Lawns are both thirsty and needy - and that means big water bills and intensive maintenance for homeowners. Even those who love the golf-course look of green expanses of turf grass are considering switching them out for something easier and more ecological.

Rockeries have both charm and low-maintenance appeal. Creating a modern, water-wise rock garden that includes hardy ornamental grasses solves so many turfgrass problems while offering a delightful and dramatic landscape. These river rocks from Amazon are a great base to build around.

The (Many) Problems with Turfgrass

I live by a golf course and often walk my dog there early in the morning, before the golfers arrive. But though there are no golfers, I am never alone. Maintenance people seem to be on duty every morning, turning on sprinklers, applying fertilizer, cutting the grass, filling holes with soil and grass seed, and raking.

This is awaiting any homeowner who buys a home with a lawn or decides to install one. Lawns need water to stay lush and green – and what’s the use of having a lawn if it isn’t lush and green? Lawns need fertilizer and pesticides. Lawns need regular haircuts. Lawns take up all the space and these monocultures are ecologically barren, neither providing food or native habitats for local pollinators, birds, or insects.

The (Many) Benefits of a Rockery

A rockery or rock garden is a form of xeriscaping, an increasingly popular landscaping method that dramatically reduces the need for supplemental irrigation. Using drought-tolerant plants and moisture-retaining mulch, it can lower outdoor water use by 50 percent or more while requiring significantly less maintenance.

If you create a water-wise rockery and install hardy ornamental grasses, your landscape will suddenly be the talk of the neighborhood. Instead of the square plot of green carpet, you’ll boast a low maintenance landscape with incredible visual appeal. The architectural shapes of the stones contrast with the soft, flowing foliage to add texture, fluidity, and visual drama.

How to Transition a Patch of Lawn into a Rock Garden

1. Check for and Obtain Any Necessary Permits

Does your city or water agency require you to apply for permission to begin digging up your yard? That depends on where you live. Call your city government and find out what you need. It’s important to have it in hand before you pick up the shovel. While you have the phone in hand, ask about possible rebates. In California, many city water companies offer impressive rebates to those who swap out their lawns

2. Remove the Turfgrass

You will need to get rid of the existing turfgrass before putting in a rock garden. Otherwise it will sprout through and into your rockery. The easiest way to remove a lawn is to smother it. All you need is ample amounts of cardboard or newspaper to get started.

Spread it around covering the turfgrass, then wet it down thoroughly. Cover the wet paper with soil, then leave it alone for two months. The turf grass will die. At that point, remove the soil and the cardboard or newspaper, and use a sod cutter or a spade to completely remove the dead grass.

3. Outline the Borders

You will have figured out the size and shape of your rock garden before you started the project. Now is the time to create a clean border. This will outline the rock garden and keep the rocks where they belong.

Here’s how to proceed: dig a trench around the perimeter. It doesn’t have to be huge, just large enough to install rigid landscape edging. You could use metal edging, plastic edging or stone edging.

4. Select and Plant the Ornamental Grasses

Choose two or three different types of ornamental grasses. Pick those suited for rock gardens, like blue fescue (Festuca glauca), Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra), or blue oat grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens). Other possibilities include feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora) or little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) that thrive in rocky, well-draining soil.

Buy plants at the garden store, then dig holes twice as deep and wide as the nursery pot. Place the plants in the holes and backfill with soil.

5. Place the Rocks

You’ll need some large boulders and many smaller rocks. The largest are also your "feature rocks," and you’ll want to place them first. Bury the bottom third of each feature rock into the ground. That makes the area look natural.

6. Add Irrigation

Your best bet is to install low-flow drip irrigation. This is how you will provide the minimal irrigation required by your ornamental grasses.

7. Cover the Soil with Landscape Fabric

Unroll heavy-duty, commercial-grade landscaping fabric over the bare soil. This will keep down all weed growth. Cut X shapes into the fabric where grasses are installed, then fold by the fabric around the base of the grasses. Spread a layer of decorative gravel or crushed stone across the fabric.

Shop Rock Garden Essentials

Every summer, I find myself looking at my lawn and asking the same question: why am I working so hard to keep it green? Surely there has to be a pretty lawn alternative that can do the hard work for me?

Confession time: my lawn is far from a pristine patch of emerald perfection. There’s a well-worn path where the dog charges back and forth, dry patches that appear after every spell of hot weather, and we’re gradually expanding our flower beds to reduce our overreliance on grass. Because, in very hot weather, lawn care is a nightmare to keep on top of.

We all know that traditional lawns are very demanding. And all of that mowing, watering, fertilizing and more feels like a lot of effort for something that offers relatively little back to wildlife compared with a more diverse planting scheme. Especially if it’s all going to go sad, brown, and crispy the moment temperatures climb.

That being said, sometimes you still want a green space for children to play, to spread out a picnic blanket on a summer evening, or just to make your neighbors green with envy over. So, yes, I started avidly researching which lush lawn alternatives that could offer the best of both worlds.

This Pretty Lawn Alternative Laughs Off Heatwaves

If you want the very best lawn alternative out there, microclover is the one that’s caught my attention, and not just because it has the verdant appearance of a traditional lawn. Not, it’s because it is better suited to warmer conditions and requires less maintenance once established.

That’s right; this pretty lawn alternative creates a natural-looking carpet, needs less mowing, helps improve soil health and produces small flowers that are useful for pollinators when allowed to bloom. All of which means, if you’re not ready to dig up your entire lawn (or simply want to make a tired patch more resilient) microclover could be one of the easiest ways to create a greener garden.

Microclover is exactly what it sounds like: a smaller-leaved version of white clover that's been bred to create a lawn-like carpet. Unlike standard clover, it blends seamlessly into a landscape, giving you a lush green finish without looking wild or untidy. And, while many traditional cool-season grasses can turn brown during dry spells, microclover often keeps its rich green color for much longer thanks to its deep roots and impressive drought tolerance.

It also grows much more slowly than a typical lawn, which means you'll spend less time pushing a mower around and more time actually enjoying your yard. Like other clovers, too, it captures nitrogen from the air and returns it to the soil, naturally fertilizing itself and even helping nearby grasses if you choose to grow a mixed lawn.

All of which means, yes, less fertilizer and fewer chemicals. Sounds a dream come true, right?

If allowed to flower, microclover produces delicate white blooms that become a valuable food source for bees and other pollinators. But, if you prefer the look of a classic lawn, just give it a quick mow before flowering.

Like any living groundcover, it is worth noting that this lawn alternative will appreciate occasional watering during prolonged drought and may not stand up to constant heavy foot traffic quite so well as some turf grasses do. (If your yard doubles as a soccer field every weekend, basically, you may prefer mixing microclover with grass rather than replacing it entirely).

For most family gardens, though, it’s an attractive compromise between a thirsty traditional lawn and a completely natural meadow. And if you aren’t sold? Don’t worry, as I have three more options for you to choose from...

Three More Lawn Alternatives

As our summers continue to warm, I have a strong suspicion that we’re going to see more gardeners questioning whether a traditional lawn is really worth the effort. And sure, microclover won’t be the right fit for every yard, but for anyone hoping to spend less time mowing and more time enjoying their garden?

Well, it’s a pretty compelling alternative!

Gardening is a beautiful way of expressing creativity as well as connecting with the natural world. For many of us, that’s one of the things we love best about dressing up our immediate landscape. But when it comes to lawn care, we can often retreat into a mundane approach, mowing on automatic pilot and spending countless hours tugging at weeds in frustration. Traditional lawns can be demanding monocultures of emerald green grass that struggle in shade, brown in the heat, and demand a relentless cycle of seeding, irrigation, mowing, and aeration.

So why not turn that plain, thirsty lawn as a canvas? You can replace that block of green with a tapestry lawn that mixes colors and textures in an enchanting outdoor display. These lawns don’t just sit there – they evolve, bloom, exude fragrance, and invite you to wander. And best of all, these plant tapestry options can lead to easy lawn care. These perennial plants work well in different areas, from full sun to shade to high traffic areas. And they need a lot less care and feeding to look fabulous.

Starting a lawn alternative in April gives these living carpet plants an entire growing season to establish their root systems before the winter chill, ensuring a resilient mosaic that gets more beautiful with every passing year. So, are you ready for a less stressful, lower-maintenance, and highly sensory lawn switch? Try these fragrant, flowery tapestry plants for distinctive ground covers that love being walked on.

Best Plants for a Tapestry Lawn

I love the phrase “tapestry lawn” since it evokes the gardener’s sense of beauty and creativity in designing it. You may also have heard this same concept (a mixed planting of low-growing flowers and grasses) called a meadow lawn or a patchwork lawn. The basic idea is to mix and match flowering plants and grasses that are tough enough to withstand foot traffic, yet lovely enough (with mixed colors, fragrances, and textures) to create a practical arrangement that pleases all of your senses.

Blending different low-growing plants of various hues and textures duplicates the natural interlacing beauty of a field. However, a long-lasting tapestry lawn relies on preparation. Unlike grass, which relies on high nitrogen loads, these perennial heroes thrive in leaner conditions. Before planting, it is vital to clear the canvas of aggressive weeds and existing turf. Give your planting area a light tilling, followed by an amendment of organic compost. To ensure your quilt of plants can knit together properly, aim for a planting density of 4-6 plants per square foot. This creates a competitive living mulch that naturally chokes out weeds.

When choosing ground cover plants, consider your USDA hardiness zone and your yard’s unique microclimate. Some plants in this selection crave sun, while others are shade-dwellers that stabilize soil in damp corners. By grouping plants with similar moisture and light needs, you create a self-regulating ecosystem that eventually needs less water and less maintenance than a traditional turfgrass lawn. The nectar from these flowering plants will help pollinators more than grass can.

Before you plant, test your soil's pH to ensure your tapestry thrives. If you use a combined soil test meter, such as Yamron’s 4-in-1 Soil Meter from Amazon, you can also ascertain moisture and light levels ahead of planting. Now’s the time to get started on (and have-fun with) your own tapestry lawn. It will look lovely immediately and grow even lovelier with the passage of time.

1. Creeping Thyme

Lush and fragrant, creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum) is often at the top of the list for tapestry plants. Topping out at about 3 inches (8cm), this gorgeous ground cover is a gorgeous, low-maintenance alternative to a traditional lawn. While turfgrass is pleasant to walk on, creeping thyme adds a sensory layer: it releases a heavenly, herbal scent every time your foot brushes the foliage. Unlike grass, it thrives on neglect and prefers sandy, poor-quality soil over rich, heavy loams. Creeping thyme loves a sunny, dry location in USDA hardiness zones 4-9.

This thyme is particularly effective because it spreads by rooting stems, creating a dense mat that acts as a natural weed suppressant. To guarantee it comes back year after year, ensure your soil has excellent drainage. This thyme produces flowers that are bright and rich in nectar, feeding the local pollinators, and creating rich color. All that, and its herbal freshness makes for a delightfully aromatic living carpet. For a striking visual, mix 'Mother of Thyme' (pink flowers) with 'Magic Carpet' (neon pink) to create a variegated floor. You can buy Creeping Thyme Seeds from Amazon for a dense mat of fragrant textures.

2. Bugleweed (Carpetweed)

Have you ever planted mint in your herb garden only to have it take over the space? Well, bugleweed (Ajuga reptans) is in the mint family, and it will work hard to fill up empty space in your tapestry planting – but you can turn this to your advantage if you are looking to fill a large space with the least amount of effort. Also known as carpetweed, this ground cover will fill tricky areas that might be too steep or too shady to support grass. This compact perennial produces a flurry of purple, blue, or pink flower spikes in spring and summer, providing a feast for hungry bees.

