The battle of mud versus grass. The most walked on areas seem to have the hardest time growing grass. We recently laid some sod out over area where there was not much grass. That worked the best for us

Have the same problem, no solution, but maybe others will.

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I'm in this process now and am using pavers spaced closely with pea gravel. I'm going to border it with a small flower bed. Here is an inspiration idea book. If you use pavers, allow some space between for drainage.
http://houzz.com/ideabooks/192220

Jynx Army girl :-). By the way, I saw the pictures of your new garden. Looks beautiful. Loved the nails picture!

Thanks cheriej33..

It seems that you could mitigate part of the problem caused by runoff from the downspout by installing a drywell that it drains into. (This would probably also allow you to shorten the drain piece at the bottom of the porch post.) There are multiple ways to build one, the simplest being, in essence, digging a decent sized/depth hole where the water drains and filling it with gravel. (If you google "dry well", there are multiple ways to do one, depending on the volume of water.) I might do a 3'-4' area around the patio with rigid edging, and infill with very small gravel. The small sharper edged gravel with hold its form, and be stable for other additions, while rounded pea gravel does tend to shift... because it's round, of course. Adding large stones on top, or some concrete squares that are of a size--like 2'x2'--would dress the area up.

Trust me - pea gravel won't stay put. I have already been down that road. Use granite sand. It is designed to use between pavers. Eventually you will have to add more - but the granite sand will last several years. Don't let anybody sweep mortar mixed with sand in between your flagstones either - this become a mess after a few years. It won't last and looks really ugly.

I suggest

Garden Design Online, what is between the stone? It looks great.

j1651 I think this is a moss or maybe a low growing herb growing between the stones. If the home owner lives in an area that will sustain it - it is a good solution. But, if she lives in Texas - where the summers are over 100 degrees - this won't work. I have tried it several times. There are plants that will take a lot of heat - but they tend to look shaggy and have to be trimmed. That is a job no one wants.

Thanks. We struggle with this problem every spring (live in northest). The transition from grass to pavers or gravel just keeps getting bigger every year. Maybe we should just pave the whole darn backyard lol!

j1651 - It does sound funny but that is sort of what I did on my side yard. I laid out curving flagstone walks and put a bridge over a dry creek we built. The creek is connected to the gutter system on the house. We have a lot of rain in Texas at times. More than enough to fill a series of rain barrels and then start flooding things. Anyway, we put a wrought iron bridge over the dry creek. Then we just planted roses, shrubbery, and perennial flowers.
I bought two really large rocks and stacked them to make a bench. I don't do much of anything to maintain this garden - except water and cut it back when it gets overgrown. It is glorious with climbing roses, turk's cap, lantana, Texas sage, and many others.

Sounds beutiful Margaretk! We have drainage system in place which helps. Just need to figure out how to deal with big dogs using same path from deck to yard because they wear the grass out, and of course its the soggyest spot in the yard. I think the stone laid out would work and look so much nicer than gravel. Maybe a bridge too! Thanks for the ideas!!

With the combo of dogs and heavy shade, grass won't grow.
Artificial turf, while expensive, could be a solution.

Here are 2 more views of my back yard. I think more stones of various sorts are good. Thank you everyone for the ideas!! I live in the Midwest, so many plants should grow here!

Also, Garden Design Online, I like the idea about the plantings to the right by the downspout. I am thinking of making a sort of spiral garden in that area - with pathways - and plantings of shade plants, to cover the area there where the grass seems least likely to grow. Also to take advantage of the downspout - to cover it, I mean, but to also take advantage of the water it provides.

Margaretk, your yard is stunning, I would never guess 7 dogs! I think it will take us awhile to get where you are, but we will keep trying.

Dandelionwishes, sounds like a good plan, good luck!

Flag stone is the way to go creating pathways with walk on me creeping crimson thyme adding a pond down the line would add tranquility.

