Thursday, March 17, 2011

Mid-century landscaping: groundcover

Suggested groundcover for a mid-century home covers a broad range of plantings and materials. While my front yard is covered with a thick carpet of St. Augustine grass that's probably been here for decades, it's not uncommon to see mid-century homes with no grass at all.

Moss and other groundcover plants, river rocks, beach pebbles, pea gravel, decomposed granite and colored mulch are all common elements of MCM landscaping. Also, hardscaping can take up much of a mid-century yard. Here are some suggestions made by landscapers:

irish moss
Irish moss
eichlerhomesforsale.com
Landscaping with Irish moss and stone
goshenenterprises.com
Baby Tear
triosnursery.com
Hens and chicks, Irish moss and Baby Tears
cozmd.wordpress.com
frontpatio-right-hdr.jpg
Landscaping with a low groundcover
ranchostyle.com
mondo grass
Black mondo grass and pea gravel
eichlerhomesforsale.com
Concrete and dwarf mondo grass
whiteoakwaynursery.com
mexican pebbles
Mexican pebbles
eichlerhomesforsale.com
Rock garden using boulders, Mexican pebbles, pea gravel and Irish moss
mymexicanbeachpebbles.com
River rock garden
thegraffik.co.cc
red mulch
Red mulch
eichlerhomesforsale.com
Landscaping with mulch
russellecon.com
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7 comments:

  1. 1950s Atomic Ranch HouseMarch 17, 2011 at 6:51 AM

    I tried and tried to get Irish moss to grow in my yard, but it never would. Sigh.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dana@Mid2ModMarch 17, 2011 at 8:15 AM

    @1950sarh: I find it interesting...and frustrating...that soil types and conditions can vary so much, even within a city. In some parts of Fort Worth, the soil is red clay. In others, it's sandy. Still other parts have a rich, dark soil called "gumbo" or thin soil that's full of limestone rock. You'd think, if a plant is recommended for your area, that it would do well in any yard, but I guess part of gardening will always be trial and error.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMarch 17, 2011 at 9:14 AM

    Growing up my parents always used mulch.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Rhan VintageMarch 17, 2011 at 10:06 AM

    I love these landscaping posts you're doing. It's so helpful because our yard (front and back) needs work and I'm at a loss of what to do. Thanks! You've inspired me.

    ReplyDelete
  5. BarbaraMarch 17, 2011 at 10:43 AM

    I'm hoping to rock in my planter beds this summer. I love black mondo grass, but it's soooo expensive!

    ReplyDelete
  6. monogirlMarch 17, 2011 at 11:01 AM

    Love this post. I'm allergic to most grasses so I really admire landscaping without it. The yard of my dream home would have lots of rocks, mulch and leafy ground cover.

    ReplyDelete
  7. adrianeMarch 18, 2011 at 6:25 PM

    Thank you so much for such a helpful post! I'm taking notes. :)

    ReplyDelete