GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

05-09-2005, 06:10 PM

wrote:

Hey Everyone,

We have a very large oak tree in our yard and I'd like to do some
landscaping around the tree. The leaves are constantly falling, so
could anyone recommend any specific plants, ground coverings etc. that
would allow easy cleanup of the leaves?

I figure wood chips would make it hard to pick up the leaves and the
same for moss type ground coverings.

I just want something low maintenance.

If you are in the western U.S. and this is a native oak (an oak
that was not planted from a nursery container), DON'T! Landscaping
around a western oak will kill the tree, especially when you start
watering the ground cover and other plants. Western oaks are
adapted to a long dry period in the summer with water (rain) only
in the winter. Further, the tree needs the leaf mulch to remain
healthy, even if (because) the leaves smother everything else.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages at URL:http://www.rossde.com/garden/