Question
QUESTION: i need to find a low maintenance plant or shrub, that flowers all year round and maybe has a nice smell - visual important - and also. i have to fix a lawn that has a pine tree in the middle so needs a strong grass. what do you recommend.  thank you

ANSWER: Hi Anita,
Thanx for your question.  What is your location.  I can answer your question if I know climate, etc.
thx,
Tom

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QUESTION: i live in ibiza. the lawn that is currently there is dead grass and i have been told that no grass will grow there because of the pine tree.  i was told of an "african"????? type of grass which is very strong??. the lawn is not going to be walked on - just visual. can you help.  thanks

Answer
Hi Anita,
Thanx for your question.  Getting grass to grow under and directly around pine trees can be a challenge.  One thing you might consider doing is growing acid-loving plants underneath the trees like azaleas.  Pine trees drop needles that create a high acidity to the soil making it difficult for many things to grow.  Pine trees also suck up an enormous amount of water which makes it difficult for grasses and other plants to compete with the pine for hydration.  If you must have grass under the tree you need to rake all the needles out from under it and put them with the rubbish.  Use centipede, Bermuda or zoysia grasses which are rated for warm climates.  We use them here in the southern part of the U.S.  These grasses should do well around the pine trees as there are lots of pine forests in the Southern U.S. and these grasses seem to thrive here.  Remember that these lawns will go dormant in the winter and turn brown.  They are not dead, just dormant and resting for the next season.  Do not water or fertilize while they are dormant.  At the beginning of spring, begin to water them if no regular rain and feed them with a high nitrogen lawn fertilizer.  I'm no lawn expert so you may want to consult someone on this site who is more experienced with turfgrass.  As for a continuously flowering shrub, bougainvillea is a wonderful plant that is used in sub-tropical areas.  It blossoms in a variety of colors, grows quickly, can easily be trained into a variety of shapes and growth habits and generally blooms constantly although there is no scent.  Oleader is another effortless shrub that blooms continuously although all parts of this shrub are poisonous.  I hope this helps.
Tom