There are plenty of Salvia growers but you might want to rethink using them for cutflowers. They're not the best for that purpose; they "shatter" quickly. Take a look at some of these: CALIFORNIA NATIVES FOR CUTTING For flowers, foliage and/or berries Arctostaphylos MANZANITA Artemisia californica CALIFORNIA SAGEBRUSH Bloomeria crocea GOLDEN STARS Brodiaea elegans HARVEST BRODIAEA Carpenteria californica ÂElizabeth BUSH ANEMONE Cercis occidentalis, C. o. ÂAlba WESTERN REDBUD Chlorogalum pomeridianum AMOLE, SOAP PLANT Clarkia amoena GODETIA Clarkia unguiculata ELEGANT CLARKIA, FAREWELL-TO-SPRING Collinsia heterophylla CHINESE HOUSES Comarostaphylis diversifolia SUMMER HOLLY Corethrogyne (Lessingia) californica CALIFORNIA ASTER Dichelostemma ida-maia FIRECRACKER FLOWER Dichelostemma pulchellum BLUE DICKS, WILD HYACINTH Dudleya pulverulenta CHALK LETTUCE Epipactis gigantea GIANT STREAM ORCHID Eriogonum arborescens SANTA CRUZ ISLAND BUCKWHEAT Eriogonum giganteum ST. CATHERINEÂS LACE Eriophyllum confertiflorum GOLDEN YARROW Eriophyllum lanatum arachnoideum GOLDEN YARROW Galvezia speciosa ISLAND SNAPDRAGON Hesperocallis undulata DESERT-LILY Hesperoyucca whipplei CHAPARRAL YUCCA Heteromeles arbutifolia TOYON Iris Pacific Coast Hybrids PCH IRIS Isocoma menziesii COAST GOLDENBUSH Juncus balticus BALTIC RUSH Juncus effusus COMMON RUSH Juncus mexicanus MEXICAN RUSH Juncus patens RUSH Juncus xiphioides FLAT-BLADED RUSH Leymus condensatus GIANT WILD RYE Leymus triticoides BEARDLESS WILD RYE Lilium "Corallitos Hybrids" CORALLITOS LILIES Lilium rubescens CHAPARRAL LILY Madia elegans ELEGANT TARWEED Mahonia ÂGolden Abundance G. A. BARBERRY Mahonia ÂSkylark SKYLARK MAHONIA Melica californica CALIFORNIA MELIC Mimulus aurantiacus and Hybrids BUSH MONKEY FLOWER Monardella crispa WAVY-LEAF DUNE MINT Monardella villosa COYOTE MINT Myrica californica PACIFIC WAX MYRTLE Perityle incana GUADALUPE ISLAND ROCK DAISY Philadelphus lewisii californicus CALIFORNIA MOCK ORANGE Polystichum munitum WESTERN SWORD FERN Rhamnus californica COFFEEBERRY Ribes aureum gracillimum GOLDEN CURRANT Ribes sanguineum glutinosum RED-FLOWERING CURRANT Solidago californica CALIFORNIA GOLDENROD Solidago spathulata COAST GOLDENROD Symphoricarpus SNOWBERRIES Trichostema lanatum WOOLY BLUE-CURLS Triteleia hyacinthina WHITE HYACINTH BRODIAEA Triteleia laxa PRETTY FACE, TRIPLET LILY Vaccinium ovatum EVERGREEN HUCKLEBERRY Wyethia angustifolia NARROW-LEAF MULE EARS Zigadenus fremontii STAR-LILY Joe

Davallia trichomanoides, or Squirrel's Foot Fern Typha or Cattails, there are 11 species, says Wikipedia Moss roses, my favorite is Alfred du Dalmas, sometimes called Mousseline, for the scent of the flowers is reminiscent of French linens. There are cultivars with mossier buds. Some Lavenders have very soft leaves, and soft velvety flowers especially right before they open, I love to feel them. Sinningia, or florists, Gloxinia. Roman Chamomile makes a wonderful "rug."

Get rid of the lawn and plant a small grove of Acacia baileyana with an uderstory of: Carex spissa SAN DIEGO SEDGE Carex tumulicola BERKELEY SEDGE and then plant accents of: Carpenteria californica BUSH ANEMONE Galvezia speciosa BUSH SNAPDRAGON Holodiscus discolor OCEAN SPRAY Ribes malvaceum 'Barrie Coate' CHAPARRAL CURRANT Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum PINK FLOWERING CURRANT Salvia sonomensis SONOMA SAGE Trichostema lanatum WOOLY BLUE CURLS Ribes viburnifolium EVERGREEN RIBES Satureja douglasii YERBA BUENA Arisarum proboscideum MOUSE PLANT Arum italicum LORDS-AND-LADIES Cyclamen hederifolium IVY-LEAFED CYCLAMEN Hyacinthoides hispanica SPANISH SQUILL Adiantum jordanii CALIFORNIA MAIDENHAIR Dryopteris arguta COASTAL WOOD FERN Pentagramma triangularis GOLDBACK FERN Polypodium californicum CALIFORNIA POLYPODY Polystichum munitum WESTERN SWORD FERN Arthropodium cirrhatum RENGA-RENGA LILY Dianella ensifolia ÂBorder Silver STRIPED FLAX-LILY Dudleya lanceolata LANCE-LEAF DUDLEYA Geranium maderense MADERA GERANIUM Helleborus x sternii HYBRID HELLEBORE Heuchera maxima GIANT CORAL BELLS Iris Pacific Coast Hybrids PCH IRIS Lepechinia fragrans ISLAND PITCHER SAGE Mimulus aurantiacus and hybrids (many) BUSH MONKEYFLOWER Salvia spathacea 'Powerline Pink' PINK HUMMINGBIRD SAGE Zauschneria (Epilobium) species CALIFORNIA FUCHSIA GO FOR IT. Joe

"...arid gardening with succulents and cacti for parkways, lawns" Lawns are not generally considered to be in the arid zone. It isn't clear from your post. Are you removing the lawn? I'm not a CA native purist. I actually think many others are much easier to grow, while maintaining the desired low-water characteristics. For example, Agonis flexuosa 'Nana" is the toughest, most drought tolerant shrub in my garden--it never wilts, and always looks great no matter the 110+ temps. Australian. Trichostema 'Midnight Magic', a hybrid, is markedly easier to keep alive than CA native Wooly Blue curls (Trichostema lanatum). I planted Dorycnium hirscutum (Hairy Canaryflower) in late May last year--not exactly the recommended planting season. Both plants came through with flying colors. It is originally from Portugal. Tough as nails. More than half of my Aloes, on the other hand, have been taken out of the garden due to aloe mite. What is your true goal with your garden? What is "trendy" is not necessarily what would be best to meet your objective.