Tally wanted the front yard to match the newly updated mid-century modern aesthetic of her house. She also needed a low-maintenance and drought-tolerant garden to accommodate her busy work and travel lifestyle, and goals to eventually Airbnb the house as a rental.

We got rid of the lawn using a sheet mulch method with cardboard and wood chips. After 5 months, the soil was ready to shape into garden beds. We created an island berm and planted it heavily with pollinator supportive flowers, shrubs, grasses, and ground covers for a carpeted mosaic of year round color and texture. Lots of drought-tolerant evergreen shrubs with blue-silver foliage to contrast against the dark blue house color were utilized for year-round appeal. A few deciduous trees with burgundy-purple foliage offer bold color and fall interest.

The sidewalk strip of lawn was replaced with a rock garden containing desert plants like yucca, cacti, Callistemon, and agave to soak up the heat.