Lawn alternatives

 

Happy Wednesday!

In the backyard, we did have a small amount of grass until we had three dogs and it became a mud field.  

I tried gravel to minimize the mud but it was too hard to weed.  I switched to Linda's alternative and put down mulch.  The secret is to put down newspaper, wet it, and then mulch.  It does reduce the amount of weeds and what weeds appear are easier to pull.  But I wanted green and a no-mow solution.  

There's a whole group of what is referred to as stepable groundcovers.  I did try oregano and thyme but my (late) dog Teddy kept eating it and too much can make dogs ill.  😕

Eventually, I planted Irish and Scottish moss to give the look of a lawn without the maintenance, here it is a few years ago behind our late baby Scout.  The moss was sparce then and only in the second year:

This week:

The moss is encroaching into the flower beds and I am letting it.  I'll reduce the bed to accommodate the moss.

It's even spread to the lower garden.  We never planted any moss there but it's managed to spread via wind, sneakers, paws, or wildlife.

I like to think that the next owner of our house will be grateful they don't have to mow the backyard but I know that is silly.  They'll probably want a manicured lawn. 😁

Anyway, more about gardening tomorrow.  I just love being outside right now.

Have a safe and happy day!