Suggestions for planting in cracks between patio stones?

I am in the final stages of the stonework for a flagstone patio (the wall around the fountain in the center is basically all that’s left), so it’s time to focus on the planting side of things.

I’ve begun transplanting some small patches of grass and moss from other high-traffic areas of the yard into some of the thinner cracks, and I have some creeping thyme seeds for spring planting in wider cracks, but just curious if anyone has suggestions for other (useful?) plants that can grow in sandy cracks between rocks, and are willing to be trampled upon. Here’s a closeup of one where I’ve transplanted some grass:

I’ll be putting in root barriers around the perimeter and planting fruit trees there, too, but that’s a different matter! I’m in zone 8b (Seattle) in case that matters for suggestions.

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I have orange thyme in my little rockery and it does well. It doesn’t seem to mind the kids stepping on it, and I can use it in cooking which is nice. It does have lots of spring flowers that attract bees which could be good but also bad if you like to go barefoot. =)

I forget if it’s roman or german chamomile, but one of them is low growing and has cute little flowers. Good for tea and thrives on neglect.

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Wouldn’t any spreading-type plants defeat the purpose and appearance of the stonework?

I would mainly plant those kind of things in some of the widest cracks or around the periphery, and aggressively trim it back if it starts to spread anywhere other than along the cracks.

The highest traffic areas will be just grass/moss, and of course I expect dandelions to crop up uninvited all across it.

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I put in a flagstone back patio (I dug up the rocks myself!) two summers ago and ever since I’ve just periodically ripped out all of the weeds that grow in the cracks. I had never thought about intentionally putting low growing plants /moss in the cracks because what currently grows there is a nightmare. Let me know how your experiment goes, I may adopt new methods!

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Oh I’m sure I’ll have my fair share of yanking weeds, no matter what I do, but hopefully I can at least give desirable plants a headstart!

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Creeping thyme, ajuga (bugleweed), star-of-bethlehem bulbs, fiber optic grass, dwarf horsetail grass…are some I’ve used.

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I would go creeping thyme if its dry or the plant irish moss if you live somewhere with moisture

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What about if it’s both? :joy:

Here in Seattle it’s very wet for half the year and drought-like from June until September/October. The land of lush winter lawns and dry brown summer lawns.

Thank you for the list! I had never heard of some of these, looking forward to learning about them.

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I would do irish moss in seattle. From where i stand even your droughts are not super bad since they dont overlap with days and days of 90-100f but i live in denver and we have a different version of weather than most.

Nice patio!

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I see the big hole in the center. Do you have something to go there yet. I am not good for small crack plants. I would suggest a high grafted 7 feet up on PT a ten degree tangerine 2-2 {not 3-3) for an umbrella citrus over the patio.

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It’s actually a 65 gal goldfish pond/fountain (need to install the fountain still), which circulates continuously to the 180 gal pond you can see downhill near the top of the photo. I have a downspout diverter switch so that I can fill them from the roof gutters as needed. Here’s a couple of photos from mid-construction:

If the pond doesn’t work out, I can always drain it, drill some holes in the bottom, and put a tree there instead!

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Creeping thyme is lovley. And when you step on it the fragrance is released, perfect!

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I hope the pond works well for you.

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That is a very cool idea, especially with the downspout diversion! Don’t forget when you clean it out or swap water that there are some good nutrients in there for your trees. I did a fire pit in my patio but put it too close to one edge, so I’ll be adjusting my setup next summer.

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You did a nice job! 2 summer’s ago i put in a similar patio. I have gone down the road of groundcovers and settled on thyme and types of moss. Crabgrass has been the death of me and it can be very difficult to get rid of. Just don’t let it get a good start before you remove it

BTW, dont be too tough on me and the spaces. After some filler stones and the thyme, it looks really nice. It did take a toll on me, however. Just ask my back surgeon.

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No kidding, I had my MRI last week! The reason I haven’t finished the center wall is I developed a pinched nerve in my back from all the lifting and pounding and tamping and such. I find out next week if surgery is necessary, so far a month of PT hasn’t helped much.

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Oh no! I ended up having a bilateral laminectomy. It really took the steam out of this old engine and I have been fighting for a year to get back to some semblance of my old self. Many seemed to do well with back surgery, but I really struggled. Best of luck to you!!!

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Good job!
(And you’re not the type to be out there in high heel shoes anyhow, I suspect, as
that would seem to be the only downside to your paving choice.)

Well, a lot of homeowners actually have been battling weeds in patio stone cracks. It requires a lot of efforts. So the only thing I’d recommend is green moss. Even if you do not plant anything there, various seeds will germinate and fill the cracks very quickly.