Last year, I sowed miniclover seeds in my vegetable garden paths to fill in some bare dirt and attempt to outcompete (or at least live in harmony with) the grass currently growing there.

Happy to report that the miniclover is thriving with very little water so far this year!

(I got my miniclover seeds from here.)

Five things I love about having miniclover in my walking paths:

1. It's relatively drought-tolerant, stays green far longer than grass, and needs zero fertilizer to look as good as it does.
2. It grows to a max height of 6 inches. (Though I've heard the more frequently you mow it, the shorter it naturally grows back.)
3. It has fewer flowers than regular (Dutch white) clover, so there's less of a chance of stepping on bees, especially if you mow before it blooms.
4. It feels SO nice and soft underfoot, and I often walk around barefoot in summer.
5. It bounces back beautifully with people walking all over it, kids running wild, and wheelbarrows trampling it.

I'm kind of wanting to grow more miniclover in other parts of our property now. Miniclover (and similar walkable ground covers) can carpet a large area like this, but they're also ideal between pavers and around stepping stones—basically any place you might put grass because you don't want to trample your plants.

However, walkable ground covers (also known as steppables) are low-growing plants that are meant to be walked on, so you (and your kids and pets) can't hurt them!

​And I've got a list of my other favorite steppables that never need mowing and come back year after year, right here.​

Seasonal tips

25 Evergreen Ground Covers That Add Year-Round Color Read more

21 Perennial Ground Covers for Shade Gardens (In Every Climate) Read more

The Trick of Knowing When to Harvest Garlic Read more

How to Cure and Store a Year's Worth of Garlic Read more

5 Very Effective and Humane Ways to Keep Deer Out of Your Garden Read more

9 Ways to Prevent and Get Rid of Earwigs—For Good Read more

P.S. Go beyond grass and plant a walkable ground cover in your garden paths.

P.P.S. Don't miss the two best plant sales going on right now:

• Peaceful Valley - 20% off sitewide through June 23​
• Botanical Interests - Up to 50% off seed packets in their end-of-season sale (stack it with code SHIPFREE to get free shipping, even on small orders)