Another Water-Thoughtful Front Yard Example

The hellstrip.  In my own garden, this blue fescue does very well on twice-monthly summer irrigation:
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This home was a couple doors down from the other home I blogged about Tuesday.   I've found no-lawn projects are often clustered together;  one neighbor sees another's project, likes it, and follows suit.  Work was done on this house as well--there appears to be new windows, paint, and a new roof, but no radical remodel like Tuesday's post.  Your standard home clean-up/refresh.

View from the driveway side:
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View from the property line looking towards the driveway:
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I like the plant selection, with one reservation.  The palette is limited to blue fescue, Asparagus fern (A. densifloris 'Meyers', rather than A densifloris, the invasive pest), small shrub 'Little John'  Callistemon, a refreshing change from Rapheolepis indica, though probably destined to be as overused, Agave attenuata, the tall yellow Anigozanthos, a single Citrus tree, and Phormium.   It appears that an existing Pittosporum hedge along the property line, and a mature tree near the garage were trimmed back and retained.  My one reservation is about the Asparagus fern--I believe the 'Meyers' version is not the extreme pest the species is...but I am not sure.  I would never plant it myself.

I dote on those tall yellow Anigozanthos, (A. flavidus, maybe?), the pick of that genus. 
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Love love love, want want want:
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Lemon tree by the driveway:
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Asparagus fern and Anigozanthos, with a red Phormium barely visible:
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They apparently bumped out that bed a bit.  You can see the original straight edging with just the Fescue section.  The curve with the other plants appears added.  A good idea.
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'Little John' Callistemon and Agave Attenuata are the foundation plants along the front of the house.  Here is one misplacement, seems to me...the Agaves will get much taller than the Callistemon.  Would a reverse of the arrangement provide better long term results?

The Agaves look like a lot of pups split up--I wonder if they were able to re-use an existing clump from the property.  Recycling is a good thing.
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Another misplacement:  these Phormiums are planted too close to the house.  They do get wider than 6".  Of course they did not want them blocking the walkway, but too close to the house isn't good, either.  I wonder if 'Festival Grass' Cordyline might not have been an alternative.  Too dramatic?
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The other side of the driveway with its mature tree.  Blue Fescue, a few Anigozanthos, and the existing tree, trimmed.  Brevity.  You can see irrigation overspray from the neighboring yard.  The fescue will enjoy that.

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I saved the head-scratcher for last:
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This appears to be plugs of a hybrid Bermuda(?) lawn.  Are they still dormant, or unwatered?  This will need water to fill in and at least some water to look good.  What's the story on this stuff?  I wonder.  

Looking bad:
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Overall I like this.  I like the simplicity of plant choices.  This is refreshing to a one-of-everything-personal-botanical-garden-plant-nerd.   However, I do not like the Bermuda plugs, though I think a whole area of just blue Fescue clumps would not work, either...a little too sparse.  There are a couple of misplacements of plants (too close to the house, taller in front of shorter) but otherwise, well done.  I will keep my eye on this and see how it matures.

Sure do love those yellow Anigozanthos.  Explain to me why this ain't gorgeous, please:
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Comments

  1. Nice project; I appreciate the points about reusing plants that clump or volunteer. I'm discovering, while cutting back or removing a few casualties of winter, that I won't have to buy very much - may even have extra agaves!

    The Bermuda (or Buffalograss) plugs - seems something else might work, and I like some negative space, not just solid plants. Need to find a Blue Fescue sub for hell strips here - maybe Yucca pallida? Glad it only takes water 2x month there!

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  2. Maybe those plugs are zoysia grass, which is often started this way and extremely drought tolerant. Seems like it would make more sense but it is hard to tell from the photo.

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  3. I kept reading and reading wondering why you weren't addressing what those sad little squares were. They looked a little like scotch moss but I was fairly certain that couldn't be.

    I'm glad we live in different cities ... otherwise I'm be certain someday my front garden would show up here...and let's just say I'm giving you plenty to talk about (and not in a good way I'm sure).

    Love the Anigozanthos as well.

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  4. I share your excitement over seeing people try something other than typical lawns, as well as your trepidation about using any kind of Asparagus species. At my parent's house some escaped from a hanging pot and started to take over its corner of the garden, and I'll never trust the genus again.

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  5. It's zoysia. It's too expensive to sod- over five bucks a square foot. I like mine- it grows much more slowly than Bermuda so it can be kept out of beds (if you work at it). It will be very lush and green in a few years.

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  6. Thanks all for your comments!

    Sheila & Renee, thanks for the Zoysia ID. Not much of that around here. I'm not familiar with it. I hope it grows well for them.

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