u/ElephantNorse

Pacific Northwest U.S., 8b. Full sun all day.

We are finally ready to do something with this neglected corner of the property. Currently it is some kind of grass that has volunteered, dandelions, and (eek) invasive Himalayan blackberry. All kept in moderate check over the years by string trimmering every few weeks during the growing season.

We are going to get help removing the blackberry (gotta dig deeeeep to get those suckers, pun intended) so the question is, what else?

The rest of the yard has been lovingly grown over the years into a forest-like preserve of mostly natives. See last three photos.

It is definitely possible to do the same with this corner, but we would need to get everything removed down several inches into bare soil and start from scratch.

On the other hand, that grass really wants to grow there. Could we not, post blackberry removal, over-seed with clover or similar, and keep it as a sort of little meadow? Would be nice for the dogs to play in, and we could mow just occasionally so tennis balls don't disappear for life.

Opinions?? Am I naive to think I can make this area usable without having every living thing removed first?

What can I plant around my raised beds in the South Puget Sound, full sun all day?

I originally put what I thought was a very deep layer of wood chips. But as you can see, it has become an ugly tangle of bindweed, dandelions, and horsetail, that I can only sort of control with frequent string-trimmer work. Now I'm ready to dig that whole area out and start again. I also happen to have some spare soil left from filling the raised beds. What do you think about:

- My neighbor has pea gravel overtop double layer weed barrier fabric, in a similar space, and this seems to work well for her, she just goes through it with a stirrup hoe to dislodge any weeds starting up. But I would rather have something alive . . .

- You can see the lithodora doing well nearby, would it be a good idea to plant up all that bordering area with it? I think it can handle a little stepping-on as I tend to the veggie beds?

- Or Vinca minor? I know I know, it is a thug, but if I want something to quickly fill ground, that is a positive, right? Or would I spend the rest of my life trimming it back?

- Other suggestions? I do need to be able to walk there occasionally, so long, woody vines like kinnikinnick are out.

I know it's not an official swimming place, so I'm not surprised I can't find any water quality info for them online. Does anyone know if the water is usually clean enough for dogs?

I ask because my Heeler and I had a great time playing in the water this morning, and she is now either feeling sick (bad) or just exhausted (excellent). Fellow high-energy dog people know, it's fantastic when you finally find an activity that completely satisfies them! But she definitely drank a few mouthfuls and now I'm a bit nervous I did the wrong thing in encouraging her to swim in a new place without knowing the water quality.

Any knowledge on this?

Alex just turned two, and is half Heeler, half Husky. In the year I have had her, I've definitely noticed her prey drive get more intense. Am I accidentally ramping it up by playing so much with The Ball? It's the same instinct, right?

She is generally easy to walk on leash, but yesterday (twice!) she almost yanked me off my feet trying to go after a bunny and later some ducklings. I am now making sure to get her attention with top-tier treats when I see her spot something, and reward her turning back to me.

But, should I also cool it with playing ball? We don't do too much at time, I don't want her tearing an ACL, but we do play almost every day. A favorite thing is to use the chucker to fling the ball into the woods undergrowth so she has to search for it wherever it landed under the bushes and ferns. She loves doing this and it seems like good brain work. But of course it's essentially like hunting and grabbing a round orange squirrel, haha.

I know the prey drive will always be there, I just want to be safe on leash. Do you all think less fetch is needed?