Greetings from Richmond, Virginia, in USDA Zone 7. I bought a new house in
February of this year and have had no success at growing a lawn so I'm
looking for other options. I don't care that much about having a perfectly
manicured lawn, I just want something that looks green from the street and
the house. The yard in question has heavy brown clay soil, gets full sun
all day, provides recreational space for two good-sized dogs, and is
bordered by two large pin oaks. Due to the size of the yard and the fact
that the contractor who built my house last year basically dumped a bunch of
crap dirt on the lot during construction, amending the soil to support a
lawn would be too expensive and time-consuming to be practical at this
point. (And needless to say, sodding is out of the question.) Can anyone
give me a recommendation for a dog-friendly ground cover that would grow
green under those conditions? I'd prefer something that grows no more than
6" in height. I'm asking a lot, I know, but it's worth the question.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Rhonda
Richmond, VA


========================
Basic human psychology is one of my subroutines.

Natty Dread wrote:
Greetings from Richmond, Virginia, in USDA Zone 7. I bought a
new
house in February of this year and have had no success at
growing a
lawn so I'm looking for other options. I don't care that much
about having a perfectly manicured lawn, I just want something
that
looks green from the street and the house. The yard in
question
has heavy brown clay soil, gets full sun all day, provides
recreational space for two good-sized dogs, and is bordered by
two
large pin oaks. Due to the size of the yard and the fact that
the
contractor who built my house last year basically dumped a
bunch of
crap dirt on the lot during construction, amending the soil to
support a lawn would be too expensive and time-consuming to be
practical at this point. (And needless to say, sodding is out
of
the question.) Can anyone give me a recommendation for a
dog-friendly ground cover that would grow green under those
conditions? I'd prefer something that grows no more than 6" in
height. I'm asking a lot, I know, but it's worth the question.
Thanks in advance for your help.

White (Dutch) Clover.
http://www.cce.cornell.edu/rensselae...over_sheet.htm

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

In article , "Natty Dread"
wrote:

Greetings from Richmond, Virginia, in USDA Zone 7. I bought a new house in
February of this year and have had no success at growing a lawn so I'm
looking for other options. I don't care that much about having a perfectly
manicured lawn, I just want something that looks green from the street and
the house. The yard in question has heavy brown clay soil, gets full sun
all day, provides recreational space for two good-sized dogs, and is
bordered by two large pin oaks. Due to the size of the yard and the fact
that the contractor who built my house last year basically dumped a bunch of
crap dirt on the lot during construction, amending the soil to support a
lawn would be too expensive and time-consuming to be practical at this
point. (And needless to say, sodding is out of the question.) Can anyone
give me a recommendation for a dog-friendly ground cover that would grow
green under those conditions? I'd prefer something that grows no more than
6" in height. I'm asking a lot, I know, but it's worth the question.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Rhonda
Richmond, VA

You might look into Prunella vulgaris lanceolata (self-Heal, allheal or
Lawn Prunella) or Anthemis nobilis (lawn chamomile) & Koeleria macrantha
(June Grass) & Dichondra repens (kidney grass) or Laurentia fluviatili
(blue-star creeper) to see if any of those are suited to your area &
requirements.

-paghat the ratgirl
--
Get your Paghat the Ratgirl T-Shirt he
http://www.paghat.com/giftshop.html
"In every country and in every age, the priest has been hostile to
liberty. He is always in alliance with the despot." -Thomas Jefferson

Dandilions are quite nice they will grow in about any soil and just
every grow zone (except for the really cold ones)
They give a nice yellow flower in the spring and they stay green all
summer.
The best part is they will hardly need to be mowed.
I get several million seeds a year if you want some feel free to ask.

In article ,
"Natty Dread" wrote:

Greetings from Richmond, Virginia, in USDA Zone 7. I bought a new house in
February of this year and have had no success at growing a lawn so I'm
looking for other options. I don't care that much about having a perfectly
manicured lawn, I just want something that looks green from the street and
the house. The yard in question has heavy brown clay soil, gets full sun
all day, provides recreational space for two good-sized dogs, and is
bordered by two large pin oaks. Due to the size of the yard and the fact
that the contractor who built my house last year basically dumped a bunch of
crap dirt on the lot during construction, amending the soil to support a
lawn would be too expensive and time-consuming to be practical at this
point. (And needless to say, sodding is out of the question.) Can anyone
give me a recommendation for a dog-friendly ground cover that would grow
green under those conditions? I'd prefer something that grows no more than
6" in height. I'm asking a lot, I know, but it's worth the question.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Rhonda
Richmond, VA


========================
Basic human psychology is one of my subroutines.

