skip to main content

Landscape Design Trees Lawn Care

What are your favorite lower-water ground coverings / privacy trees?

2 years ago

We just finished a remodel and now it's time for landscaping. The house is in Los Angeles. We're in search of a lower-water ground covering that we can walk / play on (area to cover is 24 feet by 36 feet), that we'd like to surround with privacy trees. Are there some lower-water grasses? The area gets a lot of sun. We're also looking to line the area with privacy trees, would love recommendations for that as well. (We’ll add some plantings as well for color and contrast, but are first focusing on the ground covering and trees). The house is Spanish. Would welcome your suggestions, thank you very much.

Featured Answer

laceyvail 6A, WV

2 years ago

Something 6 ft tall is not a tree. It's a very medium sized shrub. Some shrubs can be pruned into tree like shapes, but I'm not familiar with what will do well in your area.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (9)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
2 years ago
UC Verde buffalo grass is about as drought tolerant as you can get and still look like a lawn. Otherwise, kurapia is highly recommended for SoCal as a highly drought tolerant, lawn replacement groundcover. But both of these are best in full sun and perimeter planting of trees. will have an impact on how much sun may be available.

Might be best to pick and plant the trees first and then see what you have to deal with. How tall to these need to be and how much space can you allow them to fill?
kharten
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you very much for the advice on the UC verde Buffalo grass and kurapia, as well as planting the trees first. I would like the trees to be roughly 6 feet tall. And I’m hoping to keep their depth about 2 feet.
Related Discussions
What is your favorite shovel for transplanting fruit trees
Q
Comments (32)
I broke a fork last year trying to get a tree out of a hole... After that, I gave up on the idea of "Digging" with forks... Just too many rocks around here.... My usual practice is to slam the spade/shovel into the ground... Watch for any fires that were started by the sparks... Pry out the 1st rock.. See if the hole is big enough for the plant Pry out a couple more rocks.. Check if the hole is big enough yet.... Lather, rinse, repeat I was digging yesterday evening - and it was getting dark... Oooohhh.. Look at all those sparks, and the nice pile of baseball sized rocks.... (I got most of the big ones in the last 2 years...) I did admire the dirt that came out, though... The 3 years of trying to improve soil health are paying off - the dirt was much darker and richer.. Actually quite a bit easier to dig than when I first moved in... which was like trying to stick a shovel into the middle of a cement driveway.... The soil was so bad that not even WEEDS would grow when I moved in... Literally - it was just bare dirt that stayed bare.... Now .... weeds will grow... Thanks
...See More
advise needed re: ground cover & privacy screens
Q
Comments (25)
Gene, they are beautiful aren't they? Be vigilant in your search in the foliage for bagworms which did in several of mine so they needed replacing. Some years they are really bad other years they're gone. You can pull off the tiny twig 'bags' and stomp on them but the silk that attaches it to the arborvitae is tightly wound around the twig. If it's on an important branching area you can try to scissor it off other wise expect some later twig death and clip those parts off. Spraying to kill the eggs laid by the moth is probably the best preventative to prevent the larval damage that occurs before you even see a suspended bag on a twig.
...See More
What is your best/favorite ground cover?
Q
Comments (29)
I thought I would share how I am spreading my woodland violets around the garden. I have them planted in an 10" shallow clay pot that sits in a round plastic tray. I keep the tray filled with water at this time of year. With frequent fertilizing, (I foliar feed with water soluable stuff mixed half strength.) it grows out of the pot and onto the ground. There it will root itself after a while. I then trim around the pot to cut the rooted strands away from the potted plant and then move the whole shebang to the next area. I have a great patch under Clytemnestra and now Miss Atwood is getting the treatment.
...See More
Favorite companions plants / perennials/ground covers/living mulch
Q
Comments (53)
Here is what mirabilis (4 o clocks) look like with Mystic Beauty. Blooms are show and last until fall. Self sowing, but easy to recognize and pull out. I originally got this two years ago because it was supposed to be poisonous to Japanese beetles, but the it blooms after the JB peak. I notice that JBs have become less of a problem especially this year but I am not sure if that is more due to my vigilant picking them every morning for two years in a row. I also have a yellow mirabilis but it has not bloomed yet.
...See More
kitasei2
2 years ago
LA will pay you to convert grass to a xeriscape. Apply online. Visit the LA Arboretum, Huntington Gardens and attractive green neighborhoods like Hancock Park and Beverly Hills for ideas. I just spent three weeks in LA, and couldn't get over how green and lush it seemed despite the drought. The soil I dug into was a sandy clay, not the desert I expected. Make as much of your property - including parking and driveway - permeable!
kharten thanked kitasei2
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
2 years ago
and also understand ... nothing.. newly planted ... has low water needs ...

