Help! I hate having a lawn!

I am totally in favor of eliminating lawns and replacing them with "real plants". But I still need a space for kids and dog to play. I am just so sick of wasting my time and money on maintaining a lawn!
Please tell me, is there any other groundcover I could substitute for a lawn? The area gets mostly full sun and I have a sprinkler system for it.
Thanks!
Roberta

Lawns are simpler to maintain than groundcovers. And they tolerate "foot traffic" such as kids and dogs playing on them better than ANY ground cover. Ground covers require maintenance if they're going to look good, and kids or anyone else running and playing on them just won't work.

High Country Gardens has buffalo grass on sale right now. It needs a lot less water than regular grass and you can either mow it high a couple of times a year or just let it grow--it doesn't get very tall. I'm looking into using it to cover a large area down by our creek so we will have less yard to mow.

Buffalo grass is fine IF you don't water it after it's established. Otherwise, bermuda or weeds will take it over.

I don't mind the mowing really, it's only a 400SF area, it's done very quickly with a push mower. I DO want to save water though! I'll check out on the buffalo grass. Thanks guys. If only you saw the state of my lawn right now...I paid tons to have sod installed last year, and with the dog, the gophers, lack of chemicals, etc...it looks like crap now!
Dp72 - I get your point, but I just hate all the watering and fertilizing....

Do people use Bermuda grass out there? Here most everyone has either Bermuda or St. Augustine, a warm-weather grass. The difference between the two is that if St. Augustine is not watered and it gets to a certain point it will die. Bermuda does not die. It goes dormant, but it will come back from the roots once it gets enough water again.

It's not a good idea for someone in Texas to try to advise someone in CA on grasses! I'd just hate to see you put in expensive ground covers like liriope or ophiopogon or dichondra and have them trampeled to death or at best be the ugliest yard in town from "foot traffic."

Rob,

You might want to talk with someone at a local golf course, those folks know your area. They are a priceless source of information. They deal with many of the same problems you have, high traffic, limits on chemical use, etc.

The State might have an Extension website too. The folks up at UC Davis have lots of info too.

Eye candy>

Dale, that's a good idea too. From what I see my best bet would be to find a drought tolerant grass....

what about thyme? there are several diff varieties and some hold up well to foot traffic?

Thyme will only take limited foot traffic. Dogs and kids romping will do a number on it.

I always wished verbena could take foot traffic>

Thyme takes foot traffic better than many other non-grass groundcovers, but grass is really the best living groundcover when it comes to foot traffic, nothing else really comes close unfortunately for high-traffic areas.

Dymondia is pretty tolerant of foot traffic as well...depending on how heavy the foot is ! I have 3 areas of it between stepping stones, but finally figured out that you have to plant it lower than the stones...much lower...so that when it fills in, it comes just up to the level of the stones.

If it gets too tall, which it will, I just set the lawn mower to it's lowest setting and scalp it. It bounces back really fast. I only have to do it once a year.

Anjl, I love thyme but this is indeed a "high traffic" area...JasperDale, I'll check on Dymondia right now, I had never heard of it.
Dale_a_gardener, what a wonderful patch of verbena! i love verbena...

rob: I wouldn't suggest using Dymondia as a lawn substitute, though.
In between stepping stones or pavers is fine, but not in an area of constant foot traffic.

OK...yeah, I need something for the dog to run on! I need to take a picture of my lawn for you guys. You'll want to cry! lol

I'm so glad to see the buffalo grass suggestion. I had a thread about that in Texas Gardening and it had low interest. Surprising since people are ALWAYS complaining about Burmuda grass (a gardeners nightmare---getting into all the beds, never dying, etc). We have some augustine but it does need a lot of water.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/wildscapes/guidance/plants/buff_grass/

Glad to hear of a seller for it. Though there are so many versions of buffalo grass I'm not quite sure what to order!?

Apparently it's not advised to overseed Buffalo grass onto exsisting lawn of a different variety.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/swest/msg0803052313296.html

Wow that sounds like a great option! Watering once a month...what a dream! I'm also considering this one here:
http://www1.zoysiafarms.com/

Oh yes I've heard of that grass. I've only heard it doesn't require a lot of water but is pricey for plugs.

Zoysia needs a good amount sun to do well. We have it here as sod. It is more expensive than some, but worth the investment. We also have a dwarf Bermuda that is a good lawn>

Dale, which one is which on the picture?

Rob: Just an FYI on Zoysia grass...it goes dormant here in the winter, (turns the color of straw or hay), is extremely sensitive to animal urine and is VERY slow growing.

noooooooooo! Seriously? Then I'm back to square 1!

sorry....

http://www.artificialgrassmasters.com/index.htm

Rob, The above is a product that I have seen installed here in Tampa. It looked so real that I had to get out of the truck and touch it. I work in landscape maint., I love plants and I like the product.

I wouldn't go for 'silk' flowers, but, I am getting older lol

What about that rubber mulch or playground rubber? You could till and prep your grass area and fill it with the brown or reddish rubber stuff, maybe place small planting beds or boulders throughout... seems odd but it could work if you do it right!

