So your yard has a bald patch that won’t stay green, and it’s on a slope that makes mowing difficult.
Forget grass — a ground cover may be what you need, said Anne Smith, nursery manager at Holcomb Garden Center in Fort Oglethorpe.
“They’re perfect for covering those spots in your yard that are bare and/or hard to mow,” she said. Spring is the time of year to get them in the ground.
She recommended the following ground covers to alleviate various problems, such as high-traffic paths or areas with little sun or little shade.
For shade:
* Pachysandra is an aggressive grower with glossy leaves and white and blue blooms.
For sun:
* Sedum Angelina is bright green with yellow blooms and can reach 2 to 3 inches tall. It grows best when the plants are spaced 18 inches apart.
For durability:
* Georgia Blue (Veronica peduncularis) grows in the worst of soils. It has small, beautiful blue blooms in April and May.
For fast growth:
* Variegated ground ivy, with its white-and-green leaves, offers good color, but be warned: It’s a very aggressive grower. It can be mowed to help keep the growth in check.
* Mazus reptans Alba has showy white flowers against dark green leaves and is a good substitute for a grass lawn. This evergreen is best grown in part shade.