Here in North Texas, maintaining a healthy green lawn takes work, especially during the dog days of summer. From watering, fertilizing and mowing to pulling up weeds and patching sod, homeowners often go to great lengths to achieve a verdant landscape. But grass is not the only option, experts note. Other types of ground cover can create a beautiful blanket of green around your home, require less upkeep and even benefit the environment.
“Clover lawns can be a good alternative to turf grass lawns because they provide a different experience than most residential homes and gardens,” says Tyler Breed, agronomy manager for residential services at Southern Botanical. “They have a more carefree look, while turf grass lawns are straight-edged and demand structure and maintenance,” he says. The hardy perennial also needs infrequent mowing and can flourish in clay-based or sandy soil, or soil with low nutrients, adds Breed.
Dwarf white clover is best suited to our area and can transform a bland or spotty lawn into a happy haven for beneficial pollinators, notes nationally syndicated radio host Howard Garrett, also known as The Dirt Doctor, who has specialized in organic gardening and landscaping for 40 years. Homeowners often kill weeds and pull up flowering plants to maintain a manicured lawn, reducing the food source for bees and other pollinating insects, which depletes their population. Clover, on the other hand, provides an abundant feast of dainty white flowers for pollinators, and the lush foliage can spread into a beautiful green mat without the use of fertilizer or pesticides. Plus, clover is a nitrogen fixer that helps aerate the soil.
Clover’s resiliency and soft leaves make it a great option for families with children or for high-traffic areas of the yard. But homeowners should only make the transition to a clover lawn after the sweltering summer months have passed, notes Garrett.
“If you plant it in the fall, in late September or early October, it will germinate and come up and be this beautiful green luscious ground cover,” he says. With regular watering and good soil drainage, dwarf white clover will flourish all winter and into the spring.
Even clover will struggle in high temperatures, however. To keep your landscape looking lovely when the mercury rises, Garrett recommends creating a mixed species turf by combining clover seed with St. Augustine, Bermuda or buffalo grass to help it “hang in there in the heat of the summer and fire back up in the fall in the cooler weather,” says Garrett.
He and other agronomy experts have been encouraging homeowners to create more sustainable landscapes by using native grasses and groundcovers for their residential lawns, reducing the need to apply toxic pesticides and herbicides. For example, frogfruit and horseherb are two appealing alternatives to standard turf grass that are more resilient than white clover.
Frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora) is a robust perennial that does well in various soil types and can tolerate both sun and shade. What’s more, the quick-growing grass replacement can turn your lawn into a colorful landscape in the dry summer months as it creates a sea of pinkish-white flowers from May to October. The downside is that frogfruit prefers moist soil and would require regular irrigation throughout the summer, which could be problematic when watering restrictions take effect.
Another option is straggler daisy (Calyptocarpus vialis), also known as horseherb, which does well in both sun and shade and can make a beautiful ground cover. Its bantam yellow flowers attract small butterflies in the spring, and it can be mixed with other grasses to cover bare spots. Because it prefers well-drained soil, horseherb also can hold up with little watering, especially in shady areas.
Whichever option you choose, timing is key when transitioning from turf grass to another ground cover, says Tyler Breed. “Waiting till the cooler times of fall or spring would be highly beneficial,” he says, adding that a clean work area will improve the chances of success. Breed recommends removing old turf grass, tilling up subsurface soils, and leveling project areas before seeding or planting so the new ground cover can establish strong roots. With proper watering and care, dwarf white clover, horseherb, and other alternatives, can create a beautiful landscape around your home for a minimal cost.
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