a plan usually starts with some goals ...

do you have any goals.. other than just filling it up ..

do you want to block a sight line ... either towards the house.. or away??

stand inside that picture window.. and look out ... what do you see??... do you always want to see it ... or do you want the neighbor always looking in???

from the car.. the last pic.. do you want to be able to see the door coming in??? .. perhaps a safety issue????

once you can state some goals ... then you can come up with a concept ... and ONLY THEN ... do you start picking plants ...

ken

Does it have a sprinkler? What will your water usage restrictions be once the new rules kick in?

If the dirt is all loosened up by the tree removal, you can add a vast amount of compost and some organic fertilizer before planting perennials. I agree that California natives would be best to attract hummingbirds and bees. It's much better to plant perennials in October than in February, so if you want to wait til next fall for those, you can plant a packet of seeds for nasturtiums or Mexican marigolds for a wonderful summer display.

Instead of a fountain, I'd put a small specimen tree in the middle. A crepe myrtle would be beautiful and drought tolerant, surrounded by succulents, ground covers, and other drought tolerant shrubs. You could also uplight it at night.

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Thanks for the suggestions 🙏🏻.
@ken_adrian the house is away from the street and sort of perpendicular to it. The car is mine and it’s parked in the drive way with the fence on the other side. I am not looking to block any view with this but as I mentioned we like the extra sunlight with the tree gone so we would like to stay at any 3 ish ft height with shrubs and a slightly higher focal point. Looking for a serene space to look at from the window.
@ apple_pie_order I do have sprinklers there.

I don't think a fountain is a good idea with all the hardware that's already in the front including the raised bed. You don't want a tree, and a non native crepe myrtle would block the sun. Here's a couple pics of California native gardens, and you could include some natives that will spill over the edges and soften things.

Unless you are a hobbit and your house is a hobbit house, crape myrtles don't get big enough to "block the sun' or shade much of anything! Plus, they come in a range of sizes. And from a designer's eye, that bed does need some height that a small tree/large shrub would provide.

Crapes are used extensively in CA so not an unreasonable selection at all. But if you want to stick to natives - nice but not necessary - consider a western redbud, Cercis occidentalis.

Fountain is a great idea! What town are you in? I’m in the South Bay too. Then do all native and drought tolerant plants, preferably ones that attract bees and butterflies. We are heading go to another drought so nothing that needs a lot of water!