TL;DR: ISO drought tolerant dog-friendly ground cover options that won’t kill trees.
While I love the space I have in my yard, I’m looking for some dog (and pollinator)-friendly ideas.
I have an 80 lb German shepherd and an 8 lb chihuahua mix that spend most of their time in the yard and I am looking for safe alternatives to grass for them.
As you can see, we have a lot of trees ranging from plums, limes, strawberry guava, avocado, Meyer lemon, hibiscus, figs, and a few non-fruit bearing trees. There is a drip system in place for the trees and grape vines (along the fence facing the road). The neighbor waters the wisteria on the other fence.
We do currently have a lot of monarch butterflies interested in the potted plants right now and honeybees that love the large swath of rosemary along the back fence, but it would be nice to cater to a wider variety of pollinators.
But we have no ground cover. First pic is from mid-springtime when weeds like oxalis are in full bloom, the rest are from early wintertime. Right now it’s pretty much all dirt as things have dried out. This unfortunately encourages my larger dog to dig holes to lay in the cooler dirt.
Not as obvious from pics but the whole yard slopes from back to front, getting steeper about halfway up the front yard.
Climate Info: I’m in semi-mountainous area in Southern California so it gets both hot in the summer (regularly in the 90s to low 100s) and chilly in the winter (we’ll have a handful of days dip below freezing). Rainy season is limited to the winter months with minimal precipitation the rest of the year. We are also considered a high fire risk area (the tall cypress are on the neighbor’s property).
by PrestigiousWeek8083
1 Comment
Shown in photos:
Photo 1: front yard with lush green ground cover and oxalis (Bermuda buttercup) blooms, trees in the background, and patch of dirt to the left
Photo 2: front yard with dog bed in the foreground, large black dog walking away. To the left are various potted plants and in-ground hibiscus bushes. Bottom of photo shows edge of concrete walkway adjacent to large area of dirt, ground cover becomes green approximately halfway to the chainlink fence in the background where trees are also shown.
Photo 3: the same area from photo 1 is shown with the ground now bare.
Photo 4: shows the same yard from photos 1-3 from the other direction. PVC pipe from the drip irrigation system is shown erupting from a large swath of bare earth. A white wooden fence is shown in the background. The large black dog is laying in the dirt near the center of the photo next to a small table.
Photo 5: photo shows a patchy lawn with a mix of fresh green grass and bare earth. Potted sago palms along the chain link fence line. Roadway is visible through the chain link fence on the left side of the photo.
Photo 6: Side Yard: the side of a house frames the left side of the photo and leafy wisteria-covered fence frames the right side. A large prickly pear cactus is featured in the center surrounded by mostly bare earth. A small nursery-sized tree is planted in front of the cactus and multiple young avocado trees are shown in the distance.
Photo 7: The same area from Photo 6 is shown from the other direction, better showing one of the small avocado trees. The black dog from previous photos standing between the cactus and the avocado tree. Large Cyprus trees are shown behind the fence, extending high into the sky out of frame.
Photo 8: Back yard: a patchy, flatter area is shown with approximately 70% of the ground having green grass while 30% is bare earth. A structure is visible behind a tree to the left and in the distance. A clothesline is located to the right. Large pots are scattered about. A tall wooden fence encloses the yard to the right.