Your plan seems reasonably complete but I would change the order - site prep first (clearing out any existing plantings, layout of features, grading/excavating, lasagna conversion), then the hardscaping. Planting is always the last step in a landscape renovation other than any mulch application. Not sure what kind of lawn type you have now, but if a Bermuda grass, the lasagna method is not gonna work. Even digging out the sod and flipping it over and piling on other layers will not kill the Bermuda. It will remain around forever and create a huge weedy grass issue. If a Bermuda grass lawn, you will need to kill it off somehow before attempting the lasagna layering. Otherwise, I agree that mowing the lawn short is not a requirement but might make work easier. Roger's Gardens in Corona del Mar holds a 'California Friendly' gardening contest each year. These are conversions of water consuming landscapes into eco-friendly, drought tolerant but still lush and attractive waterwise and fire retardant gardens. Whether or not you choose to enter the contest, looking at their album of gardens from previous contest years could be a great inspiration. And they carry a wonderful selection of appropriate plantings. Worth a Sunday drive for a visit if nothing else ;-) And I'd suggest you post in the regional California Gardening forum your request for sources for materials. Locals will have a much better idea of directing you to appropriate vendors for your needs. Craigslist is a good resource as well. As I stated in your previous post, this is really more of a landscape design issue than necessarily one just focused on soils or organic gardening. You've got the concept nailed down pretty well..........it's only the methodology (organic or not) that is up for discussion and it is certainly possible to accomplish your intent without resorting to chemicals. But don't get too wound up in the "organic" mindset. Sometimes this terminology can get confusing and interfere with the most efficient process to achieve your intent. This is more an issue of sustainability or designing your garden to accommodate your climate with minimal input and recycling materials to create the effect you want. And the recycling can/should include the hardscaping and mulching as well as the lasagna layering. Here is a link that might be useful: California Friendly gardens

I keep getting these images of Doug, Tom, and Diane visiting my house. As they walk out into my yard, Doug clutches his chest ("oh my...!"), Tom scratches his head ("I don't really know where to start,..."), and Diane starts counting the holes ("here a hole, there a hole..."). Anyway, many of my choices thus far have been based on feasibility and convienence: the fact that I am renting, I don't know where all the awesome gardening stores are located, I'm just now figuring out that I can plant veggies this late in the year, etc :) I think I will keep what I started with and see what happens. This weekend I will plant some more veggies but in different types of pots and with bark. In the mean time I will make sure that I move the lettuce into a more shady spot and keep the cucs, tomatoes, etc on the bottom. I will also start seeds in the next couple of weeks. And to top it off, I will start a journal as you all suggested. I might also have to start a dictionary for all these "fancy" terms you all throw around: "leggy", "damping off", "perched water",...

hi, The trellises are on the NNE (top of the page) side of the boxes at the very top of the page so those plants won't block any sun and the two boxes on the left had side of the page have trellises on the NNW (left side) side of the box as well. the problem is the two 4x4 boxes with trellises on the sse side of the box. although most of the sun comes from the s and the sw there is still some sun coming from the se and the s sun will shade all the plants farther north in the box. I could put the trllis for each 4x4 on the far nne side (which for my purposes becuse of the pine grove counts like north) however I'm afraid itwill just shade all the plants in a box farther north. if I were to move the 4x4 that has not been built yet to the other side of the garden left side of the garden in front of the 3x3 boxes and plant my 4 tomatoes in that box could that work? I have fried my brain thinking about this but havn't come up with a solution. I've even used pencils th=at are 8ft tall using thescale in the diagram and a flash light helsd at the aprox. angel and postion oif the sun at different time of the day to map shadowes the plants will cast and still no ideas. hmmmmm if I were to plant 3 of the 4 tomatoes from the 4x4 box on the left hand side of the 3x3 box with the cukes in it and move my cucumbers which are a bush type to the back of the closet 4x4 box were my late lettuce was going to go since the cukes only get to about 3ft tall they might not block the sun right? the 4 tomato would get stake in the front right habd cornner of the 4x4 box that is farther back with late lettuce behind it . would that work? ok enough of me rambaling got to cut this post short. DLF

Be sure to do your homework on the silverado sage. There's a dwarf cenizo that will probably work a lot better with the height you want. I saw another plant at the Texas Discovery Gardens that looks a lot like dwarf cenizo, but it's called shadscale. I haven't found it in any of the nurseries around here, but I sure do like how low it grows, and the wood gets twisty and thick sort of like driftwood. Here's a picture I found online: http://www.suu.edu/faculty/martin/shadscale/shadscaleplant.JPG I love flame acanthus - it's one of my favorite plants. But mine has spread all over the place, not in any uniform fashion. If they all grow this way, I think it would take up too much space in an easement. Cynthia - Mine just started blooming last week, too. It needed to dry out and have some good hot weather. The hummingbirds are all over it. Jupiter's beard would be nice with all the plants you're considering. It's not much in winter, but it sort of spreads around and pops up mixed in with the other plants - not in an invasive sort of way. http://www.allisonvillenursery.com/pictures/guide/misc/jupitersbeard.jpg