The era of turf grass lawns is ending. Hotter temperatures and the ongoing drought with the resulting water restrictions have made turf grass lawns unsustainable. When turf grass is not watered sufficiently, weeds begin to take over many lawns.
There is an answer, and it is not replacing the lawn with hardscapes or mulch.
Hardscapes with rocks are costly, difficult to install, and are not impervious to weeds. Rocks hold in the surrounding climate extending freezing temperatures longer around your trees, plants, and home. Hardscapes absorb and reradiate heat in hot temperatures making it harder to cool your home, and rocks are a ready home for insects.
While mulch is essential in landscapes, trying to replace your lawn with it also requires regular maintenance. If the yard has poor drainage, slopes, run-off problems can be a problem, and mulch alone is not a barrier to weeds.
Ground cover plants are a solution that is attractive, requires minimal care, and is good for the environment. Ground cover plants are perennials that creep and spread creating a layer of foliage that covers the landscape. A homeowner can start slowly with areas around pathways, borders, or by filling in gaps between beds.
Decide where the ground-cover plants will go, then use newspaper or cardboard in the spaces around them and cover with three inches or more of composted soil. The cardboard will kill the weeds and eventually disintegrate. Water the plants regularly until they are well established and continue to do so during periods of drought. However, when they take hold there is little upkeep, managed only with a trimmer or weed eater.
Ground cover plants come in many varieties. These plants improve your garden’s soil by blocking the sun and wind, thus preventing the soil from drying out. They keep the soil cool while retaining moisture. The use of ground covers provides erosion control in terraces, paths, and on slopes and is a great alternative to cover bare spots in shady areas. There are many ground covers for Central Texas which prove to be drought, heat, and pest tolerant and can thrive in both sun to shady conditions.
To turn your lawn into a pollinator garden, consider using these ground cover plants. Frogfruit is fast growing in poor soil, requires little moisture, and prefers full sun. It can reach a height of six inches and produces tiny white flowers. The flowers are a favorite of bees and butterflies. It will die back after it freezes, but regenerate in early spring.
Snakeherb is slow growing but propagates densely and needs little weeding. It can grow six to twelve inches high. Snakeherb will take on full sun and likes moist, welldrained soils. In late spring its purple blooms will attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.
Horseherb is often present in lawns although it is commonly mistaken for a weed. It is low-growing and fast spreading. You can plant it in full sun to shady areas. Bees love their tiny yellow flowers. Horseherb looks like a traditional lawn when it is mowed.
Native Prairie Verbena loves full sun and needs soil with good drainage. It has dark green foliage with purple blooms that attract butterflies and bees. This plant grows up to eighteen inches in height.
Other choices are Trailing Purple Lantana, Creeping Germander, and Golden Groundsel.
If you need something that will provide a contrast to a mostly green landscape, consider the silvery leaves of Woolly Stemodia. It grows less than six inches tall and has a range of three feet in sun or partial sun. It becomes dense and prevents weeds from intruding. Another benefit is that it is deer resistant.
Silver Ponyfoot is also a plant that will break up the greenery with its small circular silver leaves. It thrives in sun to light shade. Silver Ponyfoot is only three inches tall but makes a thick ground cover spreading two and a half feet wide.
Purple Heart can bring a pop of color and is shade loving. This plant can reach one foot in height and has an expanse of three feet. It is easy to propagate and does best in well-drained soil. It has tiny pink flowers that contrast to the deep purple leaves.
Another dry shade ground cover is the native Lyre Leaf Sage. White to purplish blue, cone-shaped flowers draw in hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. Leaf Sage will reseed itself, so it spreads easily.
If you prefer grasses that do not need mowing, try shade-loving Liriope or Monkey or Mondo Grass. Plan well and start small and soon the lawn mower will be obsolete.
