grass alternative?
crl_
21 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (18)
robhuffstedtler
21 years agoDelgardenerboy
21 years agoRelated Discussions
Grass Alternative
Comments (7)Hi The ground ivy is creeping charlie and it was everywhere; It's sort of under control now except for the "lawn" where it's deep into the thatch throughout. It's a challenge. Is "wild clover" the type that people use for a grass alternative? I thought it was (and thought that's what I had) but after I weeded around the clover, it looked kind of fragile and weak. It's hard to imagine it could ever be a stand alone ground cover. The problem with the wild ajuga in the "lawn" is that its It's not a consistent color. Even sometimes the offspring from the same parent are a totally different color (dark purple, light purple, green, brown). Thanks for taking the time to read this. I'll post a picture here of the ground ivy. and some more photos in the following posts. Any advice is appreciated. Kathy...See MoreGrass alternative for my dogs?
Comments (7)My first choice would be Dichondra (D. micrantha). In full sun it needs no mowing, though it will need twice-weekly watering and monthly feeding. If the pups use it as a bathroom, it will suffer more damage from urine than bermudagrass would. If the area has some shade during the hottest part of the day--noon to 4:00 pm--you could use the groundcover thymes, though there will be more risk of bee stings when they bloom. Myoporum (M. parvifolium or M. brevifolium) are a possibility that can grow in full sun, and is drought tolerant. They don't take traffic well, though, and they have the same bee problem when they bloom. Hope these help! : )...See Moregrass alternatives
Comments (4)We have a lot of sorrels in our yard, right now they seem to be choked back from our grass (and I suspect due to the crazy dry spell we are in) but normally they pop up in our yard in large clusters and have pretty little pink flowers on them. This year we even had some yellow ones come in. (you will need to mow your sorrels just like with grass) Beware though, sorrels can be VERY invasive. If you decide you want them gone, they can be a nightmare. They are a type of bulb, and because their stems are so tiny, 9 times out of 10 they bulb will break off if you try pulling them. We have some in beds that we needed to get rid of and the only thing I have found so far that works is Spectracide Weed and Grass Killer. There is also Magic Carpet Thyme, you can find it at Michigan Bulb.com under ground covers. It normally is used for walkways so it holds up well under heavy traffic....See MoreGrass alternatives for large lawn with dogs
Comments (3)Yep, no way on earth turf grasses will grow in that much shade!! There's a couple of ways you could approach this. First, get rid of the path - not attractive and awkwardly laid out at best and plot out a better pathway that actually leads somewhere. Paths need to have a destination! Not sure what the concrete pad is to the right, but if used for a dining area or similar, that makes a reasonable destination. You could also take it all the way down to the end of the garden and create a small seating area. Make the path generously wide, fill it with wood chips and plant any variety of low growing shade plants as you like on either side. Dogs and wood chips get along well together - they are the go-to surfacing material for all the dog parks around here - and the dogs will tend to stay on the obstacle-free pathway rather than rampage through the plantings.....after you show them the ropes. If you have no need of a path through the whole garden (no destination), you could also try some hardy, woody stemmed groundcover, something that will thrive in shade, like wintercreeper, vinca or in my area, salal. Possibly even English ivy if an appropriately non-invasive species in your area. But you would need to plant in blocks protected from the dogs until the plants get established - several months at least. Very few groundcovers starts have any ability to stand up to dogs or other foot traffic immediately after planting. And if the dogs have a preferred traffic pattern already established, you may never get any groundcover successfully established in those areas - it will always show wear or usage so expect that or just make these the primary pathway....See Morecrl_
21 years agoCarrie B
21 years agoCraftyGardner
21 years agocrl_
21 years agoBloomingthings
20 years agofcraigatlanta
20 years agoTamJP
20 years agocrl_
20 years agofreebird
20 years agoBurghGarden
20 years agodaisylee
20 years agomike519
20 years agoFlowerkitty
20 years agoFlowerkitty
19 years agoMandyvilla
19 years ago
Related Stories
MOST POPULARMeet a Lawn Alternative That Works Wonders
Carex can replace turfgrass in any spot, is low maintenance and adjusts easily. Add its good looks and you’ve got a ground cover winner
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGN7 Low-Maintenance Lawn Alternatives
Turf isn't the only ground cover in town. Get a lush no-grass lawn with clover, moss and other easy-care plants
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESGreat Design Plant: Purple Needle Grass, California’s State Grass
The long-lived, drought-tolerant Stipa pulchra is as admired for its benefits as for its good looks
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGNIs It Time to Consider Fake Grass?
With more realistic-looking options than ever, synthetic turf can be a boon. Find the benefits and an installation how-to here
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESGarden-Friendly Native Alternatives to Overplanted Exotics
There are lots of gorgeous, wildlife-friendly native plants ready to make an appearance in your garden
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGNBoxwood Alternatives Bring the Chelsea Flower Show to You
Don’t let box blight limit your plans to borrow garden design ideas from the renowned British event
Full StoryGROUND COVERSNative Alternatives to English Ivy, Japanese Pachysandra and Periwinkle
These shade-loving ground covers are good for the environment and say something about where you are
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGNGreat Design Plant: Lively Fountain Grass Thrives Just About Anywhere
Enjoy fountain grass for its exuberant form, long-lasting color and texture for borders and more
Full StoryCENTRAL PLAINS NATIVE PLANTS10 Top Grasses for the Central Plains
Low-maintenance grasses provide seasonal interest and wildlife habitat, and aid good design
Full StoryPURPLE FOLIAGEGreat Design Plant: Purple Fountain Grass
Easy come, easy grow — give this low-maintenance grass pride of place in your garden
Full Story
crl_Original Author