Helllllp....Pleeeeeeze

OK here's the problem. I have been put in charge of an ashram garden. I know zip about gardening but I'm learning fast.

We have two old redwoods in the corner of our yard and another on the other side of the fence in the neighbor's yard. We have a second story on the house. The backyard gets very late afternoon sun for a few hours and it only hits the back of the house.

I planted ferns under the redwoods, but they aren't looking too happy and the maidenhairs (my all time favorite fern) are shriveling up and turning brown. I suspect a lack of water. What we have discovered is that a few hours after watering the ground is bone dry down several inches. Not directly under the redwoods, but everywhere else in the front and back yard. No, it's not terribly hot, it's Culver City and mostly the climate is mild. Zone 10.

Thank you,
bonnie

My most immediate need is to know what, if anything can be grown as a ground cover in the backyard, that can also be walked on? I am aware that most things require sun, but we only have a bit of it on the ground on one side when it hits the house. Someone mentioned mosses, but via my research, I can't find one that appreciates being walked on. Fescue isn't working. I read about Thyme, but it doesn't look like it should be walked on.

Here is my drawing, not perfectly to size but close.

Is the problem with the fescue too much shade, or is it the foot traffic? If it's the shade then you've got a chance of finding a groundcover that can work (thyme also does best with sun so it's probably not your best option). But if it's the foot traffic that's killing it then I can't think of a non-grass groundcover that's going to hold up better.

Here's a website for a brand of groundcovers--they have a range of different ones so you can search by amt of foot traffic, sun/shade requirements, etc. http://www.stepables.com/ There's no need to buy just this brand, look at what the name is of the plants they recommend and chances are you can find flats of it at a local nursery or even Home Depot. Keep in mind though that even the ones they say are going to hold up well under higher levels of foot traffic are still not going to be as sturdy as lawn grass would be, so if you have people back and forth all the time walking on it you're going to have trouble unless you put in a path or stepping stones or something to minimize the time people spend walking on the groundcover.

Thank you ecrane 3. It's not the foot traffic, it's the darn shade. The problem is that once in a while the guru is going to do a fire ceremony out there and there will be lots and lots of people out there with him. I think we should brick it all in, but no one wants to sit on bricks.

I'm trying to find other options. I will look at the site. I have a ton of questions about everything.

Thanks again.
bonnie

Starbird, try Liriope, it makes a very dark green carpet if you keep it cut to about 2 to 3 in. or you could let it grow and be a shag carpet! Be careful, it travels!
Doe/Audrey