Thank you all so much for your detailed replies! Sorry it took me a bit to get back to everyone. gardengal48~I am indeed in CA--East Bay, with a desert-like micro climate but since we have in-ground sprinklers to keep the yard green, the spot I'm looking at stays pretty moist (since there's no sun to evaporate moisture). The spot is between the front yard and house, and is about 10-15ft wide by 4-6ft deep (I haven't measured yet, and don't think this would be considered "large"). I've looked up a few of the plants that have been suggested, and I like the idea of a low growing ground cover like the vinca minor, but want to avoid anything that is invasive and requires more than minor maintenance. I think what I'll do is make a list of what I like from the suggestions, and take it to a nursery to see what they offer for this area, and see if there is something I can plant in the next few months. I think it's good to have a list to go off of instead of walking in there and having to go with what they suggest (done that, didn't like the results).

Zack, I didn't post it because I hole heartedly agree with it. Again the "truth" might lie somewhere in the middle. I read "at" issues from many sides. The rancher manages 35,000 acres and I have found that controlling 17 acres is about making choices that have me riding a world where I do not control everything that comes my way. I can only imagine what the uncontrollable issues that he surfs. He has documented yellow star thistle patch and has found that it usually goes away after a decade if left alone. I found that surprising, even confusing. KR bluestem is a species that many people love to hate here in Texas. Yet I do see the butterflies going for their inflourescens during migration. I also see the native bluestem multiplying in the front field amongst them. It appears that on dry summers, it does not make much of an appearance or a very late one, giving the natives a chance to compete.. I know that I do not have the financial nor energy resources to dig them all out. Fire was said to control it but now they have back tracked on it. I am trying to keep it out of the valley where I have a delightful native community of Muhlenbergia s of different sorts. Nor do I want to poison everything out only to have the wind bring more to the empty soil. I was interested in the Monsanto angle of the board of directors mentioned in this Book review .It is more of the same thinking and written by David Theodoreopolis of J L Hudson Seedman fame, so he does have skin in the game and makes money selling possible invasive exotics AND natives. He is a controversial figure. I do find what he says about the fear of change valid and where do we stop the ecological clock since it is a forever changing thing. I just wish it would not change so fast. I have also and aesthetic concern about loosing some ground hugging spring ephemerals to the always land hungry bastard cabbage. Like I said, I do not agree with everything. that he says. I do find that much of the language used by some do or die native guys to be wishy washy as to what is a native and what is not. At the land conservationist meeting here in texas, there are 2 camps about the invasive grass KR Bluestem. 1 states it is a bad bad monoculture forming invasive that is good for nothing and and the other camp says it is a good land stabilizer and good at getting water to penetrate down to the water table. Another is that burr clover that was used as green manure and escaped. It grows in patches and I am tired of digging it up and it will improve my soil. My soil needs soil improvement desperately since invasively farmed cows have been overgrazing it for decades before I got here. Maybe it will disappear as it incorporates nitrogen into the soil.The soil washed away. I won't plant uncontrollable non natives because of the guilt if they escape issue. I prefer natives but I am a practical minded human when it comes to picking battles of whom I eradicate, where and how. The info keeps changing. I do not want to cause harm. But I do not know what is harm sometimes. My thinking is changeable about this subject. There is a lot on his site that is interesting. He uses Holistic land management ideas. He brings up that the removal of all herd animals off the grasslands and high deserts is harmful. .Balancing them is essential but these lands always had herd animals of sorts and many of the natural ones are gone and the niche is filled by cows. There is a connection between the desert tortoise populations and the herding of cows now. Desert tortoise populations have gone down where the removal of all cows have happened. Go figure. The politics of Rancher removal by the BLM is very troubling. Then they seem to give the rights of the land off to Uranium miners. Yes there is uranium under the Hammond's land. OOPS I didn't mean to open that can of worms.

