On Wed, 16 Nov 2005 21:48:17 GMT, "Natty Dread"
wrote:

Greetings from Richmond, Virginia, in USDA Zone 7. I bought a new house in
February of this year and have had no success at growing a lawn so I'm
looking for other options. I don't care that much about having a perfectly
manicured lawn, I just want something that looks green from the street and
the house. The yard in question has heavy brown clay soil, gets full sun
all day, provides recreational space for two good-sized dogs, and is
bordered by two large pin oaks. Due to the size of the yard and the fact
that the contractor who built my house last year basically dumped a bunch of
crap dirt on the lot during construction, amending the soil to support a
lawn would be too expensive and time-consuming to be practical at this
point. (And needless to say, sodding is out of the question.) Can anyone
give me a recommendation for a dog-friendly ground cover that would grow
green under those conditions? I'd prefer something that grows no more than
6" in height. I'm asking a lot, I know, but it's worth the question.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Rhonda
Richmond, VA

Yo, Rhonda -

You've received some excellent suggestions, all aimed at giving you
the desired "dog-friendly ground cover" on inhospitable terrain.

Here's a heretical suggestion, coming from So.Calif. which is
basically a desert. (Wouldn't be nuthin' here if water hadn't
been brought in from elsewhere; see "Chinatown").

People are now starting to consider xeriscapic (sp?) gardening, ,
which uses much le$$ water. City Hall pushes the idea with
illustrative garden plots.

There's a place in my neighborhood that uses as ground
cover the larger size mini-bark, and intersperses it with
appropriate plantings. Looks austere, but attractive.

I realize you have plenty of water in Virginia, so this is
just a thought; consider a bark-type ground cover that serves your
immediate purpose, but at the same time, start modifying
the soil underneath (sorry about the contractor's misdeed!). It will
indeed take several years, but a journey of a thousand miles starts
with a single step (old Indian saying). If you keep modifying the
soil, eventually you will be able to plant whatever you want.

Good Luck!

Persephone