In my first story of the series Something Other Than Grass, I discussed that there are plants that can be used as an alternative to grass. The alternative species include:
· Ornamental Grasses
· Plants the love the shade
· Plants that love sun
· Low water ground covers
· Acid-Tolerant Plants
White Nancy
(Courtesy: Amost Perfect Landscapes at flickr)
I noted that ornamental grasses were different species than turf grass and that many of them did not require mowing. I pointed out that there were types of ornamental grasses that grow into tufts and sprays, stands or flowing and shimmer sweeps.
In Part II of the series, I discussed other alternative to grass that do well in the shade. This includes moss, Creeping Charlie, also known as ground ivy, gill-on-the-ground, creeping jenny, catsfoot, alehoof and tunhoof.
In Part III I discussed alternatives to grass that thrive in sunlight. I noted that one of the best species with this capability to serve as a substitute for grass is
Sweet Woodruf
(Courtesy: Karon Miller at flickr.com)
Thyme. For example, it thrives in direct sunlight or in partly sunny locations. The plant creates a mat-like ground cover that showcases some colors and it can resist low amount of foot traffic. Moreover, the flora spreads easily and requires less water than grass.
In Part IV of the series, I discussed low water ground covers that serve as great alternative to grass. Plants to consider include Anemone and stonecrop.
In the final article of the series, Part V, I will cover acid-tolerant plants.
(Courtesy: Donovan Smith at flickr.com)
Perennials that grow well in partial shade like under open pines include White Nancy, Pink Nancy, Anenome, Stonecrop, and Sweet Woodruf. However, these floras must be watered occasionally in the heat of summer. White and Pink Nancy have mounding foliage that appears gray or silver-green due to white spots on the leaves. The flowers grow above the leaves in small bunches or cluster that appear first in early summer. The plants continue to flower sporadically through the season depending on conditions. They thrive on zones 3-8.