Just bear in mind that it is susceptible to crown rot if planted in overly crowded, humid conditions with poor airflow. To keep it healthy, avoid high-traffic walking paths, as its fleshy leaves won’t survive excessive trampling. Instead, use it as a detail filler in your lawn tapestry, surrounding stepping stones. For a unique texture, try the 'Black Scallop' or ‘Chocolate Chip’ variety, available from Burpee, which offers dark hues that contrast well with chartreuse lawn companions like creeping Jenny. This ground cover thrives in USDA hardiness zones 3-10.

3. Roman Chamomile

Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) makes a great, fragrant tapestry plant that doubles as a stress-reliever. Its low-growing, creeping foliage is a beautiful bright green, spreading by rooting stems. Its daisy-like flowers appear all summer long, providing mass appeal to bees and butterflies. Because it creates such a dense, close-knit carpet, it offers a manicured look, but with a softer feel underfoot. This ground cover grows to 4 inches (10cm) tall, and makes great weed control. It works well in full sun or partial shade, dry or sandy soils, and zones 4-11.

To maintain a soft lawn look, you can try a light mow or trim after the first flowering flush. This encourages the plant to stay low and spread horizontally rather than getting leggy. Roman chamomile is significantly more drought-tolerant than its German cousin, but it does appreciate occasional deep watering during extreme heat waves. It is a low-traffic plant, so it is best used in areas where you might sit or lounge rather than where the dog runs daily. You can buy Roman Chamomile Seeds from Eden Brothers for a classic, apple-scented lawn.

4. Creeping Jenny

Another popular tapestry plant is creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia), a low-growing ground cover that can quickly cover a lot of ground with its dense green carpet. This plant is great for trouble spots in the yard where the hose leaks or the rain collects. The foliage stays bright green and lush all year long, but summer is creeping Jenny’s heyday, when it is lit up with small, bright yellow flowers. It flourishes in part shade, wet areas, and hardiness zones 4-9.

Creeping Jenny has a reputation for being aggressive, so strategy is key. The 'Aurea' cultivar is slightly less invasive than the straight green species and offers a stunning chartreuse glow. To guarantee it comes back, don't let it dry out. It pairs beautifully with bugleweed, and the gold leaves of Jenny with the purple spikes of ajuga create a high-contrast mosaic that looks gorgeous with zero effort. Buy ‘Aurea’ Creeping Jenny plants from Nature Hills. Creeping Jenny’s vigor is a benefit when it comes to filling bare soil. It grows to 5 inches (12.5cm) in full sun or part shade areas.

5. Stonecrop

Low-growing sedum (aka stonecrop) is a fabulous and textured ground cover, so it’s a lovely choice for a tapestry lawn. Once established, stonecrops do not require irrigation, fertilizer, or pruning. They are the ultimate drought-warriors, storing water in their fleshy stems and succulent leaves for texture all year long. Summer brings gorgeous clusters of star-shaped flowers, beloved by pollinators. Low-growing varieties spread along the ground, rarely exceeding 2 inches (5cm) in height, making them perfect for stitching together the sunnier edges of your tapestry lawn. They just need a sunny or partial sunny location in hardiness zones 3-10.

For a tapestry lawn, look for carpet-forming sedums like S. album or S. spurium. Stonecrops are excellent as weed control, because they form such a tight seal over the soil. To ensure longevity, never over-fertilize. Too much food makes sedums leggy and weak. They thrive in the cracks between pavers or on the sun-baked edges of your property, thriving in shallow soil where other plants might not make it. You can buy a range of exquisite sedums from Nature Hills for a succulent effect in colors ranging from bright gold to rich plum.

6. Corsican Mint

Corsican mint (Mentha requienii) is the smallest of the mints, forming a tight, moss-like rug of green with a fresh, zingy fragrance. It is one of the few tapestry plants that releases more fragrance the more it is stepped on. Its tiny purple flowers in midsummer are a delight, but its primary value is the vibrant, peppermint-scented crush it provides in a walking garden. Plant this one in partial shade and moist soil, as well as walkways, and it will thrive in zones 7-9.

Unlike its invasive cousins, Corsican mint is well-behaved, though it does require consistent moisture. Plant this in the joints of flagstone paths. If it gets too dry, it may go dormant, but it often self-seeds to fill back in when the rains return. It doesn't want too much sun or too much shade, making it perfect for the dappled light under a specimen tree. While Corsican mint tolerates light foot traffic, use a tougher plant for high traffic areas. You can buy Outsidepride Corsican Mint Seeds from Walmart.

7. Common Yarrow

Finally, let’s add something a little taller for structural interest. Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium) works well for a tapestry lawn, since it is nearly indestructible. While the flower stalks can reach 3 feet (90cm), the feathery basal foliage stays in a lacy, fern-like rosette that is very soft to walk on. It spreads via creeping rhizomes, making it the perfect option for knitting together other elements of your tapestry. Yarrow needs full sun and high traffic areas, but accepts all soil types in zones 3-9.

Yarrow is a pioneer plant, and it will thrive in poor soil. To keep it as a lawn alternative, you can mow it on a high setting (4 inches/10cm) after flowers fade. This keeps it compact and encourages the feathery foliage to spread. Yarrow is also a dynamic accumulator, meaning its deep roots pull nutrients up from the subsoil, improving the earth for the plants around it. While you won’t need to water this drought tolerant plant, it pays to prune back yarrow regularly if you want regular flowers. Buy White Yarrow Seeds from Amazon for a hardy, wild look.

Shop Tapestry Lawn Plants

Ready to start your living carpet? These three ground cover varieties are exceptional performers and easy to grow and care for, making them ideal for growers looking to transition away from traditional turf towards a more evocative and eco-friendly lawn replacement. Try these curated picks and let your tapestry lawn journey begin!

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For several years, especially in the suburban United States, the perfect lawn was seen as the quintessential thing to have. It featured neatly mowed grass, sharp edges, and not a dandelion in sight (lest it be obliterated by enough chemicals that you would need a hazmat suit to walk across).

However, a new trend seems to have taken hold, showing up in yards across the US. They're getting a little, shall we say, “wilder,” and this aesthetic doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Gardeners are putting away their mowers, allowing their grass to grow a bit and discovering that the results are better for animals, easier to maintain, and far more interesting to look at.

It’s now become a full-blown movement, called “rewilding” your lawn, and it’s really gaining momentum. Instead of seeing a yard as a decorative carpet of grass where not one footprint should be seen, gardeners are now treating it as a small ecosystem capable of supporting insects, pollinators, and the occasional bird. Once you notice the difference, it’s hard to go back to your plain old turf.

Why Gardeners Are Ditching the Perfect Lawn

A traditional lawn may look perfect and give you that same satisfying feeling as a neatly organized pantry on TikTok, but ecologically, it’s often a “green desert.” The few grass species that it consists of rarely offer food or shelter for insects and birds, meaning they have to look elsewhere.

Rewilding flips that whole idea upside down. It allows a mix of plants, especially native ones, to grow freely, and the lawn becomes a living habitat. Wildflowers attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, birds eat seeds and insects, and the health of your soil improves as the plant diversity widens.

There are practical benefits for you as an owner as well. No more mowing, watering, and fertilizing. Rewilded gardens often use less water, fewer chemicals, and require way less maintenance in the long run.

In a nutshell, letting go of expecting your lawn to always look perfect can make gardening way easier and take a whole lot of stress away from you, too.

What a Rewilded Lawn Really Looks Like

You’re probably shaking your head, thinking I’m telling you your yard will need to look like an abandoned house full of waist-high weeds, with years of neglect. But, rewilding doesn’t mean that at all. It’s a design approach that encourages biodiversity while still creating a beautiful garden.

In many cases, the results look more like a mini meadow than a wild jungle. You may see patches of daisies, clover, native grasses, and flowering plants all layered together, creating a burst of color and seasonal texture.

Note: Many gardeners still keep a small area of grass mowed for walking paths or seating areas.

How to Start Rewilding Your Lawn

My favorite part of this trend is that you don’t need to suddenly overhaul your whole front yard in one day. Even a few small changes can make a huge difference, especially for wildlife.

1. Begin With a Small Patch

Choose a certain section of your lawn, like a corner or the edge, and allow it to grow longer. To get this, simply mow less or stop mowing that area altogether for a whole growing season. As I said before, even small changes help. Just by doing this, you will already encourage flowers like clover, daisies, and buttercups to sprout up.

If you want to give your yard a little more encouragement, plant a lawn alternative mix to get started.

2. Add Native Plants

To have the biggest impact on your yard, start with plants that naturally grow in your area. These are already adapted to the local conditions and provide the best food sources for pollinators and birds.

Look for wildflowers, native grasses, or flowering perennials that bloom at different times of the year. This will ensure insects have nectar throughout the season.

3. Create Layers

A healthy ecosystem will have multiple layers of plants rather than just a bunch of grass at different heights. Mix in various colors, textures, and heights with:

• Low groundcovers
• Flowering plants
• Taller grasses or shrubs

4. Reduce Chemicals

A truly rewilded lawn needs to be without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers to really thrive. Many insects are beneficial and can actually control pests naturally, thereby reducing the need for chemical treatments.

5. Keep it Intentional

One trick experienced gardeners use is maintaining clear edges. A mowed border or path around the wild patch can give the signal that this is purposeful, and you aren’t just neglecting your yard. To get this look without accidentally cutting off too much, try this American Lawn Mower from Walmart which only uses manual blades.

Small Gardens Can Make a Big Impact

You don’t need a massive lawn to do this, and that’s the most exciting aspect of rewilding. Pollinators often don’t want to travel long distances, which means a single, wildlife-friendly yard can give them a great habitat in a suburban neighborhood (especially one where all the other lawns are overly perfect).

And, if you get your neighbors to try this as well, you can form a network of mini habitats across your street.

If you have never heard of blueberry sod, this is your chance to simplify the way you approach lawn care. Beautiful and delicious, using blueberry sod as ground cover is a great alternative to planting a new lawn. It is much easier to grow and care for, and a unique way to enhance your garden's fruiting potential.

Seeding a lawn requires effort – clearing the area, tilling the soil, planting seeds, and providing irrigation while you wait for the seeds to turn into lush ground cover. You also need to keep the area clear of weeds until a thick turf develops. Wouldn’t it be easier if you could unroll a lawn like a carpet over bare ground? Put simply, sod is grass that arrives in a roll, pre-grown, with soil and roots. If you are considering using blueberry ground cover as a lawn substitute, you can use blueberry sod to achieve your goal quickly. 

What is Blueberry Sod?

Blueberry sod is one of the easiest ways to plant blueberry ground cover. It costs more than other methods, like seedling or installing plants, but the amount of work and time required is so reduced that it has many fans. Like a grass sod that you lay, blueberry sod is a layer of pre-planted earth. It is sold in rolls and arrives at your house with mature roots. That means that it can be installed immediately.

This type of sod can be used on flat spaces, but also on slopes or even hillsides. It is an effective way to combat erosion, since it holds soil in place, absorbs rainwater and creates a beneficial wildlife habitat. All this, and it also provides delicious berries. 

How to Plant Blueberry Sod

The trickiest thing about planting blueberry sod is that you cannot unroll it over vegetation like grass or weeds. Blueberry sod roots are mature, but they need to be in direct contact with the soil in order to establish. Anything that comes between the roll of sod and the soil prevents roots from digging in deep. 

Luckily, you don't have to worry about ground-cover spacing as the blueberry sod has already taken care of that for you. Simply lay the sod over the soil, then water it in. Provide generous irrigation on a daily basis for the next 15 days. The soil just below the sod should feel damp after watering. After a month, apply a high-nitrogen fertilizer, and repeat in another month's time. 

