Experts say these 5 living mulch plants will help you water your garden less – and suppress weeds, too

Flowering lesser periwinkle growing in garden.

Mulching is a crucial garden task all year round, especially during a heatwave – but there’s an underrated way to mulch that we don’t talk about enough.

Enter living mulch plants. Generally, they’re flowering groundcover plants or nitrogen-fixing annuals that provide cover around the base of other plants, protecting the soil and suppressing weeds in the process. Plus, several mulch plants are terrific at enriching the soil with nutrients.