How to keep weeds out of the garden? Soil, Grow, Enjoy

The need to mow the lawn becomes more frequent as the summer season approaches. It seems like the grass begins to grow as soon as it’s mowed! How can I keep weeds out of my garden?

I’m sure we’ve all experienced this frustration, and if you’re like me, helplessness. It’s almost like a psychological war of “who will win this time?”.

So how to keep weeds out?

I’m sure many gardeners out there face similar issues. Using pesticides is not an ideal solution for me as my backyard is shared with my beloved dogs.

So, I did a little research on Google.
I came across some suggestions that appear to work for a while, but I ended up using the same amount of time and effort as I originally had.

Wanting to find the ultimate solution, I kept researching.

Alternative Ground Covers to Lawn

I then came across the idea of growing a plant that overgrows the weeds – a Ground Cover Plant. There are two plants that fit into this criterion: Yarrow (Achillea Millefolium) and Silver Carpet (Dymondia Margaretae).

Yarrow is toxic to pets as it can cause vomiting or diarrhea and it can also grow up to 23.6 – 47 inches (60-120 cm ) tall!

So, for pet owners this will be a no-go.

Given I have two dogs of my own, and I want a low ground cover, Yarrow was scrapped as an option. I became really keen on Silver Carpet.

Grow Silver Carpet as Ground Cover

The Silver Carpet can be planted as a substitute to lawn.
Check out my other article about “5 Scented Lawn Substitutes“.

It keeps weeds out of the garden as it slowly spreads horizontally 6 – 20 inches (40 cm – 50 cm) and vertically only grows 1 -3 inches (2 – 7 cm).

It is also tolerant to light foot traffic.

It’s an evergreen perennial with a silver-green color and leaves with curled edges and a white underside.

From a distance, it conjures images of a silver-green and white carpet! Full-sun and well-drained soil are key for the Silver Carpet to thrive.

It is also drought-tolerant and would grow well in a rock garden. A proper irrigation system can help it to grow faster as well.

I purchased mine from a local nursery and planted it in a spot with full-sun exposure. It still looks like a small patch, but I’m sure it will spread out.

If you want it to spread faster, you will need to get several pots and plant them around 16 -20 inches (40 – 50 cm) apart.

Check out my other article about “Different Ways to Control Weeds“, one of 11 Horticulture articles.