Ground cover plants are easy-care surface fillers, decorative weed inhibitors and natural soil improvers. In addition to all these advantages, there can be another one: some of them are also spicy kitchen refiners!
Which ground cover plants are suitable as herbs for the garden?
Ground cover herbs are ideal for greening areas and providing tasty spice at the same time. Thyme, iceweed, nasturtium, Bachbunge, Gundermann, Himalayan knotweed and Dost are suitable for sunny locations. Wild garlic, woodruff and mint are suitable for shady areas.
Just fill areas? Boring
You can get much more out of ground cover plants than just planting bare areas with low-maintenance greenery. The real garden crack combines a few other uses with this mundane main purpose. On the one hand, there would be the possibility of protecting exposed embankments from erosion. Or to automatically keep the soil under bushes and trees free of weeds, moistened and nutrient-rich. Many ground cover plants with pretty flowers and/or attractive leaf structure also have a high ornamental value.
A positive side effect that is not immediately associated with ground cover plants is the spice for the kitchen. Some low perennials, which are often used to fill areas or for rock gardens, are also tasty herbs - so why not kill two birds with one stone when it comes to pragmatic area greening and create a stock of spices at the same time?
Note location
The use of herb varieties is particularly suitable when planting ground cover in the garden - because if you want to benefit from the fresh seasoning in your daily cooking, you don't have far to go for the harvest. When selecting the herb ground cover, the location conditions of the area to be planted should of course be taken into account. Is it shady or sunny? Is the soil lean or rich in nutrients and humus? Here are a few suggestions for herb ground cover plants for different locations:
for sunny locations:
- Thyme: classic Mediterranean seasoning, many different varieties
- Ice herb: as a crunchy salad garnish
- Nasturtium: spicy salad addition, buds and flowers are also edible
- Bach exercise: salad addition, spinach substitute, anti-inflammatory, blood purifying
- Gundermann/Gundelrebe: as a salad seasoning
- Himalayan knotweed: for anti-inflammatory teas
- Dost/Oregano: fine, Mediterranean spice
for shady locations:
- Wild garlic: green, fresh garlic substitute, for salads and pestos
- Woodruff: for May punch, syrup, liqueur, pudding
- Mint: for tea, as a salad herb, for extracts and oils
like poor soils:
- Thyme
- Iceweed
- Dost/Oregano
need nutrient-rich soil
- Wild garlic
- Mint
- Woodruff (humos)
Many of the herb ground cover plants mentioned have another advantage in the garden: some are so aromatic that they appeal to the sense of smell as you walk past. Wild garlic in particular exudes its fine, garlicky aroma far and wide and thyme, especially when grown over a large area, can provide wonderfully spicy scents when sitting on the terrace.
