Not just a grass lawn: 7 alternative ground cover types and designing a breathtaking garden

A garden, for most, is a green space where you can spend time relaxing in nature while remaining in the privacy of your own home. So, if there is sufficient space, very often the centerpiece of a garden, so to speak, is the lawn.

A lawn is nice to have, but also requires a lot of maintenance: it must be cut, trimmed and watered properly. However, there are alternatives to lawns that are just as beautiful and not as demanding in terms of care. Discover some of these below:

Mulch

Sometimes, a lawn extends only as far as the plants that form a flower bed, or to the sides of driveways and other paved areas. So why not consider covering area with mulch instead? These are organic materials, such as certain types of bark, which, as they decompose, provide the soil with useful nutrients. And there are also many decorative options, made from different materials and colors.

Gravel surfacing

In heavily trafficked areas, the lawn can't grow abundantly, but this doesn't necessarily mean these areas should be left unattended. You can choose to lay down a natural ground cover using gravel. Depending on the type of gravel - which can be very light or very dark, and have many different shapes and sizes - truly splendid and very elegant landscaping results can be obtained.

A lawn, yes, but not from grass

Generally, the grass used for lawns is one of a number of specific species. But there are also many other less common types of ground cover, such as clover - which produces beautiful, flowery lawns when it is not cut too often.

Moss

Moss grows easily and spontaneously and it is an excellent alternative for a grass lawn. It is can be walked upon (in moderation), is soft and elastic, and retains moisture much better than regular grass. It therefore saves water, energy and money. Just research which mosses are typical in the area where you live, and in the shaded areas of the garden, moss ground cover will look beautiful.

Liriope

There are plants, such as liriope (lilyturf), which are generally used for borders. They grow in tufts of ribbon-like leaves that can be seen all year round, even if they are thicker from spring onwards, and they flower at the end of summer. Therefore, nothing prevents you from filling an area of the garden where you don't often walk with these plants. There will almost never be any work to be done to maintain them, and they will look beautiful all year round. However, they are recommended only for regions that are not subject to prolonged periods of drought or extremely high temperatures.

Flowering shrubs and bushes

Another idea for those with only small parcels of land, is to create compositions of plants of various heights, with the tallest at the the furthest point, and the shorter ones in front. Here too it would be best to research which plants are suitable for this purpose in your specific region.

Wild flowers

Instead of a lawn, an area full of flowers of all kinds - as if it were the untamed countryside - is an option. This is perhaps the most scenographic choice and certainly the most environmentally friendly. It does not require great maintenance (except for the eradication of weeds), and if you choose to sow varieties that bloom at various times of the year, it ensures a beautiful garden for every season. This solution is also great for pollinating insects, whose survival is critical to ours!

Would you like to try some of these lawn alternatives?