Replacing grass with ground cover? (flowers, lawn, landscaping, growing)

[eastcoastguyz]

Part of our yard has ground cover. It does a nice job, and best of all I don't have to mow it. Has anyone replaced all their grass with ground cover? I'm looking for a maintenance free lawn and wonder if not having grass would reduce the time needed to take care of the lawn. Or does having all ground cover present another time of problems or time investment I'm unaware of? Is it hard to blow leaves off of ground cover than grass?

I like the way ground cover looks too. Grass never seems to look right unless you mow it and take good care of it. When I think of the time and cost involved with the grass, I wonder if there is a better alternative?

I'm not interested in a rock garden or anything drastic like that. I guess some of you would consider an entire yard without grass to be drastic too.

[patriot201]

What type of ground cover?

Some ground covers are mat-forming, extremely low-growing, and traffic-friendly, while others are a little more "free."

I have Blue Star Creeper covering part of my garden, and would absolutely consider it as a lawn alternative. PlantFiles: Detailed information on Blue Star Creeper, Swamp Isotome, Matted Pratia Pratia pedunculata It is considered invasive, but I haven't found it to smother other plants or to "take over" too much.

I have Ajuga in a corner of my yard, and while I like it, I wouldn't want it as a lawn alternative. Ajuga Ground Cover - Learn About Bugleweed Plants

I have had pachysandra, creeping thyme, and Scotch moss, but none could stand up to my dog's urine.

[belovenow]

I am totally into this - in my rather large neighborhood there is a cul-de-sac of neighbors who all made the switch from grass to ground cover together about 15 years ago - and today their street looks absolutely amazing (they also planted some fast growing trees as well to round out the look). Having now seen this transformation done, my days having a lawn to cut are numbered for sure as their little row of homes are quieter, smell better/fresher, and look better than other parts of the neighborhood today.

[Hollytree]

I tried an all clover lawn but couldn't get it to take uniformly. Grass & weeds just kept creeping back in.

[Gerania]

It can be quite a bit of work for at least a few years until the ground cover is well established. If you plant at the recommended rate, there's going to be quite a bit of room around each plant. You have to keep the area weeded and mulched.

First year they sleep, second year they creep, third they leap.

[southernnaturelover]

I ideal yard would be wooded, with only a 20'x20' section of lawn.

A lot of people down here use Asiatic Jasmine as a ground cover for large areas, and it works well. Simply run the mower over it once a year on the highest setting and you're done. I'd imagine with any ground cover it could harbor rodents and snakes though.

[happehart]

Originally Posted by mbuszu

I am totally into this - in my rather large neighborhood there is a cul-de-sac of neighbors who all made the switch from grass to ground cover together about 15 years ago - and today their street looks absolutely amazing (they also planted some fast growing trees as well to round out the look). Having now seen this transformation done, my days having a lawn to cut are numbered for sure as their little row of homes are quieter, smell better/fresher, and look better than other parts of the neighborhood today.

I would love to see a pic of this if you can. I want to remove my ugly Bermuda grass and replace it with something nice and low maintenance. At least in my back yard since I am not sure I can get my neighbors to do the same.

[d4g4m]

Some people consider it a weed but 'wedelia' is a good ground cover. Dark green with broad leaves, propagates with runners, has small yellow flowers.

[G Grasshopper]

In Texas, one of the native ground covers is Horseherb (Calyptocarpus vialis). I have just planted it in an area where the grass was dying due to shade and erosion. I am hoping that is will do well. If it does, I will gradually extend it to other areas of the lawn.

[MichiganMark]

I have a front lawn that has partially been replaced by groundcovers just by them spreading into my lawn. I mow the lawn and never weed the lawn or fertilize or spray it with chemicals. I'm thinking of adding vinca to the lawn and letting it gradually smother out the grass and continue to mow. I have lots vinca minor, and wild ginger and many other low growing ground covers which I can add to my front lawn. Is this no dig method something that anyone else has tried. I also have ajuga, lamium in several colors and leaf patterns and an unidentified low growing weed which has beautiful blue flowers which bloom for months in my back yard. I've eliminated my lawn in the backyard entirely. Now I want to do something similar but simpler in the front. My backyard is huge with a meadow I created and has a variety of bushes, perennial plants, white pine, crabapple trees, various large deciduous trees. There is even a large area covered in pine needles. I leave most fallen leaves on the ground between my plants, shrubs, etc. I love my back yard. It took me years for me to create the look and let it evolve too. I'm 67 now and would like to just add groundcovers to my front lawn. I don't have the energy or money to create a real garden in my fairly large front yard. I'm thinking of adding low growing groundcovers to the grass in my front yard that I can mow until the grass is smothered out by groundcovers. I already have a redbud tree, a large crabapple tree, and a large established lilac in the front surrounded by lawn and low growing foundation plants. Does anyone have any comments on my plan?