What to plant in between paving gaps?

Hi all,

Our garden path must be 50+ years old and has large gaps (1 to 2 inches) between some of the the concrete blocks. I could relace them but it would be a big job and would cause disturbance to the garden. I've now got all of the weeds out of the gaps.

Is there anything I call fill the gaps with, which will supress weeds and give me a very low growing plant, which won't spread onto my lawn? My morther-in-law suggested Camomile.

Thanks, Nick

 

I have always fancied a chamomile lawn but my dogs would wreck it, it would be very pleasant in the gaps. (My gaps have weeds:rolleyes

 

At our old house my hubby made me a lovely patio behind the garage and left spaces in between some of the slabs for things to grow in. I first planted some herbs but they got far too big for their boots so removed these and replanted with some alpines which looked really smashing and kept the weeds at bay no end.Hel.xxx.

 

I too have alpines in the gaps. I also have a small dianthus which seems quite happy in the gaps too.

 

creeping thyme will smell divine and can handle light foot traffic

 

I went to visit a big house and garden once.
Can't remember where it was, as usual :rolleyes:
Anyway they had herbs and things in between their paving and the smell was wondeful.
You walked on it and eveyrtime someone did we got another whiff.
It was lonely.

 

Glen that was nearly a poem! I was thinking creeping thyme - I've been planning to do something similar if I ever get round to it.

 

I'd go for creeping thyme too. Or anything low growing but tough and scented.

 

Will creeping thyme start invading my grass?

 

I saw a great website with lawn alternatives once which would be great for in between slabs. Can't find it now of course! One I can remember though is isotoma-look at it between slabs here http://z.about.com/d/gardening/1/7/e/K/IsotomaBlueStarCreeper14.jpg Gorgeous!

 

Christopher Lloyd (my garden god) recommended erigeron in paving cracks. He also reckoned that the best way to get plants going in paving was to mix the seeds with potting compost and soil, and brush it in rather than planting directly. Your spaces are pretty big, though, so you might be able to plant direct. Dry-tolerant ferns might work too - you often see them in wall cracks so they could work in paving cracks.

 

Samll grassess adn alpines would look nice Nick.

 

My first thought was thyme too! My parents used to have it on their driveway - and it was lovely. It may start creeping into your lawn, but it would be easily pulled out - if you edge your lawn with something impenetrable, that would stop anything (that doesn't seed itself) getting in.

I tried chamomile between my sandstone patio gaps. It died almost instantly (as did the thyme)! It doesn't stand heavy traffic - maybe in a less walked on area around the edge? I have tons of things growing in my sandstone patio now - one of the best is alpine strawberries - it certainly creeps about, and is lovely in flower, and even better in fruit!! It will creep into the lawn unless stopped!

 

Hi all - I've purchased 1000 seeds of creeping thyme - should I put some compost in the cracks and seed them directly?