As much as I hate to say it, it sounds like a job best handled by a turfgrass. And as much as I hate Bahiagrass, it does have extremely deep roots that can extend 8-10 feet below the ground and grows vigorously. The highway dept here uses it alongside the roads with a mixture of what I believe is fescue. So if you can stand the look of it, that might be a quick solution for you, as it's certainly the route they take in Florida... Bahiagrass everwhere to control erosion. Then if you later decide rocks are the way to go, you can maybe cover it up. I don't know how effective rocks are though. Why don't you post a picture of the problem area so we can see what you're talking about.

Just a sidenote, I can't believe I suggested using bahia because I can't stand it. But if and only if you are having an erosion emergency and can not find perhaps some kind of native ground cover to use, maybe red fescue or dichondra or something like that. Not really sure what's native in that department. The bermuda sod you find in the hardware store would be my second choice probably but only if you are able to feed it and mow it.

Kathy, There's a thread on the Natives Forum called: Preventing erosion while converting a slope.

It may be helpful with your situation. I'm sorry I still haven't figured out how to do the link.
Good luck!
Pam

Kathy
i have been thinking about your slope and rock garden. I think that your idea of a low wall (maybe for sitting on too) and the landscape fabric may work. You could also try liriope around the top of the slope. I have found that that was the thing that held up best on the creek banks. Hope this helps. Would still like the junipers - maybe next week?

Blue fescue is a very nice clumping grass that you could use instead of liriope (which can seed around quite a bit). It's available at HD and Pike's in quart containers.

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread on native forum

I will try and post some pictures. I skimmed through that thread over in Native Plants but I didn't notice any suggestions as to how to keep it from eroding while planting and getting plants established. Did I miss something?

I do not think that turf grass will help with this type of errosion. Why?
Because I have no grass left except for Johnson's grass where the water is washing in towards my own home.

Personally, I do not recommend doing anything at all until your drainage issue is taken care of. Kathy, you are going to bang your head against a wall with this one. I know it's driving you nuts, and you'll have to wait for contractor to take care of things...but until the root of the problem is able to be solved, anything at all will be a temporary bandaid that will eventually have to be fixed or corrected.
Junipers can't live through all that water, they want dry soil.

Honestly, if we were having a "normal" water year, this wouldn't be such an issue for you. Because it's extrordinary it is seeming like a larger problem that it may 'normally' be. But I don't think plant material or low walls etc. are going to fix it. Less water being aimed at your house will!

Honeygum, Kathy did post a picture of a non-existant rock garden under a few feet of rushing water that her poor hubby was trying to hold back with pieces of board. It looked like a river aimed directly at her house.

GGG

actually GGG the picture was of DH at the top of the driveway. The rock garden is at the back end of the yard. Our yard is pie shaped. The drainage issues at the driveway really didn't efect the rock garden since the water was held back via dh and the tables and now via a handy dandy hinged plywood barricade he constructed that we pull out of the garage whenever we have any rain until we are sure the builder on the hill has fixed that problem.

I could not put in grass at this point even if I wanted to since it is a rock garden, I would have to ahul out way to much rock or haul in way too much dirt. And we started out with fescue back there and could not mow it due to the large rutts the rain was leaving then.

I guess I am trying to find a way to save some fo the plants that have exposed roots at this point. But I am at a loss as to what the real solution will be. I am having a enough trouble trying to get the "trees in mudd" situation handled. I haven't done a thing in the yard all week. I am in denial I guess.

As my dad would say Crud Chromate! I accidentally recommended the wrong thread, and of course, I can't find the right one. I'm sorry!

From what I remember the post was about someone wanting to install plants on a stream bank (she/he also wanted to add topsoil or ammend the soil), but was afraid of losing all of it in the next rainfall. The suggestion was to either plant things like daylilies in as small a hole as possible (not changing the soil) or go ahead and add topsoil, plants, mulch with pine needles (pine straw?), and then pin it all down with gardener's mesh.

Good luck, Kathy! I know this is a big source of frustration for you.
Pam

I am just joining in on September 24. I also need help saving some beautiful trees on a creek which borders my property!