'Pink Cloud' gets pretty big, mine might be nearing 40' already - and it has not been here for decades. Photo(s) online of one at Huntington Botanical Garden, San Marino (where the cultivar originated) show a pretty spreading shape. Jacobson, North American Landscape Trees (1996, Ten Speed Press, Berkeley) says

"Tree vigorous, to more than 40' tall"

How big is back yard in ft???? That's a lot of trees if it's a small yard. Roses need quite a lot of sun so wouldn't do well under cherry trees. Would bulbs be mixed with thyme? Also be careful getting trees too close to property line, neighbors can cut them back to the fence & distort shape of tree. Also roots can take wall down in earthquake. Only places my wall fell was by my trees which are semi-dwarf fruit trees planted too close to wall. Expensive lesson. Mine was block wall.I spent a lot of hrs cleaning up the blocks to get old cement out with a chisel & hammer & dad & I put it back up! A wood fence can be twisted by roots near posts. Enjoy your new house!!

thanks guys, I can't believe I didn't even think about the size of the trees! Much appreciated!

I measured my yard and tried to make the trees about the size people said online, etc. So more like 2 trees, not 4. haha. I hope.

I absolutely LOVE the trees at Huntington. I suppose I could try to get a smaller variety if it would be too huge. I know there are some smaller flowering plums I've seen in the Japanese garden there.

While looking at the yard,... I was thinking it would be nice to have the weeping tree closer to the kitchen window. that also allows for a bit of sunny area in the back corner for a climbing rose perhaps? and then I'll just put a bench under the larger sakura.

{{gwi:51994}}

regarding bulbs and ground cover... something low maintenance that you -can- step on? doesn't require too much water? and then some bulbs can come out in a few areas, kinda like this? I'm not sure.

{{gwi:51995}}

Roses will never grow with trees hemming them in like that. If you want roses (or most climbing plants) for your arbor think about shrubs instead of trees

ok, I'll do some other kind of vine then instead of roses, because the trees are the important bit for me, and I can put roses in the front yard.

Flowering cherries are not at their best in inland southern California conditions, especially if you have alkaline soil and poor water quality(Colorado River supply?) They tend to get lots of diseases and die young, plus they don't work well planted in the middle of a lawn; they want good drainage but regular irrigation as well, and are not at all drought tolerant. I'd suggest that you consider some other spring flowering trees that are better adapted to southern California, such as Bauhinia variegata, Callistemon viminalis, Cassia leptophylla, Cercis canadensis, Chionanthus retusus, Lagerstroemia indica, Tabebuia chrysotricha or T. impetiginosa, Hymenosporum flavum, Tristania laurina, are some that come to mind, and are longer lived and less troubled by your conditions.

They do pretty well in Van Nuys ( http://www.laparks.org/dos/aquatic/facility/lakeBalboa.htm )
that's not really that far from me? (and also inland?)

I've seen -some- flowering cherries up here, but I don't know what variety they are. I'd like to try, maybe try with one and then if it works out, try another?

I was going to try to plant in the lawn so that you could sit under them,... and also because I'd seen a bank of flowering plums at Huntington that did well that way. But if it would be problematic... then should I plant them in a mulch bed then? (ie without other plants to compete?)

Thanks!

In my next life, I'll live in California and Bahia will be my landscape architect and personal plant consultant. He will come up with some gorgeous design and complement it with gorgeous trees, shrubs, and perennials, all suited to their environment. He'll forgive my midwest ignorance about flora that works well in California, but nevertheless steer me unerringly toward plants that are not only beautiful, but also make sense.

Oooops...guess this thread isn't about me.

Point is, AimeeKittee, you just got gold standard recommendations on a forum where you asked for help. So you saw some cherry trees growing well in Van Nuys? In like a garden, um, where people know what they're doing? I thought you said you are new at this?

But some gardeners, even new ones, do like a challenge.

As for me, I'm going to look up some of David's suggestions, not because I can grow them -- I can't where I live, but because I expect them to be interesting and worth my time.

Sometimes there's a substitute that can give you the look and feel you're after. Sometimes the substitute is far superior. Seems to me it might be worth finding out. A tree will take quite a few years to mature. You could waste a few years waiting around before your tree finally keels over and croaks. Why not try falling in love with something more likely to succeed?

Wellspring

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to seem ungrateful for advice, I really am very grateful for people willing to take their time to help someone they don't know.

I've just always wanted this kind of tree, which is why I'm hesitant to just give up on it wholesale. I'll definitely look up some of those suggestions... but why are you being so confrontational?
I listed the Van Nuys location since I figured it might be helpful. bahia also lists his/her location as SF Bay? Which is a very different climate from me? He may be very knowledgeable, I don't know anyone here ? ... I was just giving more information about my area and what I've seen.
I have seen some ornamental cherry trees growing on the sides of the roads here (ie not in fancy gardens or where they are cared for).

