Beyond Turfgrass: Shady Lawn Makeover Ideas for Jamison, PA

In the shaded areas of your property, exploring alternatives to turfgrass becomes an invitation to transform your Jamison, PA, lawn.

It’s almost impossible to grow turfgrass under shade trees. Instead, consider transforming your lawn into a wooded landscape that accentuates your favorite trees and provides a peaceful, relaxing outdoor space.

From ground covers’ layered hues to the enchantment of ferns, your options to replace your lawn under mature trees are limitless.

Creative Shady Makeovers

You may be frustrated with the idea that you won’t be able to grow turfgrass successfully under trees. However, you have other options underneath your mature trees in Montgomery County, PA, with shade-loving plants.

Shade-tolerant plants will provide color, texture, variety, and whimsy underneath your tree canopies. And shade-tolerant perennials come in many colors, leaf shapes, and textures, such as

Astilbes, also known as false goat’s beard, have feathery plumes that come in reds, pinks, light lavender, and violet.
Bleeding Hearts, a springtime favorite, add a touch of delicacy and a splash of color under trees.
Coral bells (Heucheras) have various leaf colors ranging from deep purples to silver to light greens. The leaves add layers and pink blooms pop up that attract pollinators.
Ferns naturally grow in Pennsylvania woodlands and do well planted under trees.

Hellebores (Lenten roses) is an early springtime flower that adds bold colors and shapes under trees that haven’t leafed out yet.
Hosta comes in all leaf shapes, colors, and sizes, which do well in a wooded landscape.
Lungworts are groundcovers that make excellent turfgrass substitutes for wooded properties with their variegated leaves and bright-colored blossoms.
Pachysandra is a perennial ground cover that does well in the shade and stays green year-round.
Vinca minor (common periwinkle) is another woodland ground cover that works well under trees with deep green leaves and periwinkle blossoms.

A Woodland Retreat as an Outdoor Living Destination

While you may prefer a grassy, green lawn under your trees, you will be disappointed. You’ll need to reseed your Doylestown lawn two times per season, which is costly, to grow grass under trees.

Plus, the turfgrass will grow thinly, and you’ll need to do the reseeding process every season because grass doesn’t grow well under trees.

Pulling the grass and adding groundcovers, mulch, or stone is more cost-effective and adds visual interest to your wooded landscape. Plus, you can add a patio with a firepit or other hardscaping to enjoy outdoor living in the woods.

Add a touch of whimsy with an attractive walkway made with flagstone, brick, or pavers. Create a walkway garden and fencing to add pops of color and a border. Add walkways that connect different areas of your wooded landscape.

If you have a clearing in your wooded landscape, add colorful, unique birdhouses, foxgloves, bee balm, and other plants that attract pollinators and birds to your outdoor space.

Learn more: The Best Plants for Bucks and Montgomery Counties

Landscape lighting, boulders, and statuary can make your tree-filled landscape look full of life and charm.

Add a pond or a fountain near your patio under the trees and enjoy trickling water or listening to a deep-throated bullfrog at night. You’ll feel relaxed whenever you sit under the trees on your patio.

Practical Landscaping Touches

Wooded landscaping is not maintenance-free, even though you may not need to mow as much as you would with an entire lawn.

Indeed, if you have areas where there’s ponding in your Chalfont lawn, you’ll need drainage and grading to relieve soggy areas. You can incorporate a rain garden or river rocks to help drain the excess water and provide visual interest.

Add mulch under trees to control weeds and hold moisture around the tree’s root zone. If you’re unfamiliar with applying mulch under trees, we recommend that you avoid putting the mulch up against the tree trunk, which can lead to tree disease and pests.

How to Maintain Your Tree-Covered Lawn

Don’t forget to prune your trees so light and air flow through the tree canopy and your wooded backyard. Keep your trees healthy with regular tree care, mulching, and adding tree bubblers to keep them irrigated throughout the season.

If you’re unsure how to maintain your wooded lawn and landscape, contact us at Jamison Lawn Care. We can design a garden landscape and recommend a local company who installs walkways and patios to keep your Hatboro property looking like a shaded sanctuary without needing turfgrass.

If you have grass that doesn’t grow underneath your wooded Bucks County property, call us today at 267-621-4747 or fill out our contact formto learn how we can create a space that looks lovely.