Note: If you haven’t read part one of my grass-free lawn journey, go here first.
I’d be willing to bet my flowering frog fruit that anyone reading this blog would welcome a grass-alternative lawn! For those of us with septic systems especially, a front yard food forest is not an option—at least not any area located within ten to twenty feet of the drain field. But creating a no-mow lawn with pollinator plants, a dreamy wildflower meadow, or—in my case—a dye garden, is a very achievable objective.
It was something I had long hoped for but had shoved to the back burner as I focused on developing the food forest. Then, as fate would have it, I was forced to reprioritize. When our septic system needed to be replaced and we found ourselves with a sandy blank slate in the front lawn, I initially decided on a mix of what I consider to be the three main ground cover contenders in our Florida 9a growing zone: Perennial Peanut Eco-turf, Frog Fruit, and Sunshine Mimosa.
My thought was that it would create an eye-pleasingly diverse low-maintenance lawn and if one failed for some reason, I could simply replace it with the best-growing of the three. I was a bit concerned with winter dormancy and how this would look, but prepared to put in a bit of extra work until the lawn was established.
A Happy Accident
After planting an outer edge of Perennial Peanut on one side and Sunshine Mimosa on the other, and then filling in the middle sandy area with frog fruit cuttings, I was surprised to find that the sandy “blank slate” was not as blank as I would have hoped. The soil had been heavily disturbed, left for days as the workers found equipment large enough to handle the massive stump left behind from the decades-old Water Oak we’d had to remove (again, who plants a tree, much less a tree that large in a septic drain field??) and then turned and spread out over the surface of the front lawn. Naively, I didn’t expect to have to weed much once I got the ground covers planted. I was blown away at how much managed to return, whether from seed or root, and in no time I was tackling the new planting area daily to manage the unwanted grass and weeds that somehow returned and persisted.
I kept up with the new experimental planting area like a trooper, but the other half of the lawn that had not yet been planted began to fill in with grass and weeds again. I covered part of it with tarps and bricks and even that area managed to grow pale, anemic-looking grass. (Which would likely not have happened had I actually been trying to regrow a grass lawn. Sigh.)
In that neglected area, however, I noticed that one of the “weeds” had an appealing look. It was a lush green, low-growing, and had cute little white flowers on it. I already believed that one woman’s weed was another’s treasure, so I identified the little cutey and discovered that it was Flat-top Mille Graines. It was also very much already adapted to my front lawn. While considered an annual, I suspect it will be perennial in my yard, or may go slightly dormant in the winter.
This could be either one of the smartest or one of the stupidest gardening decisions I’ve ever made—however, if it turns out to be a bad decision, the sprawling plants should be easy to remove by hand. So, for now at least, I’ll let it do its thing and see what I think. Stay tuned! I’ll report back with results in future posts on lawn alternatives. As the grass-alternative plants are currently difficult to source, I have nothing to lose!
More Grass Alternatives For Florida
Flat-top Mille Graines (Oldenlandia corymbosa)
Flat-top Mille Graines (aka Diamond Flower or Wild Chayroot) is an annual creeping herb that is both humidity and drought tolerant, and spreads quickly in our sandy Florida soil. It will grow in full sun to partial shade.
And — get this — edible cooked (rich in vitamin C) and used to make green dye! It is also a medicinal plant used to treat urinary tract infections, fever, eczema, psoriasis, and diarrhea. It is anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and wound healing.
Growing zones: 9-11
Propagation: Seeds or Stem Cuttings
Best Laid Plans
I might have planted a larger area of perennial peanut initially if I had been able to acquire enough plants, but local nurseries seemed to sell out as fast as they restocked their grass-alternative ground covers. I pounced on them whenever I did find them and knew I’d have to propagate the rest. This project was never going to be a quick fix.
To my great relief and delight, all of these ground covers have spread rapidly. Within a month, they had doubled in size. This was enough to lightly cover the ground, but not yet suppress weeds. So I diligently attacked the weeds early every morning. Ideally, this project would have started in late (Florida) winter, but the big septic surprise didn’t happen until February and wasn’t completed until late March due to an overabundance of new home construction and backlogged permitting in our county.
Additional Grass Alternatives For Florida
Sissoo / Brazilian Spinach (Alternanthera sissoo)
This is one of my favorite ground covers for the food forest, but if you plant it over your septic system, you will not be able to eat it. Still, it is beautiful, lush, and low maintenance. You can multiply it easily with cuttings and it will crowd out potential weed growth. It is hardy in heat and will even grow in shade. What’s not to love??
Growing zones: 9-12
Propagation: Cuttings
Asiatic Jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum)
Asiatic jasmine is an evergreen vining plant that is frequently used in Florida landscapes for its hardiness and drought tolerance. It’s a low maintenance ground cover that is ideal for gardeners who appreciate beauty with minimal work. I am testing just one plant next to the lamp post in the front yard at this point because it is supposed to spread quickly. I am hoping I can train it up the post.
Growing zones: 8-11
Propagation: Seed, Division, or Cuttings
Stay Tuned
I will add updates as the front yard experiment develops, so check back if you’re interested in this project. Grass-alternative lawns appear to be gaining growing interest if supplies of these plants are any indication. I plan on offering cuttings and starts of the most successful options in an online shop someday soon. So, stay tuned my fellow plant-lovers!
Note About Propagation
To use any of these plants as a grass alternative, it is often cheaper and easier to buy a few plants and divide them or take cuttings.
Take cuttings with a sharp sanitized blade and remove the flowers and all but the top few leaves from the stem so all of its energy and stored carbohydrates will be used for root formation. Put the cuttings in a jar of water and place them in bright, indirect light, changing the water often.
Plants with more than one rooted crown may be divided. If the stems are not joined, gently pull the plants apart. If the crowns are joined at the stems, cut them apart with a sharp knife.
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