people incapable of sorting through nuances = HOA boards Looks like your soil is very sandy, so that it could turn out to be murder trying to establish and maintain lawn grasses on the small section of level ground involved with this project - let alone on the sloping part. And since you have a Mediterranean climate July is just about the worst possible time to install a new lawn - wait until later in the season if at all possible. Better yet seriously reconsider having any lawn on that site at all. As for your specific climate area (California has a large number of different climates) and what specific plants might work for your purposes a latter day copy (various editions have come out for decades) of the Sunset Western Garden Book will have such information.

Thanks so much for responding Mike. I cannot talk anyone into doing a Manuel J calculation so I am so very grateful for your time. I’m feeling out of my depth and loosing sleep on this one. In my temperate area the summers are long, warm, arid, and mostly clear and the winters are short, cold, wet, and partly cloudy. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 39°F to 81°F and is rarely below 31°F or above 91°F. A handful of days each summer reach 100. I trust the Fraser Johnson guy the most as he was the only one willing to actually look at my system and ductwork but I’m worried 5/4 tons is too high. Here are my two most trustworthy contractors. I’d pay more for what is right for my house but 5k more and the heater is only 80% AFUE seems excessive. But your comment about 96% makes me think I’m mistaken that this is standard- just what all my other quotes were. We have solar so gas for heat costs us more than air. House built in 2000 has “cool roof” and pretty good insulation but the 9 foot ceilings downstairs (with large room with 15 foot ceilings) and 11 foot upstairs makes for more cubic feet. Pretty well shaded and lots of double pained windows.

How about Allium unifolium?

Pittosporum tenuifolium - and especially the cultivar 'Silver Sheen' - are extremely sensitive to water issues. Too much encourages root rots which are invariably fatal and too little causes foliage die off and shedding. A couple of items for consideration. You can't water efficiently according to any sort of schedule. Watering/irrigation needs are determined by the weather and the soil conditions and neither are "schedulable" items :-) Pitts want an evenly moist soil, neither too wet nor too dry. And that moisture should penetrate the soil the entire depth of the rootball and preferably, a bit beyond. That could mean a deep, slow soak - always the best method - once a week, twice a week or maybe every other day. It depends :-)) So the frequency and amount can vary from day to day and season to season and also with the maturity of the shrub. Well established pitts will require less water than those newly planted. With the need for evenly moist soil also comes a need for good drainage. A clay based soil complicates that and amended plantings in a clay based planting hole adds further concerns. We can explore this more if you can describe how you added the "compost and balanced it". There are some rather specific requirement for planting when dealing with clay soils.