But it's true, it might be foolish of me to want a particular tree. I appreciate you trying to save me some heartache by trying to steer me towards some probably more tolerant to my area trees. ... for the rest of my garden I've been looking into using mostly local plants, but I didn't think it was that ridiculous to have a cherry tree... obviously they do grow out here. ...?

also.... van nuys park isn't a garden... I'm sure they must care for the trees some, but isn't like in Huntington Gardens where people care for the plants all the time. It's a large public park with cherry trees covering fields and surrounding a large-ish lake.

bahia - thanks for the recommendations, redbud was on my list and was recommended as being really tolerant and low-water in this area. I was thinking about using it in the front yard. It's a lovely tree and attracts hummingbirds, too, which is nice.

Can't comment much in the way of tree, shrub, and plant selection, in general, for SoCal - but as for bulbs in the stepping stone/ground cover area...

If you want Tulips, Hyacinths or Crocus, be aware that theyll need some vernalization, which means some time in a cold place before planting. And youÂll have to dig them up late the next spring and store them in a cool, dry place until fall. Having them come back means going through this routine every year. The exception to this would be Tulipa Greigii and Tulipa Kaufmania.

There are other spring-flowering bulbs that donÂt need digging and cold storage. Narcissus, including the giant trumpet types generally called daffodils, those labeled as jonquils and the miniatures can go into the garden early and stay in place after flowering without being dug up and stored. Same for Dutch Iris and Glory-of-the-Snow (Chionodoxa), and Grape Hyacinth/Muscari, Fritillaria, Scilla, Freesias, Anemones, and Ranunculus. The various varieties of Scilla should naturalize in your climate - they do spread fairly rapidly and people tend to love them or hate them. Me, I love them - as soon as the snow goes late in April, I get literally carpets of blue.

The only drawback to bulbs, lovely as they are, is that once bloomed out you're left with ratty foliage. Most of us tuck bulbs so the dying back foliage is hidden by later emerging and greening up things.

duluthinbloomz4, thanks! I should probably avoid tulips, crocus, etc, then... thanks for the warning. I'd prefer something simple and kinda wild, easy to deal with for there. Thanks so much for the list, I'm not particular on the type of flower or bulb, just something that will do well in my climate. Just seems like it would be a fun surprise.

I wonder if I could put some Lycoris radiata (Spider lily) somewhere. seems to be ok in my zone?

there's a really good list here:
http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/calif/2003113224023104.html

maybe I should try some Muscari, like you said. Leucojum is gorgeous and apparently grows easily here. (and they're small!)

Hi Aimee. If you are new to gardening, give yourself a gift: a copy of the Sunset Western Garden Book. Maybe you already own a copy, but if not, consider it essential to your gardening success. You can look up the qualities and culture of every plant you are considering.

You've received excellent *feedback* so far (not to be confused with being confrontational). : )

I'm going to toss out the question to Bahia about the cherry tree -- can the troubles be obviated by planting atop a well-constructed and mulched berm of fast-draining soil, or is the water issue overwhelming even if the soil issue is corrected? Is drip irrigation workable with trees?

Good luck with your garden, hope it all works out for you.

catkim, thankyou! Sunset Western Garden Book, I looked at it a few months ago and enjoyed it (from the library), but wasn't really ready at the time to let it all sink in, so I'll check it out again! Thanks!

Aimeekitty-

I apologize.

I did have fun looking up the plants on Bahia's list that were unfamiliar to me. Since I'd do just about anything for fragrance, I'd want the Bauhinia variegata.

Common name: orchid tree. At one site someone wrote "they are grown in Southern Calif as a Japanese Garden tree." Fast growth. Attracts hummingbirds. Flowers off and on all year in S California. Fragrant.

My second choice would be the Callistemon viminalis, the Hymenosporum flavum, or the Tristania laurina.

But none of these sound like they would create what you are looking for? I like them for a dumb reason. Theyre Australian, and I grew up there. Didnt recognize their latin names, but I remember these trees / shrubs.

I think what Bahia may be indicating is simply that cherries are, well, finicky. Thats true for lots of plum, cherry, peach, appleall the fruit cousins. They tend to be more pest and disease prone and, if additionally challenged by soil and local climate conditions, will just be that much more susceptible to trauma. Still, if you can watch over them and help them along a bit, they will probably do fine.

But one of the Cercis Canadensis varieties could be a really satisfying alternative. Similar weeping form, and a highly thought of plant. Happens to be one I could grow, but dont have room for. Very nice for shade, form, and, in certain varieties, foliage color.

Wellspring

wellspring - thanks, I agree, from those that Cercis Canadensis looks the most like what I'm looking for. I had no idea there was a weeping form, thankyou! (the weeping form is really beautiful and has that sort of branch structure I like, too.)

Bauhinia variegata is totally gorgeous, too. (in a different way) I've seen some really healthy and beautiful ones of that tree around here, too. Those two are definitely my favorites. A few of the others are used a little too much in my area, or just aren't a shape I'm looking for.

