The onslaught of my two labradors means I have paved over most of my lawn, but the remaining grass turns nasty even with frequent cleaning and raking. Can you suggest tough, flat, non-grass groundcover?
Little will survive life as a dog run without some wear and tear. First, try reseeding with a grass mixture tolerant of heavy foot traffic. Two types might work – Superstar: Back Lawn mix from The Grass People; and LawnUK’s Sprogs and Dogs mix.

Rake the bare patches, then add compost mixed with sand to get an even sowing bed. Then sow the seed and water in, watering regularly till the grass is established. Keep the dogs off in the meantime.

Or try sowing with clover, which will blend in the bare patches and survive drought much better than grass. Clover ‘White Nanouk’ is a low-growing variety.

I have heard that rupturewort (Herniaria glabra) is another good alternative. It is soft underfoot and drought-tolerant, even on sandy soils. Establish it as above.

If all of these fail, bark mulch is your best bet. It is not as pretty as grass, but it will keep the mud at bay, is easily topped up and the dogs won’t mind walking on it.

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