As Dan states you need to talk with the people at your local office of the University of Florida Coopperative Extension Service about having a good, reliable soil test done to see what your soil might need, Then you can also dig into your soil with these simple soil tests, 1) Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains� too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. to see what else your soil needs. Here is a link that might be useful: UF CES

> huge bare spots that are ugly and I want to try to unify it and make it look attractive. I wonder why the pine needles aren't forming a (thin) cover. > I think the orange flowers are gazanias?? the clumping type. They'll (continue) dying out. > There is also some rosemary mixed in there. do they appear to be spreading (wriggly branches rooting)? what are the pale scattered things that look about 2-3"? If sandstone, then you could spread a thin layer of more sandstone to help the rosemary spread. _________ For covering purposes, I would mix the species. I don't know socal, but some of these might at least spur better suggestions... Asparagus 'Sprengeri' is pretty good for long seasons and bright shade. Has short sharp prickly hooks on stems. http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Asparagaceae/Asparagus_densiflorus.html Mahonias would probably settle at the top of the wall. I don't think the drier Mahonias will fill, but could be part of a mix. Dry coastal Salvias or hybrids (S mellifera, etc). They will probably try "running from" shade. Myoporum parvifolium. plain green cover (low shub) Coprosma x kirkii is another plain green cover, but I'm now looking in Sunset.. where they say it's not so dry growing as what i've seen. Maybe the one (or two?) i saw dry were just lucky. They had no competition and were well mulched, so... Erigeron karvinskianus, sort of weedy looking, but dense. they seem to live a long time for a herbaceous-looking plant. Geranium macrorrhizum. whiter foliage, else similar form. i've never grown it. Tough reputation. (but read the sunset description!) Malvastrum, but it will smother anything (such as slow children) in adjoining moist areas. (top of retaining wall is good barrier) Also I don't know how well it hangs on steeper slopes. It likes water but will survive with little water once it's large (which is soon, if watered). Will lose a lot of leaves if dry, showing a lot of stems (it seems to try to smother itself :-) ) Oenothera berlandieri. nice flowers. is a strong spreader (underground), but tends to die out completely. will not stay on a slope. goes to flat ground and swales. will likely go thru that "railroad tie" part of the retaining wall, so don't plant it near there. "Dusty Miller" Senecio(s) or Centaurea gymnocarpa. Won't live very long (on flat ground, but on a slope??), but will grow fast. Senecio wants full sun. Centaurea might grow well under high overhanging pine branches. (still wants sun) spreads/runs irregularly, good in the mix. Lavandula x 'Goodwin Creek' is pretty tough for mostly full sun (mixes ok with similar sized neighbors). Teucrium fruticans. "subtly" charming (bright overall color). won't cover anything densely (is a weak shrub) Mixes well with other shrubs. try Eremophila. Where you can see the flowers. Ballota is tough, though small. I'd pop a few in along top of wall. Socal warm season might be longer than it likes, though. Euryops, though often sheared (!gak!), are very good naturalistic shrubs. Essentially full sun. Acacia redolens. Caltrans tough. Not so great looking close up, imo. More like a thick haze than dense cover. Don't know how well it mixes. There are some larger tough plants. Plumbago. Cissus (vines). Eleaegnus. Tecomaria (you might want to keep the center pushed down.) Large fast Ceanothus (griseus) covers, will do ok in bright woodsy edge. Good in the mix. Research Junipers. Still very tough. I see this sometimes http://images.google.com/images?q=Kabatina+blight Not sure about that in Socal. http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/kates_mommy/BackyardHillside-1-1.jpg What's that thin multi branched treelet? http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/kates_mommy/BackyardHillside-3.jpg And try some "nice stuff" at the top of wall in this area...

Well, I was hoping this would be a beginner-friendly, helpful forum, but I guess not. . . I'll ask elsewhere. Randi

About the only thing you can grow in a 2 foot by 2 foot area is lettuce. They should be spaced at least 6 to 8 inches apart. Strawberry plants are about the same size, but you would need 30 to 60 of them to have a regular supply of ripe berry's. P.S You can grow a bunch of other things like green onions or radishes in the same space. But that would require a custom built hydro system, not a store bought system.