Take care of 2 landscaping problems with 1 solution - Deer resistant groundcover alternatives for lawns. Lawns have their place, but there are shady nooks and outer reaches where grass won’t grow or the mower can’t squeeze in. These areas are perfect candidates for ornamental groundcovers like ajuga and sweet woodruff. Why not choose plants that do double duty by hinting to passing deer that there’s nothing tasty in the yard worth stopping for. David Beaulieu has some suggestions for attractive, perennial groundcovers the deer won’t touch.