I honestly have no idea why the grass doesn’t grow so maybe a bit more info . How often do you water and all the rest of the stuff you need to do to get a nice lawn. I hate grass. So for me I would do a nice fire pit and pavers and forget the grass. Or a nice area of plantings of stauff that grows easily in your area with a path and maybe a couple of chairs for morning coffee. I love little hidden spaces in yards where people can go to talk or just relax

Exactly! I don't know why the grass wouldnt grow well here. We did re sod twice and do everything thats needed and little more but it just wouldnt grow here.

Walkable groundcover? if grass won't grow, a groundcover may not either? are you watering this area enough?

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/groundcover/gcgen/groundcover-for-foot-traffic.htm

many people here have switched to artificial turf. looks like a smaller/ish area? might be an option. at first I did not like the idea of turf. But actually, it looks quite good. The new types look pretty real especially from a little farther away. You could plant a bunch of part shade plants by increasing your bed? some foundation plantings? do you walk through this area to get to your patio? if yes, a nice walk way like patricia mentioned.

Switch out for a ground cover like Asiatic jasmine or pachysandra

Thank You! I'm not sure if groundcover will do well since grass wont grow. We do water the area well.

Wonder with the slant, water may drain too quickly. Artificial grass with slabs where it meets your real grass on the sides of the house. Adding a little walkway would also look nice and break up the slant.

Ground covers are used where grass won't grow, they have different characteristics based on your needs. I surmise the slope is an issue and that it gets shade from the house and fence and you are probably using a grass variety that likes full sun.

Oh I see. Thank You

Former Richardson resident (grew up there but live out of state)

I used Shades of Green https://shadesofgreeninc.com/ in Frisco

to pick up some native plants for my late parents home back in 2013.

They have landscaping services.

Asian Jasmine would do great there. I’m in D/FW, too, and have used it many times for difficult spots. It’ll get brown in winter, but come roaring back in spring.

I’d plant it creatively, have a path through it, break it up somehow. Not just a sea of groundcover, which would be tough to maintain in this situation.

Another idea is to have a bed up against the house, with small shrubs, perennials, ornamental grass, whatever, with a leveled path in between.

Is your grass Bermuda?

Thanks Jinx! Yes, our grass is Bermuda. It used to grow fine, but now we have more shade from the trees on the other side of the fence that belongs to the community property.They used to trim it before but we dont see it happening now. That could also be why the grass wont grow since they like the sun. I also thought about the bed, but wasnt sure with the slope how we should do it.

Just going by the picture, it looks like you could have a good size bed that would go to the edge of the slope? If you didn’t do a path. For a path, yes, it’d need a retaining wall and leveling.

You could try St Augustine back there. If you don’t need or want a path, you could have a bed along the house, fill in the middle with St Augustine grass. I had a similar situation at another house ... Bermuda in front in sun, St A in back where it got afternoon shade, and on a slope. It thrived. It’s a myth that it needs nearly total shade in our area.

ETA: How ambitious are you, and how’s your budget? :D I’m teasing, just posting this for fun. Isn’t it gorgeous! I used to curse my sloped yard, but not if it looked like this!

I have a sedum groundcover that cannot be killed. very hardy. you just lay it on the ground and it grows.

I say no to jasmine groundcover. It is a thug in my yard. I am fighting it constantly, I am trying to find something else to replace the area and rip it out. I am not sure it can be killed though.

I wouldn’t recommend sedum as a groundcover for this situation. I don’t think it would form a dense enough mat here, and I can say with 100% certainty that Bermuda (even sickly Bermuda) would still try to take over any bare spots. Bermuda is a beast. That’s why jasmine works well — eventually Bermuda gives up under the thickness of it. And in 4 houses, I’ve never had an issue with it being a thug.

But for easiest upkeep and the quickest result, sodding with St Augustine would win hands-down.

There is a red Fescue that grows better in the shade than the field fescue where I live and doesn't grow tall like a hay field either.

Alternately, clover -- the kind with white blooms. Let it grow full height and bloom the first year and, thereafter, mow it early so it grows shorter with shorter bloom stems, too.

You really do want it to be easily mowed and too much "landscaping" can mean an ongoing labor intensive project.

That said, one short straight retaining wall across the back yard the width of the house (or the part of this that is a narrow yard like this) creating a level raised planting bed parallel to and alongside the fence (spaced away from the fence about where your current bed has its lowest point), could require less bending to maintain it.

It appears you may have resolved any water issues with the ground being sloped toward the house with a scoop shape in the yard. If this yard is the view from any window that matters to you, then you could do that more limited version of the suggestion (pic) posted by Jinx

Unfortunately, the fescues can’t take our summer heat, and clovers would battle with Bermuda ... only kind that would grow well could look weedy and unkempt (ime). It also isn’t dependable at coming back every year in our area, and would have to be reseeded. It can be attempted for sure, but would be a challenge in a situation like this one.

I’ve always envied people up north who could grow lush fescue all summer!

ETA: I want to clarify about my Bermuda comments for anyone reading that isn’t familiar with it ... even if you prepare a bed or area as perfectly as possible, there is no humanly way to get every bit of it out. And it will come back. It has to be under something extremely thick to choke it out, like St Augustine, jasmine, etc. Even then, you’ll be pulling pop-ups occasionally. Bermuda is the biggest thug there is, even in the OP‘s case of it not thriving. And especially if you still have it in other areas of your yard ... it quickly spreads underground AND aboveground and will try to take over everything.

That’s really pretty. $$$Pricey, but pretty.

Yes, mondo grass would definitely work as a groundcover.

Good eye on the Vitex. ;)

This is so beautiful. Thank You for taking the time for doing this.

I love Mondo grass.... but it grows ... so.... slow....