Blueberry Sod Care

Best Light

As anyone who already has experience of growing blueberries will know, all varieties require full sun to thrive. The spot you select for your ground cover blueberries should have access to at least six hours of sun a day. 

Water

After the sod root system has established, two weeks after laying the blueberry sod, change to a less frequent but deeper irrigation schedule. This encourages the blueberry plants to deepen their roots. They should get about an inch (2.5cm) of water every week, so supplement rainfall if it is not sufficient. 

Temperature & Humidity

Different types of blueberries have different temperature and humidity requirements. For example, lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) prefers chillier climates and is hardy to USDA zones 2-8, while creeping blueberry (Vaccinium crassifolium) only grows in zones 6-9. Generally, lowbush blueberries do not require humid air, while traditional highbush types do. 

Soil

Blueberries require excellent drainage. The soil should contain organic material and, above all, it needs to be acidic. It's a good idea to test your soil before installing your blueberry sod, and raise the acid levels where necessary.

Fertilizer

A good blueberry fertilizer can help nourish your ground cover. After the blueberry sod has established, let the crop grow for a year. After that, apply a fertilizer annually for acid-loving plants.

Problems, Pests & Diseases

You and your family will get plenty of mileage from your blueberries, but you won't be alone– wild birds also love these juicy berries. Indeed, keeping birds at bay will be your biggest problem when growing blueberry sod for ground cover and crops. You may have to use a taut netting or a bird deterrent that repels birds with bird distress calls.

This type of ground cover is susceptible to blueberry pests like fruit worms, scale, plum curculio and blueberry tip borer. They also have problems with fungal diseases such as powdery mildew and leaf spot. Choose resistant varieties to reduce the risks of such problems occurring. 

Best Blueberry Ground Cover Varieties

Several species of blueberry sod are available as handy ground-cover blueberries. If you're after the best varieties of blueberry, one is lowbush blueberry sod. This is a good choice if your site matches the cultural requirements for lowbush blueberry as ground cover. Some companies offer wild blueberry sod which is a native mix of hundreds of genetically distinct wild blueberry plants. These offer a mixture of berry flavors, shapes and colors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Blueberries Good for Erosion Control?

Blueberry sod is an excellent choice for erosion control in appropriate locations. The sod itself locks in the soil and prevents it from being washed away.

Do You Need Two Blueberry Plants for Fruit?

When you install sod, it contains not one, not two, but many blueberry plant roots. Therefore, you do not have to worry about this. In case you are still curious, most blueberry cultivars are self-pollinating.

Lawn alternatives are increasingly popular with homeowners. They support native wildlife and are more cost-effective than standard turf grass. Prairies, one option for a lawn alternative, were once native across most of central North America. Gardeners in this region can benefit from restoring some of their yards to native prairie.

Why Choose a Lawn Alternative?

A micro prairie yard is just one way to create an alternative to a traditional turf grass lawn. But why should you replace your lawn? Turf lawns are fairly sterile environments with little to offer native wildlife. They do not provide food sources, shelter, or nectar for pollinators.

Grass lawns that replace native ecosystems ultimately harm native species, including plants, animals, insects, and crucial pollinators.

The main benefit of a lawn alternative is that it supports the natural environment and all the critters living in it. There are also benefits to the gardener and homeowner: lower maintenance needs and lower costs.

What is a Prairie?

A prairie is an ecosystem dominated by wild, native grasses. The plants in a prairie are herbaceous rather than woody. In other words, there are few or no trees or shrubs. Prairies have rich soils, limited rainfall, cold winters, and hot summers.

Meadow is a term often used interchangeably with prairie, but this isn’t accurate. Prairie is a term for a specific North American ecosystem. A major difference between a meadow and prairie is that meadows have more flowers, while prairies have more grasses.

Where Are Prairies Native?

It’s best to choose a lawn alternative that suits your region and natural environment. A prairie front yard or back yard is a good option for gardens in the native range of this kind of ecosystem, which includes the plains states and parts of the Midwest. There are three types of American prairies:

• Shortgrass. Shortgrass prairies dominate the western part of the prairie range. This includes eastern Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico.
• Mid- or Mixed-Grass. Mid-grass prairies are typical in most of the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and northern Texas.
• Tallgrass. Taller prairie grasses grow in western Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri, and parts of Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan.

How to Convert Lawn to Prairie

Creating a prairie isn’t easy, but the payoffs are potentially big. A prairie requires little maintenance and no use of pesticides or other chemicals. After the first year, maintenance costs for a converted yard drop from hundreds to tens of dollars.

You don’t have to convert your entire yard to reap many of the benefits of a prairie lawn. Choose one site on your property that has plenty of sunlight and few or no trees. It’s also a good idea to get a soil test, so you can amend it if necessary and choose appropriate plants for the site.

It will be easier to convert a spot that doesn’t have a lot of invasive or weedy plants. Those will need to be cleared. Depending on how much vegetation there is, you might need a professional to clear it. To clear vegetation for a prairie, you can use pesticides. Another option is to cover the area with a dark sheet for a couple of months. Once the area is clear, till the soil very well, to a depth of about 12 inches (30.5 cm).

The fun part comes next: choosing plants. Choose native grasses and flowers. Your local extension office can help if you aren’t sure which are best. Once you know what to plant, you can sow seeds or put in transplants. Seeding is less expensive but takes longer to establish. Choose at least one fast-growing grass to help crowd out any weeds as the rest of your plants get established. The best time to sow seeds for prairie grasses is late spring and early summer.

You might need to provide some water and mulch to cover seeds initially, but once established, a prairie requires little care. You might also need to pull unwanted weeds in the first couple of years. Long-term care of a prairie does require regular burning, but you can find professionals to handle this job.

A prairie lawn requires an initial investment of time and money, but once it gets going, you’ll enjoy the benefits of a native, natural lawn.

Note: Any recommendations pertaining to the use of chemicals are for informational purposes only. Chemical control should only be used as a last resort, as organic approaches are safer and more environmentally friendly.

Many people know the struggle of trying to grow grass in a shady yard. Even so-called shade-tolerant varieties don’t always work. If this sounds like your efforts, consider a shade groundcover or other lawn alternatives that do well with minimal sunlight. 

Why Choose Grass Alternatives? 

Shade isn’t the only reason to choose lawn alternatives, although it’s a big one. When you try to grow grass in a shady area, you’re likely to end up with more dirt patches, moss, and weeds than grass. A shade garden just looks nicer. 

There are other good reasons to ditch the grass and choose a back yard or front yard shade garden: 

• You won’t spend as much time—or any at all if you replace the grass entirely—on mowing the lawn. 
• Grass is a monoculture, in other words ecologically boring. By increasing a diversity of plants in place of grass, you support local wildlife, including pollinators.
• Choose native species for a shade garden, and you make an even bigger positive impact on the ecosystem. 
• You will spend less money and fewer resources—like water—on grass alternatives for shade. 

The Best Lawn Substitutes for Shade

No matter where you live, you should be able to find many good options for creating a shade garden in place of grass. Check with your local extension office for advice or visit a garden center to see what’s available. Here are some ideas to get you started: 

• Groundcovers. This is a popular choice as an alternative to grass in shady areas. A groundcover is a low-growing plant that spreads readily and creates a carpet of foliage and often spring flowers. For shade try lily-of-the-valley, pachysandra, bugleweed, periwinkle, sweet woodruff, barrenwort, lungwort, Canadian wild ginger, heuchera, or low-growing hostas varieties. 
• Ferns. Most ferns embrace shade and naturally grow in wooded areas. Choose a short fern for a groundcover effect or use several types for varying texture and color. Ostrich fern is a tall, attractive species. Japanese painted fern provides unique color and is relatively short. Unlike most types, autumn fern changes color with the seasons. 
• Ornamental grasses. You may not be able to grow turf grass in shady spots, but some varieties of ornamental grass do better in these areas. As with ferns, you can find different heights and colors to create variety. Try most types of sedges, northern sea oats, Japanese forest grass, sweet flag, and fall blooming reed grass. 
• Shade perennials. Another alternative to turf is a shade-loving bed. Pick perennials that tolerate partial to full shade. Good options include hostas, astilbe, bleeding heart, hellebore, rhododendron, and corydalis. 

To get the most out of your shade garden, look for native species. They will require the least maintenance, won’t become invasive, and support wildlife.

The appeal of a perfect, green lawn is strong, but more people are turning to wildlife-friendly, natural alternatives. A wildflower meadow lawn is one option. There are a lot of reasons to ditch traditional turf for creating mini meadows, from less maintenance to supporting the local ecosystem.

What is Meadow Turf?

Meadow or wildflower turf is a more natural alternative to turf grass. It consists of wildflowers and grasses, ideally that are native to your region. Technically speaking, a meadow is made up of more than 50 percent forb, non-grass flowering plants. This is as compared to grasslands, which are more than half grasses.

Why Create a Meadow?

Wildflower turf for wildlife is a great way to create a more natural environment for your yard. Turf grass is not natural and doesn’t support wildlife as well as a variety of native species. With wildflower turf, you’ll see more pollinators, native insects, birds, and other animals. It provides them with shelter and food.

Another good reason to forgo the standard turf is maintenance. A natural turf needs to be installed or grown, but then it thrives without much intervention. You will save time, effort, and water as compared to grass.

Creating and Maintaining Wildlife Garden Turf

There are a few strategies you can use to create a wildflower meadow lawn:

Stop mowing your turf grass and let it grow. Over time new species will naturally colonize the area. Either start from scratch or use the first method but with added seeds for native species. Include a mix of grasses and wildflowers. Use prepared wildflower or meadow turf. This is just like sod for a lawn but with a mix of the right species for a meadow. More common in the U.K., you can find this turf in some places in the U.S.

Laying out turf is the quickest way to get a full meadow lawn. To use it, first remove regular turf and as many roots as possible. Next, amend the soil to be poorer in nutrients. This is what wildflowers prefer. You can remove topsoil and use poorer subsoil or add a layer of nutrient-poor topsoil. Turn up the soil a little to loosen it and lay the turf. As with sod, you will need to cut pieces to fit the area you are covering.

Water the turf regularly for a few weeks and avoid walking on it. Once the roots are established, you should not have to water the meadow.

A meadow should be mowed, but much less often than standard turf. Mow your wildflower turf just once or twice a year to encourage a greater diversity of species to take root. As a result, you’ll get more diverse wildlife too.

Growing native plants instead of lawns can be better for the local environment and, ultimately, requires less maintenance, but it does require a big initial effort. A lot of work goes into removing existing turf and naturescaping an entirely new landscape. The payoff is less work in the long run and a healthier ecosystem.

What is Naturescaping?

Naturescaping is the idea that you can design a landscape that is nature-friendly. In other words, the landscape becomes something that is attractive and functional for people but that also benefits wildlife, insects, and pollinators.

Naturescaping also aims to minimize negative impacts on the environment by reducing the need for pesticides and water and preventing erosion.

Why Create a Native Plant Lawn?

One of the most common strategies for naturescaping is planting a native lawn. Native plants are those that are found naturally in your area and local ecosystem. Turf lawns require a lot of maintenance, while a native lawn, once established, does not.

Turf can also be detrimental to the environment because to keep it looking nice requires the use of fertilizers, weed killers, and pesticides. Grass can also promote erosion and needs a lot of water throughout the growing season.

Native plants, on the other hand, provide an ecosystem including water, food, and shelter for native birds, insects, and other kinds of wildlife. They also need less water and are less prone to disease.

