Ground cover alternatives to give your backyard a shake-up

There's a lot to love about lawns. They can keep your house cool, and a big backyard is well cemented as part of the Great Australian Dream.

But some people might want more than just grass in their yard — and there are lots of options that look (and smell) great.

Melbourne-based horticulturalist Chloe Thomson says the first step is asking what you want from your ground cover.

"You also need to ask when you want it looking the best," Ms Thomson says.

"If you're wanting to host summer barbecues in your backyard, and you want to be playing cricket, or you want the kids to have soft green stuff under their feet, you want to have something that looks really good in the summertime as opposed to the wintertime."

We've rounded up a few alternatives, so you can tell your lawn to get turfed.

Spend winter preparing your new lawn

Depending on where you live, horticulturalist Carolyn Blackman says you might need to wait until the weather gets a little warmer to swap out your ground cover.

"You'll find the rate of growth is significantly better in spring, [otherwise] you're going to live for a little while with it being kind of bare dirt," she says.

Instead, use winter to prepare the soil.

"It's worth investing a bit of time into getting some organic matter forked through the area you're wanting to plant out, then just level it off as best as you can," Ms Blackman says.

Dichondra

Ms Thomson says most plant options are sold in small pots, which could set you back more than traditional turf, particularly when they'll need to be planted quite close together.

But you can also grow plants from runners.

"If you've got a mate whose got Dichondra, you can literally take a shovel-full, and go and stick it in your garden and it will take root," Ms Thomson says.

Often referred to as kidney weed, Ms Blackman says Dichondra is native to Australia and, depending on where you live, you should be able to find a form local to you.

"There's certainly lots around Melbourne, and that's a fantastic substitute," Ms Blackman says.

"It will take some light foot traffic."

In high-use areas, it's best planted around some pavers or stepping stones.

Viola hederacea

Want to add a field of colour to your backyard? Swapping your lawn out to grow a carpet of flowers is one option.

Ms Blackman says native flowers, like Viola hederacea, would suit gardens with dappled light.

"If you quite like the idea of having that slightly more textural and whimsical look, with a little flower, the native violet could do extremely well," she says.

Viola grows easily and is ideal for reducing soil erosion.

"You can establish it quite quickly by buying a pot of this stuff and just dividing it up," Ms Blackman says.

"As long as you keep the moisture up to it, you can get it to establish quite cost effectively as a lawn substitute."

Zoysia

This creeping grass can be found across much of Asia and Australia — it's disease-resistant and can also tolerate a trampling or two.

"It looks more like traditional grass," Ms Blackman says.

Zoysia earned a name for itself as a no-mow grass — left untouched, it looks architectural.

"The way it grows, it almost looks like a lunar landscape — it becomes like little mounds of green tufts of hair," Ms Thomson says.

Creeping herb garden

"Some of my favourite plants would be things like the creeping herbs, creeping thyme or even the creeping oregano or creeping camomile," says Ms Thomson.

They'll work best grown around or between paths or stepping stones.

"They're not going to be as hardy as something traditional," she says.

Get the best of both and have a hybrid lawn

You don't have to get rid of your lawn completely — these alternatives can also add extra coverage to a patchy corner of the grass.

"Dichondra is particularly successful for that," Ms Blackman says.

"I've seen many lawns where Dichondra is absolutely dominating the shady spot where the rest of the lawn is struggling to grow."

"You can dot some Dichondra in among your other lawn and it would pick up and make a more effective green, and a lot of people really love that textural difference."