Careers
Get a Free Quote
Search
grassperson-favicon
Menu
Careers
Get a Free Quote

5 Landscaping Ideas for Areas Where Grass Won't Grow

Jack Moore
Nov 6, 2023 9:25:45 AM

Are you struggling to grow grass in certain areas of your lawn? There can be various reasons for this and oftentimes it’s fixable.

For instance, if your lawn is struggling with nutrients because of poor soil health, a lawn care program with fertilization can help remedy the problem. 

But not all problems are easily fixed. For instance, growing grass in the shade can be difficult. The article that we’ve linked to has some good tips, like pruning your trees and choosing shade-tolerant grass types, but if you have heavy tree cover, you might still be having problems.

If there are areas of your lawn where you can’t grow healthy grass because of shade or some other reason, you might be looking for landscaping ideas where grass won’t grow.

Here are 5 ideas of what to put where grass won’t grow:

#1: Create mulched areas
#2: Incorporate a shade garden
#3: Add rock enhancements
#4: Add a water feature
#5: Incorporate a sculpture

Hopefully, with these landscaping ideas where grass won’t grow, you’ll be less frustrated by your property and find more ways to enjoy it.

#1: Create Mulched Areas

Mulch can be a nice addition in areas where grass is struggling to grow. For instance, if your grass is struggling beneath some trees, we can create large mulch rings around the tree using decorative stone or mulch. 

Mulch rings look attractive and also solve your issue of dealing with thin or bare spots immediately under your trees. 

landscape with rock river and mulch

Mulch rings also happen to make mowing around a tree easier. It can be really difficult to mow around a tree and people frequently end up bumping into the tree trunk, which can lead to damage and your tree’s decline. But extended mulch rings make mowing so much easier. 

While mulch right in the middle of your lawn might look odd (if it’s not around a tree), if you have border areas of the property that are struggling with healthy grass, these areas can also be mulched.

#2: Incorporate a Shade Garden

Lawns require quite a bit of sunlight to perform their best. Even shade-tolerant grass types still need some sun to be able to grow thick and healthy. 

However, some shade-loving plants tend to be more tolerant of a lack of sunlight than grass. These would make great additions to your mulched areas if you’d still like to have some greenery. 

You could install shade-loving plants directly in the ground or even consider creating some container gardens with shade plants to brighten up these areas.

bushes in shade under tree

As far as what to plant where grass won't grow, Begonias, Texas Mountain Laurel, Nandina, and many other plants don’t need a lot of sunlight to perform well. You can still have beautiful landscaping even if the grass is struggling.

Of course, if it’s struggling due to an issue with drainage or soil health, you might still have trouble with plants in the ground. Often, these problems can be remedied. Or, you could consider a container garden where plants are growing in a pot.

flowers in container and on ground

Keep in mind that you can make a big impact with your container based on the vessel that you choose. Whether it’s a gorgeous urn or some type of basket or bucket, the container itself can play a big role in the overall presentation of your container garden.

The great thing about container gardens is that they can also be easily switched out or changed up. As the season changes, you can install new flowers to ensure that you always have something colorful.

#3: Add Rock Enhancements

We also love using decorative stone in areas where grass is a struggle. The great thing about stone is that it looks great with absolutely no upkeep or maintenance. 

This is appealing to homeowners who are looking for a low-maintenance landscape. After all, as much as we love lawns, we know they’re a lot of work. So, you can minimize some of that work by having areas comprised of decorative stone.

decorative rock and plantings

In fact, some homeowners are even creating “rock gardens” instead of plant beds with flowers. Rock gardens can fill space in an aesthetically appealing way that doesn’t come with watering or other care requirements. 

A rock garden is any garden that uses rocks as a primary element. Sometimes a rock garden is part of a garden…meaning that you might have some areas with traditional plant beds that include mulch but this might spill into other areas with just rock. Rocks, stones, and gravel can all be elements of a rock garden.

There are other ways to use rocks as a focal point such as having a large urn tipped over with rock spilling out. Rocks can also be stacked in a unique way to create a simple sculpture or yard feature. 

We often work with homeowners who have a lot of their own ideas. We love combining homeowners’ ideas with our experience and expertise to create unique property designs that enhance both curb appeal and enjoyment.

#4: Add a Water Feature

When it comes to what to put where grass won't grow, water features make a great addition. There are a lot of benefits that come along with adding a water feature to your North Texas property.

backyard water feature with plantings and stone

Decorative water features not only add aesthetic appeal but they also provide a sense of blissful relaxation. People find the sound of running water soothing and relaxing. If you live in a busy community or near a road where there are frequent other noises, a backyard water feature can also help drown out those sounds and transport you to a place of relaxation.

There are a lot of backyard water feature ideas, depending on what you’re looking for. For example, an overflowing urn, a stacked stone fountain, or a spilling bowl are smaller options if you don’t have an expansive yard or you’re just looking for something on the smaller side.

#5: Incorporate a Sculpture

Of course, maybe you want to add some sort of sculpture but you don’t want it to be a water feature. Many homeowners have sculptures that have been in their family or maybe were a find at an antique store or a shopping trip. 

You could certainly create a mulched or stone area and then add a sculpture for some interest. 

Rippled Urn water feature with plantings and stone

Maybe you even want some simple landscaping around the sculpture.

The point is, that there are definitely many ways to dress up these areas, even without grass. You can make your property interesting and enjoyable even without growing grass on every single inch.

Landscaping Services near Flower Mound, Texas

These are just a few landscaping ideas where grass won't grow. We know that every property is unique and therefore requires a unique and customized solution. 

For the best landscaping in North Texas, you’ll need a skilled landscaping service.

This means working with a landscaper who will listen to your “wants and needs” while also using their expertise to make suggestions. You want to make sure that you’re not just choosing the type of landscaper who follows a list of orders or is just “checking a box.” Rather, you want a company that thinks outside of the box!

When landscaping companies take a fresh approach to each property, you truly end up with something unique. 

Ready to have a truly impressive Northern Texas landscape? Get in touch with us so we can talk about some enhancements that might work best for your unique property.

Get a Free Quote

Ultimate Guide to a lawn & Landscape Renovation

You May Also Like

These Stories on Lawn Care

Subscribe by Email