I have a dog that loves to dig...we planted cardboard palms, lariope and crown of thorns in the areas where he was most active. They can take a beating and/or are a prickly deterrent for the dogs! I would also recommend replacing the downspout with a rain chain...turn the eyesore into something pretty since it is right at the edge of the patio. Flagstones and gravel is fine as long as your dog is not a digger. If he/she is, the gravel will be strewn through your yard and you will find it when your mower hits it and sends shrapnel flying into your house windows. Not that I am speaking from experience or anything... LOL

Another option is EasyTurf - installing synthetic grass will take care of the mud, dirt and other pet issues (digging, worn paths, brown spots from urine). You'd get the greenest lawn on the block without the work and trouble.
Cheers!
George

I would stay away from a gravel border as Karen and others have pointed out it doesn't always stay put. Sharp angular crushed stone can also be tough on a dogs paws. I like the stepping stone idea but I would place them in a thickly planted groundcover. The ground cover would be an attractive border around the patio and could take the traffic of the dogs running through it. Karen mentioned Liriope, which is pretty tough, or pachysandra would have a similar effect. I would make the area wide enough that it replaces the worst traffic areas where the lawn wont grow. Whatever plantings you do, I would rototill that compacted area and perhaps amend the soil with compost so whatever you plant will thrive and fill in quickly.

Garden tech, what do you think about using pavers without ground cover or gravel? What would you recommend to allow drainage but keep a clean look? By the way, the entry garden on your pro page is stunning!

Beautiful yard, Margaret!

Pavers would be fine and you'd be adding useful space to your patio. I would first divert that downspout away from the paver area. Good drainage is the key to preventing heaving and cracking of the pavers in cold weather. Follow the manufacturers instructions for the paver as far as how deep to go with your base material. Typically this is around 6" and is compacted at 3" levels. If your soil does not drain well you might want to go deeper. There are also "permeable" pavers which allow water to penetrate rather than run off. This may help prevent that runoff from keeping the lawn wet and muddy. The joints are wider and you use a coarser material to promote drainage and you'll have to go deeper with the base. A good landscape supply yard can help you choose the right product.
And Cherie thanks for the compliment :)

Try paving with stone..

We had a similar wet/deadspot and had no real success until we got 6" gutters all around and all the downspouts well away from the house and/or underground. We're in the midAtlantic where summer thunderstorms would often form waterfalls off the roof. With the water issue more under control, we're rebuilding lawn (doing pretty good so far in about 18 months).

Our house came with flagstone walkways that we pulled up after about 2 years. I power washed it each year (by Memorial Day and again 4th of July), but it never failed that if it was wet, it was slick. Maybe it just gets more slick with age. I guessed the previous owners put it in years earlier and then never went out unless things were dry. I am using the flagstone we pulled up as an edging around a garden, to separate grass from flowers and it works really well for that. It's nowhere anyone walks now.

A few thoughts, inspired from above - no not way above, just herein.

Yes, you need a drywell, at least one here, maybe more elsewhere.

Perhaps the lawn was established years ago with a sunny seed mix, and now you need a shady mix. Be sure to cultivate the areas well, whether seeding or sodding, and keep watered and dog-free until established.

This seems to be the favorite spot for your dogs to relax, when compared to the more lush areas shown. Why not build them a little deck surrounding this large tree, perhaps with a water bubbler they can activate, or a water basin built into the deck so they won't tip it over.

If you are going to install flagstone, as suggested above, and want some plants between the stones, here are a few that you can walk on:

Scotch and Irish moss (Sagina), Creeping thyme, Ground ivy (Glechoma), Mock strawberry (Duchesnea), Pussy toes (Antennaria), Beach strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis), Cushion bolax (Azorella, Rupturewort (Herniaria) - rupture/hernia - come on. Oh, I forgot lily of the valley (Convallaria), which has fragrant flowers if not trampled first. Try the first two evergreen plants first, if hardy in your area, then you can experiment after that.

Why didn't the lady with the seven dogs show us her family, not her rocks.

cascio.offsite@gmail.com

It’s been awhile since this post went up and I haven’t read through all the comments but since you have dogs I would NOT put Lily of the Valley between the pavers! Very toxic to dogs!