Planting Under Trees - Part 5: gardening under trees

» winkyblink - gardening under trees

I live in zone 21. I have a very mature sweet gum in my front yard. The lawn is now nearly gone due to the shade. A particular type of bermuda remains in one small patch. What I would like to do is plant some drought tolerant plants under the tree and eliminate the lawn. I do water during the summer and winter months if there is no rain. A creeping ground cover won't work well as there is a lot of raking that needs to be done. The spiny balls fall almost all year long. I was thinking of perhaps some ornamental grasses and flax. Is there anyhting else I should consider?

-- posted by winkyblink