Garden

Low-maintenance Ground Covers Instead of Grass

Skip the labour-intensive grass lawn and opt instead for an easy-care, sustainable ground cover

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Choosing to cover a bare area in the backyard with grass is the easy option—but it’s not your only choice

Maintaining a lawn requires regular care, weeding and fertilizing. Alternatively, a carefully selected ground cover requires little upkeep and reduces the impact on the environment.

Here are some ground covers to consider for your garden…

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Pachysandra terminalis (Japanese pachysandra)

  • Good for tough areas
  • Lush evergreen foliage
  • Creamy white flowers in spring
  • Good solid ground cover
  • Moderately slow to fill out
  • Possible lawn substitute for visual areas
  • Hardy to Zone 4

Trifolium repens (white Dutch clover)

  • Grows well in areas with clay subsoil
  • Low growing (4-8” high)
  • Stays green through drought periods
  • Attracts beneficial insects
  • Be wary of bee allergies
  • Will tolerate mowing
  • Hardy to Zone 4

Gaultheria shallon (Salal)

  • Native evergreen groundcover
  • Full lush foliage
  • Medium growing up to 1m
  • Good as small accent groundcover
  • Good for large areas
  • Can be aggressive when established
  • Drought tolerant
  • Edible berries
  • Hardy to Zone 6

Arenaria balearica (Corsican sandwort)

  • Fine textured 2” high
  • Thick mat of bright green leaves
  • Small flowers in mid to late spring
  • Very hardy
  • Adaptable to shady places
  • Possible lawn substitute for low
  • traffic or between pavers
  • Hardy to Zone 4

Sedum acre ‘Aureum’ (golden stonecrop)

  • Vigorous and spreading
  • Ground hugging carpet
  • Bright golden leaves in spring
  • Yellow flowers June to August
  • Drought tolerant
  • Possible lawn alternative for large spaces
  • Hardy to Zone 4