Our side yard is inaccessible with a mower (you’d have to carry it up stairs, across a deck, and down stairs, I’m standing on a deck in that photo) so we’ve just let it die. I’d love to plant some ground cover because the kids play in this area. The grass here was two thirds consumed by moss, it gets very mossy in the winter. This yard is very shady in spring/summer/fall and only sunny in the winter when the leaves are off the trees above.
Any ideas on how to proceed? Pacific Northwest, zone 8.
by muggyregret
7 Comments
I’m on the West Coast in BC. There are some great natives in our general region that do well in shade. When it comes to ground cover, be sure to check if it will draw bees as bare feet could be an issue. There are also loads of natives that make good ground covers. Do a search for native gardens in your area and see what you like.
Ferns would be nice lined up along the right side by the house. Hostas, though not native to this region, will also work well along the borders.
Love a moss yard
Go full play area for the kids. Fill it all in with playground mulch. Not regular mulch, the actual playground wood chips.
I’m about to do the same for a part of my yard with no sun and no grass.
It looks fine? Moss is fine.
If it were mine and I had two kids that age…
Raised beds along the fence to teach the kids about raising vegetables and flowers. Hack some PVC into a makeshift irrigation system that doubles as a sprinkler for the kids when it is hot. Put a little playhouse or picnic table for the kids at the far end. The cover the rest in woodchips to keep down the weeds and mud.
A few well picked plants, like lavender and marigold will help ward off bugs too. Maybe plant those along the house. The moss might overtake the woodchips. You decide whether that is okay or not. Finding a living groundcover that tolerates both shade and foot traffic will be difficult.
For a shady, moss-prone area like this, skip turf and go with low-maintenance groundcovers that thrive in shade options like sweet woodruff, pachysandra, or ajuga will handle the conditions and give greenery without mowing. Adding a simple stone path or mulch walkway would also make it more accessible and break up the space for the kids. I mocked up a few design ideas in Neighborbrite so you can see how it could look take a peek and see what feels right for your yard [https://app.neighborbrite.com/s/bMmnvqSW0kX](https://app.neighborbrite.com/s/bMmnvqSW0kX)
OP, you might love these sample native landscape plans, they’re provided by King County https://green2.kingcounty.gov/gonative/plan.aspx they have part-shade and shady ones for dry, moist, and wet. Check out the lower-growing items in each list. Just don’t grow snowberry as it’s toxic and looks edible to young kids. Bleeding heart is beautiful and could make some great childhood memories like mine.