If Phlox would tolerate foot traffic, I'd have it all over my yard. Actually I think I'd settle for moss if that would work.

What a great idea to contact the local golf course and ask what they use. I've never thought of that but it makes perfect sense.

TJ
-----

Guys...I really prefer something organic...(I mean, organic versus manmade!).

You've had far longer than your 15 minutes. What you are asking for doesn't exist. Decent-looking ground covers are just not going to hold up to kids playing on it and stuff like that. You need the toughest grass that will thrive in your climate. There are any number of grasses that would work in Mississippi or Montana that wouldn't have a chance in San Diego. And, if there are dry spells and you don't water, any grass is going to go dormant and look like heck. All of us would like this elusive plant you are hoping for. There's not one.

What an enthusiast, lol!

Then if you are right, there is absolutely no point in all those horticulturists out there who preach the elimination of lawn. Are they ALL wrong then?

No...not at all. It's just that there really isn't any plant other than grass which will take constant foot traffic from kids and pets...especially dogs.

Lawn elimination was first brought about in an effort to save water, especially here in So. Cal. For years, big expanses of lawn were the norm. That is changing now, well at least in some areas it is.

Granted, if you have children and pets, they do need a place to play.
It's difficult to have a garden when you have kids "being kids"...likewise for pets.

Is your property large enough that you could close off a section of it that would be off limits to kids and pets?

I suppose the only other solution is to hold off until the kids are more grown and not so "rambunctious" ...which would put them where? In their 20's ? LOL !!!

And there's definitely still a point to preaching elimination of grass since not everyone is in the same situation that you are. I have a dog (and therefore high traffic) but no kids and was able to get rid of my grass and replace it with crushed gravel (probably not a good option with kids though, too many skinned knees!) And there are other people who don't have kids and pets so for them there are plenty of non-grass groundcovers to consider. But unfortunately when you have kids/pets and want a living groundcover to run around on, you're stuck with grass.

robc, you're getting quite a run for the money! I told myself I was through with this thread, but I'm drawn like the moth to the flame..... I don't know how many "horticulturists" "preach" the elimination of grass. In the first place, there are degreed horticulturists, and then there are people who write columns for newspapers, magagines, the Internet, etc. (That's like there are certified landscapers, and then there are yard maintenance people who put the word landscaper on their truck.) Back to the elimination of grass, though.
Instead of talking about "all those horticulturists," I'll name ONE. Neil Sperry, whose name is synonymous with gardening in Texas. He correctly says that as far as ease of maintenance, grass is far superior to any ground cover. Some people think that ground covers are like plastic plants covered with glass. They stay just like they are when you plant them. They never need tending or tidying up, they never need water; leaves and other trash don't fall into the beds and need to be removed. They can take any temp extreme; you can picnic or play volleyball on them. No, properly maintaining ground covers is WORK. Have you ever removed dead leaves from an Asian jasmine bed? Mr. Sperry recommends grass (suited to your climate) in areas that get traffic, and a mixture of shrub beds, ground covers, trees and annuals for the rest of the landscape. In our area, all recommended grasses need 4 to 6 hours of sun, so they won't grow under trees. This mix gives variety to the landscape thus adding interest. The annuals provide color, as do some trees, esp. in the fall. As JasperDale said, the No Grass movement arose out of concern over saving water, but it is extreme. There are grasses that will go completely dormant during dry spells, but
"come back" after a good rain. (Here those are various Bermudas and buffalo grass.) Having these in turf areas requires little or no irrigation, and should satisfy the environmentalists. You seem like a good-natured guy, and I wish you the best of luck, whatever you decide to do. And when you find that ground cover that is indifferent to water needs, temp. extremes, that never gets lanky or littered with blowing leaves and such, and can serve as an athletic field, I hope you'll let everyone on Dave's know. Wait- I take that back. Keep it a secret, start a business installing this stuff, but don't tell what it is, and you'll make millions in no time.

Dp72 - I think we are all through with YOUR 15 min of fame. Please do withdraw yourself from this discussion. For your information am not a guy. I am a lady, and a beginner at gardening. I have been extremely lucky as I have met many well meaning people at DG who have been invaluable in my progress as a gardener. I have never encountered such hostility over here. Please take your frustrations elsewhere. This is a place for friendly open discussions. It is not a circus or a contest.

Roberta

Sorry I'm not a mind reader, "Rob." I offered some useful advice, but I am weary of this prolonged ado when you have been given more than enough information by some very patient people. I'll gladly remove this thread from my list. Have a great life, and get some help for that stress you must be under to see hostility where none exists.

She's not the only one who see's your hostility.

Roberta--I hope you're not put off by this, there's nothing wrong with your thread and I don't blame you for hanging in there hoping that someone would come along with a solution for your problem!

Thanks Ecrane! You have always been a sweetheart from the start, I have been learning so much from you, and all the experient folks who always come forward to the rescue!
R ; )

Made any decisions yet?

No, this is not my beautiful lawn....

Do you know what that bush with the huge purple flowers is? Or what zone the pic is from?