Digging up the backyard: a suburban adventure gone wild

- Cardboard under mulch is my go-to too - less mess, holds up longer, and honestly, it’s way easier to lay out than wrestling with soggy newspaper.
- If the mulch smell gets intense, I’ve found spreading it thinner helps air it out faster.
- Neighbors might grumble, but hey, your yard looks better in the long run.
- Sometimes I’ll toss a few lavender sprigs on top for a quick scent fix... not sure it does much, but it makes me feel better.

Cardboard under mulch is a solid move - honestly, I’ve seen it hold up way better than newspaper, especially if you get those big appliance boxes. The mulch smell can be a bit much at first, but you’re right, spreading it thinner really does help. I’ve had clients swear by tossing in a handful of cedar chips for the scent, but lavender sounds way more pleasant. Neighbors might grumble now, but give it a season and they’ll be asking how you did it. Stick with it... the payoff’s worth the hassle.

I’ve seen it hold up way better than newspaper, especially if you get those big appliance boxes.

Honestly, I’ve had mixed luck with cardboard - sometimes it gets soggy and attracts bugs, especially if the drainage isn’t great. I actually prefer landscape fabric for a cleaner look, but I get the appeal of recycling boxes. The cedar chips idea is interesting, but I’d be careful - too much and it can overpower everything else scent-wise.

I hear you on the cardboard - mine turned into a mushy mess after a rainy week, and I swear the ants threw a party. Landscape fabric’s tidy, but my wallet cries every time I price it out. Has anyone tried just layering grass clippings or leaves instead? Wondering if that’s just asking for weeds...

Tried the grass clippings route last summer - looked promising for a couple weeks, but then the weeds just punched right through. Leaves did a bit better, especially if you pile them thick, but they blow around unless you wet them down. Honestly, nothing’s as low-maintenance as fabric, but yeah... it ain’t cheap.

Fabric’s definitely the easiest, but yeah, my wallet cried a little. I tried cardboard under mulch - worked okay for a season, but then it turned into a soggy mess. Guess there’s no perfect fix unless you want to weed forever...

Totally get what you mean about the cardboard. I tried that too, and by the end of summer it was just this weird, pulpy layer under the mulch. Did you ever try newspaper? I heard it breaks down faster but maybe that’s just more mess. I keep wondering if there’s some magic combo - like, what if you did a layer of gravel under the mulch? Or is that just overkill? My brain keeps coming up with these wild ideas but I’m not sure any of them would actually save me from weeding...

- Tried newspaper once - honestly, it turned into mush way faster than cardboard.
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“what if you did a layer of gravel under the mulch? Or is that just overkill?”

- Cardboard’s been my go-to too - seems to hold up just long enough to smother most stuff, but yeah, nothing’s totally foolproof.
- Gravel under mulch looked sharp for a while in my last place, but I swear weeds treat it like a challenge.
- Honestly, I think you’re on the right track just mixing things up and seeing what sticks. Every yard’s got its own quirks.
- Spot-checking is underrated... sometimes it’s just about staying one step ahead rather than finding a perfect fix.

Cardboard’s a classic move, but I’ve always found it’s a bit of a gamble - sometimes it’s like the weeds just wait for it to get soggy and then party right through. I tried layering newspaper once (got a little overzealous with the Sunday edition), but the wind turned my backyard into a confetti mess. Not my best look.

Gravel under mulch does look super polished at first, totally agree. But yeah, somehow dandelions treat it like an obstacle course. I swear, those things could probably sprout through concrete if given half a chance. I had this one spot by the patio where they kept popping up no matter what I did - felt like a weird game of whack-a-mole.

Mixing things up is honestly the only way I’ve managed to keep any kind of order. I tried getting fancy with landscaping fabric once, thinking it’d be a forever solution, but it just turned into this weird layer cake of dirt and roots after a couple years. Now I mostly just spot-check and do damage control when I see something getting out of hand. Sometimes you just have to accept a little chaos, right?

Funny thing, though - I noticed that when I stopped stressing about perfection and just focused on making little improvements here and there, the yard actually started looking better overall. Maybe it’s just lower expectations, but hey, I’ll take the win.

“Mixing things up is honestly the only way I’ve managed to keep any kind of order.”

I get where you’re coming from, but I’d actually push back a bit on the idea that mixing methods is always the best route. Sometimes, sticking with one approach - especially if it’s more regenerative - can pay off in the long run. For example, I’ve had better luck focusing on building up healthy soil and planting dense ground covers rather than layering on more barriers or switching tactics every season. Once the soil’s thriving and there’s less bare ground, weeds just don’t get as much of a foothold.

