I have been doing some research on plants that will grow in crappy Alabama clay soil. Which has no air pockets, is hard as a rock, is filled with small rocks, and has no organic material. Well, guess what. Only weed-like and/or invasive plants grow naturally in this kind of soil. Not the kind of plants you would purposefully go out and buy seed or seedlings to plant, but the kind you spend hundreds of dollars (on weed killer) and hours of time (digging them up or using weed eater device) to get rid of. Perhaps this is why people in Alabama used to eat so much pokeweed.

Regardless, I am going to attempt to grow various types of thyme on the hillside in my backyard in hopes that it would take the place of the weeds that normally occupy the hill.

I hope that thyme can suffer through four or five weeks of searing 100+ degree heat and zero rain in the summertime.

If you like to make things out of clay, then the soil here is awesome. Otherwise, it sucks.

If this experiment fails, I am turning my backyard into an Arizona cactus haven. (I'll have to truckload in a few tons of sand, but the cacti will love the drought conditions.)