Pachysandra

--
Garden Shade Zone 5 S Jersey USA in a Japanese Jungle Manner.39.6376 -75.0208
This article is posted under fair use rules in accordance with
Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, and is strictly for the educational
and informative purposes. This material is distributed without profit.
"Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a
disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice."
-Baruch Spinoza

"Natty Dread" wrote in message
...
Greetings from Richmond, Virginia, in USDA Zone 7. I bought a new house
in
February of this year and have had no success at growing a lawn so I'm
looking for other options. I don't care that much about having a
perfectly
manicured lawn, I just want something that looks green from the street and
the house. The yard in question has heavy brown clay soil, gets full sun
all day, provides recreational space for two good-sized dogs, and is
bordered by two large pin oaks. Due to the size of the yard and the fact
that the contractor who built my house last year basically dumped a bunch
of
crap dirt on the lot during construction, amending the soil to support a
lawn would be too expensive and time-consuming to be practical at this
point. (And needless to say, sodding is out of the question.) Can anyone
give me a recommendation for a dog-friendly ground cover that would grow
green under those conditions? I'd prefer something that grows no more
than
6" in height. I'm asking a lot, I know, but it's worth the question.

The least expensive thing would be to figure out why your grass didn't grow
and correct that. I love ground covers, but unless your have a postage
stamp-sized lot, the cost of planting ground cover might be overwhelming.
Furthermore, many ground covers are slow to get established, and you would
have a transition period of sparse coverage. The bare areas would allow
weeds to get established and you could have erosion problems unless your lot
is flat. Things like clover and crown vetch make good covers but they also
bloom and attract a lot of bees which you could find unacceptable if you
plan to walk through the area. The approach I have taken is to minimize the
turf area using, it to connect beds. It is a ribbon that unifies the
landscape rather than the primary focus. Maintaining a small amount of
turf, particularly if you are willing to overlook some weeds, isn't all that
difficult.

All the soil in my area is heavy clay and people are able to have reasonably
good lawns without exceptional care. I would suggest that you contact your
county's cooperative extension agent and get some advice on turf care.
He/she can probably help you with a soil analysis and suggest the
appropriate type of grass for your situation. I could recommend a number of
low ground cover plants that could take some traffic, but none would be
inexpensive for a large area. You can get some ideas from these links:
http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...d+cover+zone+7

Much thanks to everyone who responded. White clover might be just what I
need, based on the article Travis posted.

Rhonda


"Travis" wrote in message
news:N8Oef.24$kk.20@trndny08...
Natty Dread wrote:
Greetings from Richmond, Virginia, in USDA Zone 7. I bought a new
house in February of this year and have had no success at growing a
lawn so I'm looking for other options. I don't care that much
about having a perfectly manicured lawn, I just want something that
looks green from the street and the house. The yard in question
has heavy brown clay soil, gets full sun all day, provides
recreational space for two good-sized dogs, and is bordered by two
large pin oaks. Due to the size of the yard and the fact that the
contractor who built my house last year basically dumped a bunch of
crap dirt on the lot during construction, amending the soil to
support a lawn would be too expensive and time-consuming to be
practical at this point. (And needless to say, sodding is out of
the question.) Can anyone give me a recommendation for a
dog-friendly ground cover that would grow green under those
conditions? I'd prefer something that grows no more than 6" in
height. I'm asking a lot, I know, but it's worth the question.
Thanks in advance for your help.

