Looking for ground cover for children's area

Hi. When I moved into my house there was a pile of rubble that used to be a shed. I tried to deal with it myself but failed. I hired a professional landscaper to build me a rockery and water feature. It looked great. The only problem was it was shielded from the rest of the garden by the tall conifers in the picture. I have since taken the water feature away and installed it in a more prominent position in the garden. The 2nd picture is what I'm left with.

My plan is this. Cut down the conifers to about 3 feet (or less). Remove the rocks and the shrubbery from the site. Level it off the best I can and raise it up a few inches with top soil. I plan to use this area for the grandchildren. I will have tables and chairs, sandpit, chalkboard etc here.

I would like to know if I can grow a ground cover plant on this land and use it like a lawn. I know it's possible in theory. I don't wish to do any hard landscaping. I want something that will take care of itself. The children are a very boisterous but they don't visit very often.

I won't be starting this project until winter or spring. In the meantime any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.

G

 

I don't think it wise to cut the conifers that low, it could possibly kill them and certainly won't do much for their shape. If you attempt to trim them into shape after lopping, the chances are you'll be cutting back to the inner brown branches and conifers don't produce new shoots. Perhaps it would be better to remove them and replace with something else.

Clover is a good replacement for grass and slow growing needing very little attention.

 

Hiya Gary
Well the "living" alternative to a lawn is a chamomile one......the best is Treneague. Two things, it may not take the wear and tear of "boisterous" kids on it. Did such a lawn a couple of times, one incorporating a chamomile mound/seat. Lovely scent and low maintenance.
An artificial lawn......cant believe I even suggested that except they are pretty good nowadays
A normal lawn? For me grass maintenance is not a lot.
A thyme lawn? On the towans behind me, on the way to the beach, wild thyme underfoot is delightful. A lemony scent and hard wearing
Mind your own business....Helxine....makes a green hard wearing carpet but it knows not when to stop spreading so not for me
Those conifers? Cutting them to 3' may well kill them. They could look awful. Think about replacing them with shrubs perhaps?

 

Ah! We crossed there Sheal.

 

Not a problem Verdun.

 

I bought this sunflower from Morrisons for £1.50. I was thinking where if anywhere I could put in the garden. I then had a thought that they might make a nice border for the children's area. I understand they like the sun which is perfect. I believe they grow about 2ft tall which would help disguise the raised bed behind it. My one is a single flower. The ones on the internet have grown into bushes.

On the negative side, a) I don't know what soil if any is under the old rockery
And b) creating a border bed would reduce the space available for the project.

Any thought or suggestions would be appreciated. (How deep/wide would the bed need to be?)

G.

Ps. I have some free samples of Astro turf coming through the post.

 

This is an area I'm desperate to finish off. If I dont get it done soon the children will be too old to play on it. At the moment I have to move the swing and the trampoline, and the slide that's out of picture out on to the lawn. To save me doing that everytime I had planned to cover the big area with soft bark and stand the swing on that. Then I would still have to move the slide.

Today I had a thought. If the children come around when I'm not here, they play on the swing where it is. Looking at it now, there is no reason why it can't stay where it is. It will be easy enough to tidy up the surface there. As the only are of contact would be immediately in front of the swing, I could still display some nicer showy plants towards the back

I could then use the big area for the slide (and possibly the trampoline). Again as above, as long as I prepare the contact areas accordingly I could fill the rest with something prettier and more substantial.

That would mean a lot less work for me. It would also enhance rather than detract from the aesthetics of the garden.

G.

 

I think most plants will suffer from hammer from Kiddies but maybe Camomile or Thymes .