How to Replace Your Lawn with Native Plants

Replacing a lawn with native plants for a naturescape design is a big job. The hardest and most time-consuming part of the job is getting rid of existing grass. There are a few methods you can consider trying:

• Black Plastic. Cover your turf with black plastic in sunny areas and the heat trapped under it will kill the grass. You can then till the dead grass into the soil.
• No-Till. Another option is to cover the grass with thick layers of newspaper or cardboard. Put a layer of a few inches (7.5 cm.) of soil over it and with time the material will decay and you can directly place new plants in the soil.
• Herbicide. A non-specific type herbicide will kill the grass and does not persist for very long in the soil.

Once you have destroyed the turf, you can put in native plants according to your naturescape design. Check with your local county extension to find out what plants in your area are native. For the best design, use a mix of native grasses, shrubs, perennial wildflowers, and trees.

Naturescaping your entire yard will be a big commitment. Consider doing one area at a time to spread the work out over a few years. Or you may even realize you like having a mix of turf and native lawn instead.

These days we are all more conscious of pollution, water conservation, and the negative impacts of pesticides and herbicides on our planet and its wildlife. Yet, many of us still have the traditional lush green lawns that require frequent mowing, watering, and chemical applications. Here are some scary facts about those traditional lawns: According to the EPA, lawn care equipment emits eleven times the pollution of cars, and lawns in the United States use more water, fertilizer, and pesticides than any agricultural crop. Imagine how much healthier our planet would be if we all, or even just half of us, adopted a different, more earth-friendly concept such as a habiturf lawn.

What is Habiturf Grass?

If you have looked into earth-friendly lawns, you may have come across the term habiturf and wondered what is habiturf? In 2007, the Ecosystem Design Group of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, TX. created and began testing what they named the Habiturf lawn. This alternative to the traditional non-native lawn was made from a mixture of grasses native to the south and midwestern United States. The concept was simple: by using grasses that are native residents of hot, drought ridden areas, people could have the lush green lawn they long for while also conserving water. Habiturf native grasses turned out to be a great success in these locations and is now available as seed mixes or sod. The main ingredients of these seed mixes are buffalo grass, blue grama grass, and curly mesquite. These native grass species establish faster than non-native grass seed, grow 20% thicker, allow for only half the weeds to take root, require less water and fertilizer, and once established, they only need to be mowed three or four times a year. During times of drought, habiturf native grasses go dormant, then regrow when drought has passed. Non-native lawns require watering during times of drought, or they will die.

How to Create a Native Habiturf Lawn

Habiturf lawn care requires such little maintenance and is beneficial to the environment that it now covers eight acres at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas. Habiturf lawns can be mowed like traditional lawns, or they can be left to grow in their natural arching habit, which resembles a lush, shag carpet. Mowing them too frequently can cause more weeds to sneak in. Fertilizing habiturf lawns is rarely ever needed because they are native plants that grow best in natural situations. While habiturf native grasses are specifically for southwestern states, all of us can have low maintenance, chemical free lawns by abandoning the concept of the traditional lawn and growing native grasses and groundcovers instead.

Traditionally, English daisy (Bellis perennis) has been considered an enemy of neat, carefully manicured lawns. These days, ideas about the function of lawns are changing and homeowners are realizing the many benefits of using English daisies for lawns. English daisy groundcovers are easy to grow, environmentally friendly, and don’t require the extensive investment of money and time required by a traditional turf lawn. In fact, this lovely lawn alternative has become a staple ingredient in many flowering lawn seed mixes. Read on to learn more about Bellis daisy grass alternatives.

Using English Daisies for Lawns

Consisting of small daisies that twinkle against deep green foliage, English daisies are available in a variety of colors, and in both single and double forms. However, familiar white English daisies with contrasting yellow centers tend to be sturdier and are usually used in lawns. English daisy is suitable for growing in USDA plant hardiness zones 4 through 8. If you live south of zone 8, you may need a more heat-tolerant lawn alternative. Bellis perennis tolerates cold winters, but it struggles in hot, dry summers.

Growing a Bellis Lawn

English daisy is easy to plant from seed. You can purchase a commercial seed mix manufactured specifically for use as a lawn alternative, or you can mix English daisy seeds with lawn seed. You can also combine English daisy seeds with other flowering lawn alternatives. English daisy grows in nearly any type of well-drained soil and tolerates either full sunlight or partial shade. Plant seeds on well-prepared soil in late fall or early spring, then cover the seeds with about 1/8 inch (3 mm.) of soil. Water the area lightly, using a spray nozzle to prevent washing out the seeds. Thereafter, watch the planted area carefully and water lightly whenever the soil appears slightly dry. This may mean watering daily until the plant germinates, which usually takes a couple of weeks. You may not see many blooms until the second year.

Caring for Bellis Lawns

Once established, growing a Bellis lawn is basically trouble free. Continue to water regularly during dry weather – usually about once every week. Once the plants mature, they are more drought tolerant and an occasional watering should be sufficient. Add a light application of fertilizer every spring. (You don’t need to fertilize at planting time.) Cut the grass whenever it gets too tall. Set the mower to a fairly high level, and leave the clippings on the lawn to provide nutrients to the soil.

Drought is a serious concern across much of the United States, and many homeowners are looking for attractive, low-maintenance lawn substitutes. Dymondia (Dymondia margaretae), also known as silver carpet, is worth considering if you live in a warm climate – using dymondia as a grass substitute is suitable in USDA plant hardiness zones 9b through 11.

Dymondia Lawn Alternative

Native to South Africa, Dymondia consists of low-growing mats of narrow, grayish green leaves with fuzzy white undersides that give the plants a silvery appearance. In summer, this environmentally friendly plant produces masses of tiny, daisy-like blooms that are frequently visited by bees. Using Dymondia as a grass substitute isn’t the best option if your lawn receives a lot of activity, as Dymondia tolerates only light to moderate foot traffic. You can protect a Dymondia lawn by using flat paving stones to create walking paths through heavily trafficked areas, but if you have children that enjoy running and playing on the lawn, you may need a sturdier lawn alternative.

Growing Dymondia Lawns

Dymondia groundcover for lawns require full sunlight or light shade. Dymondia performs best in sandy, well-drained soil, and is easy to establish by planting flats, which are divided into small pieces and planted about 12 inches (31 cm.) apart. However, you can also plant seeds, or you can plant divisions from existing plants. Although Dymondia is extremely drought-tolerant, it requires regular water for the first six months. A layer of mulch will help keep the soil moist while the plant becomes established and spreads to fill in bare spots.

Dymondia Lawn Care

After the first six months, Dymondia is drought-tolerant; however, it benefits from an occasional watering when weather is especially hot and dry. Dymondia never needs mowing, but division will keep the stand vibrant and healthy if the plants eventually become overcrowded.

Lawns can be deep and lush, but as every gardener knows, a beautiful lawn is both thirsty and labor-intensive. Many people are looking for lawn alternatives to create a pretty front area without all the watering, fertilizing, and mowing. Wildflower lawns or areas of flowering lawn weeds can be charming and low maintenance once established.

Pretty Weeds for the Lawn

The term “weed” may call to mind a scraggly, ugly plant that is hard to get rid of. The word simply means a plant you don’t want on your land. This group generally includes wildflowers; yet wildflowers have many of the advantages gardeners seek when they go looking for lawn alternatives. Although individual plant requirements vary, most native plants require neither fertilizer nor extra irrigation. If they depended on human maintenance, they wouldn’t bloom wild in nature to begin with. Flowering lawns built of wildflowers also have the advantage of establishing nicely where a turf lawn would be difficult. Think of steep slopes, rocky areas, or sand dunes. The odds are that wildflowers can grow in these areas, whereas a gardener would have to work effortlessly to keep a lawn alive in such inhospitable terrain.

Creating a Lawn of Flowers

If you gaze at neighbors’ flowering lawns with envy, maybe it is time to make a move toward changing your own vegetation. Moving from pure grass lawns to wildflower lawns requires an initial effort, as you dig up all or some of the lawn and plant the seeds of flowering lawn weeds, but after that, your work is done. If you want to plant wildflowers on your lawn, experts suggest that you plant the seed on top of your existing grass. Pick a site with moderately fertile earth, an excellent sward structure, and very limited amounts of perennial weeds or vigorous grasses. Cut the grass very low in late summer, creating bare spots – up to 50 percent of the lawn – by raking. Mix wildflower seed with sand and broadcast by hand over the bare spots in autumn.

Plants for Wildflower Lawns

What wildflowers should you try? For best results, pick plants that are native to your region, low to the ground, and that spread rapidly. Gardeners in appropriate regions commonly use these plants in wildflower lawns to good effect:

• English daisy
• Speedwell
• Buttercup
• Clover
• Wild violets
• Thyme
• Chamomile

Additionally, creeping thyme is one of the best low-growing groundcovers since it requires no help to rapidly fill in bare spots between rocks or borders. It provides color, fragrance, and requires very little maintenance.

What are walkable plants? They’re exactly what you think – plants that can safely be walked on. Walkable plants are often used as lawn replacements because they are tough, drought-tolerant, and require very little maintenance. Keep in mind, however, that these plants to step on may not be as durable as traditional lawn, and many won’t hold up to heavy foot traffic.

Using Steppable Plants in Gardens

Some types of walkable plants are deciduous and die down in the winter, but many evergreen varieties are attractive year-round. Walkable plants work well along a pathway or bordering a flower bed and many work well in stubborn spots where grass won’t take hold, such as a dry spot under a tree or shrub. Most of the best steppable plants require absolutely no care once the plants are established, while others may need a trim once or twice a year. Keep in mind that many low-growing walkable plants can also be invasive.

Plants That Can Be Walked On

While there are a number of plants that can be walked on, below are some of the best steppable plants:

• Woolly thyme: Woolly thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus) is a type of ornamental thyme with fuzzy leaves and stems. This plant, which grows in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 through 8, withstands considerable foot traffic. One warning: wooly thyme sports tiny pink blooms that attracts bees. This may be a consideration if you have children, or if you enjoy barefoot strolls through the garden.
• Creeping wire vine: Creeping wire vine (Muehlenbeckia) is one of the best steppable plants for zones 6 through 9. Creeping wire vine displays glossy green leaves. Although the tiny white flowers are insignificant, they are replaced in late summer with small white fruit.
• Blue star creeper: Blue star creeper (Isotoma fluviatus) is a hardy, steppable plant that tolerates climates as far north as zone 5. This evergreen plant displays tiny blue flowers that last all summer. Blue star creeper isn’t the perfect solution for every situation because this rambunctious plant can be invasive.
• Veronica: Veronica (Speedwell) “Waterperry blue,” suitable for zones 4 through 9, is a steppable plant with deep green leaves that take on copper and burgundy highlights when the temperature drops. The springtime blooms are bluish lavender with white centers.
• Corsican Mint: Corsican mint (Mentha requienii), suitable for zones 6 through 9, is an aromatic, evergreen, steppable plant with tiny lilac blooms that show up in summer. Corsican mint can be slightly invasive, but as a general rule, it tends to be better behaved than most of its mint-family cousins.

If you are looking for a water miser of a plant to save on those summer utility bills, look no further than sedge. A sedge grass lawn uses a lot less water than turf grass and is adaptable to many sites and climates. There are numerous species in the Carex family that work beautifully as a sedge lawn alternative. Sedge as a lawn is lush with color and movement, and its low maintenance. It might be the perfect plant for a minimalist approach to gardening, yet with visual appeal and hardworking toughness.

