back lawn

every year the lawn in the back of my house is full and green with a mixture of grass and some kind of clover etc. when the winter comes every thing but the grass dies off and the yard become a muddy  mess till the next spring when every thing grows back.  I tried seeding in the fall sith limited results. what could i plant with the grass that would still be there in the winter.
thanks for your advice.

How cold does it get where you are?