A lawn is the only part of a yard that most people mow every week, water all summer and feed every spring. You don't have to remove it all to change that. Keep grass where people play and sit, and replace the rest with something that suits the spot: clover in the sun, sedge in the shade, a meadow at the back, gravel where nothing grows. Here's how the options compare.
The options at a glance
Prices are US estimates from the cost library behind LandscapeGPT's List & costs, for a 10 x 10 ft area unless noted.
| Option | Foot traffic | Sun or shade | DIY | Installed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grass sod (for comparison) | heavy | sun to part shade | $110-220 | $300-600 |
| Clover lawn (seeded) | moderate | sun to part shade | $35-80 | $180-350 |
| No-mow meadow (seeded) | light | sun | $45-100 | $200-400 |
| Creeping thyme (planted) | light | sun | $600-1,000 | $950-1,600 |
| Pea gravel (8 x 8 ft) | heavy | any | $100-220 | $220-480 |
| Artificial turf | heavy | any | $350-650 | $900-1,700 |
Groundcovers grown from pots, like creeping thyme, cost more at the start because you're buying plants rather than seed; a 2-foot patch needs about four small pots.
Clover
White clover, or the smaller-leaved microclover, either on its own or mixed into existing grass, is the easiest swap. It stays green when grass browns in a dry spell, needs mowing far less often and never needs fertilizer, because it fixes its own nitrogen. Two things to know: the flowers bring bees, so mow before it blooms where children play barefoot, and it is classed as a weed in parts of Australia, so check locally.
No-mow grasses and meadow
Fine fescue mixes, sold as "no-mow" lawns in cool climates, grow slowly to a soft, floppy turf that needs mowing only once or twice a year. In the hot, dry Plains and Southwest, native grasses like blue grama and buffalo grass do the same job with very little water.
Go a step further and let part of the lawn become a meadow of native grasses and wildflowers. The trick that makes it look intended rather than neglected is a crisp, regularly mown edge and a mown path through the middle.
Groundcovers for sun
- Creeping thyme: fragrant, flowers in early summer, handles light foot traffic and drought.
- Moss phlox and creeping phlox: sheets of spring flowers on banks and slopes where mowing is awkward; not for walking on.
- Irish moss: a dense green cushion between stepping stones.
Groundcovers for shade
Grass thins out under trees, and no amount of reseeding will fix it. Use Pennsylvania sedge, a fine, low native sedge that looks like a soft lawn and can be mown or left alone, or sweet woodruff where it can spread freely. Our shade garden guide has more.
Groundcovers to avoid
Some of the fastest groundcovers are invasive in parts of North America and escape into woodland: creeping Jenny, periwinkle, English ivy and, in some areas, ajuga. Check your state's invasive list before planting them.
Gravel, mulch and artificial turf
For a sitting area or a path, gravel is the cheapest hard surface and drains freely; edge it in steel or brick so it stays put. Bark mulch suits planted areas rather than places you walk.
Artificial turf stays green with no water, but it costs the most, gets hot in full sun, gives nothing to wildlife and needs replacing after roughly 10-15 years. It makes the most sense in small, heavily used spaces such as a dog run.
How to replace grass
- Sheet mulch (easiest): mow short, lay cardboard with overlapping edges, cover with 3-4 inches of compost or mulch, and plant through it after a few months.
- Remove the sod (fastest): a rented sod cutter lifts it in strips. Good when you want to plant straight away.
- Solarize (hot climates): cover moist, mown grass with clear plastic through the hottest weeks of summer.
Seed clover and meadow mixes in spring or early autumn, when the soil is warm and rain is reliable.
See the change before you dig
In LandscapeGPT, upload a photo of your lawn, choose the Lawn area space and ask for what you want in "Add or change", such as "replace the grass with clover and a gravel sitting area". On the design board you can drag lawn pieces (clover, no-mow meadow, artificial turf) onto your photo, and List & costs prices them for your area.