To avoid tons of mulch you need to cover the ground with plants - as in groundcovers. To that end fill the thing with Nepeta, Catmint like 'Walker's Low' and 'All Gold' Juniperus conferta.

OMG get rid of it and pave it over. There should be kids playing kickball and riding bikes in a cul de sac, not gardening. I grew up on a cul de sac and we lived out there as kids - played every outdoor game under the sun, had a lemonade stand (massive failure but fun to plan and build), learned to ride a bike. Parents just had to look out the front window to keep an eye on us. It was glorious.

@ShadyWillowFarm- There are kids doing all of that stuff in the cul-de-sac. Biking, baseball, chalk drawing, pickle ball, you name it. Just looking for an upgrade for them and the adults. Maybe some grass for a picnic blanket? The parents like to hang outside there as well. 😊

You have acres of grass in your neighborhood. The circle has some nice trees. The way to avoid weedy mulch is a lot of plants. The cheap way to get a lot of plants that do well in your area is for everyone to provide divisions of plants thriving in their gardens. You can pick a color scheme (pink and white would look well with what you have) and some height restrictions. You need to water a lot after transplanting, which is why people do it in the fall or spring, when it is cooler and rainier.

But, frankly, a riot of random colors and heights woukd be an improvement.

Reduce the size of the landscape bed. Groundcovers need maintenance too. Put a perimeter of grass. Also better for when large trucks overrun the curb and they flush the hydrant.

No grass! Much too hard to tend and keep watered in that situation. Instead pick drought tolerant groundcovers or low growing plants, as others have suggested. Compared to a lawn/grass, they require minimal maintenance.

This is not a roundabout like you would find in a major arterial and large trucks are unlikely to be much of a concern, any more than they would be driving over your lawn.

Completely disagree. The yards have grass. Easiest thing to maintain, just mow periodically. Late summer brownout, no big deal. Cul de sac islands still get run over by UPS, garbage trucks, large parties people parking, etc. If this was snow country, then plows and piling of snow onto the island.

Also, proportionally for design, tighter plantings in a smaller size landscape bed would be better, not so spread out.

Here, some grass would make for some usable space for the kids. Certainly better to tighten up that massing and layer plantings around a central height.

Watering in the PNW? Right-of-way parkways require edging and fertilizer? Parking lots a different animal.

A fast-growing shade tree with a circular bench for neighbors to hang out or keep an eye on the kids. No grass, just packed gravel or DG.

Yes, watering in the PNW. This is a recurring summer drought area and we actually receive less annual rainfall than many other parts of the country.

And given the copious amount of lawns I see in the gardens shown in the photo, there would appear to be no shortage of available play space for kids

I love the bench around the tree idea! Interlocking pavers around the trees?

Dee,

The base of the tree should be left unpaved, as wide as possible. Then a circle of pavers where feet will touch the ground. The rest can be compacted gravel or decomposed granite, so water can still move through it.

I know the OP doesn't want trees, but I hope they reconsider...

Thanks for all the input. Was just talking to the neighbors and they are saying they don't want a tree. i tend to agree. Why have anything that grows too high and obstructs any of the beautiful views? Starting to think a perimeter of grass with some planting around the light pole so not a lot of mulch. Any thoughts on how much grass vs. how many plantings? Diameter is 50 ft so this thing is BIG.

Put some fabric and pea gravel. Put a fire pit ( pick up and move kind) in the middle with chairs around Yu can all hang out there

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/Portals/0/Shaw Nature Reserve/PDFs/horticulture/Deer Resistant Native Plants.pdf
What about some native plants that are deer resistant.

2/3rds lawn 1/3rd bed.

Might be good to double check with the City/County if published standards e.g. types of plantings or how much distance from a mountable curb. Even if an HOA or just the neighbors takes care of it, with the concrete street it looks like it is City right-of-way so don't go overboard with any hardscape or high-maintenance plantings. And please don't make a perfect circle with the landscape bed.

A circular center bed would make for easy mowing. If not a circle, what then? I'm open to other possibilities.

It can be organic shaped, just like any landscape around the houses here, and looks like there is no precedent for formality either. A layering to a central height where the streetlight is. Just an example.

Meditation labyrinth!

In my mind's eye, I'm seeing a circular bed filled with mounded herbaceous perennials riffing on a prairie theme. Choosing spreading plants would keep costs lower since fewer would be needed. Echinacea Magnus, Walker's Low nepeta, and achillea Coronation Gold come to mind. My concern with this concept is that these perennials would "eat" dog toys, tennis balls, drones and frisbees.

Planning to do 2/3 grass and 1/3 plantings this fall. Thinking will do a circle around the central light post to keep things simple. Would be nice to have some plants that are evergreen as well as some plants that bloom in the spring and/or summer. All have to be super deer resistant. They are everywhere. The males will rub their antlers against anything they can and come winter, will graze. Is anyone good at mocking things up? Thinking some variation in height would be good, with tallest plant no more than person height and closest to the pole. We want to be able to see across the cul-de-sac fairly easily. Thinking boxwoods, Carl Forester grasses, holly, spirea, Lythrum, etc. Thanks all!

Back again. Neighbors all wanted grass so that the houses are the focus and not the island. Plus, all of our kids play in the cul de sac and this adds to play space. Irrigation was put in so should help with maintenance. Went with the 2/3 grass and 1/3 soil as recommended. Planning to plant in the spring. Please remember that this island is HUGE, 56 feet in diameter, so without a decent amount of grass, we would need a TON of plantings and mulch to cover the area. The company that maintains the island could not keep up with the plantings and weeds that we had previously. There were weeds everywhere and the plants were all overgrown. Not looking for feedback on the grass. That is done and neighbors are happy to be able to see across the island now. Looking for help with what to plant in the center part. Is 19 feet in diameter. Everything has to be deer resistant. Not looking for any trees or anything that gets higher than 3-4 feet so as to preserve the views off beyond our houses. Would be good to have some evergreens so that there is interest in the winter as well. We are in STL so it can be pretty cold from Nov-March.

Something that attracts butterflies and hummingbirds

Evergreen, low maintenance, deer resistant and color - Daub's Frosted Juniper.

Daub's Frosted Juniper (monrovia.com)

Some people may think it smells like pee. Smells like juniper to me.

On the Garden Answer You Tube channel, she has a circle garden that has boxwoods on the outer circle perimeter and an interior circle of Denim and Lace russian sage (Proven Winners). She also plants tulips, but you could do daffodils.