Landscaping Tips & Ground Cover Plants Utah Homeowners Love

Lehi, Utah is one of the fastest-growing cities in the state, known for its beautiful mountain views, family-friendly neighborhoods, and dynamic weather. Whether you’re building a new home or updating your current yard, great landscaping can enhance curb appeal, improve property value, and create a comfortable outdoor space for everyday living.

But Lehi’s unique location in Utah County presents specific landscaping challenges—hot, dry summers, cold winters, and alkaline soil mean you can’t just plant anything and expect it to thrive. That’s why choosing the right design elements and hardy plant materials is crucial.

Here are some of the best landscaping ideas tailored for Lehi, Utah, with a special focus on one of the most versatile tools in your yard: ground cover plants Utah homeowners love for their resilience, beauty, and low maintenance.

Embrace Xeriscaping with Native Plants

Water-wise landscaping is a smart, sustainable choice for Lehi’s arid climate. Xeriscaping uses drought-tolerant plants and minimal irrigation to conserve water while still creating stunning yards. Incorporate decorative gravel, river rock, mulch, and strategic plant groupings to cut down on water use.

This is also where ground cover plants Utah homeowners prefer come in. They fill in bare spots, suppress weeds, and require far less water than traditional turf. Creeping thyme, ice plant, and blue fescue are excellent options that provide texture and color without sacrificing sustainability.

Build in Layers for Year-Round Visual Interest

Designing your yard in visual “layers” helps it look attractive in every season. Use trees and shrubs as your upper layers, with perennials, ornamental grasses, and ground cover plants Utah residents rely on as the middle and bottom layers.

This layering approach not only adds depth but also helps your yard stand up to wind, heat, and erosion. In Lehi’s sometimes unpredictable climate, layering is both a design and practical strategy that ensures long-term success.

Replace Traditional Grass with Ground Cover Plants Utah

Lawns can be labor- and water-intensive, especially in Utah. That’s why more Lehi homeowners are replacing all or part of their turf with alternative greenery.

Ground cover plants Utah landscapers recommend—like creeping Jenny, sedum, and woolly thyme—are perfect substitutes for grass in high-sun or sloped areas. These plants spread naturally, fill in gaps, and tolerate poor soil conditions common in Utah County.

They also pair beautifully with paver walkways, stepping stones, and dry creek beds, allowing for attractive and functional transitions throughout your yard.

Use Raised Beds and Rock Features for Dimension

Lehi landscapes often have rocky soil or sloped areas, which can be difficult to plant directly into. Raised beds offer a solution—they improve drainage, allow for richer soil, and give you more control over plant placement.

To tie it all together, incorporate local rock features or boulders to create natural-looking focal points. Around those hardscape features, ground cover plants Utah gardeners rely on can soften edges and add greenery where grass wouldn’t survive.

Add Outdoor Living Spaces

Maximize your yard’s usability by creating outdoor rooms. Patios, pergolas, and built-in fire pits can help you enjoy your space throughout the year. When placed thoughtfully, these structures can also provide shade for more delicate plants and create visual breaks in your landscaping.

Surround patios or seating areas with low-growing ground cover plants Utah locals appreciate for their color and resilience. For example, sweet alyssum offers a soft fragrance and ground-hugging habit that beautifully borders a stone patio or walkway.

Choose Plants That Handle Utah’s Soil and Climate

The soil in Lehi tends to be clay-heavy and alkaline, so you’ll want to choose plants that naturally tolerate these conditions. Lavender, salvia, Russian sage, and ornamental grasses are strong performers that offer color, movement, and long bloom periods.

Pair these larger plants with durable ground cover plants Utah residents use to fill in gaps between plantings. Hardy varieties like ajuga and snow-in-summer will thrive in full sun and poor soil while helping retain moisture for nearby plants.

Go for Low-Maintenance Beauty

If you don’t want to spend every weekend pruning or mowing, consider a low-maintenance landscaping plan. Use mulch, rock, and native plants to reduce care needs and focus on ground cover plants Utah gardeners trust to handle the work for you.

These types of plants reduce the need for weeding and watering while still offering visual appeal. Many are deer-resistant, pollinator-friendly, and even evergreen—making them a smart, beautiful foundation for a sustainable Lehi landscape.

Build a Landscape That Works for You

Landscaping in Lehi doesn’t have to be complicated—it just needs to be smart. By choosing plants and materials that are suited to Utah’s climate, you’ll enjoy a yard that’s not only beautiful but also sustainable and easy to maintain.

At Sable Hills Landscaping, we specialize in creating custom landscapes designed for Utah County living. Whether you want to install hardscape features, update your flower beds, or explore the best ground cover plants Utah has to offer, we’re here to help you every step of the way.

Ready to upgrade your Utah landscape? Contact Sable Hills Landscaping today for a free consultation. Let’s build a yard that looks great, saves water, and makes the most of Utah’s natural beauty—with the help of smart design and the best ground cover plants Utah has to offer.

Looking for a landscaper near you? Call us at (801) 367-0945 to learn more.