We too live in the PNW, Willamette Valley, zone 8b I believe. Creeping thyme grows only a few inches tall and is hardwearing, making it . The world of plants that fit the ground cover bill is diverse and fascinating, and some are specialists where grass falls short. Nov 26, 2012 - Explore UC Master Gardener Program of 's board "Lawn Alternatives", followed by 543 people on Pinterest. Id love to hear about it in the comments below! Our 'Low Work and Water' mix is a dwarf fescue mixture that is very slow-growing and drought-tolerant. It's on a slope. The first is that it is a little less durable than a grass lawn, but this can be easily remedied by planting grass and clover together. Microclover, a relatively new variety, makes an ideal companion to grass, in that its low-growing and doesnt flower often (bye-bye, bees), and the shade it provides to the soil reduces water evaporation. They are hardy through zones 5 to 8, though growers in zone 5 may find that thyme wont survive the winter as perennials. Dr Hardy Plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides) a remarkable groundcover. Zone 7 Grass. Another interesting choice in grass plants for zone 7 is little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium). So much of our version of homesteading is inspired by looking at the modes handed to uslike grass lawns, for exampleand trying to choose to follow the good design found in creation that often seems to run counter to convention! A High Country Gardens introduction. Half of the area I planted with ground cover, and the other half I replaced the grass with . Not only is it beautiful, vibrant, very drought-tolerant, resistant to frost, easy to grow and even easier to maintain; it is also able to handle . The optimal choice for your area is native types that want to grow there anyway, so youll have to do some local research. All offer varying shades of green that change subtly throughout the year, and some zone 7 grasses have spectacular flower plumes. For a more extensive list, contact your local extension service. For shade try lily-of-the-valley, pachysandra, bugleweed, periwinkle, sweet woodruff, barrenwort, lungwort, Canadian wild ginger, heuchera, or low . Creeping Wire Vine ( Muehlenbeckia) is a dense evergreen perennial with rounded glossy green leaves over a spreading mat of wiry stems. I have to buy a mower AND pay someone to use it. No mow grass alternatives. Grass. With growth, fescue blades fold over on themselves, creating a lovely sea of green that actually ripples in the wind. These lawn substitutes can eliminate the problems normally faced in shady yards or on properties subject to the wear and tear brought on by pet dogs. We bought plugs from Todd Valley Farms in Nebraska, and planted the portion of our lawn that isnt devoted to ornamentals. Spreading stems of evergreen foliage root as they spread across the soil and cover themselves with bright blue flowers in late spring. 2. For more information and motivation to convert at least part of your yard into a beautiful meadow, check out this article. Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans), sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), gayfeather (Liatris punctata), prairie clover (Petalostemum purpureum), compassplant (Silphium laciniatum), mountain mint (Pycnanthemum verticillatum), partridge pea (Cassia fasciculata), Culvers root (Veronicastrum virginicum), cupplant (Silphium perfoliatum), wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), oxeye sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides), butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), prairie coreopsis (Coreopsis palmata), sky blue asters (Aster azureus), New England aster (Aster novae-angliae), queen of the prairie (Filipendula rubra), nodding onion (Allium cernuum), turks-cap lily (Lilium superbum), yellow prairie coneflower (Ratibida pinnata), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium), stiff goldenrod (Solidago rigida), Joe-pye weed (Eupatorium maculatum).Height:4-8 feet.Maintenance:Mow once a year in early spring before new growth begins. Fruit and vegetables. Do you have shady areas that are looking a bit naked? Its larger size and vigor make it an excellent lawn substitute, producing a carpet of white blooms in late spring. Maintaining a traditional lawn is a lot of work. Silver Bella Blue Self-Heal (Prunella grandiflora Bella Blue) is a vigorous, long-blooming groundcover with short spikes of violet-blue flowers that attract butterflies. Max Frei is a vigorous hybrid soapwort that blooms in mid- to late summer with hundreds of quarter-sized pink flowers. Lawn and Lawn Alternative Resources. Thank you for this optimistic view of clover and other helpful ground covers. Ground covers provide the same aesthetic appeal as grass but require less water and maintenance. This ornamental takes a few years to spread out, but Kane here at Insteading is a big fan of it because it does a great job of blocking weeds. Although many native ornamental grasses prefer to be burned in nature, that is dangerous and not recommended for the home gardener. Although my front yard is the usual turf, the back yard is blue grama grass. Opt for regular mondo grass, which grows up to 6 inches tall, or choose dwarf mondo grass, just 2 inches tall, and never mow again. 6. Raised-block planting beds. Veronica oltensis is a little beauty that serves as an excellent crack filler between flagstone or pavers. Check through this list of native plants that tolerate acid soils (go for wild ginger and wintergreen for some bonus edible treats). Moss does require some specific situations for its best growth. 