I have been trying to grow a desert rose for many years now. When I first got it the pot was too small so I repotted it, but I used regular soil and was very tricky to water it just enough to keep it between brown tipped leaves and yellow leaves. I finally read up and repotted it into cactus/succulent potting mix. When I had pulled it out of the old pot I was amazed it was still alive because it had only 2 or 3 small roots coming off the big ball, and it surely had root rot. There was not much at stake so I washed it in water and actually sprayed it very hard with the hose nozzle to clean off the black stuff. Back to the new pot and soil, it started to grow very fast but the leaves will not get dark green, they look pale. The soil was miracle grow and I'm wondering if it has the wrong fertilizer in it? Also even though it drain much better than before, I think I'd like to pot it again with a good amount of sand added to the succulant soil so it drains even better. Oh, I did pull it out of the new soil once to see how the root rot was doing and it had grown new roots like crazy! I couldn't believe how fast the new roots grew! So what do you think I should do? Add sand because I feel it is still holds too much water, and what about the pale green? It used to have dark green leaves. It has only bloomed once in many years, sometimes I just can't give up on a living plant no matter how bad it looks. Thanks, Tony

I don't have anything to add with respect to the house, but I'm attaching a link that may be useful for landscaping. It was put out by the East Bay Municipal Utility District (I live in Oakland). It's geared toward Northern California, but a lot of the plant recommendations will be appropriate for SoCal, too. Not all xeriscaping is cacti, and the book has some really fabulous alternatives--from California natives to Mediterranean plants to South African plants--that don't scream "desert." Here is a link that might be useful: Plants and Landscapes for Summer-Dry Climates

Robert Byrd's last quote...citizens of Warrior Nations always bear the burden, sacrifice their chance at prosperity for the glory of possible victory, 'nuf said

>The London Plane around here is a perfect sized tree for our yard< And the size they are now is? If you are thinking in terms of an eventual 50 ft average crown spread your space is not big enough for this tree. For instance one in Seattle (USDA 8) was over 100 ft. wide in 2005. >I’ve been under them a lot and have never noticed them being covered in irritant hairs!< stiff hairs shed by the young leaves and the dispersing seeds; these are an irritant if breathed in, and can exacerbate breathing difficulties for people with asthma The large amount of leaf drop in winter and small hairs on the under leaf can cause irritation. The ball of tiny flowers matures to a dry seed head (the 'itchy ball') that when broken up and brought into contact with the skin, causes severe itchiness. it has a number of problems in urban use, most notably the short, stiff hairs shed by the young leaves and the dispersing seeds; these are an irritant if breathed in, and can exacerbate breathing difficulties for people with asthma Attention should be paid to the location of planting, as the hairs on the leaves can cause irritation to some people's noses. The foliage of all [Platanus]species is pubescent (hairy) and these hairs can become a skin or breathing irritant. Hairs from seeds and leaves are also released in spring and can be a source of intense irritation. The seeds and hairs are dispersed into the air by wind or vectors, such as birds, butterflies and bees, or from people pruning branches and raking leaves. https://www.bing.com/search?pc=COSP&ptag=N1140D060418AE20BDC3E2E&form=CONBDF&conlogo=CT3210127&q=platanus+irritant+hairs https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/1713810/do-i-really-want-a-sycamore-tree#n=15