u/BeGoneLawn12

Hi r/Ceanothus,

This is a July 2026 update for my DIY front lawn replacement with native plants.

With a few days in the high 90's and even 100F, this was the first month I started to see a few of the perennials go dormant/semi-dormant. There aren't quite as many color blooms but I am happy that most sections still have one or more plants in flower along with other foliage or structural elements to support.

July Image Album: https://imgur.com/a/OjfNznb

History

June Post: June Reddit Post

May Post: May Reddit Post

Original DIY Tutorial Post (April): Original Lawn Replacement Tutorial/Journey Post

Highlights:

* CA Goldenrod has begun its 'show' and its yellow spikes offer a welcome addition to the garden

* A few locations of Purple Three Awn grass are really filling out and providing some much needed texture. I will be adding more grasses (and trying to grow some indoors from seed) this Fall as their movement and ability to fill in gaps is so nice

* CA Buckwheat and CA Fuchsia are still in full flower

* White Penstemon continues to stay strong in most of its locations, months past the other purple colored penstemons like Margarita BOP

* Plants behind the bench (Baja Pitcher Sage, Fragrant Pitcher Sage, Western Redbud) continue to get bigger and bigger

* Yarrow and other small plants around the Dry River continue to fill in

Departures/issues:

* Black Eyed Susans in most locations are really nearing the end of their life and not looking so good. Leaving some for insects but will be thinning them down.

* Most of the volunteer Coreopsis are no longer producing as many blooms

* Coral Bells are all dead, was too sunny of a spot even behind the bench

* Canyon Prince Wild Rye on one side continues to be noticeably more dried out. Hoping it comes back.

Plans for fall are to add more grasses, add more plants around the edges of the Dry River, and to plant more annuals (CA Bluebells, Poppies, Baby Blue Eyes, Clarkias). I plan to start many of these indoors from seed, does anyone have any experience or tips on this? I've got lots of experience with it for veggies and flowers but have only done CA Bluebells and Yarrow from seed as far as Natives are concerned.

There are a couple of sections where the summer heat is revealing that I need either some succulent plants or something in-flower during summer as there are gaps once Penstemons, Yarrow, Poppies aren't looking as good.

I've spent some time on the Waterwise Community Youtube channel learning about Fall maintenance and looking forward to giving some plants a pruning.

Thanks for looking!

Hi r/Ceanothus,

This is a June 2026 update for my DIY front lawn replacement with native plants. Most of these plants went in between December 2025 and April 2026 and have exploded in growth. Imgur album is from late June 2026.

Enjoying how the garden continues to change over time as different plants ebb and flow, taking the spotlight and then falling back as part of our yard's little visual orchestra.

As it heats up (starting to see 90's regularly) I am watching to see how things do. Despite my best efforts there are still some plants right near each other which need different watering amounts, mostly erring on the side of "less is more" which seems to be working OK. My use of berms may also increase the rate at which they dry out, although the heavy clay soil we have probably negates this some (and certain plant's holes were amended with DG at planting)

https://imgur.com/a/IUXo7ME

Highlights:

* CA Buckwheat has a very impressive bloom show right now and it's starting to fade from white/yellow to dusty rose tones. My wife is enjoying using them and the Yarrow in bouquets

* CA Fuchsia has bloomed this month in multiple places

* White Penstemon stays in bloom much later for me than the Margarita BOP

* Lots of plants are starting to encroach upon the pathway, blurring the edges like I was hoping. This is the reason I went with such a wide (>4') path.

* Plants behind the bench (Baja Pitcher Sage, Fragrant Pitcher Sage, Western Redbud) have grown substantially

* Yarrow and other small plants around the Dry River are starting to fill in

* Black-Eyed Susans are a highlight, if a little overwhelming. Will not plant quite so many transplants next year but still enjoying them. The earliest transplants are getting too tall to support themselves and will need to be maintained

* We've seen ladybugs, praying mantises, bees, hoverflies, butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, finches, lizards, and all sorts of little bugs we don't know the names of

Departures/issues:

* Clarkia plants are now dead, will plant more seeds this fall

* Barely any CA Poppies left standing, although curious to see how many pop up in the spring as I left all of them to develop seed pods

* Coral Bells behind the bench have died or are suffering, may not have been enough shade for them in this location

* Canyon Prince Wild Rye on one side looks dry and noticeably less "blue" than the other side.

