There are restoration seed mixes available for situations like this. I would suggest planting a cover of plant material native to your area, correct for the site conditions, and that won't impair the septic field. To truly be sustainable those three coditions should be met. After that, you should have the flexibility to choose a mix that will please you aesthetically as well. I think that you should consider a mix of grasses and wildflowers native to your area. It may be as easy as leaving it alone once it is established, or perhaps an annual mow. Seed companies are out there that will help you with that. You might want to do a search for "restoration seed mix", "native seed mix, your state name", and things along that line. There is a market for these and companies out there looking to meet that market. Some are set up to take your information and design a seed mix that is right for you. Two sources that I can think of off the top of my head are one called Ernst (maybe Ernst Native Seed Mixes or something like that) and New England Native Wetland Seed (or something like that). Don't let the company name s scare you, they and others have a wide range of habitat situations, site situations, and aesthetic concerns which they cater to.

I just over seeded another 20 lbs of clover seed. What ever tiny beastie is snarfing up my lawn is expanding - I still can't figure out what it is, I do all the recommended things, like pull it up and look for things on white paper, and once I found snails. The extension agent thought it was mites, and I didn't water enough, however with 20 acre feet of irrigation / season on two acres, I'd say that wasn't the problem. I water deeply once a week, mow it high, and come back a week later and where the tire tracks of the mower went (walk behind 4 hp) the grass is dead. I'm seeing the same thing in town now, and my neighbors are having issues as well. Anywho, I hope the clover takes hold again. If that fails, these things are on sale... Here is a link that might be useful: next step in lawn management

My groundcover is doing very well. One of my more successful gardening ventures. I was lucky and planted in a very wet year, which has helped a lot. The pachysandra has just started spreading in the past couple of weeks. It is the bulk of the yard because it was much cheaper. I expect it will take at least a year, probably closer to a year and a half for the pachysandra to cover well. I planted from flats, about 8 inches apart. The stepables plants are spreading at a more rapid rate--their other advantage is that they will take some foot traffic (how much varies by plant). I planted the stepables about 12 inches apart. I planted a variety and am pleased with the tapestry effect this has created. The Nierembergia repens (Creeping White Cup) is actually spreading too quickly to suit me--it's outgrowing things I like better. So I may take it out this fall. My favorites are Veronica repens (Creeping Speedwell)--also a fast-grower but I like it better, and Euonymus fortunei Kewensis (Dwarf Euonymus). In my experience if stepables says something is fast-growing they aren't joking. I highly recommend the stepables website. You can do a search there for several criteria--zone, soil, sun/shtde, amount of foot traffic--and it will make recommendations. I actually bought the plants at a local nursery that sells the line. The yard already takes less work than it did when it was grass. I do weed it once a week or so, which takes about 15 minutes--this suits me much better than mowing 2x a week and fighting weeds unsuccessfully. I suspect fall maintenance will be more difficult than it was with grass--I may have to clear fallen tree leaves by hand. But if you have a service that will blow the leaves this shouldn't be an issue. Also, this fall I plan to plant a variety of bulbs, hopefully I'll get some nice spring color! Good luck solving your problem! Here is a link that might be useful: stepables

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.