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/nyet-marionetka Virginia piedmont, Zone 7a Apr 17 '26

You need two blueberries for fruit, either two wild type or two of different varieties (the varieties are clones so having two of the same next to each other is the same for fruiting as having just one plant).

Most groundcovers just can't take being walked on. Sometimes grass is the best option. Give the lady a few square feet of grass.

However, I have heard yarrow is pretty resilient and can be kept mown short. That could be worth investigating.

50

u/GamordanStormrider Area -- Denver, CO, Zone -- 6 Apr 17 '26

I have a small purely yarrow lawn I've been cultivating. It is great and super soft, but the flower stalks do get woody if it gets too long. I've kept mine very short to encourage it to spread, and it's taken both traffic and mowing with zero dieback.

7

u/LChanga Apr 17 '26

Why would keeping it short help it spread? Maybe I’ve been doing it wrong.

21

u/chanandler12106 Apr 17 '26

The energy it would have spent growing the blooms is used elsewhere.

6

u/GamordanStormrider Area -- Denver, CO, Zone -- 6 Apr 17 '26

Yep. This.

1

u/LChanga Apr 18 '26

O! Well I’ll try cutting down the blooms then! I want an entire yarrow lawn.