brigite22 No photo possible? Are the large rocks attractively arranged? If not, hiring some one with a large crowbar or a Bobcat to shift some of them might help. Here are a couple of photos showing a sloped part of Thyme2dig's (one of this forum's members) garden. The large boulders were a byproduct of construction and/or road building and are placed in an attractive and functional way to help hold the slope as well as looking tidy and natural. She has a few plants in front of the rocks and some spill over from above to soften the rocks and make them look a part of the garden. These beds get a good amount of sun, so the specific plants might not work, but it gives you a good idea of how beautiful a hill (or mound) can be. This one has rock steps going up to the top, while the front has brick and wood steps. You might want to consider adding a path or steps up onto your mound with a path or stepping stones on top to help it look like a deliberate garden rather than leftover rock and soil. I like the way T2D uses a mix of shrubs and perennials, densely planted and mulched to help reduce weeds, to keep the area beautiful year-round. With a bit of planning and some care, this area can most likely look like a planned garden, not a leftover heap. I would start with planning whatever hardscape you want to add like steps, paths, garden art, etc. If you add paths, I'd put in edging to keep the groundcovers out of the pathways, but with stepping stones, just be sure to plant low growing plants in the walking areas. Leave the accumulated leaves there (though you can move them off your rocks), but pull any weeds and do any hardscaping. Over the leaves, put down a layer of corrugated cardboard or a thick layer of newspaper (wet it as you go to keep it in place) and then a good layer of hardwood mulch, again leaving the rocks exposed. This type of mulching is key to making the area low maintenance as it will keep down weeds and hold in moisture in a way that groundcovers alone won't. You will probably need to spend a couple of hours late spring and fall weeding, but not more than that. 15 minutes a day for two weeks a year is doable for most folks. Every few years you will need to add mulch until the ground cover has completely filled in. Consider adding plants with a variety of heights, leaf size, color and texture. Low maintenance, lower shrubs that are fine in somewhat dry afternoon shade: Microbiota decussata (AKA Russian arborvitae) evergreen Any of the smaller Hydrangea paniculata varieties such as 'Little Quickfire', 'Little Lime', etc. (none of the other Hydrangeas are tolerant of dryness, but H. paniculatas are.) Low bush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) smaller rhododendrons such as the various R. yakushimanum such as 'Ken Janik', 'Yaku Prince', 'Yaku Princess', etc but you may need to water if it is really dry for really long Diervilla (bush honeysuckle) Perennials that would work with your light: Anemone sylvestris - spreads Partridge berry- (Mitchella repens) very low some of the smaller gold-leafed hostas which tend to be more sun tolerant Heuchera (coral bells) and Tiarella (foamy bells) and Heucherella (a cross between the two previous) Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra) ‘Aureola’ gold foliage Carex 'Ice Dance' or C. 'Banana Boat' (along with many other Carex which often like part sun and tolerate dryness) - spreads Lamium maculatum (deadnettle) - spreads Ground cover Epimediums- spreads smaller daylilies like 'Happy Returns' Hellbores will spread via seed, but not aggressively Smilacina racemosa (false Solomon's seal) may be listed as Maianthemum racemosum - will spread via seed, but not aggressively Assarum spp (wild ginger, but not the edible kind) slowly spreading Polygonatum spp. (Solomon's seal) will slowly expand clumps Iris cristata (crested iris) will slowly expand clumps and is only about 6" high with light blue or white spring flowers. Some of the hardier Alstroemeria such as 'Sweet Laura' Geranium Bevan's Variety or G. macrorrhizum or G. biokovo Campanula poscharskyana Pulmonaria (lungwort) will spread via seed, but not aggressively Phlox divericata - (woodland phlox) Dicentra eximia - (fern-leaf bleeding heart) Pachysandra (kind of boring, but would be OK as part of a mix) - spreads You might want to put in some smaller daffodils and species tulips in the sunniest spots for early flowers.

Kinnikinnick, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi. This plant is native to much of the country, evergreen, very cold hardy (z2) and pretty drought tolerant once established. it is also not the slightest bit picky about soils except that they be well draining. Does not spread all that rapidly so be prepared to bit a patient for full coverage or decrease the spacing. I would also consider mulching after planting to retard weed development, preserve soil moisture and add nutrients back to the existing soil.