Tough plants to adorn your path

Weeds growing in your path can be a real eyesore, especially if they spill over and start growing in your yard. To eliminate that problem, grow perennial plants between stones in a path.

To eliminate the problem of weeds spilling into your path, grow perennial plants between stones in a path. These plants can all tolerate some foot traffic: creeping thyme/mother-of-thyme, woolly thyme, carpet bugleweed/Ajuga reptans, creeping jenny/creeping charlie/moneywort, dead nettle/creeping lamium, blue star creeper, brass buttons, Mazus reptans and sedum.

• The amount of sunlight reaching your path (full sun, partial shade, full shade), because different plants thrive under different conditions.
• The amount of traffic the plants will need to endure. Light traffic means the plants will be stepped on once or twice a week. Moderate traffic is once a day. And heavy traffic is similar to walking on your lawn several times a day.
• The type of soil (poor or rich) and moisture conditions (wet or dry).
• Appearance — plant height, texture and colour. If the path is heavily travelled, keep the plant height extremely low to prevent tripping.

Then take your list to a local nursery specialist who can walk you through the options best suited for your area. Also note how the plants grow and spread — to determine plant spacing and the number of plants you need to buy. Be sure to avoid plants that are considered invasive species in your area. You can find this list online or ask your local nursery specialist.It's difficult to grow anything in a trampled area. The soil gets so compacted that roots cannot deliver water and nutrients to the plant. Add good drainage as well as a layer of topsoil at least 2.5 centimetres (one inch) deep around the stones so your ground cover can thrive.Finally, help your new ground cover prosper with a weekly soaking (the plants need to stay moist) and a weekly hand weeding. And if you'd like to keep the plants short between the stones, consider varieties that tolerate mowing, such as thyme and ajuga.

1. Creeping thyme (mother-of-thyme) 

Thymus serpyllum

Zones: 4 through 9 Height: 5 to 10 centimetres (two to four inches)

Plant spreads 30 centimetres (12 inches)

Full sun to shade

Withstands heavy traffic

2. Carpet bugleweed (ajuga)

Ajuga reptans

Zones: 3 through 9

Height: 10 to 15 centimetres (four to six inches)

Plant spreads 30 to 45 centimetres (12 to 18 inches)

Full sun to partial shade

Withstands moderate traffic

3. Creeping jenny (creeping charlie, moneywort)

Lysimachia nummularia

Zones: 4 through 8

Height: five to 10 centimetres (two to four inches)

Plant spreads 45 to 58 centimetres (18 to 23 inches)

Partial shade

Withstands moderate traffic

4. Dead nettle (creeping lamium)

Lamium maculatum

Zones: 4 through 8

Height: 15 to 20 centimetres (six to eight inches)

Plant spreads 45 to 58 centimetres (18 to 23 inches)

Partial to full shade

Withstands moderate traffic