I've had pretty good luck with moss, actually. It does depend a lot on the variety you choose and your patio's exposure. I went with Irish moss in a semi-shaded area, and it's held up nicely—no major patchiness yet. Agree about debris though; it can be a pain. Creeping thyme is solid too, but I've found it tends to spread more aggressively than I'd like...ended up trimming it back regularly to keep the stones visible.
Irish moss is great, but I've had better luck with Scotch moss myself—it's a bit brighter and seems to handle foot traffic a little better. Totally agree on creeping thyme though; I planted it once and it practically took over the whole patio...felt like I spent more time trimming thyme than relaxing outside, haha. One thing I've tried recently that's working surprisingly well is dwarf mondo grass. It stays neat, doesn't trap debris as badly, and gives a nice clean look between stones. Worth checking out if moss gets too finicky.
Couldn't agree more about dwarf mondo grass—it's underrated for sure. One quick tip I've found helpful: if you're using Scotch moss or dwarf mondo grass between stones, make sure the gaps aren't too wide. Anything over 4-5 inches and you'll start seeing uneven growth or bare patches. Learned that the hard way on a client's patio project...had to redo a whole section. Keeping spacing tight and consistent really helps maintain that clean, fresh look without constant maintenance.
"Anything over 4-5 inches and you'll start seeing uneven growth or bare patches."
Good to know—I was just about to space mine wider for a more rustic look, but sounds like that might backfire! Quick question though: has anyone tried mixing dwarf mondo grass with creeping thyme or another groundcover between stones? Wondering if combining them would help fill in gaps better or just create more headaches down the road...
I've actually tried mixing dwarf mondo grass with creeping thyme on my patio, and honestly, it turned out pretty nice. The thyme filled in quicker and added a nice fragrance when stepped on, while the mondo grass gave it some texture contrast. Only downside was occasional uneven growth rates—thyme can get a bit aggressive—but nothing a quick trim couldn't fix. Overall, I'd say go for it; just keep an eye on things early on to avoid any runaway patches...
