Gardeners can banish weeds naturally by growing three common plants, according to award-winning garden writer and blogger Graham Rice. Writing on the Richard Jackson Garden website, Rice explained that ground cover plants are “attractive plants that naturally smother weeds” and leave no spaces for weeds to grow.
Why Choose Ground Cover Plants?
Many gardeners struggle with weeds, and while weed killer is one method, many people are becoming more opposed to using chemicals in their gardens. Manual weeding is straightforward and effective but can be painful, especially with nettles and brambles.
Rice said ground cover plants are much better at making new weeds “magically disappear”. However, well-established weeds need to be removed first.
The Three Plants to Grow
Hostas are “the real stars” of preventing weeds. Their leaves overlap, creating darkness underneath so “the weeds don’t get a look in”. They thrive in shade and in sun if the soil is not parched, and different varieties knit together to form a seamless blanket of weed suppression.
Bugle keeps out weeds by creeping over the soil surface, putting down roots as it goes, and the leaves knit together to leave no space for weeds. Only a few centimetres high, its leaves come in colours like green, bronze, pink, cream, and white.
Lady’s mantle, also known as lchemilla, are “fantastic plants” that do three jobs: broad rounded leaves spread in a “weed-smothering mass”, upright flower stems crowd out weeds, and the flowers are like “masses of tiny stars in a lovely chartreuse shade”. The flowers last well in water, and lady’s mantle is traditionally used around roses to hide bare stems.
