What to Plant Between Pavers & Stepping Stones

Many pathway gaps are neglected and will become a home for weeds. But where some may see awkward spaces between stepping stones, others see potential. Plants between pavers can soften hard lines, adding a lush, living element to the design.

It’s relatively easy to fill the cracks between pavers with creeping plants that will stay low, won’t mind being squashed a bit, and may even be fragrant.  But how to prepare and which plants to choose?

Requirements:

The plants should be low growing, ranging in height from basically flat to 2 inches tall. Anything taller could be trip pedestrians and make the pavers look as if they are sinking, even drowning.

A plant that grows between pavers should be tough and durable to withstand occasional trampling by foot or paw and must require as little maintenance as possible.  Not all creeping perennials will handle lots of foot traffic.  A rule of thumb is this: The more delicate the leaf structure, the less traffic they’ll be able to withstand. 

How much sunlight? Does the area receive full or mostly direct sun, morning sun with afternoon shade, morning shade with afternoon sun, or shade, or mostly shade?
There are creeping plants for any amount of sunlight or lack thereof.

Don't forget the hardiness zones!  Not every plant thrives in tough winters.

Before You Plant
The key to ground cover success is to add enough loose, nutrient-rich soil between the stones, preferably at least 5 inches deep for roots to grow and with gaps at least two inches wide.

Use scissors to cut apart 2-to-3-inch-wide chunks that contain several plants and their roots.  Space the chunks 6 to 8 inches apart in the ground.  Cover the bare spots with some light soil or compost that will help retain surface moisture until the plants fill in.

Which Plants to Choose:

- Plants for Sunny Areas:

Creeping Thyme

Blue star creeper 

Corsican mint

Irish moss

Hen and Chicken

- Plants for Shade Areas:

Sweet woodruff

Baby’s tears

Mondo grass

Creeping Jenny

Water the soil between pavers well before you start planting.  During the hottest and dryest months, sprinkle the area during early morning hours, before the sun rises.  

Brilliant sunshine is great for established plants, but young ones don't like it much. So,
try to plant on dull or rainy days or in the late hours of the day. For a couple of days, a

kind of make-shift "tent" also helps to save the young plants from too much sunlight.

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