White (Dutch) Clover.
http://www.cce.cornell.edu/rensselae...over_sheet.htm

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

My suggestion would be kudzu. It would cover your yard in one season from
one plant. (Of course, the following year it would cover your house too, but
that's a minor detail).
"Natty Dread" wrote in message
...
Greetings from Richmond, Virginia, in USDA Zone 7. I bought a new house
in February of this year and have had no success at growing a lawn so I'm
looking for other options. I don't care that much about having a
perfectly manicured lawn, I just want something that looks green from the
street and the house. The yard in question has heavy brown clay soil,
gets full sun all day, provides recreational space for two good-sized
dogs, and is bordered by two large pin oaks. Due to the size of the yard
and the fact that the contractor who built my house last year basically
dumped a bunch of crap dirt on the lot during construction, amending the
soil to support a lawn would be too expensive and time-consuming to be
practical at this point. (And needless to say, sodding is out of the
question.) Can anyone give me a recommendation for a dog-friendly ground
cover that would grow green under those conditions? I'd prefer something
that grows no more than 6" in height. I'm asking a lot, I know, but it's
worth the question.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Rhonda
Richmond, VA


========================
Basic human psychology is one of my subroutines.

On Wed, 16 Nov 2005 21:48:17 GMT, "Natty Dread"
wrote:

Greetings from Richmond, Virginia, in USDA Zone 7. I bought a new house in
February of this year and have had no success at growing a lawn so I'm
looking for other options. I don't care that much about having a perfectly
manicured lawn, I just want something that looks green from the street and
the house. The yard in question has heavy brown clay soil, gets full sun
all day, provides recreational space for two good-sized dogs, and is
bordered by two large pin oaks. Due to the size of the yard and the fact
that the contractor who built my house last year basically dumped a bunch of
crap dirt on the lot during construction, amending the soil to support a
lawn would be too expensive and time-consuming to be practical at this
point. (And needless to say, sodding is out of the question.) Can anyone
give me a recommendation for a dog-friendly ground cover that would grow
green under those conditions? I'd prefer something that grows no more than
6" in height. I'm asking a lot, I know, but it's worth the question.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Rhonda
Richmond, VA


========================
Basic human psychology is one of my subroutines.



My local fairgrounds used callendulas for areas where grass could not
stand the foot traffic. Mowed and stomped, it didn't bloom, but
stayed green.

Have tried once Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) and it gave a very staisfying result. The plant has fine texture, and can withstand light traffic. The ground cover is hardy to about 0 degrees F.

Natty Dread wrote:
Much thanks to everyone who responded. White clover might be just what I
need, based on the article Travis posted.

Rhonda

Here's a blog that talks about their experience with replacing turf
grass with white clover in . . . Richmond!

http://www.procurate.com/

On Wed, 16 Nov 2005 21:48:17 GMT, "Natty Dread"
wrote:

Greetings from Richmond, Virginia, in USDA Zone 7. I bought a new house in
February of this year and have had no success at growing a lawn so I'm
looking for other options. I don't care that much about having a perfectly
manicured lawn, I just want something that looks green from the street and
the house. The yard in question has heavy brown clay soil, gets full sun
all day, provides recreational space for two good-sized dogs, and is
bordered by two large pin oaks. Due to the size of the yard and the fact
that the contractor who built my house last year basically dumped a bunch of
crap dirt on the lot during construction, amending the soil to support a
lawn would be too expensive and time-consuming to be practical at this
point. (And needless to say, sodding is out of the question.) Can anyone
give me a recommendation for a dog-friendly ground cover that would grow
green under those conditions? I'd prefer something that grows no more than
6" in height. I'm asking a lot, I know, but it's worth the question.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Rhonda
Richmond, VA

Yo, Rhonda -

You've received some excellent suggestions, all aimed at giving you
the desired "dog-friendly ground cover" on inhospitable terrain.

Here's a heretical suggestion, coming from So.Calif. which is
basically a desert. (Wouldn't be nuthin' here if water hadn't
been brought in from elsewhere; see "Chinatown").

People are now starting to consider xeriscapic (sp?) gardening, ,
which uses much le$$ water. City Hall pushes the idea with
illustrative garden plots.

There's a place in my neighborhood that uses as ground
cover the larger size mini-bark, and intersperses it with
appropriate plantings. Looks austere, but attractive.

I realize you have plenty of water in Virginia, so this is
just a thought; consider a bark-type ground cover that serves your
immediate purpose, but at the same time, start modifying
the soil underneath (sorry about the contractor's misdeed!). It will
indeed take several years, but a journey of a thousand miles starts
with a single step (old Indian saying). If you keep modifying the
soil, eventually you will be able to plant whatever you want.

Good Luck!

Persephone