Grass is going to be the best bet. I know nothing of growing on sand, but if they aren't on the coast, established grass doesn't need watered so long as it is mowed high. And evenly mowed weeds look much better than weed infested groundcover.

I hate to be discouraging, but I want you and them to be realistic. IME a weedy lawn is the easiest sunny groundcover. If they want flowers, plant a bunch of the very early blooming snow crocus such as Crocus tommasinianus, not Crocus vernus, in the lawn. By the time the lawn is ready to mow, they will have had enough time to recharge the corms. Mow high with a mulching mower, overseed with white clover to increase the nitrogen levels and to provide summer flowers, and mulch-mow the maple leaves back into the lawn (run over it several times after the leaves have fallen on a dry day) to increase the organic matter. It really will look better than unmaintained groundcover and probably take less time and thought to maintain.

I've lived with both pachysandra and vinca. Both needed to have tree sprouts as well as other weeds (dayflower, knotweed, wild aster, sedges, sensitive ferns, etc) removed. Groundcover is not easier than grass since all weeds need to be removed by hand while with a lawn, mowing keeps the woody ones from surviving and the other ones from getting out of hand.

Both ivy and vinca will spread where they are unwanted even with edging without regular trimming back. Twice a year doesn't do it for my vinca which likes to run out into the lawn and root there. Mowing doesn't discourage this; only rooting it up does. The pachysandra I grew up with (zone 6 Cleveland) had full sun from sun-up until around 2 PM. It sometimes looked ratty if it wasn't watered.

If you are bound and determined to do this, just tilling won't kill the grass soon enough to plant this spring, even with mulch down. Everywhere you punch through the cardboard (I usually cut an X with a box cutter) will have grass sprouts sneaking in along with the planned groundcover and sprouting weeds from seeds already in the soil. If you are doing this, either kill off the grass with something like Glysophate which can be planted through after 24 hours, or leave the cardboard and chips in place until fall and plant then when the grass is totally dead. The soil will stay warm allowing for root growth of the new plants, and they will start next season in great shape.

Alternatively, have they considered a combination of well-mulched low maintenance shrubs and hardscape such as paths or patios? IME that is the easiest to maintain - I have an approximately 60x15 bed of shrubs that takes little time on my part, perhaps 5-10 hours a year. It has several inches of mulch, early spring daffodils, and then appropriately sized shrubs that never need pruning.

A 12" spacing for most ground covers is much too close. Typically you are looking at 16-24" but that can be increased depending on the type of groundcover.

I would agree that none of your selection is well adapted to full sun. And all 3 are also listed on the invasive species lists in various areas as well. instead, I'd consider something like Cotoneaster dammeri, which is evergreen, produces white flowers followed by red berries, is deer resistant and drought tolerant once established. And this plant can have a substantial spread - as much as 6-12' when mature.

Other possibilities to consider are creeping raspberry, Rubus calycinoides, or any of the groundcover junipers - J. procumbens or J. horizontalis.

All of these are unlikely to found as plugs however since you are spacing them further than you had originally determined, you will need far less plants than you had originally determined - at a 24" o.c. spacing, you will need about 725 plants. For a slightly faster coverage at a 18" o.c. spacing, you will need about 1300 plants.

And plant in a triangular or zigzag fashion, not in a straight rows.

btw, even a fully filled-in planting of a suitably durable groundcover will not be NO maintenance. Weeding will always be a consideration although the GC's referenced will be pretty good at weed suppression once they fill in, and watering may be required in periods of extended dryness.

Most nurseries in my area bring in quantities of groundcovers on a weekly basis so it shouldn't be too difficult to have them order as many plants as you need from their suppliers. And they will often offer quantity discounts as well.

DO NOT TILL UNDER MAPLES .... nor any big trees ... every single root you cut .... will be replaced with 2 or 3 new roots ...

im thinking sedum .... a million types.. many colors and flower colors ... and they can be rooted ... and replicated ... and they would be bulletproof in sand ... once established ... and once such.. might never need to be watered again ... [i mean after the first year ... and it will be hard to water thru that much mulch ..]

