Welcome to Garden Web! I thought you might like to know that there is no way to email you the way you have your preferences set. I suggest you go to the bottom of any page here and click on 'Member Pages'. then Edit Preferences. Then using the drop down box, set it to show your email addy to Members only. then check the box to allow others to email you via the forms here at GW. That will place a link on your member page so folks can reach you. You might also want to (while you are there) fill in your gardening zone, and your state abbreviation. The state abbreviation goes in the same box as the zone. Happy Gardening and trading. Also member retsec cannot be reached, so you two it seems are at a standstill until at least one of you set your prferences so you can be reached. Sue

I live on a coastal bluff in Solana Beach. I am looking to plant deep root plants to help stabilize the top of the bluff. I thought ice plants were not good for this? Rosea iceplant and Lampranthus is suggested above. Please any advice what to plant. thanks

You are on the right track with the ideas that (1) you want a hedge that is somewhat permeable to allow the break to baffle the wind and (2) you want two rows in the planting to better direct the wind up and WAY over. I suggest the windward, lower row could be: Cistus x skanbergii HYBRID ROCK ROSE Leptospermum scoparium NEW ZEALAND TEA TREE Westringia fruticosa COAST ROSEMARY And the leeward, taller row could be: Cupressus arizonica ARIZONA CYPRESS Lavatera assurgentiflora TREE MALLOW Leptospermum laevigatum AUSTRALIAN TEA TREE Melaleuca nesophila WESTERN TEA MYRTLE Melaleuca styphelioides BLACK TEA TREE Pittosporum crassifolium KARO Joe

Unless you are living in an area of savannah woodland I suspect a good diversity of native shrubs may have occurred on your site pre-clearing. There should be quite a few local natives, especially in your area (which I envy). I live on hard clay loam and have great success with Banksias and Grevilleas, but they're all species from areas with clay. I know quite a lot of the most popular WA plants come from deep sand so would doubtless kark it on clay. My past experience with Eucalyptus caesia (pretty much a shrub where I was in western Sydney at the time) shows it to be tolerant of clay, as is Grevillea biternata. Other WA species I am familiar with or have heard of taking well to clay include: Alygone huegelii Astartea fascicularis Boronia megastigma (well, maybe touch and go) Calothamnus quadrifidus Chorizema cordatum (if given a reasonable humus-rich topsoil) Eremophila - most seem to tolerate clay around here Hakea laurina, petiolaris Melaleuca coccinea (worth a try), diosmifolia, laterita Solanum aviculare (grows like lightning to about 2.5m) Some of the eastern natives (and are not too tree-like) that do well on clay in my experience include: Melaleuca parvistaminea, ericifolia, styphelioides Kunzea ambigua, parvifolia, ericoides Banksia marginata, ericifolia, spinulosa, robur, paludosa Grevillea hyrids of many sorts, aspleniifolia, juniperina Baeckia virgata Acacia species (most, especially feathery-leaved ones) Allocasuarina paludosa Atriplex nummularia Bauera rubioides Callistemon citrinus and cultivars Calytrix teragona Correa alba, reflexa cultivars Crowea all Dodonaea viscosa Prostranthera lasianthos, incisa, saxicola Philotheca myoporoides (used to be Eriostemon myoporoides) Indigofera australis Jacksonia scoparia Leptospermum, lots Myoporum montanum and various others Westringia longifolia, fruticosa Mind you, if you grow on limestone this list may be of sparse use. While most of these species are pretty hardy, some loathe high pH. Also, this list applies mainly to better drained clay (white or yellow to reddish) not soggy stagnant clay (grey). My personal preference would be your own local natives, you have so many real beauties.