Best Flowers to Control Weeds in Your Garden

In a garden, there are so many ways to control weeds, but I like to use plants as much as possible because they are beautiful to look at and promote the health of my garden. The best flowers to control weeds are those that fill in fast and thick, have dense foliage or fan out covering the ground with their root systems as much as possible.

Because you will be using flowers, it is important that they also add to your garden with color, fragrance and texture, making the choice of flowers severely limited. Here are several of the best flowers to control weeds and add beauty to your garden. I grow all of them in my own garden and have learned different ways of using them to minimize the work needed to keep everything tidy.

Creeping Phlox

I have had creeping phlox in my garden for years now, but it was not until the size of my garden doubled that I saw its value in controlling weeds. When planted together in clumps, creeping phlox is able to create a blanket that works as a weed suppressing ground cover. The plant and its root system are so thick that nothing is able to seed and grow without being strangled.

Creeping Thyme

There are several varieties of creeping thyme, and while I have my favorites, all of them do a great job to control weeds. Like creeping phlox, thyme grows low on the ground covering the soil as it fans out and suppressing any weeds that may try to establish themselves. As a flower, thyme is an excellent choice because it adds foliage for three long seasons, lets off a light fragrance and some varieties even flower. Plant thyme anywhere that you have soil open to weeds, along borders and among rocks.

Walker's Low Catmint

Walker's Low Catmint is a specific variety of catmint that is especially good at controlling weed, among other things. The biggest benefits, for the average gardener, are its fast growing foliage that is thick and fans out, preventing anything below it from getting sunlight. In addition to controlling the weeds, catmint is a beautiful flower that will return to your garden every year as long as its needs are met.

Goldenrod

Depending on your location, there are several varieties of goldenrod that do a great job to control weeds. Goldenrod is native to many areas and non-invasive so it is relatively easy to grow and introduce to your garden. Try looking for denser, dwarf varieties that will choke out any weeds that try to establish themselves around the goldenrod.