Grass alternative for shady back garden?

unkel

Back garden is south facing but since we had a large shed built, the tiny bit of grass that we have left gets very little sun in winter now and it has turned to muck. Doesn't help we have a large dog, sometimes 2 (bitches) who despite being walked twice a day, do their business in the garden too

Any solutions? I don't mind maintenance, I don't mind spending a bit of money but I like the look of a bit of green left. And I really don't like the idea of fake grass and I believe that doesn't work well with dogs either

looksee

Check out dwarf clover for shade. I was researching clover recently to use as a grass substitute, there are lots of variations.

unkel

Cheers, I like the idea of clover or what's usually suggested as a grass replacement: moss. Not sure how to go about buying plants or seeds and getting on with it, or would I be better off getting a landscaper to do it? The area is about 20m2

daheff

Why not fake grass? New stuff is very good and like real. Dogs are alright with it

Baybay

We replaced our back lawn with clover a couple of years ago. We don’t have dogs so can’t comment on how they’d get on with it. The bees love it though! We’ve cut it twice so far but weed it regularly. I’m told it will block them over time anyway. We used ordinary farm grade clover. I’ve tried to grow red clover form seed to mix through it but it hasn’t taken so far.

looksee

This crowd https://www.fruithillfarm.com/ sells short clover for grass substitute. I got some but haven't sowed it yet.

standardg60

It doesn't matter what you try to grow it will end up the same way regardless.

Fake grass is really your best option, from my experience dogs don't treat it any differently to the real stuff.

unkel

Herself suggested fake grass. I don't like the idea of it and the look of it (and yes I have seen the state of the art stuff), same as I don't like fake christmas trees. Not even the best, most expensive of them. I have read that indeed it makes no difference to dogs, but you will have to water after them to prevent it from smelling and discolouring over time

standardg60

Listen to the wife OP, cleaning up and watering afterwards is your job!

hamburgham

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118457504#Comment_118457504

I think fake grass should be banned, horrific stuff. It smothers the earth. I honestly don’t know how anyone can put it down. Apart from the environmental downsides, something incredibly naff about it.

looksee

It has a place, if you have a small muddy garden and small kids who need somewhere to play its a reasonable alternative to paving it, though I agree I don't like fake foliage generally. Its probably better at letting rain water soak away than a complete hard surface.

BorneTobyWilde

Decorative stone could be the way to go, make a feature of it .

New Home

How about sedum or even moss?

Mecanudo

These are ground mats - which allow grass to grow but stops it turning to mud. After a couple of months- you won't see the mat at all.

unkel

Thought of those Mecanudo. They seem a great idea to use on grass that gets walked on quite a lot, even during times it is not so suitable

Problem with my grass though is that it now gets little to no sun anymore, so it will not really grow well at all. I think natural grass is not going to cut it for me.

Mecanudo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118508080#Comment_118508080

Maybe look at the variety of grass. There are utility grass varieties which are used for high traffic areas and are a lot tougher. They may suit your conditions better.

hamburgham

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118508059#Comment_118508059

Where do you get them?

Mecanudo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118509677#Comment_118509677

They're available in hardware shops and agri-co ops afaik. You can also buy them online, but I'd reckon the postage costs could be a bit prohibitive.

hamburgham

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118509696#Comment_118509696

Thanks. I think they’re a great solution. Saw them in Wales but have never seen them here.

phelixoflaherty

For what its worth, a friend recommended a small dart of ketchup in with dogs food to neutralise the urine.

Could be nuts.

Could you grow ferns there

ttnov77

How about few small trees or shrubs and wildflowers for shade? Fake grass is horrible, its plastic, not recyclable and after few years you can bin it… better go with gravel.

loyatemu

we have 2 dogs and as well as killing the grass with their pee, they're ripping it up when they start running around - you can see the sods flying into the air. Not sure if there's any ground cover that could stand up to that. Tempted to put sand down like a greyhound track!

unkel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120254977#Comment_120254977

Your wife will kill you if you put sand down 😂

Update from the OP - grass looks pretty bad, but will assess when it starts growing again a bit more vigorously next month. Will probably buy a roll or two of grass and patch up. Even if I had to do every year, it's worth it.