# Low maintenance ground cover? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 25, 2014, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-maintenance-ground-cover/689251 "2014-05-25T23:58:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2014, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-maintenance-ground-cover/689251/1 "2014-05-25T23:58:48Z")
My son bought a lot to build on. Abhors yard work, and the outside in general (he defines it as “somewhere you have to go in order to be inside somewhere else”) Have been googling around for ideas for him, found a few, but any dopers with any practical experience or knowledge in this area? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-maintenance-ground-cover/689251/2 "2014-05-26T00:32:45Z")
It would help to know where he is located… But [Lippia](http://www.anniesannuals.com/plt_lst/lists/general/lst.gen.asp?prodid=3999) is pretty hardy. ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-maintenance-ground-cover/689251/3 "2014-05-26T00:59:21Z")
Northwest Arkansas ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-maintenance-ground-cover/689251/4 "2014-05-26T01:37:00Z")
Instead of mulch, my wife and I bought this stuff that looks like fake tanbark but is actually recycled tires. So far it looks great and is an excellent way to keep weeds from coming in or water from evaporating out. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-maintenance-ground-cover/689251/5 "2014-05-26T02:08:29Z")
We are wondering much the same thing, except a) we are in Chicago, and b) we don’t have much sun in the front yard. I want to do plants, preferably at least some of them flowering, and prefer perennials, and some variety. Any tips? Moss, ferns, funky foresty things, wildflowers would be nice, but I don’t know what would grow happily there, and preferably would fill in relatively quickly. We have grass now, but it looks crappy and patchy. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-maintenance-ground-cover/689251/6 "2014-05-26T02:14:56Z")
[Pachysandra](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachysandra) Doesn’t climb like ivy. ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-maintenance-ground-cover/689251/7 "2014-05-28T01:03:42Z")
Pachysandra looks like a winner. Thanks all. ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-maintenance-ground-cover/689251/8 "2014-05-28T05:03:12Z")
Phlox is good if you want a flowering cover.