Mat forming plants to hold soil together

[MrsBertBibby]

My garden is on quite a steep slope. We've dug out a sloped border, and built a rockery wall thing to improve the slope, but there are a couple of bits that are still pretty steep, and are currently bare earth.

What I think we need are plants that will creep and put down roots over the area. It gets a fair bit of sun.

Vinca minor is a bit too large and straggly for what I want.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Are you looking for something lawn-like or flowering?

I have just put in a lawn substitute called Lippia nodiflora - doesn't really look like grass as the leaves are wider and it has little flowers, but it does form a dense mat of green that you can walk on. Very much creeping and putting roots down as it goes along.

There are quite a few lawn substitutes that are similar too.

No, I'm after flowering, although that might be good for another area!

We find heather and brambles spread marvellously well on our steep slope! I am working my way around trying to remove them. Grass also does well, but of course you need to be able to mow or strim it.

Funny you should say that, heather and bramble was mostly what I spent months ripping out before the re-building!

Creeping ivy, then put seasonable bulbs and perennials in with it.

This is what I started with

And this is where I've got to. And a potting bench.

The particular bit is beyond the furthest rocks where it sweeps down a bit fast to the potentilla at the bottom.

A low lying thyme like Doone Valley?

That's not steep, part of my garden is at the same gradient as a staircase. Ivy would be overkill.

That looks flat! What about creeping geraniums (cranesbill)?

Heath pearl wort? We're using it for groundcover and for cracks between pavers. Or creeping thyme?