I've seen some other ornamental fruits out here "roughing it" .. (I think there were some really pretty apples down the street from me) , but like I said,... I don't know what varieties they are. I imagine (hope??) there must be some that are more tolerant than others.

there's a nursery 2 exits down the freeway from me that has some sakura (and lots of other things) so I'm hoping to ask them some questions this weekend. They seemed pretty knowledgeable? Maybe I can take some cuttings with me of existing sturdy trees, too and figure out what they are.

Yes I do most of my work in northern California, but I also consult/design gardens for southern California, so I do know what I am talking about for your conditions. Colder winters and less hot dry summer heat are better conditions for flowering cherries, in my opinion, they can look pretty pathetic by the end of summer with poor water quality and alkaline soil conditions, and are better in Oregon and Washington states than southern California. Kim's suggestion of mounding up with good quality soil and avoiding them in a lawn would be a good compromise. In my opinion, the Tabebuia impetiginosa would be a similar formed tree shape with even more lovely flowers of soft pink in late spring, and they do so well in the San Fernando Valley, and are also a much more attractive foliage tree the rest of the year.

As to bulbs within ground cover, I'd suggest using Mediterranean climate bulbs adapted to southern California conditions, such as Ipheion uniflorum 'Froyle Mill', Zephranthes candida, Ixias, Freesias, Babianas, etc. Lycoris is not a genus that is easy to grow here in California, they more seasonal change of weather to trigger blooming, which we just don't get. Nerine bowdenii has a similar flower shape, and can thrive in our conditions, but you better like a hot fluorescent pink bloom that lasts for several months... Some of the evergreen/partly deciduous bulbs for the edges such as Veltheimia and Eucomis comosa, or larger growing tall foliage bulbs such as Watsonia hybrids would also give a long season of bloom with not much water required. Kniphofia species such as K. uvaria and K. thompsonii are also worth seeking out. If you wanted some more exotic bulbs that also love California conditions, I would check out Nerine masonorum and N. bowdenii, or Schizostylis coccinea, and the last two are fall into winter bloomers. Any of these could work well planted within a walk-on ground cover such as our native Carex pansa, or interplanted between Festuca glauca clumps.

It would be well worth your effort to get yourself a copy of the Sunset Western Garden Book, and also make a day trip to both the Los Angeles County Arboretum and the Huntington Botanic Garden to get some better ideas of what you might like, and what really does well in your conditions.

I wouldn't give up on a cherry tree as I know where there is a beautiful 1 at end of Hubbard in Sylmar. It is a double pink fruitless cherry, I think I was told & I was so shocked when I saw it that I went home & got my camera & came back & took a pic. The new owners of the mobile home/house(garage is built with cement floor & rest moved on site & then roof put over whole works. Anyway this front yard that tree is on is about 12 ft wide & maybe 20 ft long if that. That tree was just amass of beautiful pink in the spring!! I'd forgotten about it until I kept reading about you wanting cherry trees. This 1 was about 12 ft high & maybe 8 ft wide & solid pink. That would be worth having. It was a small slope from house to street maybe 2 ft higher at house. Had lawn under it. I was at Huntington Gardens 1 yr ago in March & cherry trees were fabulous & they are tall not at all like the compact pink tree, you could not see any branches at all just pink. I even picked 1 of the double blooms off of it. I love fall crocus in white & lavender I got at 99 cent only store. Grape hyacinth are so cute & multiply, neither is very messy so I would go for those. I'm in S.F. Valley so not far from you.I have no luck with tulips, think I overwater. What is your soil. DD has clay, I have black dirt that is great that goes down about 15 in. & then gets rather sandy. Had lot of rocks in it but have taken most out & used around yard. Soil might make a difference in what will grow well. I love freesias also (99 cent only store) They come in yellow, orange, white, purple, & pink. I don't think I plant them deep enough as they tend to flop over but the flower stems are lovely & they will go to seed & bulbs multiply too. So these will grow here for sure!! Have fun!

Thanks bahia for bearing with my newbie-ness!

thanks for the headsup re Lycoris, I figured it must be too good to be true, since it did really well back on the Eastcoast where I used to live. I'll avoid that one, then. and I've never seen "Nerine bowdenii" before... how cool! Thank you very much! I'm going to bookmark that one and Zephranthes candida.

for most bulbs, I'd prefer a small growth habit (like some small snowbell type thing), but I think it would be fun to put some nerine bowdennii or Nerine masonorum (amazingly gorgeous! thankyou!) somewhere. Much thanks.

I have Sunset Western Garden on hold at the library for me. Will a nursery be able to guide me towards doing that sort of mounding that Kim suggested? Probably, huh? I hate to sound so stubborn, but I'd really like to try.
I think to make it easier on myself, I'll just try to get one tree, and put something hardier in that kitchen spot I had the weeping at.

I know you're right about Orchid Tree as I've seen them just sitting in sidewalks with no care at all blooming their hearts out.

sunnyca, my soil is kinda rocky and I'd say a bit sandy. It's alkaline. I was planning on digging as deep as me and my husband can manage and adding a lot to the soil before we started planting. Because I can't imagine much more than local xeric plants that would totally adore the soil. ha. But I dunno.

