closeup of brick steps bordered by greenery

Pairing Ground Cover and Pavers: A Style-Driven Guide for High-End Hardscapes

You’ve found the right pavers for your project — but what about ground cover? Whether you’re a landscape architect, designer, or discerning client, selecting the best ground cover between pavers can be surprisingly difficult.

The right plant choice softens edges and lends balance to the hardscape, all while offering benefits like drought tolerance, durability, and low maintenance. In this guide, we explore a wide variety of options for driveway pavers, garden path layouts, stone steps, and courtyard approaches. In addition, we discuss how to navigate these options based on climate, use, and other factors.

After all: When ground cover and pavers are paired well, the landscape feels cohesive, harmonious, and intentional.

closeup of thyme plant with purple flowers

Thyme plant. Photo courtesy of Aleksandra Sapozhnikova.

overhead shot of paver walkway lined with moss

Moss lined paver walkway. Photo courtesy of KC Shum.

closeup overhead of green sedum succulent plant

Sedum plant. Photo courtesy of Ruth Mecham.

Ground Cover Between Pavers: Refined Selections and How to Pair Them

Just ahead are some of the most common types of ground cover found between pavers. You’ll find each one paired with typical paving materials, along with some practical notes for landscape and hardscape projects. Use these guidelines to help inform your next project — whether you’re softening the walkway with creeping thyme or defining edges with mondo grass.

Creeping Thyme: A Fragrant Fit for Travertine’s Warm Undertones

Creeping thyme is an excellent choice when your project calls for low, aromatic coverage. Its tiny flowers and compact habit create a dappled, seasonal carpet that complements warm-hued natural stone pavers such as tumbled travertine or limestone.

This also happens to be a drought tolerant ground cover between pavers — great for exposed, sun-drenched approaches. Thyme’s low water needs and tolerance for light foot traffic make it a solid choice for narrow joints and stepping patterns, as well.

Don’t forget to consider root depth, seasonal bloom windows, and salt tolerance where there will be deicing. Specifying the joint profile and any maintenance requirements can help ensure this type of ground cover complements warm travertine pavers for years to come.

Blue Star Creeper: Soft Structure for Geometric Cement Layouts

Blue star creeper offers a low, even texture that pairs famously with geometric cement pavers. Its small, star-shaped blooms and dense habit reinforce formal geometry without competing with bold paving patterns. Where cement pavers form rectilinear or modular grids, blue star creeper maintains a restrained look that tolerates moderate foot traffic.

Be sure to specify cultivars that can handle the climate’s freeze-thaw cycles, and consider permeable joint details to accommodate runoff. Don’t forget to test compaction tolerance and joint material before specifying, as well. Coordinating sample panels with your contractor can confirm how this ground cover will behave long-term.

Dymondia: Silver-Toned Contrast for Modern Brick or Terracotta

Dymondia has silvery foliage and a tight, mat-forming habit that contrasts beautifully with the warm reds of brick pavers (or the earthen tones of terracotta). Its reflective leaves reduce glare and visually lighten dense paving fields, making it a thoughtful option for courtyards and narrow alleys.

As always, choose cultivars and installation methods that match the local climate. (While drought tolerant, dymondia does benefit from occasional irrigation during extreme heat.) In addition, make sure the joint width and soil type will manage drainage and root competition properly.

closeup of low growing pink and white wildflowers

Low-ground wildflowers. Photo courtesy of Clara Metivier Beukes.

Mondo Grass: Bold Texture Beneath Large-Format Stone

Mondo grass adds a vertical element to the landscape, with strappy leaves that punctuate the joints of large-format natural stone pavers. Its linear texture pairs well with oversized slabs and stone steps where a pronounced joint line is part of the overall landscape design.

Available in variegated and compact cultivars, mondo grass tolerates light foot traffic and performs well in shaded to partially shaded conditions. This makes it an especially versatile choice for terraces and transition zones.

Be sure to plan for routine trimming to keep edge lines crisp and prevent encroachment. Also, don’t forget to confirm cultivar selection for freeze tolerance and sun exposure during specification.

Irish and Scotch Moss: Lush Pairings for Cooler, Shaded Environments

Irish and Scotch mosses create plush, emerald carpets ideal for shaded garden path conditions and formal outdoor areas. It’s a solid choice for any project that calls for a soft and tactile underfoot experience.

The fine texture of these mosses contrasts beautifully with coarse stone or weathered slate. Do keep in mind that mosses require consistent moisture and low disturbance, so they are a good fit for sheltered courtyards, pedestrian-only promenades, and areas with limited seasonal freezing.

When working with Irish or Scotch moss, specify irrigation strategies, shade modeling, and protection during your project to ensure the look stands the test of time. Additionally, plan for gentle maintenance to preserve the moss’s dense and velvety texture.

