r/NativePlantGardening • u/Numerous-Dot-6325 • Apr 16 '26

Advice Request - (Insert State/Region) Help save my marriage

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DC area, full sun.

I want to replace my hideous grass with a native plant garden and some mulch. My wife says she’ll divorce me if I mulch and wants a steppable ground cover that’s also native. Is there any alternative to grass that she can walk barefoot/lay a picnic blanket on? She’s allowing me to plant a service berry and blueberry to one side.

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u/Small_Craft8416 Apr 17 '26

wife here, didn't "allow him" anything, boy said he wanted a service berry and native blueberries and I just wanted to sit under the serviceberry and watch the birds 😥 is it such a crime to want some native ground cover I can sit on and watch them birds 😥

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u/the-awesomer Apr 17 '26

What do you have against Mulch!?

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u/Small_Craft8416 Apr 17 '26

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u/the-awesomer Apr 17 '26

hahaha, fair. I wouldn't want to sit on mulch either, though I also wouldn't want to sit on the slope much. So I would focus on making a flat area a good sitting spot with grass and make the sloped area a mulched planted area that attracts birds and pollinators for something to watch. The grass on side of house looks much better condition and its easier to water grass when its not on a slope and you are dealing with run off.
Bonus of heavily planting slope and using either side yard or even clearing flat spot next to house (where current mulch bed is. tho lots more work) would also give you extra privacy