4 to 5 inches of mulch is a bit much ... but it depends on the product you are getting ... is should settle to about 3 inches ....

whoa... surprised myself.. lol.. check out the link ... brilliant suggestion.. if i say so myself.. lol ... and i did ...

ken

https://www.google.com/search?q=groundcover+sedum&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiursmv9PLLAhUKn4MKHR_7B_sQ_AUICCgC&biw=994&bih=745&dpr=0.9#tbm=isch&q=groundcover+sedum+lawn+replacemnt

I agree with the sedum. Maybe Geranium Rozanne for the part shade area.

Thanks.

sorry long. Last long post. Hope you like talking about ground covers.

This isn't sand by the way.

I think pachysandra, vinca minor, and English ivy are by far cheaper and easier to get as plugs vs the ones suggested but I have to call around if that option is perused by the homeowner after we talk.

I've seen unmaintained pachysandra in NJ under maples and it wasn't bad. Saplings can be cut/pulled when reach about a foot tall. But I read others say they get thousands of saplings and that preen or corn meal gluten pre-emergent would be needed, neither of which is an option for this house. They only want organic but don't want to spend on corn meal gluten every year which can get pricy.

But anyway, in full sun like we're talking, I read pachysandra will grow poorly or die if the soil conditions etc aren't great and without watering or fertilizer and mulch (you can mulch it at first but it will turn to soil in a few years but then you can sprinkle more mulch or bagged mulched grass/leave mowings etc after to keep the moisture in and not need to water as often). the same full sun situation goes for English ivy but I read it might do a bit better in full sun than pachysandra. I don't know the USDA zones those people are in though who claim this, could be hotter there and more likely to do poorly.

With poor growth in full sun, weeds can take over easier, and it won't recuperate as easy from winter stress especially with lots of full un-mulched leaves falling into it which will happen at this house.

I read Vinca aka vinca minor, aka vinca bowels aka periwinkle does good in full sun (and dense shade), and it's cheap. But I read it spreads like crazy underground and don't want it to take over the existing shrubs in front of the house or the neighbors' lawns. It's an invasive problem in the woods and stuff in parts of the country becoming a mono crop type problem. Although here's a picture of it next to grass and I see none in the grass but maybe they are killing it selectively with a broadleaf-only killer.

http://www.onlineplantguide.com/Plant-Details/2771/

Pachysandra also spreads underground but I don't think I've ever seen it take over or even show up in a bordering lawn where no herbicides were used.

This thread seems really incorrect:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/1917442/my-neighbor-planted-vinca-minor

Basically someone was worried their neighbor's new vinca minor lawn would take over their perennials and shrub yard. I read vinca minor is a rhizome but Someone replied "Since vinca spreads by rooting along its stems, just pull up the plants that venture outside the bounds. It is far easier to deal with than aggressive groundcovers that spread by rhizomes or underground stolons like ivy, hypericum, gallium or lamiastrum". And they said just a stout river rock border would keep it contained, and that it doesn't self seed, which I'm not sure if it does or not. don't want thousands of these seeds blowing on the neighbors' laws and growing.

I'm reading a lot of articles/people say you need roundup or lots of vinegar and digging etc to contain vinca.

This homeowner doesn't want to use roundup or any chems but they are okay with vinegar. I wonder if they just need maybe a few $3 gallons of vinegar each year and a sprayer to contain about 300 feet of vinca minor edges. I read vinca is really tough though even against roundups.

Home Guides has an article saying you can just use 3" landscaper plastic edging and it will stay contained. People on forums said it will grow up and over no mater how high the border is but said they just mow it back and it stays contained. Maybe just an electric weedwacker can be used to scalp the edges once a month by the homeowner. This person says they maintain the edges simply by mowing and it looks great.

http://tallcloverfarm.com/1398/periwinkle-vinca-major-covers-a-lot-of-ground

With grass, if someone doesn't want to water, I still suggest to water it at least a full year (with an inch all at once, once per week, rain included) because that will grow deep roots and make it less likely to get wiped out in a drought once they stop watering. But if it still dies it doesn't take much to slice seed grass again for decent results (won't look like they spent thousands on sod or did follow up slice seedings and aerations every couple years with just one slice seeding but it will be decent). I would give the same watering recommendation for groundcover, preferably more than a full year until the watering stops and also to water some in mid summer if hasn't rained.

