Now that the garden is coming back to life, bare spots in the lawn and landscape are painfully obvious again.

Maybe the area stays a little too wet, a little too dry, experiences a lot of foot traffic, or has that tree that just seems to shade everything out. Even if the aesthetics are unimportant, preventing soil erosion should be of concern.

Here are some options for those difficult sites.

Grass

Turfgrass is at the top of the list because it is the cheapest and easiest solution to covering bare soil. Grass is best for areas that receive full sun to partial shade and may need supplemental watering over long dry periods. Lawns are as high or low maintenance as the owner desires, and simple tasks like mowing high and fertilizing in the fall will go a long ways toward getting a lawn to do a better job of covering the soil. Seed before April 15 for best results, and look for tried-and-true turf-type tall fescue blends.

Prairie grasses are a good option for full sun to partial shade areas where a naturalized look is acceptable or desired. Some prairie grasses can be seeded and may be mixed with wildflowers for a touch of color, or transplant seedlings for quicker establishment. Prairie grasses and wildflowers are highly drought tolerant and can be left unmaintained or mowed/burned annually.

One option to hide a bare spot on your lawn is to cover it with mulch.

Perennials

For sunny to partially shaded areas, try Bishop’s Goutweed (Aegopodium), Bugleweed (Ajuga), Creeping phlox, Creeping thyme, Honeysuckle, Lilyturf (liriope), Lambsear (Stachys), or Sedum.

For areas that are more shaded or fully shaded, try English ivy, Barrenwort (Epimedium), Wintercreeper (Euonymus), Lilyturf (Liriope), Wild ginger (Asarum), Dead nettle (Lamium), Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia), Pachysandra, or Periwinkle (Vinca).

All of these plants spread and may need to be contained once established. They will need to be transplanted into the area and watered until established and over extended dry periods. Lilyturf is on the sun and shade lists because it is highly adaptable and will generally grow in any location. Some varieties spread more quickly than others.

Shrubs

Low-growing junipers are another option. Depending on the variety, a single plant can cover an area of 4 feet or more. Space according to mature size listed on the tag, and water until established and over extended dry periods.

Mulch

Areas under trees or with high traffic from pets, children, etc., may be best off simply covered in mulch. With trees, the problem is usually that the tree’s roots outcompete grass or other plants for water and nutrients. Supplemental watering alleviates some of the competition stress, but shade is also a factor. Just simply keeping mulch over the area helps prevent the likelihood of erosion and also improves the growing environment for the tree. For high traffic areas, compaction is the issue and few plants can survive in compacted soil. Mulch may also help reduce muddy feet.

— Jennifer Smith is a former horticulture extension agent for K-State Research and Extension and horticulturist for Lawrence Parks and Recreation. She is the host of “The Garden Show” and has been a gardener since childhood. Send your gardening questions and feedback to features@ljworld.com.