@Mckinley
I’d steer clear of rocks and go for a mulch or raised garden bed with flowers. Rocks might seem nice initially, but weeds will start growing through and you might end up breaking a window trying to remove them.
Edit: Rocks also heat up the ground, which can kill off grass around the edges.
@Mckinley
Given the area, I’d go with river rock and stepping stone pavers. It’s a different case with an area this size, while I used mulch at my parents’ because it was cheaper to add mulch instead of getting rocks delivered. Others may have thoughts, but at this point, you primarily want something to cover the ground for drainage and prevent erosion.
Reese said:
I had the same problem. I bought some ez seed patch seeders and some topsoil to fill in the gaps. I used the shade-tolerant ez seed and just spread it by hand. It looks fantastic now.
Unfortunately, it won’t last. It’ll fade away to dirt by this time next year.
@Page
Say it ain’t so.
I would recommend a nice mulch bed with some shrubs and flowers. It’ll create a better look between the house and the lawn, and make things easier for you, so you’re not struggling to grow grass.
It looks like rain could be the issue. Do you have gutters? Are they overflowing?
Emlyn said:
It looks like rain could be the issue. Do you have gutters? Are they overflowing?
Came here to say the same thing. It’s drip damage.
Emlyn said:
It looks like rain could be the issue. Do you have gutters? Are they overflowing?
Yes, I have gutters now. This picture is a month or two old, and there’s still no grass growth.
I suggest a flower bed with hostas. Hostas do great in shady spots and require little care.
Following this thread. I’m having a similar problem with my fescue lawn near my house due to the house and the trees.
Darian said:
Following this thread. I’m having a similar problem with my fescue lawn near my house due to the house and the trees.
I filled in gaps with topsoil to level the area and spread some shade-tolerant ez seed. Looks great just a few weeks later.
You should landscape that area. Maybe a flower bed or something like that.
I have spots in my yard that don’t get any sunlight. I’ve tried many things, but in the end… it will thin out and die, no matter how good it looks initially.
Go for a flower bed. A paver or brick border walk around the patio could look great.
Zuri said:
Go for a flower bed. A paver or brick border walk around the patio could look great.
You might find free or cheap patio pavers on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. We got 200 wall stones for free when someone added on to their house. It took a lot of trips in my Hyundai Elantra, but it was worth it!
I’d go with hostas and ferns and cover them with wood chip mulch.
Skip the weed barrier; it works well for a year and then becomes a pain.
Creeping red does well in shady spots.
Could your gutters be causing issues and rain pouring over their edge killing off the grass?
Hayes said:
Could your gutters be causing issues and rain pouring over their edge killing off the grass?
This is an older picture I shared as an example. I do have gutters installed now, but there’s still no grass growth.
