We are going to have the back 1/4 acre of our place cleared this summer (we are having it done by our neighbor's nephew who is a landscaper - we are too old and it's too big a job to do ourselves, and there are two year's worth of hurricane debris back there).

I need some help thinking about what to do with it. We aren't really going to plant much back there - I'm leaving the native tree cover - it's mostly maples and turkey oaks (and we had a turkey the other day - I got a picture of her) and it's shady so not likely to grow grass back there (would rye grow if I threw out some seed? I doubt it. It's kind of low but not really swampy - there are pretty good drainage ditches on two sides of the property.

I was thinking I'd get some bromeliads and put them around the trees - we will leave some of the native cabbage around the oaks and just remove the vines and weeds and debris, I think.

The front 2 acres are already cleared, and I'm not planning to move the horse there - he's at a boarding barn a mile down the road - convenient, and I have someone to feed him if we go away. I mostly want to eliminate some of the areas for wildlife to hide - we have 4 dogs and they like to chase the possums and raccoons at night and it's a real PITA when you're trying to retrieve them before bed and they get FULL of burrs.

Plus I worry about coyotes (right now we have a big dog who seems to keep them mostly out of there and I try to keep the small dogs close to me). I also wonder if removing the underbrush would make it MORE attractive to coyotes (removing some of the cover for smaller animals - I think one of the reasons they feed on pets so much out beachside is they have fewer rabbits and such to eat). Anyway, thoughts? This seems like a good place to get thoughts on wildlife and plantings.

-------------------------
[Feminism is] a socialist, anti-family, political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians. ~Pat Robertson

Blueberry bushes. Grow a blueberry farm, a bush every 20 feet on several acres and you will be selling berrys and opening a pick-your-own.

Then blackberrys as a fence, 5 ft wide blackberry bramble on the entire property line. you'll be selling canning supplies and having picking parties just to keep up with all the fruits.

-------------------------

LOL, don't want a cash crop, or people tromping around . The dogs like the privacy. I have no plans for more dogs (we have 4) and the horse may be moving up to Kentucky, so I think we may sell in a few years. In that case this would greatly improve property values, I think.

-------------------------
[Feminism is] a socialist, anti-family, political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians. ~Pat Robertson

Most people like blueberries.  Landscape bromeliads have some cold problems but if Bok Tower Gardens has big bromeliad beds, there's obviously good ones.  I can provide starters for some easy, reasonably fast ones without too many spines.