Today we are sharing how to use ground cover vines to transform your yard!

There is something about vines that immediately takes your outdoor space to a new level. It is pretty, but also sophisticated, making your area looked like a garden!

Ground cover vines are also easy to take care of once they are established, so if you live in an area like we do in Texas that is very hot and dry in the summers, then these types of vines are perfect for you.

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How To Use Ground Cover Vines To Transform Your Yard

If you have a larger space to cover and don’t want to plant grass, plant some ground cover vines. Like this English Ivy you see in the pictures!

There are so many options to choose from, but below are some of my favorites. To figure out which one is best in your climate, just pop over to your local nursery and chat with them. They can tell you exactly what grows best in your zone.

English Ivy

My favorite is English Ivy. You can plant just a few different, little ivy plants and they will continue to expand and grow. They are green all year long, and so hardy for us in Texas. Once they get established, they need little to no care as well. Here is some more information on English Ivy types and how to grow.

Vinca Minor

This ground cover is green all year, but also produce pretty purple flowers. This will also rapidly cover your ground areas and can make even a small space look pretty!

Creeping Phlox

If you have a sunny area, creeping phlox is a great option! It covers large areas, but grows well in the sun too. It produces the most beautiful flowers, green all year, but also very hardy.

Creeping Thyme

Creeping Thyme is another great ground cover vine option. It grows fast and produces really pretty flowers! It has low maintenance, and is a great option for a yard area where you don’t want grass. Bonus, it is also edible!

Honeysuckle

My favorite vine is by far honeysuckle! It can grow vertically which I love to do along fence lines, but you can also grow it as ground cover. Not only does it attract pollinators, but it smells wonderful. You can walk into any backyard with honeysuckle and immediately smell the wonderful aroma! By the way, you will notice most gardening websites and even when you buy honeysuckle from a nursery, it says to plant in Full Sun…this is true unless you live in Texas. We planted ours in full sun, and every year, it struggles through our intense summers. Honeysuckle around here does best in more shaded areas. This is why you see it growing wild around rivers, fences under trees, etc. Just FYI.

Virginia Creeper

This vine grows wild everywhere around our area. You don’t even have to take care of it! But it really looks so pretty and can bring life to an ugly corner, fence, or a place where no grass is growing. You will notice that gardening websites mention it has toxic berries, but I have never seen ANY berries on the Virginia creeper vines around our area. I made a point to go look around, and I have never seen them. This is just something to keep in mind in case it produces berries in your area.

Bougainvillea

When I lived in California, I fell in love with bougainvillea! It was everywhere around our neighborhood, and it was absolutely beautiful. There was an empty field by our apartment covered in this vine, and it looked like someone had landscaped it. But it was just growing wild there on the ground, fence, and all over the trees. It was amazing! This was back in the day before I had a good camera, so I never got good pictures, but above is a small picture. This is a great ground cover option for your home. If you live in a really hot climate like we do in Texas, make sure it has shade and water though. If you live in a cold climate, this one might not work for you though. I had to include it in this list because it is one of my favorite vines!

Do you need much space to plant ground cover vines?

No! You can have a small yard or just an ugly corner and still plant a ground cover vine. You can truly transform any space into something pretty and inviting. We transformed this ugly corner of our fence years ago and it made such a difference!

If you want something quick, green, and easy, I would definitely choose the English Ivy. You will be amazed how quick it grows, but what an impact it will make for your space. It is much easier than maintaining grass in a space too!