1. Silver ponyfoot probably won't survive your winter. I had planted some in my front yard, it did well during the spring/summer/fall last year, even when I only ran the sprinkler essentially once a month. However, almost all of it (99.5%) didn't come back this spring. I'm just north of Dallas (Lewisville, by the lake).

2. I've gotten bags of a "no float" cypress mulch before, maybe you can put a relatively fine wire mesh screen over the opening of the drain and try that? Even with grass, there will be sediment being "floated down the river" into the drain. That's what typically fills in French Drains and keeps them from working. I'd probably keep a hole around the drain, cover the opening of the drain with a wire mesh screen, and resolve myself to reaching in there after every storm to clear out any debris. Most likely while wearing elbow-length "dish-washing" gloves. Or, fill in the hole with medium-sized gravel so that the debris stays up top.

I will say that if you have bermuda anywhere near where you want to plant or do NOT want it, try to remove it way far away from the area. It's easier to do it now than after you plant. And I'm not sure solarization will work for bermuda grass. It's very stubborn.

I've got iris, lantana, Lady-in-Red Salvia, Autumn Sage (salvia gregii) in red & pink, Texas Sage (aka cenizo), Henry Duelberg salvia, and Mystic Spires salvia in the front yard, with Blackfoot Daisy just added this spring. I'll add two Earthkind roses this fall. They're pretty much full sun (east-facing, no shade most of the day) and get minimal supplemental water. I have two American Beautyberries in the back, in a location that will flood when we get a lot of rain but gets pretty dry during the summer (they've both wilted at least once this summer and they were planted over a year ago). I think they may wind up needing supplemental water, possibly because they get too much sun?, but they should tolerate occasional wet feet. I also have a Turk's Cap in the back, its feet probably doesn't get AS wet as the Beautyberries', but it gets more sun, and it really needs a bit more supplemental water.

That's really all I know. I like your ideas and I wish you luck!

***1. Silver ponyfoot probably won't survive your winter. I had planted some in my front yard, it did well during the spring/summer/fall last year, even when I only ran the sprinkler essentially once a month. However, almost all of it (99.5%) didn't come back this spring. I'm just north of Dallas (Lewisville, by the lake). ***

It can be grown from seed. I'm wondering if it could just be reseeded each spring to fill it back in. Anyone every tried that?

***2. I've gotten bags of a "no float" cypress mulch before, maybe you can put a relatively fine wire mesh screen over the opening of the drain and try that? Even with grass, there will be sediment being "floated down the river" into the drain. That's what typically fills in French Drains and keeps them from working. I'd probably keep a hole around the drain, cover the opening of the drain with a wire mesh screen, and resolve myself to reaching in there after every storm to clear out any debris. Most likely while wearing elbow-length "dish-washing" gloves. Or, fill in the hole with medium-sized gravel so that the debris stays up top.***

The drain is solid and has clean outs on both ends, it's been taking the water for a while anyway. My real concern with the mulch is I don't want it in the creek bed, what a mess to keep it cleaned out plus hard enough to keep stuff from growing in the gravel already. Might just have to try it and see how it does I guess.

***I will say that if you have bermuda anywhere near where you want to plant or do NOT want it, try to remove it way far away from the area. It's easier to do it now than after you plant. And I'm not sure solarization will work for bermuda grass. It's very stubborn. ***

Completely agree on the bermuda. The solarization is just one step, since I can't plant right now anyway, figured it cant' hurt.

The real question is whether to plant the berm or use grass. In either event it might need to be edged to keep bermuda out of it but most of the grass on the other side of the berm is little bluestem.

***I've got iris, lantana, Lady-in-Red Salvia, Autumn Sage (salvia gregii) in red & pink, Texas Sage (aka cenizo), Henry Duelberg salvia, and Mystic Spires salvia in the front yard, with Blackfoot Daisy just added this spring. I'll add two Earthkind roses this fall. They're pretty much full sun (east-facing, no shade most of the day) and get minimal supplemental water. I have two American Beautyberries in the back, in a location that will flood when we get a lot of rain but gets pretty dry during the summer (they've both wilted at least once this summer and they were planted over a year ago). I think they may wind up needing supplemental water, possibly because they get too much sun?, but they should tolerate occasional wet feet. I also have a Turk's Cap in the back, its feet probably doesn't get AS wet as the Beautyberries', but it gets more sun, and it really needs a bit more supplemental water. ***

All good suggestions. Just first have to decide, whether to plant the whole thing or go with grass. It's low and wide enough it could be mowed or if we could get the Habiturf in there without any bermuda or Dallis in it I think we could leave it unmowed. We have some pretty solid patches of buffalo grasss in the back and typically mow around them to encourage them and they look fine unmowed, very cute with their little seed heads.

I don't have good luck with Beautyberry in full sun either. There is some now on the left hand side of the porch that's only in part sun and it gets some water from the soaker hoses we used on the foundation.

**That's really all I know. I like your ideas and I wish you luck! **

Thanks. It's clearly at least a year from even looking decent much less spectaculur but hopefully long-term it will be very nice.

