My favorite low conifers for my location are microbiota decussata (Siberian cypress) and the Emerald Spreader yew (not sure of the Latin name, but it's the one with the herringbone branching and it's very low). Their one fault? The falling oak leaves get stuck in them, and I have to pull them off for the needles to survive.

Now I need to plant the grassy area between the driveway and our rock retaining wall next to a small (usually seasonal) pond that is higher than it's ever been this spring, which the Canadian geese have discovered. I'm going to put in a Mohawk and Judd viburnum and some tree peonies to block the geese's trajectory, as well as some lilacs on the other side of the driveway. There are oak trees around the pond, and the neighbor has blue spruces scattered on his lot. Apparently, geese won't walk through something that is 30" or higher, since they can't easily spot predators. I don't really want to go that high, since it will block the view of the pond and the wall. I was hoping that the Siberian cypress under the larger bushes would work in place of the grass, since it's the grass and water combination that is heaven to the geese.

Interesting info I learned while googling CN geese: it takes 7 minutes for grass to go from mouth to poop, and each goose poops one pound PER DAY! I'd say that's about right, since they made a greasy slippery mess all over the lawn, driveways, and street where we used to live.

I guess I could let the oak leaves stay on the Siberian Cypress, but the SC doesn't seem to root as it spreads. We'd prefer some low evergreen underplantings for ground cover that would help retain the soil on this gently sloping area. Is there anything low that will take mostly filtered shade for much of the day that will root as it spreads like some of the juniperus horizontalis? I think I'm going to use juniperus horizontalis Andorra compact up by the street in the sunny area. I'm hoping that the angle of the fronds, rather than the spreading form, will keep the neighbors' friends from parking cars on them.

Any other ideas?

Thanks! Anne