2. Interestingly, the plant historically used to cover those smooth, castle fields of opulence wasnt the Kentucky bluegrass of modern suburbs, but chamomile and thyme. A Beautiful Lawn Substitute. Tiffindell Gold is a lush looking groundcover that can be used in flower beds or as a lawn substitute. USDA Zones 9 and 10. Silver Carpet. USDA Growing Zones: 1-7. This cool-season grass is semi-evergreen in hardiness zones 7 through 9 but also grows in zones 4 through 9. It stands tall, growing upright to 6 feet (2 m.), and looks attractive all year. On our homestead, if its not a garden or an orchard that is covering the ground, its a meadow of native plants! Thanks for your comment, Annaits good to have the tip on Minnesota-specific growing conditions. It creates a floral meadow in the spring and summer. In the Insteading community youll find: Dear Wren and Family: Thank you so much for sharing this part of your lives with others. You can use a blender to make a moss slurry to propagate them (or to use as green graffiti but thats a whole different topic). 6" tall x 12" wide. Hi Tim! This is how my parents handled their lawn. It is among the most colorful of the types of zone 7 grass, with silvery blue-green leave blades transforming into hues of orange, red, and purple just before winter. Invasive plant alternatives for the tree-of-heaven include native, mimosa, and silky acacia, was introduced as an ornamental and . 1. For this purpose, choose white, or Dutch, clover. Low-mow or no-mow grass 6. Clover may also be used on its own for a non-traditional lawn with no grass at all. What are the best eco-friendly lawn alternatives? Grow a sustainable lawn that is green, resilient, drought-tolerant and can handle just about anything. The small, rounded green leaves act as a lush backdrop to its tiny purple flowers. The best alternatives to grass 1. 3. They still mowed it when needed to keep it from growing too tall, but when it came time for a middle-school wildflower collection project, I found 15 of the 20 specimens required from my own backyard! Karl Foerster Feather Grass Info - Tips For Growing Karl Foerster Grass, What Is Feather Reed Grass: Tips For Growing Feather Reed Grass, Korean Feather Reed Grass Info - Learn How To Grow Korean Reed Grass, Building A Manure Hotbed To Extend The Growing Season, How To Use Soil Heating Cables To Grow In Winter, Growing Cold Hardy Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus, Zone 7 Cactus: Choosing Cactus Plants For Zone 7 Gardens, Do Purple Strawberries Exist? The blueish purple flowers show color much of the year in the Pacific Northwest and do a good job of attracting pollinators as well. Drought resistant/drought tolerant plant (xeric). Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. I hope this article just provides the inspiration to get folks out of the useless non-native grass-growing business. Though it can tend to grow in clumps, there arespecially engineered mixes thateliminate this issue. Your article made so much sense.Part of our family are from around Springfield, MO; are you or others among your country friends open to have people visit for a few hours to see how you homestead? Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Place eight overlapping layers of newspaper or one layer of cardboard over the area you want to remove, then cover that with about a 3-inch-deep layer of weed-free mulch or compost. When left unmowed, yarrow will send out tall white flowers. We may have inherited a legacy of carefully nursing non-native grasses into a bizarre, artificial carpet of featureless green, but we dont need to accept that as our lawn-fate. 1. Care for this plant is simple. Make your yard more than just an obsolete status-symbol, and transform it into something beautiful, aromatic, edible, and biodiverse. Many people spend a lot of effort trying to poison it out of their lawns as a weed. If you dont have the time to mow your lawn regularly, perhaps it is time to replace it with thyme (if youll forgive me for that atrocious sentence)! I also would recommend contacting a nature center like the Hoyt Arboretum to get their recommendations on native plants that want to grow in your lawn anyway. You may have heard that mint spreads like crazy - but Corsican mint is considered a well-behaved creeper. This common herb may be used, not only in the kitchen, but outside of the home as well to brighten landscaping. Creeping thyme in high traffic areas. Alternatives to grass in backyard: Replace the backyard lawn with functional areas for seating, dining and lounging. Grow a wildflower meadow Turf mixes, like this one from Wildflower Turf, are an easy way to create a wildflower area in your garden (Image credit: Wildflower Turf) Fancy a wild, grassy area that bursts into color every summer? 2. Hardy Plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides) a remarkable groundcover. Spring burning in nature removes last years growth and exposes the soil to the warming rays of the sun, a boost for newly emerging grasses. These soft-to-walk-on carpets require no mowing and can even tolerate some foot traffic. Drought resistant/drought tolerant plant (xeric). Looks great as a crack filler between flagstone and paving stones. These low-growing perennials are an indispensable part of any well-well designed garden and are perfect for replacing areas of lawn, large and small, especially difficult-to-mow hillsides. What a delightful comment, Tammy! The moundi Silver Carpet Lambs Ear (Stachys byzantina Silver Carpet) is a handsome, fuzzy, grey-leaved groundcover that thrives in problem areas such as dry shade and poor soils. Its easy to plant, covers most types of terrain, and feels good under bare feet in the summer. Oregano does eventually spread and take over areas, but it takes time, toobattling grass will really slow it down. 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