There may be too much sun in your yard for it, but what about creeping Jenny?

How vertical? It is difficult to grow things on a slope greater than 3:1 and very difficult at 2:1. Native plants will establish themselves best in tough conditions -- hence all the weeds. The moss also indicates the soil is probably very compacted, acidic and low in nutrients and may drain poorly.

Have you considered encouraging the moss, and adding other mosses to the mix?

thanks for the responses!

creeping jenny looks awesome - i would be so happy if that would work.

however, as alabamanicole points out, we may have trouble because of the incline and the soil quality.

i'm not sure the ratio of the slope. there are two tiers - broken up by a sidewalk, and then it levels out at the top of the hill where the house begins.

the bottom slope (beneath the sidewalk) is slightly less steep than the one above it. both are way too steep for comfortable walking. the upper slope is almost completely vertical.

i would LOVE to encourage the moss, and add other mosses to the mix, but i am concerned that the only reason any of these patches are thriving now, is the shade and protection provided by the long grasses and weeds. i've only ever seen moss thrive in shady conditions.

i suppose it would behoove me to test the acidity of the soil, and figure out how many hours of straight sun the yard is getting.

i appreciate the suggestions.

thanks!

If you upper slope really is that steep, I'd be *very* cautious about removing vegetation. Those deep weed roots might be what's keeping it stable.

For the lower bit, a few inches of good compost may help with whatever you decide to do. The compost will help prevent erosion and also help out the new plants you put in.

Is a uniform bed of a short plant a must? If you were open to taller plants or doing some creative landscaping it would add some options.

Hey, I know -- monkey grass. :) No need to buy; I am sure you can dig up all you can handle for free!