Dear fellow dirt lovers,
I live on the North side of a mountain in zone 10. We have a very large embankment of very dry and hardpack soil. I would not mind working the soil or watering. I'd love any advise on technique and/or plant selection. I'm open to ground cover, trees, wiildflowers,... etc. This area gets a good amount of sun. Thank you for any ideas!!
Appreciatively, mayhem mandy

I would go for wildflowers native to your area. Low maintenance and little watering. How big an area is it? What about terracing to prevent runoff and erosion? Maybe fill in with some good dirt, etc. Sounds like a challenge--I'm sure others out there have some good ideas!

I think wildflowers are nice too. Being on a slope, erosion is a concern, and water will speed up that erosion! Install a drip line so the water will slowly seep into the soil, rather than sprays which encourage surface runoff.

Once fall rolls around and the weather cools off, you could also pick up some shrubs that do well with drought conditions. If you plant taller things higher up, and along the sides of the property, you'll "frame" the area like a picture, which can be very nice.

How about a pathway that zigzags up the slope, with a sitting area up there too? That will involve terracing a bit, but think of the nice view. If you plant shrubs (and trees) that will get some size to them, in time your hill will be a wonderful place to visit.

Consider collecting flower seeds from your local area! If you wander out now to areas in bloom in the hills around you, remember where those plants are, then check back every week, starting a month after the flowers are spent, and collect seeds! That way you get plants that love your climate, specifically.

And don't forget mulch! That will make covering seeds simple, and will help hold in the water.

Also,if you go out collecting native seeds, tie a bright colored yarn around it so you can spot it easily when you go back to collect! You could also waterproof a little tag to tell what color it is, etc. since you won't know once the bloom is gone.

I'd go with drought-tolerant plants so that watering & erosion won't be that much of an issue. Consider portulaca as a low ground cover, swirling around the feet of echinacea, yarrow, rudbeckia, nigella, maybe one of the older daylilies like hyperion. Any native plants that you see thriving without almost any care, that's what I'd plant.