Choosing what to plant between stepping stones can make a huge difference in your garden’s look and feel. A low-maintenance ground cover is the perfect solution, blending beauty with practicality to create a seamless path.
These plants fill the gaps, suppress weeds, and handle light foot traffic. They turn a simple walkway into a charming garden feature without demanding constant care. Let’s look at how to pick and grow the best options for your space.
What To Plant Between Stepping Stones – Low-Maintenance Ground Cover
This heading is your starting point for a easier garden. The right plants will thrive in the tight spaces and poor soil often found between pavers. They need to be tough, adaptable, and slow-growing to minimize upkeep.
Key Factors for Choosing Your Plants
Before you pick a plant, consider your specific path. Not every ground cover will work in every location. Asking a few key questions will guide you to the best choice.
- Sun Exposure: How much sun does the path get? Full sun (6+ hours), part shade, or full shade? This is the most important factor.
- Foot Traffic: Is this a main walkway or a decorative, occasional path? Some plants can handle being stepped on; others are more for looks.
- Climate and Hardiness: Check your USDA hardiness zone. Make sure the plant can survive your winters.
- Soil and Drainage: Soil between stones is often thin and compacted. Good drainage is crucial to prevent rot.
- Growth Speed and Height: You want a plant that fills in nicely but won’t rapidly overrun the stones or grow too tall.
Top Low-Maintenance Ground Cover Choices
Here are some of the most reliable and attractive plants for between stepping stones. They are selected for their durability and minimal care needs.
For Sunny, Well-Drained Paths
These plants love the sun and can tolerate drier conditions once established.
- Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum): Fragrant, tiny leaves with pink or purple flowers. It’s drought-tolerant and handles light foot traffic beautifully, releasing a lovely scent when brushed against.
- Sedum (Stonecrop): Succulent leaves that store water. Varieties like ‘Angelina’ or creeping sedums are excellent. They are incredibly drought-tolerant and come in colors from green to gold to red.
- Dwarf Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon japonicus ‘Nana’): Forms tight clumps of dark green, grass-like leaves. It’s very slow-growing, neat, and tolerates partial shade too.
- Elfin Thyme (Thymus serpyllum ‘Elfin’): An even tinier, slower-growing thyme that forms a dense, moss-like mat. It’s perfect for narrow gaps.
- Irish Moss (Sagina subulata): Forms a soft, emerald-green cushion. It prefers cooler climates and consistent moisture, but is worth it for its lush appearance.
For Shady or Partly Shady Areas
These plants thrive where the sun doesn’t shine as strongly.
- Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’): Offers bright chartreuse leaves that light up shady spots. It can be vigorous, so plant it where it can be contained or between widely spaced stones.
- Corsican Mint (Mentha requienii): The smallest mint, with tiny leaves and a strong peppermint scent. It loves moisture and shade, and can’t handle heavy stepping.
- Blue Star Creeper (Isotoma fluviatilis): Produces a carpet of tiny green leaves covered in pale blue star-shaped flowers. It likes moist soil and sun to part shade.
- Mazus (Mazus reptans): Spreads quickly to form a green mat with purple or white flowers in spring. It tolerates damp soil and partial shade well.
How to Plant Between Stepping Stones
Proper planting ensures your ground covers establish well and last for years. It’s not difficult, but doing it right saves work later.
- Prepare the Gaps: Remove any existing weeds or grass from between the stones. Dig out the soil to a depth of about 3 to 4 inches. Loosen the soil at the bottom.
- Improve the Soil: Mix in some compost or a well-draining potting mix with the existing soil. This gives the young plants a nutrient boost and improves drainage, which is vital.
- Planting: Gently remove plants from their pots and tease apart the roots if they are pot-bound. Place small divisions or plugs into the gaps, firming the soil around them. Space them according to the plant’s spread rate.
- Water Thoroughly: Water the newly planted areas gently but deeply. This helps settle the soil and eliminates air pockets around the roots.
- Initial Care: Water regularly for the first few weeks until the plants are established. After that, most of these ground covers will only need water during prolonged dry spells.
Maintenance Tips for a Tidy Look
Even low-maintenance plants need a little attention. These simple steps will keep your path looking its best with minimal effort.
- Weeding: Hand-pull any weeds that appear early, before they set seed. The dense mat of your ground cover will eventually do most of the weeding for you.
- Trimming: Once a year, give aggressive growers like Creeping Jenny a light trim to keep them from covering the stone surfaces. For flowering thymes, a trim after blooming can encourage denser growth.
- Watering: Water during extreme drought, even for drought-tolerant plants. A deep soak is better than frequent light sprinklings.
- Dividing: Every few years, you may need to divide plants that have become too thick. Simply lift a section, separate it, and replant a smaller piece.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Avoiding these pitfalls will save you time and frustration. Even experienced gardeners can make a few of these errors.
- Choosing Fast Spreaders: Avoid plants labeled “vigorous” or “aggressive” unless your stones are very widely spaced. They can quickly become a nuisance.
- Ignoring Height: Tall plants between stones look messy and get trampled. Always check the mature height and aim for plants under 3 inches.
- Poor Soil Preparation: Skipping the soil amendment step. Plants struggle to establish in hard, compacted dirt, leading to weak growth or death.
- Overwatering: Once established, most ground covers for paths prefer drier conditions. Overwatering can cause rot, especially in shady areas.
- Planting Too Deep: The crown of the plant (where the stems meet the roots) should be level with the soil surface. Planting to deep can smother it.
FAQ Section
What is the most durable ground cover for high-traffic stepping stones?
Creeping thyme is often the top choice for durability. It can handle being walked on regularly and bounces back quickly. Sedum is also very tough in sunny spots.
Can I use grass between stepping stones?
While grass can work, it is not low-maintenance. It requires frequent mowing and edging to keep it from looking unkempt. A low-growing ground cover is usually a more practical and attractive option.
How do I stop weeds from growing between my stepping stones?
The best defense is a healthy, dense ground cover plant that leaves no room for weeds to germinate. For bare areas, you can use a polymeric sand in the joints, but this prevents any planting. Regular hand-weeding when they are small is also effective.
What can I put between stepping stones besides plants?
For a completely no-maintenance option, you can use gravel, decomposed granite, or moss (for shady areas). These materials fill the gaps and suppress weeds without any need for planting or watering.
When is the best time to plant between stepping stones?
Spring or early fall are ideal. The mild temperatures and typically good rainfall help plants establish their root systems without the stress of summer heat or winter cold.
Selecting the right low-maintenance ground cover for your stepping stone path is a rewarding project. It adds texture, color, and life to your garden while reducing your weekend chores. By considering your conditions and following the simple planting steps, you’ll create a beautiful, living pathway that lasts for seasons to come. Remember, the goal is to enjoy your garden, not just work in it.