Lawn grass alternatives have it made in the shade

By By Steve Strong / area horticulture extension agent
April 14, 2004
Home lawns are a source of recreation and a symbol of pride for generations of American gardeners and even a method of therapy for folks who really like to mow grass.
Over the years, however, many home landscapes have expanded to include other types of plant material, such as large trees and flowering shrubs.
Large woody plants produce more and more shade over time, especially deciduous hardwoods like oaks, or large evergreen shrubs like George Tabor azaleas and Professor Sergeant camellias.
Spots where turf grass used to grow with vigor lose the direct sun exposure they once basked in, and shade-loving weed species and ferny mosses slowly creep into places where grasses can no longer survive.
A homeowner that has boasted the yard-of-the-month St. Augustine lawn for 30 years may have to eventually deal with the fact that it comes down to one or the other. To keep the turf, you've got to cut the trees. Nobody wants to do that, so the best alternative probably lies in adapting the home landscape plan as plants mature, and converting areas with abundant shade into something besides grass.
Shade gardens
Shade gardens can be as much a source of solace as that 4-acre field of Bermuda turf that needs clipping two dozen times during the growing season.
The overall goal should be to develop areas that reduce the amount of maintenance required so you can enjoy doing other things besides yard work. But, if you work it right, shade beds can become as much of a chore as cutting grass.
Some favorite companion plants for shade could be annual flowers like wax begonia, impatiens and torenia (wishbone flower), or bold foliages such as coleus and caladiums. Johnny-jump-up violas do well for cool season planting, and other annuals like blackeyed-susan vine and the reseeding cypress vine can offer trailing blooms for summer shade.
Hosta is the most popular shade perennial, and is available in hundreds of different varieties with colors ranging from day-glow yellow to milky-blue. Native perennials also deserve a favored garden spot, so dont forget cardinal flower, woodland phlox, columbine, bluestar amsonia, and even the invasive Northern sea oats.
More favorites
Cast iron plants are among the toughest foliage plants for deep shade, along with Lenten rose, and Solomon's Seal. Ferns, like hostas, range in countless forms and colors, and like many other shade perennials have specific preferences for wet versus dry planting sites. Gingers, calla lilies, and many other bulbs also thrive in shade gardens, but be wary of plants that may grow more than you want them to.
English ivy and bamboo are a couple that come to mind, along with the spreading form of monkey grass (Liriope spicata).
Be sure to check with the folks at your local garden center before purchasing plants that may be more than you can handle, or that may not be suitable for the site you have chosen.
Check with the county Extension Service at 482-9764 for more information on shade plants for southern gardens, or visit the online at www.msucares.com.
Plenty of free publications are available on correct transplanting and mulching methods, in addition to recommended plant lists and cultural practices. Two tips never cover an existing tree's root system with more than a few inches of topsoil, and be careful where you dig.