I'm so excited to get in on the ground floor of this new forum!

I have recently decided to quit trying to grow what I want to grow and start growing what the soil and weather wants to grow.

I definitely want clump grasses. I planted Mexican Feather Grass and Blonde Ambition Blue Gamma Grass (not sure how something can be blonde and blue at the same time.) Also, some day lilies.

Looking for suggestions as to what might grow in heavy clay with no summer water.

Thanks!

Some Cacti would do well.

They might sog-out and die in the late winter/early spring though if you get a lot of rain on that heavy clay...
what is your winter-wetness like?

Perovskia, Nepeta, Solidago, Callirhoe...more clumpy grasses...bluestem...I'm thinking...

Yay for this new forum!!

I like upright, non floppy grasses. I'm a huge fan of switchgrass, my favorite is "Northwinds", but they are very tall! I also love "little bluestem" and Blue avena oat grass, which are a bit shorter.

dirtdorphins said:They might sog-out and die in the late winter/early spring though if you get a lot of rain on that heavy clay...
what is your winter-wetness like?

Perovskia, Nepeta, Solidago, Callirhoe...more clumpy grasses...bluestem...I'm thinking...

Oregon weather is irrational. You can get any kind of weather any time of year.

Our yard continues to suffer from decades of abuse/neglect. The area I'm planting is steeply sloped and prior to our efforts, suffered run off, that lead to flooding in the street below. We've removed half of the lawn, and added amendments, and the soil has opened up and accepts the rain, so the run off and flooding doesn't happen anymore, but still, I have yet to notice any part of that area getting soggy.

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll look into them!

Heidi, the Karl Foerster feather reed grass (calamagrostis) is an award-winning upright grass that does well in many locations and asks for very little. It'll appreciate an annual trim, and that's about it.

Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster')

That's good sallymander--in fact if you're stuck with clay, a nice hill is about perfect
any excess in your wet season can run off and/or drain down and you avoid soggy conditions, and then in your dry season, clay is the best for holding what moisture it gets especially now that you have 'opened it up'.
You should be able to grow a wider range of plants that can handle a dry summer and not have to worry too much about winter-wet.
Two of my very favorite, tough-as-nails in that category, are semps and irises

What do you want to grow?

dirtdorphins said:That's good sallymander--in fact if you're stuck with clay, a nice hill is about perfect
any excess in your wet season can run off and/or drain down and you avoid soggy conditions, and then in your dry season, clay is the best for holding what moisture it gets especially now that you have 'opened it up'.
You should be able to grow a wider range of plants that can handle a dry summer and not have to worry too much about winter-wet.
Two of my very favorite, tough-as-nails in that category, are semps and irises

What do you want to grow?

I would like to grow a vegetable garden. Alas, my soil doesn't agree with me. I can afford to amend a small area and that's it.
My cousin recommended trees. I put in a peach tree that is doing surprisingly well. And a Seckle pear tree that has its first pear this year. I'll be adding some Hinoki Cypress as a wind screen. We rent, and I typically would not put big trees at a rental, but the way this hillside drys out, I see it as self preservation. I was just given some daylilies and echinacea, so they'll be planted next. . Thanks for your help!