I have been reading gardenweb for a while now and this is my first post. I currently rent a small duplex from my brother in law that has a small front yard,maybe 20' X 24'. inside this space are 6 live oak trees and one slash pine. all the trees are mature with the smallest live oak having a trunk diameter of about 8-9 inches at chest height. The ground is just about bare of vegetation except for some moss growing at the base of some of the trees and a small patch of grass and some weeds near the sidewalk towards the front (where there is a little heavier sunlight.)

I am trying to spruce the place up a bit without breaking the bank. The entire area has been completely neglected for some time, and needs some care. I will probably plant an azalea or two, but what kind of ground cover could i use? i know grass is out, but is there anything else that would complement the azalea and not grow too large? The area is not really used for anything, we just want to improve the view a bit without it looking too overgrown. We get plenty of rain and very hot summers. Thanks for any suggestions you have.

BTW, i looked into the natives for my area, and i just dont think they are what i am looking for. I am thinking something like thyme and i dont see anything native that fits the bill.