What to Plant Around a Concrete Patio

Transforming the area around your concrete patio into a lush, inviting space not only enhances your outdoor living experience but also adds value to your property. Carefully selecting the right plants can create a harmonious blend of aesthetics and functionality. Let's explore what to plant around a concrete patio, focusing on low-maintenance, hardy, and visually appealing options.

When choosing plants for your patio area, consider factors like sunlight exposure, soil type, and your personal preference for colors and textures. This guide will help you create a beautiful, balanced landscape that complements your concrete patio.

Low-Growing Ground Covers

Ground covers are excellent for creating a soft, inviting transition from your patio to the surrounding landscape. They require minimal maintenance and help prevent weed growth.

One popular choice is Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia). This vibrant, low-growing plant produces golden-yellow flowers and thrives in partial to full shade. It's an ideal option for patios with large trees or overhanging structures.

Creeping Thyme

Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum) is a fragrant, low-growing perennial that forms a dense mat of small, gray-green leaves. It produces tiny, pinkish-purple flowers in late spring to early summer. This plant prefers full sun and well-draining soil, making it perfect for patios with southern or western exposures.

Creeping Thyme is an excellent choice for patios with high foot traffic, as it's highly resistant to being walked on. It also attracts pollinators like bees and butterflies, contributing to a healthier ecosystem.

Lamium Maculatum

Lamium Maculatum, also known as Dead Nettle, is a low-growing perennial with attractive, silvery-white leaves and pinkish-purple flowers. It thrives in partial to full shade and is an excellent ground cover for patios with larger trees or structures that cast shade.

Dead Nettle is relatively drought-tolerant once established and requires minimal care, making it an ideal low-maintenance option for busy homeowners.

Raised Beds and Containers

Raised beds and containers allow you to create distinct, eye-catching features around your patio while containing plants that may have different care requirements than your ground covers.

Consider using a mix of evergreens, deciduous shrubs, and ornamental grasses to create visual interest and texture throughout the seasons.

Evergreen Shrubs

Evergreen shrubs provide year-round color and structure to your patio landscape. One popular choice is the Boxwood (Buxus spp.), which can be pruned into formal hedges or topiaries. Boxwoods prefer partial to full shade and well-draining soil, making them versatile for various patio settings.

For a more informal look, consider the Blue Star Juniper (Juniperus squamata). This low-growing, spreading evergreen produces silvery-blue needles and thrives in full sun to partial shade. It's an excellent choice for patios with a more natural, wild aesthetic.

Ornamental Grasses

Ornamental grasses add movement and texture to your patio landscape. The Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora) is a tall, upright grass with feathery plumes that turn golden-brown in fall. It prefers full sun and well-draining soil and adds height and drama to your patio area.

For a more compact option, consider the Blue Fescue (Festuca glauca). This low-growing, mounding grass produces steel-blue foliage and thrives in full sun to partial shade. It's an excellent choice for patios with a more modern, minimalist aesthetic.

Hanging Plants and Vertical Gardening

Maximize your patio space by incorporating hanging plants and vertical gardening elements. These features not only add visual interest but also help create a sense of enclosure and intimacy in your outdoor living area.

Consider installing a Hanging Basket Stand or a Green Wall to showcase trailing plants, ferns, or even small shrubs. These vertical elements can be customized to fit your patio's size and style, making them highly adaptable to various settings.

Trailing Plants

Trailing plants are ideal for hanging baskets and vertical gardening features. The Sweet Potato Vine (Ipomoea batatas) is a vigorous, trailing plant that produces heart-shaped leaves in various colors, including green, bronze, and purple. It thrives in full sun to partial shade and is an excellent choice for adding color and texture to your patio's vertical spaces.

For a more formal look, consider the English Ivy (Hedera helix). This classic trailing plant produces glossy, dark green leaves and can be trained to grow along trellises, arbors, or green walls. It thrives in partial to full shade, making it an excellent choice for patios with larger trees or structures.

As you plan your patio landscape, don't be afraid to experiment with different plant combinations and arrangements. By selecting low-maintenance, hardy plants that complement your patio's style and your personal preferences, you'll create an inviting, functional outdoor living space that you'll enjoy for years to come. Happy gardening!