Using Sedge as Lawn

It's time to look outside the box on landscaping and veer away from the old tried and true. Sedge lawn substitute brings a modern, yet natural, touch to the garden. Adding to that is the ease of care and lazy man's upkeep, and sedge is a winning plant for lawns and other spaces. There are dozens of varieties from which to choose, many of which are native to North America. Native sedge lawns are instantly adaptable to your garden and hardy to the environment. Traditional grass lawns are wonderful places to play croquet, roll on, and picnic in the sun. With these delightful pastimes also comes mowing, edging, weeding, feeding, aerating, and thatching. That's a lot of work for a plant. If you are seeking an alternative to all that upkeep, try low growing sedge plants to fill in the space and transform it into a living, moving plantscape. They can offer a prairie or dune look, Mediterranean or even exotic landscape texture. A sedge grass lawn has it all in a versatile package.

Choosing a Sedge Lawn Substitute

First up you need to choose your plants. In order to mimic the feel of a lawn, you should pick low growing plants; but if you are feeling crazy, you can certainly mix it up. Most of the sedges grow in a clumping habit. Some great sedge lawn alternatives to replace traditional turf might be:

• Carex tumulicola
• Carex praegracillis
• Carex pansa

Each of these first three gets less than 18 inches (46 cm.) tall with C. pansa and praegracillis at only 6 to 8 inches (15-20 cm.) tall in a compact clump.

• Carex flagellifera is a foot (31 cm.) or more in height.
• Tussok sedge (C. stricta) is a sweet little 1 by 2 foot (31 x 61 cm.) plant with deep green delicate blades.
• Carex albicans spreads by rhizomes which will quickly fill in a planting bed or lawn area, seamlessly creating a carpet of white tinged foliage.

Check with your local extension office or garden center for specimens they recommend that are suited for your region.

Installing Sedge as Lawn

As with any project, start with a well prepared space. Loosen the soil to at least 6 inches (15 cm.) and then rake it free of rocks, roots, and other debris. Make sure you have superior drainage. Sedge plants can tolerate drought conditions but they prefer moderate moisture for best growth. What they really hate is wet feet. If necessary, work in some grit to help enhance drainage. Plant your sedge several inches (8 cm.) apart to allow for growth. Rhizome spreading plants will fill in any gaps over time, while clumping forms can be installed a bit closer together. Mulch around the grasses and provide even moisture for at least the first two months. Thereafter, minimize water application by half. The plants don't really need much nutrient addition, but an annual spring fertilizing will get them off to a good growing season start. Native sedge lawns need very little attention, as they are already adapted to live naturally in the region. Some hedges benefit by a haircut at the end of the season to allow new growth to come through the crown easily.

A lush, manicured lawn is a point of pride for many homeowners, but that bright green turf comes at a cost. A typical lawn uses thousands of gallons of water every season, in addition to many hours of hard labor spent mowing and controlling weeds. Fertilizer, needed to maintain that healthy, emerald green lawn, poses considerable harm to the environment as it leaches into the groundwater. As a result, many gardeners are giving up traditional, resource-robbing lawns for low-maintenance, eco-friendly alternatives such as herniaria, also known as green carpet.

What is Herniaria Green Carpet?

It's hard to find fault with herniaria ground cover as lawn substitute. This carpet-forming plant consists of tiny, bright green leaves that turn bronze during the winter months. It is soft enough to walk on in bare feet and it tolerates a fair share of foot traffic. This green carpet lawn alternative tops out at about an inch (2.5 cm.), which means no mowing is required - ever. Growth is relatively slow and one plant eventually spreads to 12 to 24 inches (30.5 to 61 cm.). Dividing the plant to cover a larger area is easy. Herniaria glabra produces tiny, inconsequential white or lime-green blooms in early summer, but the flowers are so small, you may not notice them. The blooms reportedly don't attract bees, so there is little chance of stepping on a stinger.

Herniaria Lawn Care

For those interested in growing green carpet lawns, start herniaria by planting seeds indoors in early spring, and then move the plants outdoors in late spring or early summer. You can also plant seeds directly in the garden. Alternatively, purchase small starter plants at your local greenhouse or nursery. Herniaria thrives in nearly any well-drained soil, including very poor soil or gravel. It likes moist soil but won't tolerate soggy conditions. Either full or partial sunlight is good, but avoid total shade. A light application of a general-purpose fertilizer gets the plant off to a good start in spring. Otherwise, herniaria requires no supplemental fertilization.

In some areas of the country, moss in a lawn is the homeowner's nemesis. It takes over turf grass and leaves unsightly brown patches in summer when it goes dormant. For the rest of us, moss can be a great alternative to that high maintenance grass. Using moss as lawn provides wonderful springy groundcover that can be walked on moderately -- a no-mow alternative with rich, deep color and texture. It just might be a good choice for your lawn needs. Learn how to grow a moss lawn and see if it's the perfect option for you.

Moss Lawns Instead of Grass

Moss lawns instead of grass save on water, time and fertilizer. The stuff practically grows on trees. Actually it does, as well as steps, rocks, wheelbarrows, etc. You get the idea. Moss is nature's natural carpet, and with the right combination of conditions, it forms a nice alternative to standard turf. In order to have moss lawns instead of grass, it's necessary to meet a few conditions. Moss requires an acidic environment, compact soil, protected sun to semi-shade, and consistent moisture. There are several types of moss. Some of them include clumping acrocarops or spreading pleuocarps. The best way to install moss as lawn is to choose varieties that are native to your region. That way you aren't working against nature, since the plants are built to thrive in the local conditions, requiring less time to establish and even less time to maintain. Once the plants have established, they just need weeding and moisture.

How to Grow a Moss Lawn

Site preparation is the most important step. Remove any plants in the area, and rake it smooth and free of debris. Check the soil pH, which should be around 5.5. If your soil is higher, lower the pH with sulfur applied as directed. Once the soil has been amended, tamp it down to a solid surface. Then it's time to plant. It is not recommended to harvest mosses from nature, as these are important parts of the ecosystem and will take a long time to re-establish in the environment. Mosses can be purchased from some nurseries, or you can propagate moss, making a slurry by grinding up the moss with water and broadcasting it onto the prepared surface. The latter method takes longer to fill in but it has the advantage of allowing you to select a wild moss from your landscape and use it as a moss lawn alternative. The reason this is beneficial is because you know that moss likes your site conditions and is a native moss, which gives the plant a better chance of thriving.

Moss Lawn Care

If you are a lazy gardener, you are in luck. Moss lawns require minimal attention. In hot dry periods, give them 2 inches (5 cm.) of water daily in the morning or evening, especially for the first 5 weeks. As they fill in, pay attention to the edges of moss which can dry out quickly. Be cautious not to tromp on the moss consistently. It can handle light foot traffic but in heavily passed areas, install stepping stones or stairs. Weed moss as needed to keep competing plants at bay. Other than that, moss lawn care is as simple as it gets, and you can put away that lawn mower.

If you are looking for a low maintenance plant that tolerates moderate to light traffic, look no further than growing a mazus (Mazus reptans) lawn. In what areas can you use mazus as a lawn substitute and how do you take care of mazus lawns? Read on to learn more.

Why Choose Mazus as a Lawn Substitute?

Lawn substitutes are chosen for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you are just sick and tired of all the work it takes to maintain a lawn that rivals the Jones.' Maybe the amount of weeding required between lawn and pavers has given you the blues. Perhaps, you would just like to enliven an area. Remodel a bit. Certainly the added benefit of mazus lawn alternative is that it is a seasonal prolific bloomer. From spring through summer, your Mazus reptans lawn replacement will speckle the groundcover foliage with tiny clusters of bluish purple flowers with white and yellow centers. This little creeper also comes in white, but both bloom colors have foliage of narrow leaves with rooting stems that fuse together to form a sort of “carpet” of rich green. Mazus can be used as a lawn substitute or is charming amongst pavers, flagstones, rock gardens, and pathways. The plants grow very low, 2 to 6 inches (5-15 c.), in height with a compact habit and a spread of between 6 and 12 inches (15-31 cm.).

Tips on Growing a Mazus Lawn

Mazus reptans is native to the Himalayas, a less than hospitable environment. As such, it is an adequate perennial for USDA zones 3 through 9. Mazus can be grown in full sun to part shade in well-draining soil, although it will tolerate low fertility. Propagate via division or separation. Divide the plants in the fall or spring every three to four years to manage their rampant spread and maintain vitality in the growing mazus lawn. The care of mazus lawns is minimal. Keep the plants moist, although don't fuss over them. They can take a little drying out. While not entirely necessary, you can pamper your plants with a bit of 20-20-20 fertilizer to promote growth and blooming. You can mow the stand of mazus, or not, and if you want to keep everything tidy, edging around the mazus lawn is wise. In short order, you will have a lovely, completely carpeted, former turf area dotted with white or purple-blue blooms.

A beautifully manicured lawn sets off the rest of the landscape with its rich green tones and soft, velvety texture. However, getting and keeping that lawn perfect can be quite a chore. Turf grass requires mowing, fertilizing and watering to keep it at its peak appearance. An easier groundcover might be liriope as a lawn. Growing lilyturf lawns provides an easy care, low maintenance, vigorous source of turf that has year around appeal.

Using Liriope as Lawn

Liriope (commonly referred to as monkey grass) is a clumping to spreading plant that is sometimes called a border grass. It is useful in barricading regular turf grasses from garden. There are several species, any of which would be excellent groundcover or substitute for traditional turf grass. Liriope plants are adaptable to many types of growing conditions, which is another plus when using them for a lawn. Liriope lawn substitute multiplies rapidly and will quickly form a seamless green carpet. Liriope will grow in dry, sandy, clay, compact or nutrient dense soils. It is adaptable to both sunny and partially shady conditions. They are evergreen plants with excellent hardiness, growing between 11 and 18 inches (30-46 cm.) tall. You can mow them or leave them alone and they will remain small, compact plants. The clumping type forms a uniquely patterned lawn while the creeping variety forms a denser green expanse. Either variety is perfect as a liriope lawn substitute.

• Liriope muscari is the most common form of clumping lilyturf with many hybrids from which to choose.
• Liriope spicata is a creeping form that will establish through rhizome growth.

How to Grow a Liriope Lawn

Your work is half done for you if you have already removed the sod. Till the soil to a depth of at least 6 inches (15 cm.). Rake out the area to be planted and add a good topsoil layer of at least 3 inches (8 cm.). Liriope divides easily for more plants, or you can get flats of plugs from many nurseries. Cut apart larger plants, making sure to include some roots on each section. Most of the species get 12 to 18 inches (31-46 cm). wide at maturity, so plant them at this distance apart. One secret on how to grow a liriope lawn more quickly is to plant in fall or winter. This allows the plants to establish roots before their big burst of growth in spring and summer. Mulch around the plants and provide irrigation for the first year. Thereafter, the plants require infrequent watering.

Caring for Lilyturf Lawns

In addition to irrigation the first year, fertilize the plants with a good lawn food in early spring and mid-summer. Mow the plants in early winter one year after planting with your mower on the highest setting. Liriope does tend to get fungal issues, which can easily be controlled with a fungicide. Caring for lilyturf lawns is much easier than traditional turf grass. They don't need thatching, aerating, or consistent mowing or edging. Start the plants out right and they will reward you with a sea of green strappy leaves that give texture to the landscape.

Creeping thyme is an increasingly popular alternative to traditional grass lawn for gardeners looking for more sustainable front yard designs. Many are choosing to replace water thirsty turf with plants that are low-maintenance and drought-resistant, and a creeping thyme lawn hits the mark. Let's find out why and how you can transform your turf landscape into an easy and edible creeping thyme lawn.

