Protect your soil from weeds and drought this summer with a living mulch of ground covers

Swap some lawn for these drought-tolerant clumping plants — and watch your maintenance efforts diminish while they easily grow

Masses of purple blossoms and finely textured foliage cover the ground of arid gardens from spring to fall

These low-growing succulents create interest in the drought-tolerant garden

Sandpaper verbena's deep purple flowers create a colorful carpet in drought-tolerant gardens

Don’t let its delicate looks fool you. This ground cover can survive extreme cold and heat, and with little water to boot

Use them as problem solvers, weed killers, color and texture providers ... ground cover plants have both practical and visual appeal

Sun beating down on your sandy gravel? Thick shade darkening your clay soil? There’s a ground cover here for you

It’s highly adaptable, suppresses weeds, reduces erosion and provide weeks of bright flowers. Just watch for invasiveness

Learn about some of the only low, spreading plants that are reliably deer-resistant