SYLMAR is just like 15 min away from me,... so that's encouraging, too! thankyou!

this is the Van Nuys park,... you can see it's a large park, and the cherries are just all around and in nearby fields:
http://aimeemajor.com/images/photos/2008march/sakura0829.jpg
http://aimeemajor.com/images/photos/2008march/tea21.jpg
http://aimeemajor.com/images/photos/2008march/tea24.jpg

I did notice, last year specifically, that the combination of late cold and then hot and then cold (I'm guessing???) made them not be that happy...? but even last year they were pretty. and then the two previous years, they were -amazing-.

Then at Huntington (which is one of my favorite gardens, I'm a member, and I stalk their cherry blossom trees every spring...)..

anyway, in their parkinglot of all places, there's a cluster of trees.
Which is part of what made me think they must not be -that- hard to grow... since I doubt that the Huntington Gardeners spend a long time in the parking lot? (this is not very close to the garden, itself... I tend to think they just put stuff out there and let it do whatever.

the parking lot monster:
http://aimeemajor.com/images/photos/2008march/saku02.jpg
http://aimeemajor.com/images/photos/2008march/saku11.jpg

But I'm thinking now that I should call Huntington and ask if I can talk to one of the gardeners who work the Japanese and Chinese gardens. There's several in the japanese garden of course... and there's also a cluster by a small waterfall on the way to the Chinese garden, (here's a white near the back of the chinese garden:
http://aimeemajor.com/images/photos/2008feb/huu16.jpg
)

Maybe they can tell me what I could do to help the soil or baby the tree? They've always been very nice and helpful before. (I love the rose ladies there.)

My only thought is that a majority of your plant material is decidious, so you'll be stuck looking at bare sticks for several months in the winter. Maybe you could use some evergreen trees. One that comes to mind is arbutus "marina" or one of the very ornamental eucalyptus like eucalyptus macrocarpa. I don't know if those'll meet the requirements for being romantic. You could also try to incorporate lavendar and rosemary. For the xeric strip, you could try some ceonothus or some manzanita shrubs, mixed in with some succulents like euphorbia tirrucali "sticks on fire" or Agave Vilmoriniana. Once they become established they wouldn't require supplemental irrigation.

It sounds like you may not have experienced any Santa Ana winds yet since you moved to California, and this is one of the reasons that Flowering Cherries don't always do so well in southern California. These hot winds can be really tough on trees/plants that can't take the hot drying winds. I would also second the comment about only using deciduous trees in a southern California garden, unless you need shade in summer and sun in winter, they just don't seem appropriate to me, I prefer evergreens or something that flowers in winter, to let you know you aren't back east anymore. Do check out the Tabebuia impetiginosa, this is most definitely one of my favorite flowering trees in spring in Los Angeles County, and they are the equal of any cherry, as well as being a nice, not too densely foliaged evergreen tree.

It may be pointless trying to persuade you against what you most want, but replicating what one sees back east is not necessarily the way to go, and the possibilities of designing a backyard that takes advantage of your climate and gives you some new plants to experiment with can be an enjoyable experience as well.

Creating a berm for trees that want better soil and good drainage is not anything difficult, and can be accomplished by simply raising the new soil at least 12 inches or more above the existing grade. It is usually best if you mix at least 50% by volume of your existing soil with the new soil for to a depth of 6 to 12 inches first, and then you can go with a straight cap of new soil above that. This will help insure that you don't create a drainage interface that won't drain well due to different soil textures.

If you intend to remain in California for any length of time, I'd suggest you go ahead and buy a copy of the Sunset Western Garden Book, it is a great general reference and you will find it useful. If you are a member of the Huntington, I'd also suggest that you avail yourself of their expertise, and maybe attend one of their regular plant sales, which always have some really interesting plants. I'd also scout out a good local retail nursery that can give you better localized advice on what works best in your new neighborhood, and there may in fact be some flowering cherry cultivars that work better than others in your area, I will admit that I have a bias against their appearance down south as compared to how great they can look here in the San Francisco Bay Area. In general they just look pretty beat up to me down south by late summer, due to the heat, Santa Ana winds, and poor water quality with the accumulated salts that result in the soil. You may also notice that things like Magnolia soulangeana and Azaleas and many ferns can look like crap by late summer in your area, and it is the hot winds, dry air and poor water quality that make them suffer.

sorry, I think I may have misled you a bit... I've been living in this area (southern california) for 10 years, but this is the first time I've been able to design my own yard from scratch. I really don't want to replicate what I had back east, that was a long time ago, and I'm a bit bored of azaleas anyway. Magnolia soulangeana are lovely at Huntington... but again, I don't know what they do to care for them.
I've just appreciated the sakura I've seen -here-. We didn't have any back east where I lived. and you're right, there's a lot of positive things about living here... the roses grow crazy out here, and we have a lot of large plants and plants that flower year round. One of the varieties that they have at Huntington is "white blossomed peach" prunus persica (icicle). and then I'm pretty sure that pink cloud was one of the other varieties. I called Huntington Japanese garden curator today, hopefully he'll call me back and I can pick his brain a little.
I'd seen their plant sales before but never had the chance to buy, so I'll definitely try that!

