I just read this blog post:

Many people spend a lot of their spare time fighting to remove moss from their garden lawns - but actually if you think about it, moss is a great alternative to a traditional lawn, especially for shady gardens.

In fact mosses tend to thrive in areas where traditional lawns suffer. They love compacted soil. As nonvascular plants they do not possess true roots and they get their nutrients and moisture from the air by capilliary movement. Mosses also seem to prefer poor quality soil with low nutrient levels - they really are wonderful plants.

I've never actually really thought about having moss instead of grass. But it makes perfect sense if you got the proper conditions for it.

http://greengardendesign.blogspot.com/2 ... -moss.html

If I could I would go with artificial turf, it never needs water and its green all year round.

On some areas around the house I planted white clover ! I also plant clover and phacelia sometimes together to make better soil and kill all the weed. I use lawn for growing herbs and some wild fruits I pick up in the woods....not much "lawn territory" left on my property ;)