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Anyone have any ideas what sort of low maintenance ground cover would be good? I'm not opposed to mowing, but would like something that doesn't need as much care. It would be roughly 3/4 acre, relatively flat, with several pines.
I'm pretty dumb when it comes to plant stuff. Is this even possible?
It depends on how large the yard is. I've seen a lot of people with small yards in California makes somewhat of a woodland garden with ivy or vinca as a ground cover, in place of grass.
Clover is a wonderful substitute for grass. It is nice to walk on and smells great when it is flowering. Just be sure to wear shoes when it is flowering because the bees love it too. When you do mow over it, it smells great.
Clover is a wonderful substitute for grass. It is nice to walk on and smells great when it is flowering. Just be sure to wear shoes when it is flowering because the bees love it too. When you do mow over it, it smells great.
It depends on how large the yard is. I've seen a lot of people with small yards in California makes somewhat of a woodland garden with ivy or vinca as a ground cover, in place of grass.
I am trying to eliminate the vinca major (and the ivy) a previous owner planted in my yard. Both are very invasive and not the kind of thing you can walk on. it provides good harbor for snakes and traps moisture that makes it great for breeding mosquitoes. You can't walk on it because it will grow calf high. If you like the look of vinca, try vinca minor--it grows lower and is less aggressive. I have it in my yard and it actually looks pretty with its little blue flowers.
If you have trees, don't plant ivy. It will grow right up them, seeking as much light as possible, and ivy on trees is well-known for helping to bring them down in ice/wind storms.
ive heard people having good luck with clover and various mosses.
moss lawns are incredible, very lush, incredibly soft with slight spring, but if i remember right they can be tough to get started, but once their going strong they make an amazing water efficient lawn.
i cant for the life of me remember what kind of moss they used though, sry.
I'm in Raleigh... and whenever it gets hot and dry for more than 4 days, the clover in my yard dries up and dies out. Seeing as we typically don't get much rain in the summer and we have watering restrictions, I wouldn't go the clover route.
There are a couple of yards in my neighborhood where 80 - 100% of the yard is turned into a natural area with trees/bushes etc. If you can't do the whole yard, I would put Bermuda in the remaining spaces. You don't have to mow it as often as fescue, and it doesn't need as much 'attention' once it gets established.
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