I checked out Sunset Western book today, (and yes, it's fabulous! I'll definitely have eto buy it... I'm planning on living in SoCal for a long time, yes.)

In general about flowering cherries, Sunset Western saying they need fast draining well-aerated soil... and if the soil is substandard to plant in raised beds.

I also really like flowering peaches and plums. (apparently flowering plums are less picky about soil? I'm pretty sure some of the plants I've seen around are flowering plums... also there's a great number of flowering plums listed as being good for my zone (almost any zone from 3-22 actually...)) Also curious about P glandulosa or p. triloba (flowering almonds...)

it's listing these flowering cherries as being ok for zone 9:
prunus "accolade"
soil range: Soil Range: Some Sand to Some Clay, described as "very vigorous"... it's also a small tree, up to 25 ft, which might be better for my location. Also has lovely fall foliage.

Prunus campanulata
They list this one as being in the LA arboretum, too. Also a small tree, 20-25 feet.

Prunus "okame"
has the look I'm looking for, ... (some websites said this "thrives in hot climates")
Also a small tree, 20-25 feet.

I'm hoping to check out my local nursery this weekend and ask for more info. I'm not ready to plant anytime soon, but I'm hoping they can give me some more tips on choosing and caring for things.

Tabebuia impetiginosa, maybe I can use it instead of the weeping cherry near the kitchen window?

bahia - much much thanks for the berm info. Saving it to help me later.

http://www.bewaterwise.com/ has been really useful for searching for plants, if anyone else is in the same position as me.

I definitely would like to use some lavendar, lilac, sage and rosemary. I love all of those and they seem to do really well up here.

The iris' would be evergreen, too. I'm still debating what to plant with the iris.

Prunus lyonii is a nice evergreen (but again, it's a fruit tree... ) but it's being listed as drought tolerant for my area.
Adenostoma fasciculatum (Chamise) is interesting, too.
This sort of look is nice:
http://www.laspilitas.com/s/images/plants/16/Adenostoma_fasciculatum-3.jpg
Manzanita's are pretty and evergreen and good for this area, too...?

I think I need to think for a while where I can fit larger plants and/or trees without choking out other things. So I guess I'll put around for a while, talk to the gardeners at Huntington and my local nursery and come back later with something more thoughtout and detailed.

Thanks a bunch for pointing me in the right direction, guys! I'll do some more research and come back!

oops, read it wrong... there's not 3 that go with my area, there's more like 15 possible choices with the flowering cherries specifically.

my zone is zone 18 according to Sunset Western's zone-list.

I think I'll try to pick one with good fall color... and then pick another (different) tree that looks nice in winter.

Let me tell you about almond trees. My Bro had a lovely 1 in his front yard, he was thrilled when it flowered & the almonds were set & then 1 day it was an awful mess, tree all tore up & "Sylmar parrots" had shown up. Seems they love almonds ,even green ones & they tore the tree up so badly he had to cut it down. Occasionally you will see them fly over in afternoon around 5 pm. Story is cops stopped a truck & while talking to the officer his passenger opened the back & let them all escape, that was somewhere around 60's or 70's & they are doing very well, multiplied all over the place! They don't bother my orange, or Beverly Hills apple trees(specially developed for this area)& my apricot & plum trees didn't attract them either nor did my Bro.'s. The birds were illegal to bring into U.S. They tried to catch them & couldn't. Mean critters! Almond had a great look, delicate lacey spread out, graceful limbs, really looked beautiful, they tore off most of the limbs, guess their peak or feet are tough, we could hardly believe the damage except for feathers all over the place.

I had so much fun reading Sunset Western Garden last night that even though they have it at my library, I went and bought it, too. (that and Ortho's Roses. sunnyca - aw man! that's rough about your brother's almond! I probably should avoid that, too, then, since I"m not that far from Sylmar? (you'll find some wild parrots in Huntington's cactus garden sometimes,... too..!)

davitt, yeah, I'm feeling a little bogged down in plants right now and I'm not sure if my base shapes are good. It's nice of you to offer!

Basically, it's a blank lot with a hill (HOA owned) up the back. Right now I have a neighbor on my left side (in the p hoto) and no neighbor for a while on the right side (just a blank lot).

I was thinking I probably need some climbing or large bushes or trees along the sides so that I don't have to look at the blank lot, or directly into my neighbors yard.

Here's what the "yard" looks like right now.
{{gwi:51996}}
{{gwi:51997}}

both photos are taken from the same standing position, standing at the sliding door that enters the house which is roughly in the middle.

Of course one does also need to consider the spatial functions when designing a garden, but it is not necessarily wrong to design around what plants you want as well. I was just reading the notes of a garden lecture that the famous Brazilian landscape architect, Roberto Burle Marx, gave when he was doing a lecture tour back in 1982 both here in California and England, and he stated that he ALWAYS starts any new design by thinking about the plants he wants to use, FIRST! If that is good enough for one of the most revered modern designers in the world, it also works for me.

