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Freedom
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A few questions, photos to show situation

Hello All,
Seems I lost track of this forum after my initial post back in Sept 2016. (In my defense, left total knee replacement, 4 months later right total knee replacement, and then left hip replacement, so I did have a bit going on.) Reference to my initial post is not required to follow this discussion, but the charts may be of some interest. That thread is here: viewtopic.php?t=69949

Three + years on, complete overhaul of my yard. 3/4 of the yard is no longer lawn, it is all planted. And I have a few problems.
I am in Zone 6b, northeastern Massachusetts. The front of the house is facing West, and I have that separated into 3 plots for discussion purposes: left of driveway, between drive and front walk, and beyond front walk. The 4th plot, or area, is what I term "The Slope." This faces South.

1. Plot 1. Front yard far left when standing in street facing the house. Clover has invaded and taken over. My groundcover "was" 3 varieties of sedum spurium: John Creech, Dragon's Blood, and Tri Color, and some creeping thyme. The clover moved in late last Fall and before I knew it, it was everywhere in this plot. It interweaves with the sedum, and I suspect it will kill that off. I tested one area with Weed B Gone; that will kill the clover with 2 applications. Unfortunately 1 application kills the sedum, even though that is below the clover and hidden. I just don't know what to do at this point, and would appreciate some ideas. The first photo show the plot; the arbor vitae far left are not mine, those belong to the neighbor.
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Freedom
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Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2016 10:46 am

In that same area, as this pic shows, the ground cover and clover are swarmed around the Mountain Laurel "Minuet," a dwarf variety. Will it kill the bush as well? I just don't know what to do with this whole plot.
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Last edited by Freedom on Tue Jun 02, 2020 10:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Freedom
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Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2016 10:46 am

2. Plots 2 and 3, also front of the house. The ground cover is filling in, but hasn't yet completely covered the land. Clover tries to root, but so far I have been able to keep it out of these 2 areas. The section along the road is a constant intense battle to keep grass and weeds out. For the first time this year, I've used PREEN, applied it twice and as near as I can tell it is not doing anything.

I've put a line of oak trees along the street edge, just relocating small trees that start here there and everywhere. Back about 1964, Dad had put in maple trees along the street. Over time they grew tall and gangly, they were removed in 2001. Since then the summer sun beats down on the front of the house making it very hot.
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Last edited by Freedom on Tue Jun 02, 2020 10:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Freedom
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Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2016 10:46 am

The ground cover in these 2 areas is also moving right over the dwarf Mountain Laurel bushes, but it seems to stop at the drip line for the hydrangea paniculata "Bobo", which is what I wanted it to do. The first pic is with the hydrangea, sorry, got them in reverse order.

Basically, my question is, am I still on the right track? Should I be doing something that I am not doing? What about the darn clover? Some days I think I am fine, just waiting another year or 3 for the ground cover to fill in, other days I'm convinced I have messed up royally and need to till everything under and start over.
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Last edited by Freedom on Tue Jun 02, 2020 10:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Freedom
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Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2016 10:46 am

3. Finally, The Slope. This is covered with arctostaphylos uva ursi aka kinnikinnick. It is filling in nicely. I enjoy the tiny flowers which appear in mid May each year.

I do not own to the bottom of The Slope. 2 years back the mulch had all slid down to the neighbor's yard. I had to shovel it all up the hill again. Then I set landscape fabric, and topped that with weather treated boards to hold it in place until the kinnikinnick fills in. According to the local nursery, once this happens I can removed the wood, neighbor can just mow his lawn along the property line and that will stop the spread into his area.

When I started this project in late 2016, I had 3 cranesbill plants, "album." Well, it freely reseeds so now I have it EVERYWHERE in this area. Better than the clover, so I am leaving it, for now. Not sure if I should?

Weeding the areas where the kinnikinnick has not yet filled in is making me nuts!

I've put in some oak trees in a line just above the boards. Loads of oak around here, the squirrels happily bury the acorns, so I've just relocated 8 or so along that line. They will provide some much needed shade on The Slope and on the house as well (in about 15 years!). And if I don't like them I can prune them in year 5 or so, but the roots will help hold the land in place on this hill.
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