I know it sounds a bit idealistic, but after years of battling dandelions and that “layer cake” of fabric and mulch, I started letting clover and creeping thyme take over the trouble spots. It’s not perfectly tidy, but it’s green, low-maintenance, and the bees love it. Plus, I spend way less time yanking out weeds or fussing with soggy cardboard.

Perfection’s overrated, but sometimes a little patience with one method can surprise you.

That’s interesting - do you find the ground covers hold up well if there’s a lot of foot traffic, or do they get patchy over time? I’ve thought about using clover in some of my rental properties’ yards, but I worry about durability. Ever try mixing in any hardier varieties, or is it mostly about keeping people off those areas?

Clover’s pretty tough, but yeah, it does start looking patchy if people are walking over the same spots all the time. I’ve had better luck mixing in some creeping thyme and a bit of dwarf mondo grass in high-traffic areas - those seem to bounce back faster and don’t mind being trampled as much. Honestly, I think it’s just hard to keep any ground cover perfect if folks are cutting across the yard constantly. Mulch paths or stepping stones help a lot for those “shortcut” zones. For rentals, I’d say a mix is your best bet, but expect to do some touch-ups here and there. At least clover’s easy to reseed if it gets thin.

Has anyone tried mixing in microclover instead of regular clover? I’ve heard it stays a bit denser and doesn’t get as patchy, but I’m not sure if it holds up to foot traffic any better. Also, how do you keep mulch paths from getting scattered everywhere? My kids treat them like a racetrack...

Tried microclover last year after hearing it might hold up better than Dutch white, and honestly, it’s been a mixed bag. It does fill in the lawn really nicely - stays low and dense, which I like because it looks less “weedy” than regular clover. But as for foot traffic, especially with kids running around, I haven’t noticed a huge difference. The microclover patches in my yard still get worn down pretty fast where there’s constant movement. Maybe a little slower to thin out than regular clover, but not by much.

On the mulch paths - totally get where you’re coming from. My nephews treat ours like a dirt track every time they visit. What helped was edging the paths with some old bricks and landscape fabric underneath the mulch. Not foolproof, but it keeps most of the mulch corralled. Still get some stray bits here and there, but that’s just life with kids... It’s either that or resigning yourself to raking up mulch every weekend.

Honestly, I’m right there with you on microclover. It’s hyped as some miracle fix, but in my experience, it’s just “okay” for high-traffic spots.

“The microclover patches in my yard still get worn down pretty fast where there’s constant movement.”

On the mulch paths, edging is a must if you want any hope of keeping things tidy. I used leftover pavers and it’s not perfect, but way better than chasing mulch all over the yard every week. At this point, I’d rather spend a little up front than keep buying bags of mulch that end up everywhere but the path.

Pavers make a world of difference for keeping mulch in check - totally agree there. I tried using just a trench edge once and it was a disaster after the first rain. Mulch everywhere, and the dog thought it was a new digging spot. Have you ever tried mixing in flagstone or brick with the pavers? I found that breaking up the pattern a bit helps with runoff and looks less “cookie-cutter.” Curious if anyone’s had luck with groundcovers between stones that can actually handle foot traffic... I’m still searching for something tougher than microclover.

Curious if anyone’s had luck with groundcovers between stones that can actually handle foot traffic... I’m still searching for something tougher than microclover.

- Tried creeping thyme between flagstones - looked great, but honestly, it didn’t love the constant trampling.
- Irish moss held up a bit better, but it’s picky about drainage.
- Mixing brick and pavers does break up the look, but I found brick gets slippery when wet. Maybe not ideal if you’ve got kids or pets running around.
- Haven’t found the perfect groundcover yet either... if you do, let me know!

Tough finding something that doesn’t just turn to mush with regular use. I’ve had some luck with blue star creeper, but it’s not totally foolproof either - gets patchy in spots if the dogs are tearing around. One thing I learned the hard way: prepping the soil underneath really makes a difference. Did you try sand or gravel under your stones? Sometimes I wonder if drainage is half the battle with these groundcovers.

I’ve actually been wondering about the sand vs gravel thing myself - does one work better than the other for drainage, or is it just personal preference? I tried laying down some sand under my stepping stones, but honestly, I’m not sure it made a huge difference. The spots where my dog likes to run still get pretty trashed. Maybe I didn’t use enough, or maybe it’s more about how compacted the soil is underneath? Curious if anyone’s had luck with a specific layering method.