It does need to be said that this requires some cautions; it helps if one is wanting to use plants that can actually work in your climate, and that will be able to combine together well. These intended plants will need to be vetted against your existing conditions, your intended level of maintenance, amount of water and fertilizing you intend to provide and/or make sense in your situation. As you can see, there is a lot more to designing around plants first than simply coming up with a list that pleases you.

Right off the bat, it is more apparent that you will probably have some strong winds in your location, and using things like a Japanese Maple which tends to get burnt leaf edges in hot and/or drying winds would probably only work well up against the house where it is more protected.

The distant views looking out over the right side neighbor's fence might also be something you want to keep? If so, planting something that only gets about 5 feet taller than the fence, and kept closer in to the midpoint of the fence would help preserve a view of the distant mountains while still blocking the sight line of the building visible in the distance, but then again, maybe keeping distant views of the surrounding mountains is not important to you from the ground level, but more privacy is.

You look to have good opportunities to plant climbing roses against the fences/walls at the north side in particular, where they would get the most sun. Or it could also be an opportunity for other flowering vines that are more evergreen in your intended color range, there are pink/white tinged Bougainvilleas such as 'Blushing Thai' or pink vines such as Pandorea jasminoides 'Rosea', or a deep purple winter blooming vine such as Hardenbergia violacea. Other even longer blooming vines that are evergreen might include a Passiflora 'Lavender Lady', or the semi-shrubby scandent Plumbago auriculata 'Royal Cape/Imperial Blue', which can be pruned to stay flat against a wall. I also quite like the densely foliaged Grewia occidentalis, Lavender Star Flower shrub, especially when grown flat against a wall, and blooms nearly year round. Climbing roses that are quite easy in southern California would include Altissimo(deep single red), Iceberg(white), Mermaid(yellow) and the already mentioned Joseph's Coat(a vivid red-orange), but there are many more, and it mostly depends on whether you want one massive bloom spike or repeat blooms throughout the year.

Combining Mediterranean flowering shrubs such as the various Rosemaries(upright or spreading), along with various Lavenders, perhaps some similar lower growing plants like Teucriums, Convolvulus mauritanicus, Armeria, etc could be a good choice for a lower water using part of the garden with more sun. Other shrubs that might work well in this mix could include fragrant foliage of Coleonema pulchrum 'Sunset Gold', Erysimmon 'Bowles Mauve', Helleborus argutifolius.

If you like the idea of evergreen iris as an accent, I would highly recommend the less commonly seen iris relative from Brazil, called the Walking Iris, Neomarica caerulea, which blooms for about 6 weeks in mid summer with brilliantly blue flowers on top of 4 to 5 foot tall stems, and is a very dramatic accent foliage plant even when not in bloom. Other Iris members that have great foliage as well as blooms might include Iris pallida 'Argentea Variegata', along with other classic Bearded Iris cultivars. It might look very nice nestled within a lower mass of silvery foliage of a Lavender angustifolia 'Hidcote', or one of the Helichrysum petiolare 'Limelight'.

Some grassy leaved plants in groupings, such as Leymus condensatus 'Canyon Prince'(tall and pale blue),or dwarfer Dianella revoluta 'Baby Bliss' or the deep greens of Zephranthes candida can also liven up a garden. Other taller growing sculptural grassy plants might include some of the Restios such as Chondropetalum tectorum or Elegia canpensis, both of which give wonderful movement in the wind and look good combined with flowering herbaceous things.

If you wanted a few very fast growing shrubs that can also act as small trees in the garden, with long bloom seasons, I might suggest Psoralea pinnata or Lavatera thuringeaca 'Barnsley'. Some of the larger growing, virtually everblooming Salvia species such as Salvia leucantha 'Santa Barbara', S. 'Waverly', S. 'Indigo Spires' or S. involucrata are all very long blooming in the garden.

As you can see, there are a million ways you can go with planting choices in your garden, these are just a few things that come to mind if you want things that grow well/easily in your area, have a long season of interest, and might combine to give a blues/purples/pinks range of colors over a long season, with accents of soft blue and silvery foliage.

If you like the idea of interesting color/texture ground covers that continue the lower water use theme, you might also look into the wonderful silvery low growing Dichondra argentea, Dymondia margaratae, or Ophiopogon japonicus. One of the low growing Iceplants, such as the silvery foliaged Oscularia deltoides, or the Hens and Chicks, Echeveria elegans or Echeveria imbricata also make good massed ground cover plantings.

wow, so many beautiful options! Like Christmas!

maybe it would help if I post some of the stuff I like?
I'd really like to do stuff like these:

http://aimeemajor.com/house/yard/IMG_9247.jpg

but do it with as many plants that are "happy out here" as possible.

