Also, the ideal plant will be an evergreen, perennial that is hardy and doesn’t need babying. :)

The problem with an evergreen hardy perennial groundcover that doesn't need babying is that it will probably be invasive. Pachysandra and ivy fit the bill, but will take over your yard within a few years. How about periwinkle?

You are right about invasive. I want something like creeping thyme that can be walked on possibly. Unfortunately creeping thyme needs light.

@Diana Bier - The dwarf periwinkle may actually be a good choice . Thanks .

If grass won’t grow there, you might have a hard time getting anything to grow.

Have you thought about more hardscape - pavers, river rock, wider boardwalk, etc.

check out stepables.com for ground cover

Look into epimedium.

There are low groundcovers for shade that are not aggressive, but they cannot be walked on. Geranium macrorrhizum is always handsome, not aggressive, and deer resistant, but it can't be walked on. Neither can epidemiums.

Mitchella repens/partridgeberry may be something to consider. It grows in such a situation for me.

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MIRE

Perhaps a swath of creeping Jenny adjacent to the walkway then geranium macrorhizum farther back.

When you say walkable, do you mean with bare feet or with shoes on?

mondo grass

zone alone is the predicted minimum winter temp for one moment on the coldest day of the winter ... otherwise it tells us not much ..

how about a big city name ... so we can zero in a bit ... z7 could be NY.. or pnw.. or even the southwest ... tropical GA ... etc ...

as the picture stands right now.. there is enough blue sky to grow grass... so i dont understand why you couldnt.. unless you had some major trees removes during the renovation process ...

and what do you mean by walk on ... you and the dog tromping thru once a week ... or a horde of kids grinding it into mother earth for hours a day ...

ken

Agree with Ken on general location. We are zone 7 outside DC. I have lots of shade. I am adding lots of natives, but also have hostas and such. How about laying out some paths and filling in-between with shrubs and perennials? Vining covers like vinca (periwinkle) are not so great for walking. Would definitely encourage you not to plant grass. There are lots of flowering perennials and shrubs that would be beautiful there. If it interests you, I would be happy to share a list!

@ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5 - We have tried grass and it just wont happen. There is too much shade. Walk on as in, when we use the patio I would like to have access from everywhere to the patio. When we entertain i would like to spread out little tables of food all around. So, some very low evergreen shade loving perennials would be ideal if there ever is such a thing. The ground is not pretty - clayish soil.

- @cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA) . I am your neighbor! N. Va as well :) Please do share your thoughts and the list.

@Anna (6B/7A in MD) - with shoes when we entertain. And always green when we look out the window :)

Adding some more pics so that you get a general gist of the area.

Wow, @decoenthusiaste I just viewed the stepables website-amazing! Thanks for the info!

I can’t think of anything that would be evergreen and walkable. Especially if you want green in winter?

But i‘d look into this since it does well under black walnut trees and in shade.

https://www.prairienursery.com/resources-guides/about-no-mow-lawn/ Probably will be brown in the winter, as many things are.

@decoenthusiaste - stepables are exactly what i need. Thank you. Wish the website was easier to navigate though with filters. Esp for amateurs like me! Ha!

What do you think of ARENARIA BALEARICA CORSICAN SANDWORT?

@einportlandor Thank you! That's a good idea.

BG, How fun that you are here, too!

Just recently, I have planted several shrubs and perennials and more last spring. Now, being someone who is past the eligibility age for the boosters, I will need to look up the names of some of them as my memory is completely shot now. So pathetic. Chelone (turtlehead) is a favorite and a native. Blooming now. I have a white in the front side yard and a pink in the back. They are about a foot high and nicely bushy this year. I will take a pic tomorrow. I have Thalictrum (meadow Rue) on the north side of the house, so some sun, but not a lot. Of course, I have lots of hostas and if you like those, do go to the Hosta forum. There are some magnificent gardens shared there. I am trying to move to more natives now (reading a lot of Doug Tallamy books these days). I will get a better list together this weekend-I have started writing some things down when I plant them, but I have to find that notebook. ha. Definitely pathetic.

B G, sorry I didn't get back with more information. So, in addition to what I mentioned, I have foxgloves (not sure how well they like their spot-will see next year) , native azaleas which are lovely, tiarella, nepeta, physocarpus (6 ' tall in three years-north side of house with some sun, but not a lot-I think I may get another and take out a flowering quince that is only nice in early spring-the physocarpus that is, since it is native-if I get the species, even better), rhododendron (struggled for years, but this past spring was spectacular, so I am hopeful-it is on north side next to physocarpus), heuchera, heucherella, Cephalanthus occidentalis which is native (button bush shrub) in a spot that gets some sun and is new this summer, aquilegia, and carex. I also planted Gentian this spring. Hope it looks better next year. Oh, and I have tradescantia, too which I like. Needs some sun, but not a lot. I have several dogwoods as understory trees and plan to put in a Chionanthus virginicus (fringe tree-native). Also, hydrangea. Love love love my anemones this time of year and may try some native asters. I tend to try things that are said to be 'part sun' and if they work, so much the better. I don't seem to be able to upload any photos, but will try again later. Never had that problem before. Sigh.

ETA: Hellebores-not native, but evergreen and lovely.

Irish Moss?

oooh, and Camellias would be lovely interspersed there! Also not native unfortunately, but evergreen.