We live in southern California and have a large uphill slope in the back of our property above our pool. We are wanting to remove all of the existing plants and ground cover on the slope and start over with a clean slate. We would like a uniform, clean look using plants that can survive in clay soil. Most of the water tends to run down and does not penetrate the clay. As a result, many of the plants do not get adequate deep watering. We would like to add other elements of interest.