Reinvent your lawn or landscape

Trade in your turf for a low-maintenance, beautiful new look

Swap out your time-consuming lawn with an alternative that’s durable, easy and pretty too. Many lawn alternative plants are creeping perennial groundcovers that transform a lawn into an eye-catching tapestry of colour and texture.

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You might consider replacing portions of your lawn (such as slopes, narrow strips or oddly-shaped areas) simply because they’re a challenge to mow. Substituting a lawn alternative for turf in any of these situations instantly saves you time and money. Replacing only 25 percent of lawn area with groundcover plants yields a time and energy savings of 50 percent in mowing alone. Planting your yard’s mowing-challenged areas with a turf alternative also offers a great way to experiment with groundcovers in a small way before committing to a whole-lawn makeover.
Selecting a lawn alternative

When selecting a lawn alternative, consider your regional climate first and foremost. Stick with plants that survive in the typical weather conditions your area experiences. Take time to do a soil test to ensure you match the right type of plant with soil that will favour its growth. Also note the growing conditions your specific site offers: sun vs. shade and natural moisture levels. For instance, a slope tends to be drier than the base of that same slope, and a lawn area already plumbed for automatic irrigation has a ready moisture supply

Native plants offer advantages over non-natives. They’re adapted to your region, and they’ll typically be able to withstand or even resist attacks by pests and diseases. Do your homework if you select a non-native lawn alternative. Make sure it’s not rated as invasive in your region. You don’t want to add a plant to your landscape that will overrun the turf areas you want to keep.

Words like “vigorous,” “aggressive” or “rapid” growth rate describe an advantage in a lawn alternative. It means the plant will fill in quickly and limit the time that surrounding soil is bare and open to weeds. Mat-forming lawn alternatives grow thick enough to keep weeds from gaining a foothold. Choose these types of groundcovers for spots in your yard that are highly visible

Give your entry a makeover by replacing part of a lawn, a smaller lawn saves time and money on lawn-maintenance chores

Other Things to Consider

Lawn alternative plants have varying degrees of durability. Many alternatives can withstand light foot traffic, and a few can stand up to regular footsteps. Depending on where you’re replacing lawn, if you create a path through the groundcover with steppers, you won’t have to worry about durability issues.

In regions with harsh winters, take into consideration how your lawn alternative will look during dormancy. Will plants provide any colour, or do stems become bare and empty? Can foliage retain some hue during winter, or will it fade to a pale shade? Some lawn alternatives are evergreen and offer colour during winter months. Others are perennials that die to the ground.

Lawns planted with more than turf typically attract more wildlife, including birds, beneficial insects and butterflies. If you intend to use your non-turf area for barefoot activities, keep in mind that flowering groundcovers will attract stinging insects. It’s a good idea to avoid using these types of plants around swimming pools or children’s play areas.

As you work to establish plants in the landscape, don’t overlook weeding and watering during the first year of growth. Follow planting instructions carefully to ensure plants develop deep roots, which will help them survive drought in future years. It’s also a good idea to cover the soil with several sheets of the newspaper when planting groundcovers. Tuck plants into soil by planting directly through the paper. Place two inches of mulch over the paper to reduce sprouting weeds until groundcovers establish.

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