I tore up the front yard (48 x 23') completely. Took up all the vegatation
and put down 2 inches of topdress soil. I need to "temporarily" plant
something in it while I work on the hardscape and before I get in all the
scrubs and periennials. It will eventually be a garden area with no grass,
only divided planting areas for scrubs, bushes, periennials, bulbs, mulch,
ground cover and stepping stones. Will eventually have a bench and a raised
garden box, too.

Bottom line, I don't want to plant a grass that will put me back to the
original extremely hard work of removing grass to plant the final item. But
need something to cover over the next year or two to keep it from becoming a
muddy, weedy mess. Thanks

If your area experiences hard frosts then any annual grass will be fine....
you may get some volunteers from seed next spring but they're easily
removed.

Dave

"GIJane" wrote in message
...
I tore up the front yard (48 x 23') completely. Took up all the
vegatation
and put down 2 inches of topdress soil. I need to "temporarily" plant
something in it while I work on the hardscape and before I get in all the
scrubs and periennials. It will eventually be a garden area with no
grass,
only divided planting areas for scrubs, bushes, periennials, bulbs, mulch,
ground cover and stepping stones. Will eventually have a bench and a
raised
garden box, too.

Bottom line, I don't want to plant a grass that will put me back to the
original extremely hard work of removing grass to plant the final item.
But
need something to cover over the next year or two to keep it from becoming
a
muddy, weedy mess. Thanks

Annual Rey Grass should do the trick.

Dave

On Sat, 26 Jul 2003 08:47:55 -0400, "GIJane"
wrote:

I tore up the front yard (48 x 23') completely. Took up all the vegatation
and put down 2 inches of topdress soil. I need to "temporarily" plant
something in it while I work on the hardscape and before I get in all the
scrubs and periennials. It will eventually be a garden area with no grass,
only divided planting areas for scrubs, bushes, periennials, bulbs, mulch,
ground cover and stepping stones. Will eventually have a bench and a raised
garden box, too.

Bottom line, I don't want to plant a grass that will put me back to the
original extremely hard work of removing grass to plant the final item. But
need something to cover over the next year or two to keep it from becoming a
muddy, weedy mess. Thanks


Dave Fouchey, WA4EMR
http://photos.yahoo.com/davefouchey
Southeastern Lower Michigan
42° 35' 20'' N,
82° 58' 37'' W
GMT Offset: -5
Time Zone: Eastern

GIJane wrote:

I tore up the front yard (48 x 23') completely. Took up all the vegatation
and put down 2 inches of topdress soil. I need to "temporarily" plant
something in it while I work on the hardscape and before I get in all the
scrubs and periennials. It will eventually be a garden area with no grass,
only divided planting areas for scrubs, bushes, periennials, bulbs, mulch,
ground cover and stepping stones. Will eventually have a bench and a raised
garden box, too.

Bottom line, I don't want to plant a grass that will put me back to the
original extremely hard work of removing grass to plant the final item. But
need something to cover over the next year or two to keep it from becoming a
muddy, weedy mess. Thanks



Ryegrass. Preferably annual ryegrass, but the perennial rye makes a better
lawn and is not too hard to kill.

A cover crop of mustard would be interesting, and should crowd the weeds
out, but the neighbors would probably have a fit.

Bob

"GIJane" wrote in message
...
I tore up the front yard (48 x 23') completely. Took up all the
vegatation
and put down 2 inches of topdress soil. I need to "temporarily" plant
something in it while I work on the hardscape and before I get in all the
scrubs and periennials. It will eventually be a garden area with no
grass,
only divided planting areas for scrubs, bushes, periennials, bulbs, mulch,
ground cover and stepping stones. Will eventually have a bench and a
raised
garden box, too.

Bottom line, I don't want to plant a grass that will put me back to the
original extremely hard work of removing grass to plant the final item.
But
need something to cover over the next year or two to keep it from becoming
a
muddy, weedy mess. Thanks

The obvious solution is to cover the surface with landscaping fabric, it's
let the water through but stop and wild seeding or roots you've missed
growing...
The Q

On Sat, 26 Jul 2003 08:47:55 -0400, GIJane wrote:
Bottom line, I don't want to plant a grass that will put me back to the
original extremely hard work of removing grass to plant the final item. But
need something to cover over the next year or two to keep it from becoming a
muddy, weedy mess. Thanks

You don't say where you are, but I'd suggest annual cover crops... buckwheat
is one that immediately springs to mind. You'll have to replant several
times, depending on how long your project takes, but you'll be holding the
soil and improving the soil at the same time.

More on buckwheat in particular:
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/new...oryType=garden
Buckwheat photos: http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/cgi-bin...XE/show_imgs_9
http://www.ngirl.ars.usda.gov/farm/buckwheat.html

I can typically pick up buckwheat seed locally for about $0.50-$0.75 lb;
seeding rate is about 3 lbs per thousand square feet for a good solid stand.

Some other possibilities: http://www.outsidepride.com/covercrop.asp
http://www.groworganic.com/
http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/covercrop.html
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/cabarrus/sta...overcrop1.html

Hi GIJane,
Suggest you lay sown landscape fabric and cover with mulch or gravel. Add a
few potted plants (transplant from somewhere else perhaps) and "interesting"
items or large rocks.

--
Jayel
"GIJane" wrote in message
...
I tore up the front yard (48 x 23') completely. Took up all the
vegatation
and put down 2 inches of topdress soil. I need to "temporarily" plant
something in it while I work on the hardscape and before I get in all the
scrubs and periennials. It will eventually be a garden area with no
grass,
only divided planting areas for scrubs, bushes, periennials, bulbs, mulch,
ground cover and stepping stones. Will eventually have a bench and a
raised
garden box, too.

Bottom line, I don't want to plant a grass that will put me back to the
original extremely hard work of removing grass to plant the final item.
But
need something to cover over the next year or two to keep it from becoming
a
muddy, weedy mess. Thanks

Side Oats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)
Buckwheat (Polygonum fagopyrum)
Buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides) "609"
Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis)
Carex -
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/c...ental_grass/s=
cientific_namesa-e.html
(scroll down this site's list to "Carex". each link takes you to a
separate page with great descriptions and pictures) =

http;//www.nativeamericanseed.com
http://texnat.tamu.edu/cmplants/B-182/table.htm
http://aquat1.ifas.ufl.edu/idcargr2.html
http://www.ornamentalgrass.co.uk/rightgrass.html
http://www.westongardens.com/page%20...horserherb.ht=
m
http://www.floridata.com/ref/w/wedelia.cfm if you are in xone 9
http://www.landscaping.about.com/cs/groundcovers/
Anything leguminous

J. Kolenovsky =

http://www.celestialhabitats.com

GIJane wrote:
=

I tore up the front yard (48 x 23') completely. Took up all the vegata=
tion
and put down 2 inches of topdress soil. I need to "temporarily" plant
something in it while I work on the hardscape and before I get in all t=
he
scrubs and periennials. It will eventually be a garden area with no gr=
ass,
only divided planting areas for scrubs, bushes, periennials, bulbs, mul=
ch,
ground cover and stepping stones. Will eventually have a bench and a r=
aised
garden box, too.
=

Bottom line, I don't want to plant a grass that will put me back to the=

original extremely hard work of removing grass to plant the final item.=
But
need something to cover over the next year or two to keep it from becom=
ing a
muddy, weedy mess. Thanks

-- =

J. Kolenovsky, A+, Network +, MCP
=F4=BF=F4 - http://www.celestialhabitats.com - business
=F4=BF=F4 - http://www.hal-pc.org/~garden/personal.html - personal