No rule against complete ground cover.
Having trouble growing beautiful grass, or maybe tired of mowing that lawn? In the video linked above, the home owner had a variety of shade trees which made it more difficult to grow consistent sod grass. In addition the landscape was built on a slope and makes mowing more difficult at times. So the alternative is to eliminate the sod grass all together. Why not replace sod grass and have grass free landscaping? Environmentally-friendly groundcover eliminates mowing and offers a fresh look to your home?
Options for Ground Cover.
- Dwarf Mondo Grass – With dense dark green blades, drought-resistant and evergreen, dwarf mondo grass grows only 2 to 4 inches tall. A great low maintenance ornamental grass that grows in the sun and shade.
- Moss makes a beautiful border in this Japanese garden and requires no mowing, leaving more time for meditation.
Pachysandra – This shade-loving evergreen never needs cutting. Hard to zone 4, it grows up to 10 inches tall and in spring blooms with white or pink spikes.- Ajuga – Also known as bugle weed, ajuga is a matting groundcover that grows only 6 inches tall in shades of purple, green and pink. In early summer, it sends up spikes of blue, lavender, or pink flowers. Great for rock gardens, too.
- Creeping Jenny – A perennial, creeping Jenny is a bright chartreuse vining plant that prefers full sun but will tolerate part shade. Hardy to zone 3, it likes medium to wet soil.
- Asiatic Jasmine – This vining evergreen is great for slopes and grows only 6 to 12 inches high. Its small dark green, glossy leaves form a mat, and in spring the plant produces tiny white, yellow or pink flowers.
- Liriope Also known as monkey grass, liriope is a tough evergreen that also makes a great edging plant. Extremely drought resistant, it blooms in summer with purple or white flower spikes.
- Vinca minor Commonly known as periwinkle, Vinca minor puts down roots from spreading shoots to form a dense mat of dainty foliage with deep blue or purple flowers.
- Creeping phlox is a perennial that produces a thick mat of pink, lavender or purple flowers in early spring. Great for hillsides and cascading over walls.
- Creeping lilyturf is bulletproof, resisting high humidity, heat, pests, diseases, deer and rabbits. Pale lavender flower spikes appear above leaves in midsummer.
In Summary
Creating grass free landscaping takes a combination of the right ornamental grass, plants, flowers and trees to balance out your landscape.Don’t forget to consider your mulch as well. A good mulch will trap moisture and help separate your growing areas, however it is also important to know which mulch will work best for you. Wooden mulches are the most common, but rock mulch, decomposed granite and a plastic mulch are also good options to consider.
Lawn Service Carrollton offers the bet prices and service for you lawn and landscaping care. Call now for a free estimate.