8 Groundcover Planting Approaches for Gaps Inside a Small Flower Bed

Bare soil between established ornamentals can be filled with low, regionally appropriate groundcovers without turning the bed into a crowded mat. Match each planting pattern to the gap’s sun, moisture, and mature plant spread, and expect to weed and water new plants while they establish.

DRBy Dana RuizPublished October 24, 2026

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Groundcovers with rounded, ribbed, and fine foliage fill gaps among established perennials beside a garden path.

1.Repeat Low Clumps Along the Openest Spaces

Place matching low, clump-forming groundcovers in the widest spaces between existing ornamentals. Repeating one plant in a few open areas makes a mixed bed look connected without covering every bit of soil.

Low matching groundcover clumps fill wide gaps between established grasses and perennials beside a small patio.

Set each clump far enough from perennial crowns that air can move around them and mature plants can still be divided later. Small starter plants are an affordable way to begin, and mulch can cover the remaining soil while the clumps widen.

Worth knowing: This approach will not hide a large bare area quickly, and clumps may need occasional division if they begin to press into neighboring plants.

2.Plant a Loose Plug Grid in a Broad Bare Patch

A broad open patch can take a staggered arrangement of small groundcover plugs. The offset rows look more natural than straight lines and help the planting fill in evenly over time.

A staggered grid of small groundcover plugs planted in a bare patch within an established flower bed.

Use the plant’s stated mature width to determine spacing rather than planting tightly for instant coverage. Keep the patch weeded and watered during establishment, especially where surrounding perennials compete for moisture.

Worth knowing: A plug grid can look sparse for a while, and close spacing to speed up coverage can create crowding later.

3.Use a Drought-Tolerant Patch on the Sunny Side

Reserve the hottest, driest part of the bed for a groundcover suited to sun and fast-draining soil. This works well along patios, walls, or gravelly areas where taller plants may leave an open gap below them.

A low drought-tolerant groundcover patch fills a dry sunny corner of a small flower bed beside a patio.

Prepare only the planting zone with compost or other suitable soil improvement if needed, then use a light mulch that will not trap excess moisture around the plants. Keep this patch separate from plants that need regularly damp soil, since one watering routine may not suit both.

Worth knowing: Even drought-tolerant groundcovers need regular watering while their roots establish, particularly during hot or windy weather.

4.Tuck Shade-Tolerant Plants Beneath Open Canopies

Gaps beneath airy shrubs and tall perennials can hold shade-tolerant groundcovers with foliage that remains useful after nearby flowers fade. Choose plants for the actual conditions under the canopy, including whether the soil stays dry from root competition.

Shade-tolerant groundcover planted in leaf-littered soil beneath an established shrub in a small bed.

Plant carefully between larger roots instead of digging a wide, deep hole that damages the shrub. Leaf compost can help improve the surface soil, but a shallow layer is usually more practical than trying to rebuild soil around established roots.

Worth knowing: Deep shade and dense root systems can limit growth, so some areas may be better left mulched rather than heavily planted.

5.Mix Leaf Shapes for Coverage Between Bloom Seasons

Use a small mix of compatible groundcovers with clearly different leaf shapes, such as rounded leaves beside fine or ribbed foliage. The contrast gives an empty-looking area texture when surrounding perennials are between bloom periods.

Limit the mix to plants with similar light and moisture needs, then repeat each one in more than one spot rather than collecting many single plants. This keeps the bed readable and lets foliage do the visual work without relying on constant flowers.

Worth knowing: A mixed planting needs more careful editing than a single-species patch, since one faster-growing plant can overwhelm the others.

6.Test One Small Patch Around a Mature Perennial

Try a groundcover in a partial ring beside one mature perennial before using it throughout the bed. Leave clear soil around the perennial crown so moisture does not collect there and the main plant remains easy to inspect.

A small trial ring of groundcover plants sits around, but not against, the crown of an established perennial.

A few starter plants are enough for a trial patch, making this a lower-commitment way to see how quickly the groundcover spreads and how it handles the bed’s watering pattern. Watch for signs that the new plants are competing with the established perennial for water or space.

Worth knowing: A trial needs a full growing period, and sometimes longer, before it shows how the groundcover behaves in that location.

7.Make One Contained Interior Gap a Single-Species Carpet

Give one defined interior opening a calm, single-species groundcover carpet. A repeated leaf shape creates a visual pause among mixed perennials and makes the gap look planned rather than left over.

A single-species groundcover carpet fills one contained oval gap inside a small mixed flower bed.

Choose a regionally appropriate, noninvasive plant with a spread that can be monitored easily in a small bed. A curved edge of mulch, pavers, or simple bed edging can clarify the patch, though the groundcover will still need occasional trimming or lifting at the boundary.

Worth knowing: A single-species carpet can become monotonous if it takes up too much of a very small bed.

8.Repeat Small Patches Around Separate Specimen Plants

Use the same groundcover in several small islands near separate shrubs or specimen perennials. These repeated patches create rhythm across an L-shaped or irregular bed while leaving each larger plant enough open ground for its mature footprint.

Repeated small groundcover islands link specimen shrubs across an L-shaped patio flower bed.

Keep every island away from trunks, crowns, and woody stems, and vary the outlines slightly so they do not look stamped into place. Planting a few small areas at a time is easier to water and weed than converting every gap in one weekend.

Worth knowing: Several small patches can look scattered if the specimen plants are too far apart or the groundcover is not repeated consistently.

About the author

Dana Ruiz, Senior editor

Dana writes about small-space living, storage and low-cost decorating.

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