Yes I'm thinking of doing that. The dirt is kind of compact do you think I could just take the grass out with a shovel. I took a lot out today but some of them have that deep white root that just goes under really deep. So I should use a tiller to till out most of the grass. Then put some kind of plastic tarp or something to prvent the weed from growing. Then put on a layer of mulch. Then pour the soil over and start building the retaining wall then add perennials. Do you think one layer of plastic is enough?

Bboy, those maps were obviously drawn up with all the seismic lines taken into consideration. Sorry. Bad joke- bad, bad joke. God, don't strike me down. Seriously, microclimates DO exist EVERYWHERE- like the South facing side of my brick home where I grow my Loquat, but I do know that the terrain out West is very diverse. Hope to see it in person some day. Most shrubs sold at a nursery though should be suitable for planting in the not too distant vicinity of the nursery's location WITHOUT the artifical extra heat of a brick home's exterior. I'm not saying I don't ever shop at the Big Box stores, but I've really stopped expecting them to get much of anything right. There is NO replacement for a gardener's own behind the scenes research- however, I view the knowledge of the staff as a major indication of a nursery's reputabilty. You ought to know what you sell by in large. Sure, you may have a few grunts loading and unloading things off of a truck or people who have just begun to get their feet wet, but there should be SOMEONE present who has some idea of the plant you are asking about or has the ability to summons someone else who does ASAP. They should also have good reference books ON HAND because, obviously, no one can know everything. And I don't think I'm a snob about latin names, but if I go to A NURSERY and the person in charge of shrubs doesn't know what "Prunus laurocerasus" is when they've been selling "Cherry Laurels" for years, I will be extremely leery and take any info I gather there with half a grain of salt. I've been shocked by nursery owners who obviously couldn't explain the difference between a genus, a species and a cultivar if they had to. Not that I've ever directly asked someone to do so- I never set out to embarass someone, but I will find subtle ways of "testing the water" if I wind up at a strange nursery and feel like maybe gambling on a plant that I am less familiar with.

You have been given so many really great suggestions that I don't think I could think of any that are better or more helpful. I did however want to address the "ugly" wall. It is possible to colorize your wall with what is generally known as "white washing" but by adding a cement additive you can tint it any color you would like. It's very simple really. You would need a bag of white portland cement, a bag of white hydrated lime and the colorant powder of your choice. Mix the portland and lime 3 to 1 and add water so it's a milk consistency then add the colorant until you get the color you like. Measure the colorant as you add it so subsequent batches will be mixed to the same color depth. Brush it on with a paint brush. The painting goes faster than you would think by sort of swishing the brush in all directions to fill all the little crevices, You have about 30 minutes or so to work the cement mixture but if it starts to stiffen just add more water and mix well again and finish up. I did this on my very old cement stucco house this past summer and it is the brightest shiny white you could ever imagine. It looks beautiful with freshly painted trim. Anyway this will work on anything with cement like texture (bricks too) and because of the added portland cement it will not wash away like a simple lime only solution will eventually do. You could even do a really bright color like red or deep blue if you wanted to and consider it an art wall if you wanted. Just something to consider in addition to plants. Any left over materials can be mixed with sand added to make stepping stones or cement planting containers etc. Good luck!

I'm mostly in agreement with yardvaark. Certainly the wall was built by someone not knowledgeable in how to form for a wall (maybe a homeowner?). The wall does point out the fact that even when done by an amateur, poured concrete walls are often long lasting. If the wall is 2ft high and has no lean or evidence of failure, then I think it is likely that there is suitable footer and probably rebar tying the wall to footer. It's a shame the forming was not done well. It looks problematic to do a veneer on this wall. The footer does not appear to extend far enough in front of the wall to provide support for the veneer. If not, only thin light weight materials can be used for the veneer. Getting the face evened out for a thin veneer is beyond the skill of most, even those who often work with concrete. The likely result would probably disappoint you. I would suggest breaking out the wall to the footer. The footer may or may not be suitable for a new wall. Add to the old footer or pour a new one to be slightly higher than the walk. Form for a new wall with the wall face 4 inches back from the edge of the footer.The result should be a perfectly flat wall where even a homeowner could do a reasonable job of installing veneer. If you decide to go this way I can give you directions on how to do a homeowner style of forming and how to do drainage through the wall.