I've just cleared a large area of Kikyu (a bit over an acre), and have
planted a buffalo lawn which is surrounded by an area of garden beds,
a vegitated creek offset and a swale. The garden beds are being
planted up with native trees, shrubs and groundcovers. Because the
area is so large, and our budget is so small, the trees and shrubs are
going are seedlings showing their first sign of woody material.

We have ready access to the following groundcovers:

Comelina
New Zealand Spinnach
Oplismenus (a native spreading grass that grows in shade)
Native violet
Dichondra (kidney weed) - this is what we're trying to establish in
the swale with paperbarks and cabbage palms.

I'd really appreciate suggestions for low cost, low effort strategies
to prevent the buffalo grass from spreading into the garden beds. I'm
particularly concerned about the swale, as if we put edging material
into the swale, the overflow from the creek (the catchment is severly
degraded, and the creek is trying to re-establish it's original course
straight through the lawn (it's worse in the upstream property
though)) erode any barrier.

Any suggestions gratefully received.


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