If you like the look of an open space from a lawn, but want a flat, low, green swathe of ground cover that requires less maintenance, why not try an alternative to grass? Any low-growing plant that spreads across the ground in a tight carpet will give you openness without the need to mow. They must be evergreen to prevent interlopers getting a look-in during winter. Note that none of these plants can withstand being constantly walked on; they are purely ornamental.
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Lawn alternatives to grass
Scleranthus biflorus
An evergreen alpine plant from Australia that creates moss-like mounds and is hardy through most of the UK. Can cope with some light foot traffic. Prefers well-drained soil in full sun.
Zoysia matrella
Generally sold as Zoysia tenuifolia, this vigorous east Asian perennial grass is used increasingly in dry, hot places such as Greece and southern Italy to create a drought-tolerant, uneven carpet of tufty green. Not fully hardy but may cope with temperatures down to -4oC – however its leaves do turn yellow in the cold. In milder climates it stays green year-round. Can cope with some shade and light footfall.
Leptinella squalida
A hardy, ground-hugging evergreen perennial with tiny, fern-like leaves of green and sometimes bronze, and yellow button-like flowers in summer. It can cope with light foot traffic but is not drought tolerant and prefers a moist, well-drained soil in full sun or part shade.
Creeping thyme
Thymes, such as white-flowered Thymus serpyllum ‘Snowdrift’ and mauve-coloured Thymus pseudolanuginosus are popular for thyme lawns, which have wonderful fragrance and often colourful flowers, too. They generally prefer drier conditions once established but won’t tolerate much foot traffic.
Corsican mint
Mentha requienii, or Corsican mint, is a mat-forming, peppermint-scented, small-leaved, evergreen species of mint that likes moist soil and shade. Like other mints, it can spread in ideal conditions but won’t tolerate much footfall.
Mind-your-own-business
Soleirolia soleiroli, better known as mind-your-own-business, is a good choice for a green cloaking ground cover in damp shade conditions where grass would struggle to grow. Evergreen and hardy except in harsh winters, it has a reputation for spreading.