I think the homeowner's goal is equally:

-to be environmental and not need water or fertilizer once established and not have mow or pay for mowing or need much maintenance, especially with machines/mowing - them just hand pulling/pruning once or twice a year is okay.

-have a cool looking yard

The back yard and side also they wanted groundcover, and adds like 5X more to the Sq footage, so I think either way they will have to mow because I doubt they'll splurge for doing the whole yard as groundcover (all but the front main area we've been discussing is shady though so pachysandra would do fine for the rest). Maybe I'll till the front this year, put 3" fresh free woodchips, plant vica and then next year or the one after, I'll till the back and sides and propagate the same vinca.

they have a wooded area in the back so they have to make sure it doesn't take over the whole thing back there also.

A good point: Meaning that in the back where there's woods, they should leave a good ten feet as lawn how it is now and prune it back there to not let it get into the wooded area "You mention that mowing seems to keep them controlled; I believe that to be true. It is when they are established next to, or in a woodland that they go crazy, choking out native plants of all sizes. I would humbly suggest that they should be used only in areas where their growth can be limited by mowing on all sides or contained by features such as pavement areas"

http://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2014/06/vinca-flower/

I think the only thing left I have to research is if it can get all weedy if not re-mulched every few years. It can I read but I have to see if there are certain situations that make this more prone to happening - I think a lot of these people might have just not used enough mulch to start while the vinca was establishing and ended up with dense patches or weeds. Weeds would be fine, just don't want the weeds to actually take over the vinca, like grow taller than it and look like 1.5 foot of weeds.

so many people are like snobs against vinca. looks good to me

http://www.lodi.watersavingplants.com/GardenWorks/Photos/396.jpg

and is a win win for no watering or mowing or chems etc

any input thanks again

Since I was a major contributor to the thread you believe is "really incorrect", let me clarify. First we were discussing vinca minor and how it behaves in the PNW - invasive characteristics of a plant vary widely depending on one's specific location. Vinca minor is NOT an invasive species here, although it IS considered invasive in many parts of the country. It does not grow from a rhizome but it does root freely at internodes along the long trailing stems. It can self-seed, however most spreading is done by the rooting stems. Even a broken portion of stem is able to root and create a new plant.

It does best in partial to full shade, While it will grow in full sun, the spread is significantly reduced and the foliage color typically is bleached out - less of a deep intense green, more yellowed.

It IS contained successfully by mowing and is not at all difficult to remove if it creeps into areas where mowing is not possible. Just make sure to do so before the plant gets carried away and well established. The admonishments about needing gallons of RoundUp or other herbicides to keep it controlled are only the remarks from those unwilling to put forth the effort to keep it controlled manually. It most certainly can be done - I've grown vinca for years and manage quit easily to keep it under control.

But if it is a listed invasive in your area or if you wish to use this for a full sun situation, it is not your best choice.

thanks for your reply. all good news except for the full sun part.

I originally told them that in some places they might actually require the lawn be a certain amount of grass (heard this on a public network show in Florida about a family living green with a front yard garden etc). But we called the town already and they said a full groundcover lawn is okay and didn't mention anything about certain invasive plants being not allowed. We will find out though specifically.

I dunno what to plant in full sun then besides grass that is easy to get and cheap. I guess that's another research project but I'm interested. Vinca would take like 4 years to fill in if spaced a foot apart and watered and organically fertilized periodically? They don't care the color of the flowers too much if full sun means less pronounced colors, main focus is just keeping it alive with low maintenance.

Clovers - as well as lawn grasses, I add in chamomile, alsike, persian,white and small flowered red clovers, daisies, prunella, henbit, sainfoin, restharrow, lambs lettuce. In spring, I stuff the area with small bulbs. This makes a sort of weedy, but rather nice longer lawn and can be mowed from late July until winter when the growth cycle starts over. A sort of easy, not really meadow-like but very relaxed green covering, This is in the clearing in my wood.

I wonder if this would work "Blue Star Creeper Isotoma fluviatili Jeepers ".. I have not tried it but saw a pic and it was pretty.

Blue Star creeper likes plenty of moisture and is not perennial in areas with cold winters.