Benefits of a Creeping Thyme Lawn

A creeping thyme lawn is not only drought resistant, but it generally requires much less water than traditional turf grasses too. It is hardy to USDA zone 4, can be walked upon, and will rapidly spread to fill in a space. As an added bonus, thyme blooms in a long-lasting profusion of lavender hued flowers.

The downside of planting thyme as lawn replacement is the cost. Planting a creeping thyme lawn with plants set 6 to 12 inches (15-31 cm.) apart can be pricey, but then again, if you have looked into reseeding or of laying sod for an entire turf lawn, the cost is fairly comparable. That's probably why I usually only see small areas of creeping thyme lawn.

Most people use creeping thyme to fill in pathways and around patio pavers-- smaller areas than the average lawn size. Most varieties of thyme are tolerant of light foot traffic. Some cultivars to try in your thyme lawn include:

• Elfin thyme (Thymus serpyllum ‘Elfin')
• Red creeping thyme (Thymus coccineus)
• Wooly thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus)

You can also alternate varieties or create a pattern by planting a different type of thyme around the border of the pseudo-lawn.

How to Remove Grass for a Creeping Thyme Lawn

The biggest problem with using thyme to replace grass is the work it will take preparing the site. It takes some doing to rid the area of all the existing grass. Of course, you can always go with the easy, albeit not so eco-friendly method of multiple applications of herbicide.

The next option is good old-fashioned, back breaking, digging up of the sod. Consider it a work out.

Lastly, you can always make a lasagna garden by covering the entire area with black plastic, cardboard, or lots of newspaper layers covered in compost or mulch. The idea here is to cut off all light to the grass and weeds underneath, basically smothering the plants. This method requires patience, as it takes a few months to completely kill off the top and even longer to get all the roots, though it is a simple and sustainable way to remove grass.

How to Plant a Creeping Thyme Lawn

Till the area when the process grass removal process is complete. Then get rid of any big chunks of rock or root before attempting to transplant the thyme plugs.

When the soil is ready to be worked, add some bone meal or rock phosphate along with some compost to the soil and work it in, down to about 6 inches (15 cm.) since thyme has short roots.

Prior to planting, make sure the thyme plants are damp. Plant the thyme plugs about 8 inches (20 cm.) apart and water in well.

Say goodbye to fertilizing, thatching, regular watering, and even mowing. Though, some people do mow the thyme lawn after flowers are spent, but it's okay to be a little lazy and leave the area as is.

After a season of fertilizing, mowing, raking, thatching, edging, and vetting various problems, the average homeowner may be ready to throw in the towel on traditional turf grass. There are many other easy-care options available. It just depends upon the look and feel you want out of your landscape and the uses to which it is put. Lightly trafficked areas can have sedum as a lawn. It is adaptable, low maintenance, and fast growing.

Pros and Cons of Sedum Lawn Substitute

Sedums are wonderful succulent, drought tolerant plants that grow like weeds and need little babying. The only drawback with growing sedum lawns is its inability to take heavy foot traffic. The leaves and stems are fragile and break off easily, but for lightly used areas it will create a wonderful textured green groundcover. It is true that sedum is a fast growing, no fuss plant with few pest and disease issues and wonderful drought tolerance. In theory, growing sedum lawns would seem like a perfect substitute for traditional nitrogen sucking, high maintenance turf grass. The low-growing varieties of sedum perform very well as groundcover, but in heavy use areas, they suffer a less than pleasing effect. Since the stems break easily, your sedum lawn substitute may end up looking like a war zone, with smashed plants, and stems and leaves hither and thither. Birds and rodents can become a problem in a sedum lawn too. In desert areas, the plants cannot withstand the harsh sun and rely upon a sheltered location to do their best. Overall, sedum is a hardy plant which thrives in poor soil, full sun, and limited moisture.

Lawn Care for Sedum

When changing from turf grass to sedum, preparation of the site is crucial. Remove any existing groundcover or turf grass. Prepare the bed by tilling to a depth of 6 inches (15 cm.) and check that you have good drainage. Incorporate 2 inches (5 cm.) of sand if your soil is clay. Space plants a few inches (8 cm.) away from each other for a quicker establishment. Water the plants weekly for the first month until they have grown a good root mass. Thereafter, lawn care for sedum relies upon plentiful sunshine, occasional weeding, and dry conditions. The worst thing you can do for a sedum patch is to set the sprinkler regularly. Let it dry out thoroughly between irrigations.

Established Sedum in My Lawn

In perfect growing conditions, sedum will take off rapidly and even plugs will root and spread. Any broken pieces also have the tendency to establish in any area the stems fall. This causes the gardener to protest, “There is sedum in my lawn!” This is common when ground covered beds meet sod and injury to the sedum plants transfer living material to the grass. It is a pleasing effect but if it really wrecks your idea of a perfect grassy lawn, simply pull out the offending plants. To prevent this, be cautious when working in your sedum covered beds and make sure you aren't moving plant matter to the turf area.

If you've got a sunlight-challenged patch where grass refuses to grow no matter what you do, a deadnettle groundcover may be the way to go. Deadnettle lawn alternatives are low-growing, blooming plants that produce silvery, blue-green or variegated foliage and flowers of purple, white, pink, or silver depending on the variety. If you're concerned that the plant stings, don't be. The plant earned its name only because the leaves look much like stinging nettle.

Deadnettle Uses in Lawns

This sturdy, adaptable plant tolerates nearly any type of well-drained soil, including poor, rocky, or sandy soil. Deadnettle is best for shade or partial shade, but you can grow the plant in sun if you're willing to water it frequently. However, the plant won't last long in climates warmer than USDA plant hardiness zone 8. Before you consider growing deadnettle in lawns, be aware that it has aggressive tendencies. If it outgrows its boundaries, pulling wayward plants by hand is the best means of control. You can also dig the plants and move them to more desirable locations. Similarly, deadnettle is easy to propagate by division.

Care of Deadnettle Lawns

Deadnettle withstands drought conditions but performs best with regular water. A thin layer of compost will keep the soil moist, conserve water, and provide nutrients to the roots as the material decomposes. This plant doesn't demand fertilizer, but a handful of general-purpose fertilizer applied in early spring will give the roots a boost. Sprinkle the fertilizer on the ground around the plants and immediately rinse off any that falls on the leaves. Alternatively, use a dilute solution of water-soluble fertilizer that you can spray directly on the foliage. Trim deadnettle after the first flush of blooms and again at the end of the season to keep the plant tidy and to produce bushy, compact plants. Don't worry if the plant dies back in winter; this is normal in climates with cool winters. The plant will rebound hale and hearty in spring.

A meadow lawn alternative is an option for homeowners who are tired of the labor involved in maintaining a traditional lawn, or for those who are concerned about the considerable environmental impact of watering, fertilizing, and weed control. Planting a meadow lawn is a lot of hard work initially, but once established, it requires very little upkeep. Turning lawns into meadows provides shelter for wildlife, attracts butterflies and native bees, preserves native plants, and nourishes the soil.

Turning Lawns into Meadows

Careful planning before you plant your meadow garden will prevent a multitude of headaches later on when it comes to meadow lawn care. You may want to start with a small meadow, especially if you want to retain a grassy area for picnics or for children to play. Native meadow plants require plenty of light and air, so be sure you have an open, sunny area. Research the laws and landscape ordinances in your area to ensure a meadow lawn is acceptable, then tell your neighbors your plans before you begin. Explain the many benefits of planting a meadow lawn. Although meadow lawn turf offers countless advantages over a traditional lawn, it doesn't have the green, manicured appearance that most people are accustomed to. You also need to decide if you want a meadow filled with annual wildflowers or perennial wildflowers and grasses. Annuals add color and beauty immediately but require replanting every year. A perennial meadow takes about three years for the long roots to fully establish but the plants need water only for the first season and rarely require replanting. Choose only native plants that are suitable for your climate. A local greenhouse or nursery that specializes in native plants can help you choose suitable plants. Beware of inexpensive seed mixes that may include non-native plants that can take over your meadow and spread to neighboring lawns and fields. Plugs or starter plants work well for a small area, but seeds may be the best way to go if you're planting a large meadow. A specialty garden center or the Cooperative Extension Service office in your area can help you determine the best way to remove existing vegetation and prepare the ground for planting. They can also advise you on how to plant and maintain your meadow.

When I think of chamomile, I think of soothing, rejuvenating chamomile tea. Indeed, the blossoms of chamomile plant are used as tea as well as for cosmetic, decorative, and medicinal uses, but did you know that some varieties of chamomile make an excellent lawn alternative? How to grow chamomile as lawn replacement and other chamomile lawn care necessary to grow chamomile lawn plants is covered in this article.

Growing Chamomile Lawns

Growing chamomile lawns have a few advantages over grass turf. They do not require regular mowing, fertilizing, or edging and are ideal in areas where mower access is a challenge and foot traffic is minimal. The German variety, Matricicaria chamomile, grows between 1 and 2 feet (31-61 cm.) tall and is used around beds or amongst the garden proper. It is grown not only for decorative purposes, but this type of chamomile is used for its herbal, medicinal qualities. If you wish to grow chamomile as a lawn alternative, you will need the English variety, Chamaemelum nobile. These chamomile lawn plants provide a low-growing, creeping habit. That being said, C. nobile is a flowering variety and not quite as suitable for a lawn substitute as the cultivar ‘Treneague,' which is a non-flowering dwarf cultivar.

How to Grow Chamomile as Lawn

Chamomile lawn plants thrive in full sun, but will tolerate dappled shade. They require light soil, such as sandy loam, and do not do well in dry, stone-filled soils or heavy clay. Thoroughly remove all the weeds in the planting area beforehand, as chamomile does not compete well with many weeds. Plant the chamomile lawn with plants spaced about 4 to 8 inches (10-20 cm.) apart. Closer spacing gives more rapid coverage, but will cost you more and the plants will fill in fairly quickly. You can either purchase these plants or divide existing plants in the spring. Unnamed cultivars or species chamomile can be sown from seed and then grown in pots until large enough to transplant into the lawn area. Sow seeds under cover in the early spring with a heated germination pad set to 65 degrees F. (18 C.) in good quality compost mixed with perlite for added drainage. The plants should be of sufficient size to plant out in the lawn area by late spring.

Chamomile Lawn Care

A new chamomile lawn should not be walked on for at least 12 weeks and, thereafter, as rarely as possible to allow it to establish. Once established, there is minimal need for care of your chamomile lawn. That's generally the point. Keep the area moist and either manually keep the weeds out or use a spot weed killer, not lawn weed killer. Trim with a mower or shears in the late summer to remove dead flower heads and generally maintain a pleasing shape. Otherwise, enjoy your minimal care green “lawn” peppered with tiny daisy-like flowers which, when walked on, have an aroma redolent of sweet apples.

Lush, green lawns are traditional, but many people are opting for lawn alternatives, which are often more sustainable, require less water, and are less time-consuming than regular turf. If you're thinking about making the change, consider blue star creeper as a grass alternative. Read on to learn more.

Using Blue Star Creeper as a Lawn

Blue star creeper ground cover (Isotoma fluviatilis) is a no-fuss plant that works well as a lawn substitute. It is also more than happy to fill in gaps between stepping stones, under shrubbery, or over your spring-blooming bulbs. At a height of only 3 inches (7.5 cm.), blue star creeper lawns require no mowing. The plant withstands heavy foot traffic and tolerates full sun, partial shade, or full shade. If conditions are just right, blue star creeper will produce tiny blue blooms throughout spring and summer.

