Creeping Perennials
Looking to fill those spaces between stepping stones or pavers? It's never too late to get a low-growing, creeping, "steppable" plant to fill the space.
There are many tough little perennial plants, ranging in height from a 1/4 of an inch to 3 inches or so, that are perfect for use between stepping stones and pavers. These low-growing and spreading plants not only provide soil cover, but they also prohibit weed growth and prevent soil from erosion. Also, when stepped on, many varieties of creeping perennials will bounce right back.
Some of my favorite plants for use between stepping stones are Blue Star Creeper, Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia), Creeping Wire Vine, Creeping Thyme, Mazus (for damp areas), Sedums, and Dwarf Mondo Grass (for shady areas). But there are many other choices.
TIP: I like to plant an assortment of varieties. But then I always choose the more wild, natural look. This way, if one variety doesn't like the environment and dies off, I still have the other varieties that will fill in.
Selecting Creeping Perennials
Before you rush out to buy your creeping perennials, you need to make an assessment of where you’ll plant them. Match the plant to the environment by answering the follow questions:
How much traffic?
Not all creeping perennials will handle lots of foot traffic. The rule of thumb is this: The more delicate the leaf structure, the less traffic they’ll be able to withstand. Plants such as Dwarf Mondo Grass will tolerate more foot traffic than Sedums.
How is the soil drainage?
Some creeping perennials, such as Mazus and Creeping Jenny, prefer or will tolerate consistently moist or damp soil. Others, such as Sedums (Stonecrop) and Creeping Thyme prefer a more well-drained soil.
How much sunlight?
Make sure when selecting a creeping perennial that you match the plant with the amount of sun exposure in the planting area.
Click here to see stepable plants currently in the Gardenality Plant Files
Planting
Consider space between stones
Space between stepping stones and pavers will vary on type of path. Sometimes there's only an inch or two space between stones or pavers used in walkways, paths or patios, while on others, such as a more natural woodland path, there may be as much as 6-12" between stones. If you plant a wide spreading plant in a pathway that provides only narrow spaces between the stones, the plants will quickly cover the stones or you'll need to do more trimming to keep the plants inbounds. In narrow spaces use slower spreading plants such as Mondo Grass or Blue star Creeper. Fast growing and wide sreading plants, such as Creeping Jenny and Creeping Wire Vine are best for the wider spaces.
Planting your creeping perennials
When planting your creeping perennials, plant a full plant in wider spaces for faster “fill-in”. In small spaces, you can use a utility knife to cut some types of creeping perennials into halves or quarters. If the space is very tight, try slicing long slender pieces to tuck in. If your existing path needs more space, you can chisel out some of the original path to create more of a gap for your plants. If necessary, add soil amendment to the native soil removed from the planting hole to condition the soil.