similar look:
http://aimeemajor.com/house/yard/IMG_9251.jpg

and I like drifts of sage like this:
http://aimeemajor.com/house/yard/IMG_9249.jpg
http://aimeemajor.com/house/yard/Photo_Video_56d71421-89c5-47e0-a2a4-d5762e859efb_medium.jpg

and this is great:
http://aimeemajor.com/house/yard/Photo_Video_7b8882dd-e0de-4152-97b3-8a078f0db2ef_medium.jpg

and:
http://aimeemajor.com/house/yard/hardcastle_outdoor_DAAMS_l_lg.jpg

bahia - You're right, too. I want to pick a few special plants to design around.
again,... thankyou for being so patient with me and taking the time to make such a thought out response. Much appreciated.

my thought was to have one cherry tree... and if that one ends up being "high maintenance" then that would be ok with me. But I wanted most of the rest of the yard to be low maintenance and "happy in this climate". (if the cherry dies later, I'll try a different tree.)

I prefer stuff like roses, climbing vines, lavendar, sage, irises.

I'll avoid the Japanese Maple and pick something easier for this location, then.

... and I wanted to plant plants near each other that require similar watering so that I can minimize wasted water and keep the plants happy. I need to design what plants go where to some detail before I can contact a landscaper about irrigation. the hope is to have the irrigation cater to the future plants.

The back of my yard faces east, so the left side would be roughly north, I guess. so the left wall would be the north wall. The sun sets in the front of the house.

bahia,... really good point about the distant views to the right. unfortunately -eventually- there will be a house there. But that wont be for a few years probably, so perhaps I shouldnt worry about that house right now and just enjoy the view while it is there? I can always plant something taller there later. I like your idea of planting something perhaps midpoint on the fence to provide a bit more privacy, but leave the view of the mountains. I actually really love the mountains out here, they're a bit Maxfield Parrish-y

I would really really -love- to plant some climbing roses (and perhaps some other climbing vines) on the north wall. Would rather avoid bougainvilleas... but Hardenbergia violacea is totally amazing... and the thought of it blooming later is lovely. and actually... Passiflora 'Lavender Lady' is one of my alltime favorite vines. (Grewia occidentalis is really gorgeous, too!)

I realize this is a really newbie question..
but could I plant something like Cecile Brunner climbing rose, Passiflora 'Lavender Lady' and Hardenbergia violacea along the north wall...?, allowing them to blend a little?
what if I put a small tree in the spot near the kitchen window. Would it make it too hard to grow roses and/or vines along the north wall?
and then maybe I could have a couple Lavender Star Flower shrubs along the wall, too? That would really give me kindof the look I liked.... and then some lower plants around and in front of those.

separately, I had been researching climbing roses for the front yard. Some of my top choices (most of the recommended for my zone and heat-tolerant...)
cl Eden, cl Crepuscule, cl Renae, Blush Noisette, Iceberg, Climbing Pinkie, Cl. Lady Hillingdon...
I'd prefer a repeat bloomer that's as thornless as possible since I'm a newbie with climbing roses, too, and I'd have to train them at least some.

Teucriums, Convolvulus mauritanicus, Armeria, Coleonema pulchrum .... Ophiopogon japonicus... , Hens and Chicks... I like all of those! :)

when it comes to irises, the idea of an evergreen one is fabulous. I like the brazilian one you linked (Walking Iris, Neomarica caerulea). I really love purple or blue iris.
I'm not a fan of varigated leaves though, but I love classic bearded irises.

putting irises with Lavender angustifolia 'Hidcote', or Helichrysum petiolare 'Limelight', sounds totally fine to me. I love both.

Psoralea pinnata is REALLY interesting. So.... something like that would be used against the wall? is that what you were thinking?

I like salvia and penstemon, too. Some other plants I'd been reading about were lilac, yarrow, wisteria, sky lupine, oenothera macrocarpa incana (ozark snowdrops)
and I still like redbud trees.

The Psoralea pinnata can be kept trimmed as a shrub, or allowed to grow up to a single or multi-trunked small tree to about 12 foot height. If left to its own devices, it tends to lose lowest side branches as it gets taller in any case, and does need some periodic thinning/pruning to keep it looking neat, As it is exceptionally fast growing while also being somewhat short lived, you can use it as a filler plant while waiting for slower things to fill in.

As to wanting to use plants that may come from back east/midwest/south, not everything will always grow well here in California. I'd suggest you look at Oenothera species that are more commonly sold here in nurseries, and more reliable. The Mexican Evening Primrose, Oenothera berlandieri is one of the more commonly available ones, and can give massive displays of pink flowers over months at a time, but does also tend to be a bit invasive, and probably best planted between a sidewalk and house where it won't take over and spread everywhere.

So many choices in designing a garden layout, I'd spend time getting more familiar with the plants you like, researching them, trying to see how they look in your area, and also asking for feedback on potential reasons not to use them in your area from local gardeners. It pays to do the research and get multiple opinions, and also ask if there are special concerns to be aware of about the plants you have in mind.

Good luck with the design, and enjoy the process, don't rush it...