Considerations for Blue Star Creeper Lawns

Blue star creeper sounds like a perfect plant and it definitely has much to offer. The plant stands up well in extreme weather, although it can look a little ragged and worse for wear during cold winters and hot summers. Blue star creeper is fuller and healthier if it gets a few hours of sunlight every day. Additionally, gardeners should be aware that blue star creeper is non-native to the United States. It has a tendency to spread quickly, which can be a good thing. However, the plant can become invasive in some situations, especially if it is overwatered or over-fertilized. Fortunately, wayward plants are relatively easy to pull.

Blue Star Creeper Plant Care

Blue star creeper requires very little care. Although the plant is very drought tolerant, it benefits from a bit of extra moisture in full sunlight or during hot, dry weather. An application of any general-purpose garden fertilizer before new growth emerges in spring will keep the plant well-nourished throughout the growing season. Shearing the plant down to about an inch (2.5 cm.) in autumn helps keep the plant tidy during the winter months.

One of the chores that the homeowner must do is to mow the lawn. This tedious task helps form a healthy and beautiful turf but is time consuming. A perfect solution is a no mow lawn. What is a no mow lawn? It is just what it says, a lawn which is virtually maintenance free and still provides lovely green landscape coverage.

What is a No Mow Lawn?

No mow lawns are mixtures of three species of fine fescue. Fescues are hardy plants with visual appeal and require little specialized care. They can provide solutions for moisture conservation, natural habitat, soil amendment, and reduce the need for pesticides and herbicides. Fescue is a perennial cool season grass, of which several species are useful as low-growing plants with a clumping and spreading character. Their easy nature means no mow lawn care is minimal and highly environmentally friendly. Creating a no mow lawn with the new seed mixes is similar to building a seeded grass type lawn. The idea is appealing for its low maintenance but also supplies sustainable turf plants which require fewer resources than traditional turf grasses. Try the new no mow lawn ideas in your garden for carefree beauty.

Creating a No Mow Lawn

As with any turf project, it is necessary to prepare the site correctly prior to planting. Once you have the area prepared, you need to choose the variety of no mow fescue that is appropriate for your needs.

• Creeping red fescue is slow to fill in but has seedlings of excellent vigor.
• Chewings fescue is a bunch type grass which prefers shade and creates a denser turf than the red variety.
• Hard and sheep fescues are not tolerant of mowing but make excellent no mow erosion control on swales, ditches, and hillsides.

Each has different tones and drought tolerances, with equally different reactions to mowing. As natural grasses with no mechanical maintenance, almost any of these will perform well. There are available blends for your region which will give you the varieties of plants recommended for no mow lawn ideas in your zone.

No Mow Lawn Care

Sustainable turf plants such as fescue provide reliable solutions for energy conservation and reduced need for resources such as water. They can be mowed if you prefer, but the beauty of the no mow lawn means they shine without cutting and the result is a natural landscape that blends into the surroundings. Use a balanced starter fertilizer at planting and a seasonal spring application of a formula with double the nitrogen as compared to phosphorus and potassium. Once established, these plants will crowd out most weed species and simple hand pulling of advantageous weeds is sufficient. No mow lawns present a solution for the conscientious gardener to reduce their carbon footprint and help establish more sustainable landscaping practices.

Maintaining a lawn is a lot of work and when you add up the cost of water, fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides you'll find that it is also expensive. Read on to find out about cold area grass alternatives that are easy on your budget and your time.

Alternatives to Grass

Groundcovers and other lawn alternatives in cold climates are easier to care for and more environmentally friendly than traditional lawns. When you replace your lawn with plants that don't need mowing, you eliminate the exhaust that your lawnmower and string trimmer produce. In addition, you won't need the lawn chemicals that can seep into groundwater and runoff. Here are some cold hardy plants for lawns:

• Pussytoes (Antennaria plantaginifolia)- Pussytoes are sturdy plants that grow well in poor soil and never need watering. Pale pink blossoms appear in spring atop plants that range from 6 to 18 inches (15-46 cm.) tall.
• Wild Ginger (Asarum canadensa)-These quick-spreading plants survive winters in the coldest climates. Wild ginger grows about 6 inches (15 cm.) tall and needs supplemental water in dry climates.
• Angelita Daisy (Hymenoxys acaulis)- The one foot (31 cm.) tall, pine-like foliage of Angelita daisy plants looks great year-round and the bloom season lasts a long time. It's best for small areas. Angelita daisy needs occasional watering in dry climates and frequent deadheading.
• Prostrate Juniper (Juniperus sp.)- These short shrubs grow about 2 feet (61 cm.) tall, and they are great for wide areas. They can grow up to 5 feet (1.5 m.) wide and need constant cutting back if they are planted in narrow areas. Otherwise, they rarely need pruning. They need an occasional rinse with the hose to get rid of spider mites. Full sun scalds prostrate juniper in USDA zones warmer than 5.

Other Cold Area Grass Alternatives

Various types of mulch also provide alternatives to lawns. Stone and gravel mulch look good in most settings. Shredded bark or hardwood are organic mulches that have a more natural look, and they add nutrients to the soil as they break down. Organic mulches look best in a natural or woodland setting. Mosses are another cool region lawn substitute that you might consider. These tiny plants form a lush carpet that needs very little maintenance, but the cost is higher than most groundcovers-- unless you plant some already growing on your property. Moss can add a feeling of peace and tranquility to your landscape, especially when mixed with pavers or stones.

A well-tended lawn makes your home look neat and tidy, but is it worth all the work? What about those hot climates? No one enjoys having to manage lawns when it's hot and sticky. There are alternatives to grass that can help, however. Check out some of the warm area grass alternatives in this article.

Lawn Substitutes for Warm Regions

Groundcovers make excellent lawn alternative plants for the south and they don't need as much maintenance. Environmentally, alternative plants make sense because they don't need as much water or chemical treatment as lawn grass. Depending on the plant you choose, they can also serve as wildlife habitat. On the other hand, a dense lawn is a clean air factory, converting much more air than most of the alternatives. In addition, turf grass helps prevent storm runoff by absorbing excess water and it helps with erosion control. One downside to using groundcovers instead of grass is that they don't handle foot traffic well. If you have children that play in the yard, you might like to have a turf grass lawn that can stand up to hard play. Here are some good groundcover choices for warm areas:

• Blue-Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium bellum)- This little ornamental grass is less than an inch (2.5 cm.) tall and features blue flowers that last throughout winter and early spring in warm climates. Blue-eyed grass likes full sun and needs supplemental water until established. It tolerates drought once it takes hold in an area.
• Liriope (Liriope muscari)- Pay attention to the specifications for the variety of liriope you choose. Some can grow up to 18 inches (46 cm.) tall, which most people will find too high for a lawn. This grass-like member of the lily family might need occasional irrigation during dry periods, and you'll need to mow it down at the end of the season to remove ratty-looking foliage.
• Thyme (Thymus spp.)- You can't beat thyme for herbal fragrance and drought tolerance, but it is one of the more expensive groundcovers. It needs a sunny location with well-drained soil. You'll have to keep it watered and weeded at first, but once it fills in, it is practically carefree. Some varieties tolerate hot summers better than others. Red creeping thyme is a good choice for southern gardens.
• Mazus (Mazus reptans)- This is an excellent choice for shady spots, and it tolerates light foot traffic. Once established, mazus forms a dense green carpet with lavender flowers that bloom in spring and last through summer. In warm climates mazus is evergreen and it outcompetes weeds.

Other Alternative Lawn Ideas in Warm Climates

You can also use gravel or stones as lawn substitutes for warm regions. It's a good idea to lay sturdy landscape fabric under the gravel to keep them from working their way deep into the soil. Rocky soil is difficult to use as garden or lawn space if your landscape plans change later on. Organic mulch is an excellent alternative to grass under shade trees. Grass grows poorly in the shade, but a thick layer of mulch looks natural. Rake it smooth and level so you can place lawn furniture or a swing under the tree.

Ah, the four leaf clover… so much to be said about this misfit of nature. Some people look all their lives for that lucky four leaf clover without success, while others (like me and my kids) could find them all day long. But exactly what causes four leaf clovers, why are they considered so lucky, and how do you successfully go about finding four leaf clovers? Read on to find out.

About Four Leaf Clovers

Before you begin your search for that seemingly ‘mystical' clover specimen, it helps to have a little background info about four leaf clovers. We all know that it is thought to bring good luck to the finder (Yeah right. I find them all the time and if it weren't for my bad luck, I'd have no luck at all!), but did you know that St. Patrick is said to have used the three-leaf clover to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish, and the fourth leaf is believed to represent God's grace. Additional information points to the four leaves of clover as representing faith, hope, love, and luck. And in the Middle Ages, a clover with four leaves not only meant good luck but was believed to grant one the ability to see fairies (just so you know, I have yet to see one). The elusive four leaf clover occurs in white clover (Trifolium repens). You know the one. That common weed popping up in yards everywhere and is difficult to control once it's taken hold. A white clover leaf should, generally, only have three leaflets - which is why the species name is trifolium; ‘tri' means three. However, many times (more often than you would think) you will come across a clover with four leaves, five leaves (cinquefoil) or even more - my kids have a knack for finding clovers having six or even seven leaves. So why does this happen and how rare is it?

What Causes Four Leaf Clovers?

When you're looking for answers to what causes four leaf clovers, the scientific response is normally, “We aren't quite sure why it happens.” There are, however, a number of theories.

• Four leaf clovers are believed to be mutations of the white clover. They are also said to be quite uncommon, with only about 1 in 10,000 plants producing a clover with four leaves. (I would argue with that since we seem to find them regularly.)
• The number of leaflets on clovers is genetically determined. Tests have shown that phenotypic traits within the DNA of the cells of the plant may explain this phenomenon. In fact, the genes that produce four leaves are recessive to the genes that produce three. Generally speaking, the number of three leaf clovers for every four leaf clover is about 100 to 1. With odds like that, it is considered lucky to find one - not so much that it brings you luck.
• Another reason for clovers with four leaves instead of three is due to plant breeding. New strains of the plant are biologically bred to produce more four leaf clovers. I guess that could explain why there seem to be lots more, or at least a lot easier to find.
• Finally, certain factors within the plant's natural environment can play a role in the number of four leaf clovers. Things like heredity combined with exposure to certain chemicals or low levels of radiation may possibly increase the rate of mutation and frequency of occurrence for future clover generations.

How to Find a Four Leaf Clover

So if it's been said that about one out of every 10,000 clovers will have four leaves and nearly 200 clovers are found in a 24-inch (61 cm.) square plot, what does this mean exactly? And what are your chances of finding four leaf clovers? Simply put, in an area roughly 13 square feet (1.2 sq. m.), you should find at least one four-leaf clover. Like I keep saying, it's not as difficult as one might think to find a four leaf clover. My secret to success, and apparently others too as I found in my research, is not to look for them at all. If you get down on those hands and knees looking through each individual clover, not only will you end up with back or knee pain but you'll surely go cross-eyed. Just casually walk around that clover bed instead, perusing the area, and eventually, those four leaf clovers (or five and six leaf ones) will actually begin to ‘stick out' amongst the more common three leaf clovers. Feeling lucky yet? Give it a try.

Alternative lawn grass is not a new concept, but what about those high traffic areas? You know, the places where we entertain the most or where the little ones play about. Let's explore lawn alternatives for heavy traffic areas like these.

High Traffic Landscaping Alternatives to Grass

Grass lawns are high maintenance with mowing, watering, fertilizing, and edging, and they are expensive to keep pest and weed-free. If you are looking for a lawn that is practically maintenance-free and inexpensive, there are a few alternatives you can choose from. Before you make any decisions regarding replacing your current lawn there are some things to consider. There are many ways to landscape your yard so it can be functional, low maintenance, and beautiful. Do you like to entertain and grill? How about a fire pit and patio furniture? Maybe you would like a vegetable garden, or kid-friendly substitutes like a play structure complete with swings, slides, and monkey bars.

