WHAT IS THE BEST GRASS AROUND PAVERS AND CONCRETE
Have you ever questioned which grass to use between your lawn around paving, concrete, or other surfaces? This article discusses a number of alternatives and suggestions for your outdoor entertaining area.
What’s the Best Grass Around Paving?
When using grasses around paving, we recommend choosing a grass type that won’t grow particularly tall and will grow thick around the paving. If you plan to have pavers across your lawn, we recommend going for a slower-growing grass like Sir Grange Zoysia or Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo.
Sir Grange Zoysia
Sir Grange Zoysia is a slower-growing boutique grass that looks great with little maintenance. This grass has a stunning fine leaf with a beautiful dark green colour. Due to its short length, You can leave this grass unmown which helps around concrete areas or pavers. This is a slower-growing grass. So, it won’t have as fast repairing nature as other warm-season grasses like couch and buffalo grass. So, it is best used in low-traffic areas that will not be used by pets and kids, or where the paving will be walked on, instead of the lawn.
As this grass is a slow grower, it can take some time to establish. Sir Grange Zoysia also requires a bit of extra ground preparation work when installing. For more information on the installation and establishment of Sir Grange Zoysia check out our introduction article here
Note: Sir Grange Zoysia is not recommended for a full open lawn in Victoria due to its slower ability to heal from damage and requiring a warmer climate. It’s not recommended for anyone with pets or kids, instead, Sir Grange is perfect for Japanese gardens or smaller-scale landscaping features. It can only be laid between November & February so keep that in mind when looking for this grass type.
Moderate Traffic Areas Around Paving
If you are installing grass in an area with pavers or other surfaces like concrete that will receive more foot traffic or will be used by pets and kids, we recommend having a look at Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo.
Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo grass has a higher wear tolerance and a faster repairing nature than Sir Grange Zoysia. Sir Walter has a soft broad leaf, high shade tolerance, and is excellent with pets and kids. This grass is low maintenance, and well-suited to the Australian Climate.
High Wear Areas
We suggest checking out TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda or Sir Walter DNA Certified for selecting a turf type for high-use regions along a driveway or other surfaces.
For turfed areas along driveways and paths, look at using faster-growing grass. Although you will need to keep in mind the lawn may need its edges done from time to time. Edging along driveways and paths will be much easier to maintain as they are mostly straight lines. You can also look into purchasing metal, wood or concrete garden edging to avoid the grass taking over your driveway.
If you want your lawn to sit flush with a concrete surface, we recommend leaving it about 30-40mm below the height of the other surface. This will allow for the thickness of the turf and for the turf to expand during the settling process.
Ground Cover Alternatives
There is an excellent range of other ground covers that you can use around paving. These ground covers are a good option to look at using in smaller areas, like alongside the house or on small pathways. When choosing plants, it is best to look for something that is low-growing and can spread to prevent weeds from growing. A few options include Baby Tears, Dwarf Mondo Grass, Dichondra Silver Falls, and Blue Star Creeper.
You can also look into other grass types like Dichondra which grow clover-style leaves that act like grass. They are conversation starters and will bring a whimsical feel to your entertaining area.
For more information on choosing the best turf variety for your area, come and see us at 370 Grubb Road, Wallington or you can scroll through our other articles and shop online anytime at walingtons.com.au.
