Aggregates such as gravel, slate and pebbles are a low maintenance alternative to soil or grass. By planting a lawn alternative you don’t need to give up on green space or cover the yard in concrete or paving. Opt for regular mondo grass, which grows up to 6 inches tall, or choose dwarf mondo grass, just 2 inches tall, and never mow again. North American backyards have one main point in common – Kentucky blue grass. These areas can include but are not limited to: See more ideas about Ground cover, Lawn, Ground cover plants. The Best Drought Tolerant Lawn Alternatives Best Succulent Ground Covers 33 Best Plants for a Rock Garden A solution for the time it takes a ground cover to grow is to partner it with mulch! Grass is a great ground cover. Ground Covers. Lawn Alternatives: Groundcovers. 4. Ground covers are excellent in areas where growing grass would pose a challenge. A low-growing ground cover, there are plenty of varieties from attractive smoother textures to eye-catching grass-like options. They are a lush velvety green ,hard wearing and able to cope with drought as well as having lower fertilizer and mowing requirements compared to other turf grasses. Use it in out-of-the-way areas and on steep banks. Common Places To Use Ground Covers. Lawn Alternatives in Play Areas. It basically looks after itself and grows best in shade. Here are some grass alternatives to consider. Low Water Ground Covers. These low-growing plants spread easily in even the toughest sites, providing thick coverage that will eventually benefit the soil beneath. spreads to form a lush, grass-like cover, but it’s too lumpy to walk across. Here’s how to grow this attractive, drought resistant herb instead of grass. Green Carpet (Herniaria Glabra) - This lowing growing ground cover only reaches about 3 inches in height and forms a matforming green carpet for carpet-bedding, a lawn alternative, low growing container gardening, etc. Both work together to benefit the garden. Prepare for spring and find inspiration to start replacing parts of your lawn with groundcovers. ; It is a short-lived perennial and may require reseeding every 2-3 years to maintain an even stand in pure clover lawns. It’s made from mowing-tolerant flowering ground cover plants rather than grass. Ground cover plants certainly need not be limited to grass. Purple daisy flowers with yellow centres for most of the year. Plants that spread over time to cover the ground are referred to as groundcovers. Finely divided foliage and a long flowering period. (Perfect Grass, CC BY 2.0)You can get rid of the plant life all together by using a synthetic lawn. Groundcover Alternatives to Turf Grass . Alternatives to grass lawns - ground covers! Drought-tolerant grass alternatives include microclover, white clover, creeping red fescue, ryegrasses and sedges. He found it attracts lots of wildlife, absorbs rainfall twice as fast as a turf lawn and doesn’t need feeding. It basically looks after itself and grows best in shade. These varieties can either replace … In this front yard landscape they used a stone pathway, and surrounded it with a mass planting of Mondo Grass. From David Morello on ‘Houzz‘, this is a great example of an easy lawn alternative. If you have a shady yard, or a shady area in your yard, moss can be a great, low-maintenance alternative to grass. The Zoysia grasses, including this one and Z.japonica(Japanese lawn grass)and Z. matrella (Manila grass) are becoming more well known for use as ground cover and as lawn. Not all of the above are alternatives to a lawn in the sense of retaining the open space. Jul 28, 2020 - Explore Melanie Cartwright's board "Alternatives to Grass Lawn" on Pinterest. Creating ground cover delivers several benefits: Provides moisture retention, helping plants to survive in periods of drought. A low-growing ground cover, there are plenty of varieties from attractive smoother textures to eye-catching grass-like options. Lisa Hallett Taylor Instead of planting all of one type of plant, like succulents or ornamental grasses, carefully plan your landscape to incorporate different types of drought-tolerant plants. If your yard has plenty of shade, moss makes a great alternative to grass. But here we’re talking about ground covers and alternatives to this grass, not a bunch of fiddle and banjo players jamming in your backyard.. Trees with low-lying branches can have ground cover planted beneath, so the person mowing doesn’t have to duck below the branches. Ground covers are an excellent alternative to grass. Low-growing groundcovers are perfect lawn alternatives. Grasses, ground covers and hedges make