Best Ground Covering For High Traffic Areas???

I'm in dire need of the best type of ground cover that would be in mostly shade for a high traffic area. My dogs have seemed to cause a nice bridle path into the backyard and during certain parts of the season its a muddy mess or dead of summer a dust pit. This makes for keeping a home and my dogs clean a real chore. Not to mention a bad eye sore for my backyard that once was luscious green. Some of the areas would be in alot of direct sunlight as well. I don't want stone since that wouldn't be real attractive and would only scatter to other areas of the yard and become a hazard for cutting the grass. I'm looking for something that is economical..doesn't take a green thumb since I don't have one...and would be soft to walk on w/bare feet since we have a pool in the back and we love to be bare foot in the summer. NO..we aren't cavemen but do love to go shoeless in the summer.

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Permalink Reply by Lou Ann Lemaster on January 7, 2009 at 7:20pm

I have a path in my backyard that goes up to and around my gazebo because of my two dogs. Me....I'm going to put a stone path to the gazebo from the backdoor; using their path as an outline.

There is some steppable moss you can find at nurserys that would grow under a shady area and is suppose to be able to handle high traffic. Other than that, I have no suggestions.

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Permalink Reply by Wendt Worth Corgi's on January 7, 2009 at 7:52pm

I have seen the moss but wasn't sure how attractive or how well it will work. I'm hoping someone has used it or has a brilliant idea for me that won't kill my bank account. LOL

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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on April 27, 2009 at 2:32pm

Only corgi-proof plants are Himalayan blackberry, prickly pear, mature Douglas fir, like that.
Astroturf is cheating.

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Permalink Reply by Applejack Pembrokes on May 6, 2009 at 4:29pm

I have used the small "River washed" round smooth stones to make a muddy path beautiful. I used the scalloped stone edging and filled it with the pretty little stones. You can walk on them barefeet and the edging makes the path look nice and contains the stones. They do not kick-up easily, come in various colors, and look pretty. I just followed the beaten path with my stone path.