I don't know if they would work for your climate, but creeping thymes like sun and can take heat, and grow remarkably quickly here.

Cfreeping thymes will work well. I suggest you look at the ones sold by High Country Gardens, especially the very flat ones.

The Missouri Botanical Garden was one of my favorite haunts when I lived in St. Louis. Still a must stop when I am in the area.

A mass of dwarf heuchera

Tiny reblooming daylily

I have been thinking about why the grass dies. If nothing else grows there the soil may need to be amended or replaced.

This post was edited by mnwsgal on Mon, Oct 28, 13 at 9:55

I grow creeping red thyme along the street curb. It gets very dry there and the creeping thyme does well. After the first bloom it is cut back for a second bloom. The same area has grape hyacinths which grow through the thyme in the spring and dies back until late fall.

Another suggestion is a mat forming dianthus. Article Fire is long blooming for me with some rebloom and foliage stays nice. I also have a white one that gets a little taller bit doesn't rebloom.

How a out a low growing ornamental grass? One clump of sporobolis, several clumps of blue fescue or carex 'Ice Dancer'.

A short growing hardy geranium.

Portulaca, moss roses, low growing sedums, hens & chicks.

I like lamium and ajuga. They're indestructible and have pretty purple flowers. I walk on them.

Thanks for all these suggestions! I do need something that can get stepped on, and have the hose dragged across. More the latter than intentional stepping on.

It is funny but grass grew there just fine before the patio install. When that was done new soil was put in all around most of the patio, but not that specific spot; and sod laid. We decided the old grass there looked sad near the new sod, so we opted to put in new sod there ourselves. The sod we put in didnâÂÂt make it, so we started seeding, but neither one lasted for more than one season.

I really liked the look of the Ajuga Mahogany, but have no idea if it can take any traffic. Susan , what kind of Ajuga do you have? I have a silver lamium elsewhere and it is patchy, has never filled in.

It looks like thyme is my best option. I have not wintersowed, but it seems like I need to start.

Look also at "Steppables". I have some but can't recall the names. Just google it.

HTH, Rosie

Most of the plants I listed can take some crushing by a hose/being stepped on and will recover quickly. When the grasses get stepped on I fluff them up and they are fine. The mat forming dianthus hug the ground and I don't even notice its having been stepped on.

How about creeping phlox, Phlox subulata.

Or, large raised planting boxes. :)

I'd also consider doing a soil test. Perhaps lime from the patio block is effecting the soil pH or there's another problem such as soil compaction stemming from the patio build.

The ajuga I have is Caitlyn's Giant. It's very thick and burgundy colored. Mountain phlox works well around my slate steps. I weed whack it back before winter.

Mahogany ajuga works well for me and spreads slowly. The blue flowers in Spring are lovely. Seems to take little care. I am gradually digging and transplanting to edge a rather long flower bed. The plant stays lovely all summer. Mine is growing in rather heavy soil and does very well. Mary