Lawn Alternatives for Heavy Traffic

Heavy foot traffic on your grass can cause problems and lead to an unsightly lawn. However, there are high traffic lawn options to combat heavy traffic areas and still maintain a natural, lush-looking yard that is easy to care for, especially if you have kids. Planting different ground covering plants, such as dichondra, that have self-seeding flowers and kidney-shaped foliage is an option. Other plant alternatives are chamomile, which is mat-forming and has white aromatic flowers, or creeping thyme, which is another beautiful and aromatic ground covering plant. Options like sedge, moss, and clover thrive without fertilizers, require less water than grass, and rarely need to be mowed.

Lawn Alternatives in Play Areas

If you are looking for kid-friendly lawn substitutes, cover the ground area with wood mulch or with rubber mulch that comes from recycled rubber. Add a playset, volleyball net, and corn hole set for a wonderful outdoor recreation area. Let the kids run, play and tumble around without wearing holes in your lawn. Other lawn alternatives in play areas are synthetic grass, which doesn't wear away like mulch and is hypo-allergenic, or how about planting ground coverage like Texas Frogfruit, an evergreen that spreads heartily and attracts butterflies. What kid doesn't like chasing after butterflies in their own backyard? This ground cover can tolerate drought and flooding and works well in warm temperate regions, plus it is hearty enough for the wear and tear of child's play. Eco-Lawn, developed by Oregon State University, is a good choice for sunny footpaths or play areas too. Eco-Lawn includes English daisy, yarrow, strawberry clover, Roman chamomile, and perennial ryegrass. Once established it needs little summer water and, due to the clover, requires no supplemental fertilizer.

Replacing Your Lawn with a Patio

Maybe you would like to have a smaller lawn. A great option is to create a patio. You can do this with patio stones or bricks and line the perimeter of the patio with potted plants and tall grasses; this adds beauty and color to your yard. Add a fire pit in the center of your patio and you're ready to grill and entertain.

In today's more environmentally conscious world, some people are looking for an alternative to the traditional grass lawn and wonder if they can use white clover as a grass substitute. It is possible to grow a white clover lawn, but there are some things to consider before you launch head first into having a white clover yard. Let's take a look at issues of using a white clover lawn substitute and how to replace your lawn with clover once you are aware of these issues.

Issues with Using Clover as a Grass Substitute

There are a few things you should be aware of before creating a white clover lawn. 1. Clover attracts bees - Honeybees are a wonderful thing to have in any garden as they pollinate the vegetables and flowers. However, when you have a white clover yard, the bees will be everywhere. If you have children or frequently go barefoot, there will be an increase in bee stings. 2. Clover does not hold up to REPEAT high traffic - For the most part, white clover handles heavy foot traffic pretty well; BUT, if your yard is walked or played on frequently in the same general area (as with most grasses), a white clover yard can end up half dead and patchy. To remedy this, it is usually recommended to mix the clover in with high traffic grass. 3. Clover is not drought tolerant over large areas - Many people think that a clover lawn substitute solution is best because white clover seems to survive even the harshest drought. It is only moderately drought tolerant though, when the different white clover plants are growing apart from each other. When they are grown close together, they compete for water and cannot support themselves in dry times. If you are ok with the facts above about having a white clover lawn, you are ready to use clover as a grass substitute.

How to Replace Your Lawn with Clover

Clover should be planted in the spring or summer so that it has time to establish itself before cold weather comes. First, remove all of the grass on your current lawn to eliminate the competition. If you would like, you can leave the current lawn, and seed over top of the grass, but it will take longer for the clover to dominate the yard. Second, regardless of whether you remove the grass or not, rake or scratch the surface of your yard wherever you'd like to grow the clover as a grass substitute. Third, spread the seed at about 6 to 8 ounces (170-226 g.) per 1,000 feet (305 m.). The seeds are very small and may be hard to spread evenly. Do the best you can. The clover will eventually fill in any spots you miss. Fourth, water deeply after seeding. For the next several weeks, water regularly until your white clover yard has established itself. Fifth, do not fertilize your white clover lawn. This will kill it. After this, simply enjoy your low maintenance, white clover lawn.

Maybe you're looking for something a bit outside of the box, or perhaps you have little time or patience for maintaining and mowing a lawn. Whether you're a busy homeowner looking for something easier or you're just wanting to make a statement, there are many low-maintenance and low-cost alternatives to traditional grass that will accomplish your needs.

What are Some Non-Plant Alternatives to Grass?

Lawn alternatives don't have to be limited to plants. Hard surfaces such as stones, gravels, or pebbles can be just as effective. All of these provide interesting texture and are available in a variety of colors and sizes that will fit into any landscape design. They are also easy to apply and relatively inexpensive, depending on what you choose and how you use it.

How to Use Non-Plant Lawn Alternatives

Stone surfaces complement most surroundings, can be mixed with other hard surface varieties, and can even serve as mulch for plants. In fact, there are numerous plants that thrive in these types of environments. For instance, yuccas, cacti, and succulents look right at home in a graveled landscape. Other plants that are tolerant of this type of mulching include:

• Lady's mantle
• Blue-eyed grass
• Thyme
• Sedge
• Stonecrop

Recreate a beach scene in your front yard by applying a layer of pebbles and mixing in some seashells. Add some seaside plantings and a few pieces of driftwood. Stones are also common elements of Japanese gardens. Steppingstones are also popular and can greatly reduce the amount of lawn in your yard. They are easy to make and actually quite fun, so be sure to include the kids. Nearly any type of lawn can be replaced with an array of alternatives that will not only fit your personal needs and preferences, but also add color, texture, and interest to your landscape.

Numerous types of plants can be used on the lawn to replace traditional grass. These may come in the form of groundcovers, fescue, and ornamental grasses. They may also consist of flowers, herbs, and vegetables. Depending on what you choose, many of these are tolerant to drought and hold up well against foot traffic.

Plant Alternatives to Grass

Groundcovers

With groundcover plants, you can easily knock out the dreaded chore of mowing the grass. These low-growing plants spread easily in even the toughest sites, providing thick coverage that will eventually benefit the soil beneath. Groundcovers can also add appealing texture, with some varieties having seasonal blooms and colorful fall foliage. You can even choose nitrogen-fixing plants, like clover, which act as a soil conditioner. Ajuga is a creeping evergreen that works well in both sun and shade. Varieties with purple foliage are also available. If you have a shady site that doesn't take grass well, put in some ivy. Soon you will have a lush carpet of green. Creeping Jenny is sometimes considered an invasive weed in the yard; however, this plant will make a great groundcover to replace a lawn. With its yellow blooms and coin-looking foliage, creeping Jenny will easily brighten up the lawn, especially shady areas. Dead nettle is another option. Don't let the name put you off, this is actually an attractive groundcover with lovely, variegated foliage and stunning spring blooms.

Fescue and Ornamental Grass

Both fescue and ornamental grasses provide another alternative to the traditional lawn. Fescue grasses are tolerant of everyday wear and tear and can thrive in a variety of locations. Tall fescues are coarser, drought tolerant, and provide a very low maintenance lawn for your home. Ornamental grasses are also low-maintenance plants that make great lawn alternatives. Since there are numerous types to choose from, finding one that meets your specific needs shouldn't be a problem. However, sticking to a variety that is native to your area will increase your chances of success. A native grass lawn requires little supplemental water once it's established and doesn't suffer from many pest or disease problems. Native grasses can be mown or left alone to create the appearance of a natural prairie.

Flowers, Herbs and Vegetables

Another option for your lawn includes the incorporation of flowers, consisting of carefully placed beds or stunning meadows. Flowerbeds are easy to create and significantly lessen your mowing needs by reducing the amount of lawn you have. Wildflowers mixed in with prairie grasses will create a lovely meadow; however, check first to see what varieties thrive in your area. A meadow can add striking color and texture to your landscape while providing a low maintenance solution to the traditional grass-covered lawn. If a meadow is not for you, perhaps you would like to implement a vegetable garden instead. Whether it comes in the form of a huge plot or several small beds, a vegetable garden not only replaces areas of lawn but also produces mouth-watering food. You can even mix in some flowers and herbs. Want to add a delightful fragrance? Try herbs as a lawn alternative. There are many easy-care varieties available that hold up well to foot traffic. In fact, walking through these aromatic plants will actually trigger their pleasant scents. Popular choices include creeping thyme, chamomile, and pennyroyal. Another interesting way to cover the lawn and add color is with bulbs. This works great for problem areas which are difficult to mow. Simply take handfuls of selected bulbs and gently toss them into the site. Plant the bulbs where they landed for a naturalized appearance.

These days there's a lot of controversy surrounding using grass in your lawn, especially in areas where water is restricted. Grass can also cause problems for busy or older people who may not have the time or the desire to maintain a lawn that needs to be cut and watered frequently. Or maybe you just want to be more environmentally responsible. Whatever your reasons are for wanting to replace your lawn's grass with something else, you have many options when looking at lawn substitutes.

Using Chamomile for the Lawn

One option is to replace your grass with chamomile. Chamomile is an aromatic herb that is quite pretty to look at. Chamomile has feathery leaves and during the summer it has a white and daisy-like flower. For centuries, Chamomile has been used all around the world as a ground cover. It can take a medium amount of wear and when you walk on the chamomile it releases a lovely smell. Chamomile is best used in lawns that are not high-traffic areas.

Using Thyme for the Lawn

Another choice is thyme. Thyme is another aromatic herb. If you would like to use thyme as a lawn substitute, you'll need to make sure that you choose the correct kind of thyme. The kind of thyme that you normally use to cook with will grow too tall to be used as a lawn substitute. You'll need to choose either creeping thyme or woolly thyme. Both of these thymes are low-growing and work best as lawn substitutes. Thyme will also release in a nice scent when it is walk on. Thyme is a medium wear ground cover. Thyme should not be used for high-traffic lawn areas.

Using White Clover for the Lawn

Another option for a lawn substitute is white clover. Many grass fans consider white clover a weed but, in fact, white clover makes a great lawn substitute. White clover can hold up to high traffic better than many other ground covers and is low-growing. It makes a good lawn substitute for areas like children's play areas and high traffic walkways. That being said, in areas like these, you may want to be mindful of the blooms, which attract pollinating bees. Additionally, while it can handle foot traffic fairly well, mixing the white clover in with grass will provide even more stability. It also will grow in many places where you may have trouble growing grass. Not to mention your children will spend hours hunting through your lawn for the elusive four-leaf clover.

Creating a Nonliving Lawn

Another option for a lawn substitute is a nonliving lawn substitute. Some people are beginning to use either pea gravel or recycled tumbled glass. Both of these options are considerably more expensive but once the initial investment is made, your lawn becomes relatively maintenance-free. There are no further expenses related to watering, mowing, or fertilizing the lawn. The long-term cost savings of using a nonliving lawn substitute will eventually make up for your initial investment.

Benefits to Using Lawn Substitutes

Using a lawn substitute is more environmentally friendly. Lawn substitutes typically require less water. Lawn substitutes also need little or no mowing which reduces the number of greenhouse gases that are released into the air. If you live in an area that requires you to restrict your water usage or an area that has frequent ozone alerts, a lawn substitute may be your best option. You should not feel pressured into going with the typical grass lawn. The fact of the matter is a "typical" grass lawn may not be the best option for where you live or your lifestyle. A lawn substitute may really be the best choice for your yard.