Hey! Thanks for the response! I'm in Vista! We currently have some irrigation installed... but im not even sure where to go with it. having a hard time picturing things. Do you have pictures of yours? Attached is a few pictures of my yard.

Front yard from the front door (the property fence is going to be extended another 30 feet away from the front door so we will have a very large front yard)

Backyard

How about a nice drought resistant landscape and some edibles, like citrus trees, etc? Have you looked on pinterest? Your backyard is a wonderful blank slate... I see so many possibilities!

Picking plants is one problem i have... the other is figuring out where to put them..everything has to be dog friendly as well.

I am definitely planting grass see in the backyard in some spots at least.

I gotta figure out where to put the jacuzzi and outdoor bar stuff eventually too... GRR so frustrating trying to think of where to do this.

I moved into a house last year and was faced with the same thing you're dealing with. I'm in Berkeley so not the exact same weather, but closer enough that my experience should be relevant. Starting with a blank slate is a little daunting but kinda fun too.

A few of the things I did:

1. First thing was building a shed in the back corner of the yard.

2. Bought some stakes and garden tape to outline an area for grass. We rearranged it several times over about a week before deciding on a shape we liked. I was trying to keep the size small, about 400 sqft, but if I could do it over I'd stay around 250. It's a major water hog when first installed so I would recommend as little grass as you can live with for a child or pet. Sod delivery was cheap... We got a relatively drought resistant variety delivered for $400 and installed it in an afternoon.

3. Next thing was mulch. Single best decision we made. A tree trimming company dropped off a truckload and I covered every inch of bare dirt with it. It saves an incredible amount of water and looks great.

4. About 1/3 of the yard is now a vegetable garden and orchard. Built 2 raised planters and put in 9 fruit trees.

5. Put in some trees for privacy along one of the fences: Ceanothus Ray Hartman, Magnolia grandiflora, and a red tip photinia standard (you'll get mixed reviews on that last one but it works well where we put it).

What I'm working on now is filing in some areas around the borders. Two of the fruit trees I put in are citrus... They look great and are good along fences for privacy. Other plants that will be going in are ornamental grasses, sages, lavenders, lilacs, etc. They've got great color and are easy on water.

Hope that helps.

The reason why i wanna go with more grass is because the dogs roll in the dirt and mulch and track it inside haha.

I would suggest you inquire with some of your local nurseries. Often some of the larger ones offer consultation and design services really cheap. If you are totally lost with what to do and don't know where to begin, they might really be able to get you started.

Look at a bookstore at garden design ideas. Pat Welshes southern ca gardening book tells you what to do each month.

I hear you on tracking stuff in. I actually think our dog tracks in less dirt from the mulch than from the grass. Like I said, I've been astonished how much I like having mulch down. Poop on mulch is also way easier to spot and clean up. Best decision.

Also, this idea may not be popular here, but try doing a search on Houzz for southern California landscaping. There are some pretty amazing pictures available of just about any backyard layout you can think of. Plenty of inspiration.

Joseph, it sounds to me like you want an entertaining back yard. Are edible plants important to you? Do you want everything green all year? You want some grass for the dogs. We are in a drought, so.... you have to water grass. You do not have to water a putting green, and it's part of that whole entertainment thing. An outdoor kitchen with a big bad BBQ Island and Kegerator can be on one side and won't take up much room. You don't have to water fake grass, and the dogs will not bother it at all. Ours is fake, but we have Semi Dwarf Citrus (always green and fruitful) planted around it. Roses too.

I, for one, am totally against plastic, artificial grass. Especially if you have dogs who will do their business on it. Besides, many of the newer materials are treated with chemicals to be UV ray-resistant.

Do a search through Houzz for drought tolerant landscape and see if anything catches your attention. I have recently landscaped my backyard by creating a large, rectangular gravel-covered area and surrounding that with drought tolerant landscaping. I also have a native, meadow lawn (mostly carex pansa) right next to the graveled area, inter planted with other natives and a Manzanita Dr. Hurd for (future) shade.

Josue, put your money where your mouth is. Show us a photo of your fabulous yard.

@Suzi I didn't post that as an attack on your yard. As a matter of fact, your yard looks great. The look of a large expanse of greenery (either natural or artificial) is always appealing. For me neither is practical, and if I were to plant one, I'd go with the natural. That is all I meant.