Your backyard looks just like my other bro's in Santa Clarita. His block wall is exactly the same across the hillside area, he is on a steep hill so his left side is very high wall(so much for 6 ft) He didn't plant anything across the center of iron fence area. On the left in corner my dad planted a peach tree. Really great peaches & big!! then the whole area on left going towards house is a raised bed about 6 ft wide except where peach tree is & it goes wider there with about 1 ft wide area of low plants that go up towards house ending probably 10 ft out They have a patio there with sliding doors going into dining room. AC is in same place as your's!! There are a few flowers & couple of small bushes up there under Kit. window & dining rm going to end of house & on around the corner about a ft. then the dog's fenced area. Going out to the right there isn't anything but swing set & there was a lovely tree but it had multiple trunks & they started splitting.(Umbrella tree I think dad said) so about midway to back on that side is another low planter I think about 12-15 in. high same block as the walls,bro. put them in. it is about 3 ft wide & widens out to pretty much match the 1 on other side but is much smaller. 1 on left has a plumbago going up that tall wall & I think another vine. There are other shrubs about 3 ft high. some roses & other flowers. I have a climbing Joseph's Coat, I love it & so does everyone else. I have it with a yellow climber so the 2 block the gate on that side of my house. Bougainvilleas are a pain!! They have thorns that really hurt, they always need to be trimmed in small yard. The flowers are like dried paper all over your yard & great for making a mess & filling up your trash can. I think they should be banned in city because of fire danger. I have cleaned up neighbor's B. that hangs over into my folks yard & drops all that stuff in their yard for yrs. The neighbors finally cut it back so all on their side for the 1st time. Bougainvillias are beautiful if you have 5 acres & don't have to cut them back. They don't bloom as much when you keep them cut back either. Take a piece of paper & draw curtain on left that is pulled back with tieback ,that is left planter at my bro's, on right side of paper put just the part of curtain before the tieback. 2nd planter, oh, there is nectarine tree in that corner some roses & a reddish shrub. I have computer pic. I can't get my pics off computer as DD put them someplace else & then hasn't taught me how to get them out. I don't know if a printed photo can be scanned onto computer or not.

thanks guys! I'm going to consider all the suggestions and plants and such.

I went to a local nursery today and they had a lot of varieties of things I was considering, it was nice to see them in person. They also had a couple ornamental fruit trees and I got to ask them about them!
It looks like my best bet will be P. S. Kwanzan. The worker there had been there for 15 years and thought it was one that was least likely to burn out here. also, the weeping "Snow fountain".
Also I got to see redbud in person and I really like a lot of those' leaves actually!

A friend of mine who does landscaping is going to come sit and look at books and my lot with me tomorrow. I'll come back later when I have something a bit more concrete. Much thanks!

Kwanzan is about the toughest flowering cherry. The blossoms of different cherries can vary quite a bit. Why not keep your eye on those cherries through next March, and make sure you will enjoy the blossoms.

I long for the cherry trees of Japan. So pretty -- big fluffy pale-pink blooms in the spring.

Rain2Fall

Did some more layout drawings today, but I'll think about them some more before I post anything.

rain2fall - thanks! I've seen Kwanzan in bloom before, I like it! I like simpler blooms, too though. I forgot to ask him about "pink cloud", but I'm pretty sure pink cloud is the variety at Van Nuys. I'd prefer to go with a pink bloomer that's as tough as I can get as a compromise, I guess.

was really lucky to go to Tokyo and Kyoto in spring a couple times,... it was amazing! that's part of my nostalgia.

{{gwi:51998}}

You did have to go post a picture, now, didn't you! I'm trying to figure out what to do with my place, and now you've made me want to add a flowering cherry to the mix. Hmmmmmm. :-)

I lived in Japan for a few years and fell in love with flowering cherries, bamboo, and Japanese pruning. I studied flower arranging, which was my introduction to color, art, design, space. Friends have noticed that my previous gardening efforts take on a Japanese look and feel.

You'll need to keep your eyes open for a Japanese design element for your garden; maybe a statue of Kannon (the God(ess) of Mercy?)

{{gwi:51999}}

heee, I couldn't resist it. that's my husband reading while waiting for me. I thought he looked so cute with the cherry blossoms all over the ground and filling the gutters!

now we need a support group! But maybe in Oregon you'll have better cherry tree luck than me! I could definitely see that without trying, if you studied floral arranging and such, that your gardens might take on that aesthetic. I study kitsuke (passably) and tea ceremony (pathetically...) now but never really did ikebana.

I love pruned boxwoods, but I know that I am just -way- too busy (lazy). I used to live in Charleston, South Carolina, and the colonial old gardens there are so lovely (different style, but same pruning method. ha...)

my late grandfather was actually into Japanese and minimalist architecture and gardening... in my mom's house I found an old dogeared book from him about Japanese gardening when he was planning his garden. It was fun to see the gardens that he was inspired by, and then me knowing what his final garden looked like.
I have a cast iron (?) lantern from him, so I'm planning on putting it somewhere in the space, even though I'm not really planning on doing a japanese designed garden. :)