you must water enough.. to get the plants established.. to grow a root mass ... to get to the point of being drought tolerant.. or low water users ...

agree there is no 6 foot tree ... trees never really stop growing at some magical height ..

and with your width spec at 2 feet.. you need a shrub that can be sheared ...or pruned to serve your purpose ....

after that.. this MI boy has nothing to offer in the way of plant suggestions for your area ...

ken

ps: isnt there a xeriscape forum????
kharten thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
suze55
2 years ago
Check out ladwp.cafriendlylandscaping.com - they have a list of drought resistant plants and offer workshops. Also visit cityplants.org - they will provide up to seven drought resistant trees for LA residents at no cost - they deliver and you plant. Many varieties available including fruit trees. They also have a street tree program and they'll plant those - you just have to agree to water.
kharten thanked suze55
dchall_san_antonio
2 years ago
I don't think I'm going to go beyond what gardengal said; however, where in LA are you? Microclimatewise, it's a complex place. Rolling Hills is much different from Palos Verdes Estates even though they are connected. El Segundo is different from El Monte, etc. My first thought would be UC Verde, but your location might make a difference.
kharten
Original Author
2 years ago
dchall_san_antonio - I’m in West LA, near Century City. I’ve seen on my local Nextdoor feed that UC Verde grows well in shaded areas here, but not well in full sun, which is the condition of the area I’m planting. Would love your suggestions!
Susan
2 years ago
Have you considered fencing the yard for privacy? Using pea gravel for a sitting/dining area under a simple sun shade pergola with a small artificial turf yard/play area with some minimal drought tolerant plants?

Related Stories

GROUND COVERS Ground Force: 10 Top Ground Covers for Your Garden

By Carol Bucknell Garden Design

Protect your soil from weeds and drought this summer with a living mulch of ground covers

EDIBLE GARDENS How to Grow 10 Favorite Fruit Trees at Home

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant a mini orchard in fall, winter or early spring to enjoy fresh-off-the-tree fruit the following year

LANDSCAPE DESIGN So Long, Lawn: 6 Walkable Ground Covers to Consider

By Lauren Dunec Hoang

These trample-proof, low-water plants can lower your water bill while greening up your garden

FLOWERS AND PLANTS This Fragrant, Flowering Ground Cover Thrives Under Shady Oaks

By Oakley Gardens

Island gooseberry, or Ribes viburnifolium, is a California native that’s at home in low-water gardens

GARDENING GUIDES Grow Your Own Privacy: How to Screen With Plants and Trees

By Jocelyn H. Chilvers

Use living walls to lower your home and garden's exposure while boosting natural beauty in your landscape

GARDENING GUIDES 6 Dependable Ground Covers for Warm Climates

By Steve Asbell

Swap some lawn for these drought-tolerant clumping plants — and watch your maintenance efforts diminish while they easily grow

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 6 Great Ways With Garden Ground Covers

By Matt Kilburn

Use them as problem solvers, weed killers, color and texture providers ... ground cover plants have both practical and visual appeal

GARDENING GUIDES 10 Native Ground Covers for Southwestern Landscapes

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Create a carpet of color in your landscape with one or more of these sun-loving plants

GARDENING GUIDES 6 Native Ground Covers for Tough, Dry Spots

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Sun beating down on your sandy gravel? Thick shade darkening your clay soil? There’s a ground cover here for you

GROUND COVERS 10 Succulents That Make Pretty, Easy-Care Ground Covers

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

These low-growing succulents create interest in the drought-tolerant garden

Sponsored

Veteran Brand Home & Commercial Services

Industry Leading General Contractors in Ohio

More Discussions

Exterior Update - 80s Ranch

9

Have you removed all grass from your front yard & replaced with plants

32

Modern Driveway Slabs

9

Landscaping the side of the deck skirt

10

Computer specs to be used with beginner design programs?

1