a drought-tolerant mix. When grown, the ground cover feeds from the mulch-enriched soil. Yet, grass replacements are widely sought for a number of reasons—not least among them the fact that some low-growing plants can survive with much less water and require no mowing. Location selection is key when using creeping charlie, which is actually a weed.Bushels of tiny rounded leaves and tiny blooms provide a thick but very durable ground cover alternative for pets and humans alike to spend time playing in or spreading out for an afternoon catnap on it’s pillowy-soft and fragrant minty-smelling mounds. Recap: Mulch Some homeowners actually have taken things a step further, eschewing grass entirely in favor of alternatives—that is, hardy, low-growing ground covers (or even artificial grass). Trim back in early spring to prevent open sprawl. It also appeals to a wide range of minibeasts and … Opt for ground cover plants For areas where daily usage isn’t important, fragrant chamomile lawns are popular, but require a sunny spot and free draining soil. This grass is a perennial groundcover, and … Disadvantages of Clover. Perfect grass alternatives for a front garden or for a sloping garden. Mar 6, 2012 - Explore Cori Rose's board "Landscape - Alternative Ground Covers & Pavers" on Pinterest. Clover lawns do have some disadvantages: It stains clothing more easily than grass. Options like sedge, moss, and clover thrive without fertilizers, require less water than grass, and rarely need to be mowed. Synthetic grass has a high upfront cost, but never needs mowing or water. Not only to the add texture, but also color and depth to what would be a dull landscape otherwise. Moss. Ready to get started? Leave a Comment. If your yard has plenty of shade, moss makes a great alternative to grass. Lawn grass really is just a groundcover that does best in a sunny situation. Ground Cover Alternatives to Grass. This low-growing ground cover comes in many varieties, which allows you to choose between a smoother texture or options that look more like grass. Whilst herb lawns, ground cover plants and moss give you visual space, they’re not really suitable surfaces for playing football on. Note: This is a different plant than a cover crop. Anemone. 3 natural, non-synthetic approaches to lawn replacement 1-949-498-1131 | Light footfall is the accepted term for their usage. These may or may not have plants. (Read to the bottom of the post to find a sneaky way to save yourself a ton of time and backache converting your lawn to grass alternatives.) Other Alternatives to a Grass Lawn. With ground cover plants, you can easily knock out the dreaded chore of mowing the grass. Trees will do better with bark mulch or ground cover planted beneath, as grass will compete with the tree roots for nutrients. September 7, 2015 Money Pit Team. Alternatives to Grass – Mondo Grass. Groundcovers and Plants to Use As Lawn Alternatives Tired of maintaining a grassy lawn? Mass these ground covers for a one-of-a-kind look. Useful for rockeries or as an attractive flowering ground cover or border. This low- to no-mow grass seed mix is a blend of red fescue, tall fescue, sheep fescue, and other grasses that produces a deep green, hardy ground cover that is still soft to the touch. Group according to needs—like water, light, and soil—along with height. Herniaria glabra, also known as Rupturewort or Green Carpet, is a soft to walk on, evergreen grass substitute for many people. Lilyturf ( Liriope spp.) California Lawn Alternatives ships plugs of 'UC Verde' Buffalo Grass, 'Kurapia' ground cover, and Ruschia 'Nana' succulent. It is not durable enough for playing fields or high traffic areas, unless mixed with grass. The traditional green grass we use to cover our front and back yards has many disadvantages and quite honestly, very … ... Bark mulch drains well, nourishes soil microbes and makes a practical play surface for children and pets when used as a ground cover alternative to grass. Benefits Of Garden Ground Cover. Break ‘o Day (NT) (ML) Brachyscome multifida. Plant Alternatives to Grass Ground Covers. Usually this term denotes low-growing plants, but groundcovers can also refer to taller, spreading shrubs or trees that grow together to create a dense cover of vegetation. DIYNetwork.com landscape experts offer up low-maintenance groundcovers and plants that can be used to replace grass. See more ideas about ground cover, pavers, landscape. The new ground cover gains from mulch’s moisture and weed protection. After planting a ground cover, scatter mulch around it. 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