Plants sold specifically as ground cover plants may spread rapidly but not particularly attractively. For example, rose of Sharon (Hypericum calycinum) looks scruffy in winter and is invasive.

Better mannered and readily available evergreens include winter and spring-flowering heathers for sunny spots, carpeting silvery-leaved deadnettles (Lamium species), darker-leaved bugles (Ajuga sp.) and taller Bergenias with their leathery elephant's ears leaves.

Amongst those plants which die down each autumn to revive in the spring, choose from the many hardy cranesbills (Geranium species) or day lilies (Hemerocallis) for their spreading habit and long flowering season, and Hosta for their large leaves. And don't forget that climbers such as ivies (Hedera), honeysuckle (Lonicera) and Clematis will happily scramble along the ground if deprived of support.

This page has links to plants from Crocus.