Thanks

Teri

I would plant the berm with natives and not use grass, but would lay landscape fabric over the area, cover with gravel large enough so it wouldn't wash down into the creek when it rained, and plant ornamental native grasses, agaves, things like Tex Ag suggested above; sages, salvias, native shrubs, etc.. Next to the house I'd suggest decomposed granite with stepping stones for a walk. Look at lots of photos to decide how to arrange the plants. You may need to get a few more big rocks to go on the berm. Something like the look of the photo linked below is what I'd aim for. There are several more photos for inspiration on the google search link posted on the other thread. The creative juices will start to flow and you'll have a blast landscaping the area over the next couple of years. It will be beautiful!

Here is a link that might be useful: Dry creek bed planting ...

My only suggestion is curves. That's a lot of straight parallel lines. I enjoyed your pics and reading through your process.

**My only suggestion is curves. That's a lot of straight parallel lines. I enjoyed your pics and reading through your process.
***

It does seem really staight from the photos doesn't it? The actual path of the creek was pretty much determined by the lay of the land but if you look closely at the pics you can see there are some 'divots' where there is just cloth visible. Those are indentions in the bank of the creek for planting, so that should help some.

On the berm from the front, there is a pretty big curve into to line up with another little hill that was already there from digging up a septic tank at one time. So hopefully those things combined will prevent it from looking so much like a big drainage ditch through the front yard.

Yes, and making parts of it wider on one side than the other with your stones to accentuate the curves it does have will give the illusion of a more winding stream.

You need some trees, evem small ones. Dessert willow.

Actually I'm very excited because a small desert willow I have closer to the street is blooming for the first time.

Where would you consider planting a tree in this area?

Thanks

Teri

Did you decide yet what to plant? We have plans to end a french drain into psuedo dry creek bed. We are planning to embed the base rocks in cement to prevent washout with more stones on top to disguise it and I want to plant with mostly ornamental grasses.

Teri, you might consider planting the tree on the left side (away from the house) at the head of the creek bed end. You might want to construct a little low fake bridge with railings and a couple of very large stones to give the illusion of a stream coming from out of the ground and to stop the eye from going to the field beyond. The tree could be placed so it overhangs the bridge.

Yes, ornamental grasses would be great on the berm and sides. When I'm trying to decide on where to plant/landscape I look at a lot of pictures first then buy some plants, place them around and look at them for a few days before planting. You might can find some things on sale this time of year, but don't plant them until it cools off. Maybe get a friend to help you brain storm on where to place them. It's going to look great!

I have a Senna corymbosa that was mislabeled when I got it, so it's much too big for its current spot. I'm considering moving it on the berm to the area where the 'head' of the creek is. I also have a Lindheimer's muhly that I'd like to place next to on that left (east end). The camera makes the whole area all look huge and really long but from the front, what's to the left of it, is the neighbor's driveway/front and what's behind it is my side yard and wooden fence. So there really isn't a field behing it, thought it may appear that way.

I also have 2 switch grass 'Prarie Sky' Panicum virgatum that I think I'll put where there is a wedge of grass righ now between the head of the creek and the berm, where the water will funnel in. I think the switch grass will be OK being in the water when it rains hard.

DH really likes grass and doesn't want to mulch the berm. For the winter I think I'm going to put a cover crop on it and then next spring we can do the Habiturf. We'll have to edge the front side of the berm to do that to be sure no other grass runs up in there. Then hopefully we can leave the berm unmowed.

I am going to plant all of it between the creek and the house and I've already done carboard/mulch over a big portion of it. We've been waiting all this time to get the walk replaced but they finally told us they'll do it next week. So that will help me a lot getting going forward on this.

I do have some of the plants that I've picked up on sale, repotted and kept in morning sun only. I'n hoping to have it all prepped and be able to get them in the ground late September/early October.

I'll do some more pics after the walk way is finished.

Your desert willow blooms are so pretty. Another one of those would look perfect next to your stream too.

I think lynnmarie is right, you need more curves, even if the direction of the stream is straight. Are you going to continue the stream to your driveway? It really needs a natural beginning and ending.

Have you thought of having the sidewalk cross the stream? That would help with the amount of straight lines too. Then you could put an ornamental tree, or trees, nearer the house. Do a search for creek beds and you'll see how nature plants around stream beds, and how boulders are scattered in the center of the stream as the water washes the smaller stuff down stream.

You could put the gravel in the area between stream and house and then create islands of plants in the gravel.

Is the berm necessary to keep more water from flowing from the yard into the stream? It seems that it would look more natural between the stream and the house. You could also put gravel over your septic tanks. I know what you mean about not having enough dirt there and nothing will grow. I have mulch over mine for the same reason.

I just came across this photo of a man made dry creek bed. The rock at the head of the stream is a nice feature. It makes it look as if water comes from a spring beneath it. Or you could use a big log with the ends covered in plants to get the same effect, or a simple cedar post railing with large shrubs or tall ornamental grasses behind it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Photo -- from Michelle's Gallery