One of my favorite ground covers is Ice Plant, aka: Delospermum. [It may not belong to that genus anymore, but you can find lots of images using that as your search word.] It's an evergreen perennial, and not an annual, however. Covered up with bright pink blossoms all from spring until frost. Spreads quickly but I have found it very easy to control. Be sure to plant Ice plant in full sun. I have it growing at my northern AL (red clay) and just love it.

The best way to keep mulch 'pretty' is to refresh it occasionally. Many people think that the appearance of a nicely mulched landscape bed is very attractive and neat. And to say that mulch is of benefit to the plants and soil is a great understatement.

Depending on how much room you have, you could plant a few small pink roses: The Fairy, Nearly Wild, Knockouts would be a few good ones of many available.

Here are some very easy to grow pink and purple annuals that do well in my zone 7B garden. The first three are very easy from seed.:
Cosmos
Zinnias
Vinca
Salvia Farinacea
Scaevola
Gomphrena
Pentas

Some easy to grow perennials and bulbs:
Crinums (bulbs)
Zephyranthes grandiflora (pink): bulbs
daylilies (perennials. There are many lovely pink ones and they are easy. Many so called pink ones have alot of orange in them, so buy them in bloom if possible.)
Dianthus (makes a nice edger. Many have blue foliage)
Be sure that your soil is loose for at least a foot in depth. It's not a bad idea to add a few bags of composted manure or Black Kow to the top of your bed (about an inch deep) and turn or till that in. Your flowers will like it and do much better for you.

I agree with rhizo on the Delosperma. Do know that it will not like constantly wet soil or lots of overhead sprinkling. Neither will the dianthus or the roses.
Mulch is a very good thing. It keeps down weeds, keeps in moisture, and enriches the soil. If you don't like the look of it, plant your flowers closely together and you won't even notice it. If the flower tag says plant 12 to 15 inches part, plant them 12 inches. The leaves will touch and will give you anice full look without alot of mulch showing.