Congratulations on becoming a home owner! Depending on what you're looking for, there are A TON of different options for your area. Paver patios are huge right now b/c they are versatile, low maintenance, and have better longevity than concrete. Lots of homeowners are also installing artificial turf and using decomposed granite for pathways and planters. Both of these options are low maintenance and can add color and texture. Keep in mind that a drip system is both financially and environmentally beneficial. Look through our photos for inspiration and give us a call if you're not the diy type! Hope this helps :-)

You failed to mention if you like or dislike doing maintenance work to the garden. How much time do you want to spend? You do not mention growing vegetables, does it interest you? Do you like a tropical look? Is there an area to be left open for a pool down the road? What is the tree with the three stakes in your backyard? Will your dogs be in the front yard a lot? Which areas get shade? Will there be more hardscape later? You are in a USDA zone that many of us envy. I would have many Mandevilla if I lived there. I suggest you get some graph paper and draw out a scale map of your plot. Even if you only do the front yard for now, you still need to have a general idea of where things will grow.

There are plenty of plant lists online so I suggest you look there. Here are a few plants that do not get supplemental water in my yard.

Nandina

Podocarpus, dwarf

Myrsine africana. I prefer it over Buxus but it is also a low water plant and I have both

Coprosma kirkii

Oleander Mrs George Roeding

Xylosma

Myrtus and there is a dwarf form

Here are some plants that may need a bit of water

Centranthus

Saponaria

Geranium Biokovo

Clumping Oxasis. Never get the non clumping.

Viburnum Spring Bouquet

Plumbago

Trachelospermum jasminoides, can be grown as a ground cover or vine

Peleragonium

Euryops

Pittosporum tobria The reason I share this list is because I miss dark green in many xeriscapes.

I am lucky in having semi shade. I think a few of these plants would want more water if grown in full sun. If there are some plants you absolutely need, even though they are thirsty, keep them close to each other. I have a few of them, Fuschia for one

for vigilant gardeners only, Muehlenbeckia. Mine is grown as a ground cover and I mow it probably three times per warm season weather. It is in dappled light. I have decided to let it spread as far as it can. Few weeds come up through it. If watered it would be difficult to contain.

If I had to choose a favorite it would be the Myrtus. Mine has been pruned into a small tree.

Now I am shocked. I have never been so long winded in my life, sorry so long

You do have a slope up to the fence. You could put in a fake waterfall, s'pool type thing. A few boulders with a waterfall going into a spa/swimming pool. or just a spa. Always nice to have a water feature. You didn't mention how much you are willing to spend.

Those are mostly fake rocks, although our hill is just studded with real granite boulders. Huge ones! This is our spa/pool. under the waterfall is a grotto with a real spa and a shelf for your drinks. The pool isn't big enough for a swim, but on a hot day, it's really refreshing just to play in it. This was here when we purchased this house. If we ever win the lottery, the pool deck will be turned into a real pool in which you can swim laps. BUT, this little spool is a pleasant place to be on a hot day, and gorgeous at night with the lights on.

I'm a bit shocked that we're discussing adding or expanding backyard pools during this extended drought.

Hi, Joseph! I am in SoCal, too. A bit north of you in northeast L.A. county.

Dogs rolling and tracking in stuff is always a big concern. They do tend to find the most interesting items to attach like velcro to their fur! I went with no lawn in the back. It is all landscaped with drought tolerant plants. There are winding paths of gravel throughout. The gravel is squared, not smooth pebbles. It is about an inch, on average, in size. This keeps dogs and people's shoe treads from tracking the gravel indoors. I absolutely never get a bit of it dragged in. It drains and holds no mud so the paths are always clean. There are stepping stones in key locations for a smoother walk. The dogs don't mind the pavers/gravel at all. They run around the maze of paths and have a blast. They get regular walks to the park and dog park where they can commune with grass!

With the severe drought in California I decided grass was a thing of the past. I use a fraction of the water now compared to when I had a lawn. I get the benefit of fragrant, low-water plants like lavender, sage, lantana, etc.

My Gardens · More Info

My Gardens · More Info

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My Gardens · More Info

My Gardens · More Info

Very pretty, John.