edenbythebay

  Eden By The Bay Plants for Clay Soil: Ground Covers Our mission is to replace our thirsty lawns with some kind of a ground cover. But what do we mean by "ground cover?" Ground cover can include plants, mulch, semi-permeable granite, vines grown horizontally, and even native grasses (or, more likely, some combination of the above). In fact, some of the low shrubs that I reported on last year qualify as ground covers (see  Plants for Clay Soil: Low Shrubs ). This year I'm expanding my search for ground cover plants that thrive in the conditions of our San Francisco Bay Area home - with its clay soil (compacted with lots of tree roots), mixed areas of sun and shade, sloping aspect, and magnificent oak tree. Our small lawn has converted to moss, which I love, but it looks dead most of the year due to our perpetual drought. Low maintenance is desirable. In my quest, I'm using several sources, including a tool new to me, available at  http://www.waterwonk.us/  ...