy to care for. It cuts a particularly good figure as a ground cover in sunny locations.

18. Elven flower

She is the jewel in the shadow garden - the Elven flower (Epimedium) impresses with its beautiful foliage and great flowers. The type of elven flower is roughly divided into two large groups: The wintergreen representatives are extraordinarily robust and vigorous and are therefore particularly suitable as ground cover. The deciduous species, on the other hand, are more sensitive to waterlogging, but show an unimagined one Abundance of flower variations - both groups make a perfect ground cover for shade gardens away.

19. Canadian dogwood

Most know dogwood (Cornus) probably much more than ornamental trees and not as ground cover - in fact the genus also includes a beautiful ground cover, perennial growing species. The Canadian Dogwood (Cornus canadensis), also known as carpet dogwood, is only a few centimeters high and is perfect as a ground cover for shady gardens. From July to August, the plant not only impresses with its beautiful leaves, but also with its white or pink flowers. Later on, the Canadian dogwood bears extremely decorative red berries that are non-toxic.

20. Houseleek

Heat, cold, drought? For houseleek (Sempervivum) no problem - the indestructible mini perennials grow even where hardly any other plant can withstand and stay beautifully green even in winter. The thick-leaved plants only need sun, otherwise they lose their typical shape and do not bloom. But not only its robustness but also its appearance makes the houseleek a great ground cover: Almost 3000 varieties offer interesting rosette shapes, beautiful leaf colors and attractive flowers of all kinds that many passionate collectors love have learned.

Many ground cover are not only easy to care for, but are also considered to be particularly bee-friendly. In our special article you will find 15 bee-friendly ground cover for each location that can help you support the bees in your garden.

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