Sedum Varieties: Minimalist Grounding for Streamlined Cement Designs

Sedums — particularly low-growing, mat-forming varieties — offer succulent texture and drought resilience that pairs naturally with contemporary cement hardscapes. Their fleshy leaves store water, making sedum one of the best drought tolerant ground cover options for arid or Mediterranean climates.

Use sedum in narrow joints or wider infill panels, and select species with growth habits that match the intended joint width and expected trampling. Also be sure to coordinate substrate depth and drainage, and specify binder or infill materials that prevent washout.

tan travertine paver laying on an image of a brick driveway area

Pemberley Pavers, 2x8" Cigar, Sand, Tumbled

closeup of a black classic car parked on a grey stone paved driveway

OUTERclé Drive Collection

The Role of Ground Cover in High-End Outdoor Design

Ground cover offers both aesthetic appeal and function. From softening edges and framing movement to influencing how paving materials read over time, it truly wears many hats. Here are just a few of the reasons designers and architects integrate ground cover into their hardscaping ideas.

Visual Softening and Structural Framing

Ground cover provides a visual counterpoint to hard materials, softening edges while reinforcing circulation and hierarchy. Well placed plant infill can complement earth tones, frame stone steps, and modulate transitions between driveway pavers and adjacent plantings.

Finding the best choice for a particular project means balancing scale, color temperature, and maintenance responsibility so the ground cover reads as intentional rather than incidental. Always specify erosion control measures, edge restraints, and maintenance responsibilities in the construction documents to protect the design over time.

Enhancing Tone, Finish, and Sensory Flow

Beyond function, ground cover affects the perceived finish of pavers. Cool greens can mute high-gloss porcelain or polished stone, for example, while silver-leafed species warm the perception of brick pavers and terracotta. Aromatic species like creeping thyme can also introduce olfactory cues that animate a garden path.

Consider how ground cover will appear under any nearby lighting — and how its seasonal cycles will influence the design throughout the year. Document any olfactory, tactile, and lighting objectives in the project specifications to ensure your suppliers and contractors are all aligned.

Creating Layered, Intentional Landscapes

Ground cover is an excellent tool for layering: it nestles between structural paving, frames planting beds, and supports biodiversity in microhabitats. Consider the ecological role of your ground cover selections — whether it’s pollinator support, soil stabilization, or moisture retention — when integrating ground cover into the hardscape.

As with any project, always document your preferred suppliers, planting densities, and establishment timelines in the construction documents to ensure your design intent becomes a reality. Including a clear maintenance regime can also help the planting mature into the intended composition.

overhead shot of tan brick pavers laid in a herringbone pattern

Brickworks, 4x8" Mason, Pampas Grass

Choosing Ground Cover Based on Climate and Use

A site’s climate will, of course, dictate which ground cover choices are the most appropriate for your project. Here is some helpful guidance for arid sites, shaded conditions, and varying functional uses, including walkways, borders, and driveway landscaping.

Drought-Tolerant Options for Arid Zones

In arid regions, you’ll need to specify drought tolerant ground cover between pavers. Excellent choices include sedum, creeping thyme, and certain dymondia cultivars. These plants reduce irrigation demands and pair well with permeable jointing systems that capture episodic rainfall.

Align your selection with the project’s water budget and any local codes for driveway landscaping and stormwater management. In addition, it’s always a good idea to prioritize native species.

Ground Covers for Partial Shade and Moisture-Retaining Soils

For sites with canopy cover or north-facing exposures, you’ll want to favor mosses, mondo grass, or shade-tolerant sedums that thrive in cooler, moisture-retaining soils. Be sure to match plant selection to the microclimate, as well — particularly under eaves, near retaining walls, or next to mature trees where root competition will change the establishment requirements.

To protect softer species from compaction, always document any soil tests and mulching strategies for your project. Specifying maintenance protocols can also help protect the integrity of your design. Coordinate these protective measures during installation to limit early trampling.

Matching Texture and Form to Function: Walkways vs. Borders

It helps to decide whether the ground cover’s role is structural (such as providing erosion control between driveway pavers) or merely aesthetic (such as framing stone steps and planting edges). Low and dense ground cover options suit pedestrian-focused walkways that call for a soft underfoot sensation. Taller, grasslike forms are a solid choice for edges and borders that require a stronger visual edge.

Pairing ground cover and pavers elevates any outdoor space from infrastructure to layered landscape. For your projects, always prioritize selections that support the intended aesthetic, local climate, and maintenance expectations — whether you’re planning an exposed driveway or a shaded garden path. With careful specification and collaborative mock-ups, plants and pavers will come together to create a space like none other.

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