TIMOTHY DALY: Groundcovers are an alternative to lawns

Do you have areas of your lawn where growing grass is difficult? Sites that are shady, on slopes, and other similar places can be challenging to grow grass. Or perhaps you want to reduce the size of the lawn to minimize its maintenance. Groundcovers are an excellent alternative. Once established, they are easy to maintain.

Groundcovers are low growing ornamental plants that spread out across the ground covering it. Many types thrive in the home landscape. For sunny sites, choose ones such as daylilies, cotoneaster, sedums, or junipers. Mondograss and Japanese pachysandra thrive in part shade to shady sites. Others can tolerate both sun and shade such as liriope, Asiatic and Confederate jasmines, and Japanese plum yew.