Well, then, how 'bout some natives? It would seem they wouldn't be a no
brainer, you know, the right plant for the right place. If you don't know
of any, call you County Extension office and ask them for help.

Suzy O

"Vox Humana" wrote in message
.. .

wrote in message
ups.com...
if things keep dying because the area is "really dry", you might
consider watering your plants in the hope that they will survive?

I have a large area under irrigation with both sprayers and a drip system.
There is a limit to how much one can (or will) keep meticulously groomed
and
irrigated. The area that I am working on is a woodland area. I want to
make
it a very informal, low maintenance area - a shady retreat from the more
formal area of the yard. Of course watering is one option, but not one
that
meets my goals for this area. There is a creek that runs behind the
property but it is on the common area for the development. While no one
really uses it, I'm sure that the moment I tried to pump water from it for
my garden, all hell would break loose! There are probably all sorts of
laws
precluding that option. My deed prohibits the installation of a well or
cistern, so I can't collect rain water or dig a well. I just want to
clean
up the area and put in some plants that will survive with minimal care. I
have removed dead trees and cleaned up fallen trees and brush. I have
defined some paths and now I want to plant some low maintenance ground
covers, under shrubs, and woodland perennials. I see this as multi-year
project.