Hi! I have a backyard that is mostly violets. It’s shady from a big central tree and it’s a pretty large space too! I’m going to break it up into sections with a little patio and some raised beds, but I’d really like to leave a little bit of green space for my baby to run around in some day. I asked a guy at the garden center about what I could plant and he gave me a whole spiel about tearing up the violets and spending the summer amending the soil so that in the fall i can plant a fescue blend. That’s… fine, but is there instead something I could ADD like clover that would join the violets? I do wonder if he heard me say lawn and thought I only wanted grass. I just want something green and soft that‘s fun to run and roll around in. It doesn’t have to be grass— but the violets are patchy and only look good for the few weeks they're blooming.

I’m totally willing to do the work for the fescue, just curious if there are other options out there. I understand clover isn’t native to GA so maybe it’s not the best choice— what else?

I’ll also say I’m between an empty overgrown lot and an identically crappy lawn so if we’re just worried about clover creeping to the neighbors… not an issue.

in Decatur, GA and it’s mostly clay soil