Next steps are to continue researching the maintenance best practices for each plant so that I can keep the plants healthy. Would like to prune my manzanitas, Western Redbud, and Ceanothus into more "tree-like" plants so will need to learn about specific pruning methods for that. Plans for fall are to add more grasses, add more plants around the edges of the Dry River, and to plant more annuals (CA Bluebells, Poppies, Baby Blue Eyes, Clarkias). I need to finish one section on the left side as well (likely Yarrow or others which don't mind some supplemental water from the neighbor's lawn). Also at odds with an HOA policy of "no plants crossing into one's driveway" so will see how that goes. Don't want to have to prune anything in summer if I don't have to.

Thanks for looking!

Hi r/Ceanothus,

This is a May 2026 update for my DIY front lawn replacement with native plants. Most of these plants went in between December 2025 and April 2026 and have exploded in growth. Images show some May vs. April comparisons. Imgur album is all May 2026 and shows sun vs. shade conditions

Overall, still very happy with the project and how it has all turned out. It is quite wild but added lots of interest and life to our house. The amount of texture, variety, and color allow us to leave faded blooms and dormant plants without upsetting neighbors as there is always something in-bloom in each "scene". It has been fun watching the ebb and flow of the various plants being highlighted and then falling back, even over just the first couple of months.

https://imgur.com/a/2tPNy0s

Highlights:

* Yarrow has bloomed all over the place and provides a nice texture and pop of color (mostly grown from seed, not technically CA natives although a handful were purchased from nurseries and are native)

* Black-eyed Susans are thriving in the sun and giving a big change to the overall color palette. These were grown from seed and transplanted simply because I didn't have room in the back garden. For the most part, they are taking advantage of my neighbor's sprinklers and providing a bit of a barrier between our yards. However, I've been surprised on how well the ones in the interior of the space are doing as they are not getting any supplemental water.

* White Sage has gotten absolutely huge in multiple spots, will need to learn more about pruning and shaping.

* White Penstemon has really thrived. This was purchased from Theodore Payne (GMR White)

* Cleveland Sage (and similar varieties) are doing well and starting to encroach upon the pathway, blurring the edges how I was hoping. This is the reason I went with such a wide (>4') path.

* Didn't get a great picture but our Matilija Poppy has started to bloom

* Red and CA Buckwheats are both blooming

* Clarkias have done really well in late April/early May, took images just past their prime. These were purchased as clearance items from Theodore Payne and I am not sure they were actually Elegant Clarkia like the label said. That said, their hot pink color was striking and a welcome addition to the garden

* Didn't get any good pictures but the plants behind the bench (Baja Pitcher Sage, Fragrant Pitcher Sage, Western Redbud) have grown substantially

* We've seen ladybugs, praying mantises, bees, hoverflies, butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, finches, lizards, and all sorts of little bugs we don't know the names of

Departures/issues:

* CA Bluebell blooms which were thriving in March/April are no longer visible and the plants themselves have mostly died. Leaving them in where possible to hope they spread seed for next year.

* CA Poppies are now blooming very sparsely, although some plants seem to have an outer section of dead/dying with an interior of green leaves so I am hoping a second wave may be possible. Leaving them in to spread their seed pods.

* Baby Blue Eyes have all finished. I am not sure if they just didn't get enough water or if they just got too hot. Will definitely plant more of these next year (and try some from seed)

* Arroyo Lupines have all finished their blooming. Some are still in the ground and I am hoping they will spread their seed pods

* A few Verbena De La Minas are no longer blooming much and foliage looks more gray than green. Not sure if they will bounce back. Some of them look great and still are flowering so it doesn't seem to be purely a seasonal change, more of a micro-climate or watering issue is my guess.

* Both ceanothus plants have a bit of yellowing on the leaves. They are in their first year so they have seen some water but I am giving them less than the surrounding plants. Hoping for the best here

* The Siskiyou Fescues have gone from a gray/green to more of a gray/brown so not sure if they will be coming back or not.

* Coral Bells which were placed in too sunny of a spot (although still part shade) have mostly been roasted and I am doubtful they make it through the summer. Lesson learned. The ones behind the bench have survived and bloomed.

* I did have to add some additional DG in between the pathway seams as it does compress with rains. I like the look much better when it is closer to the height of the flagstones and has more rounded edges.

Next steps are to start to understand the maintenance best practices for each plant so that I can keep the plants healthy. Plans for fall are to add more grasses, add more plants around the edges of the Dry River, and to plant more annuals (CA Bluebells, Poppies, Baby Blue Eyes, Clarkias)

Thanks for looking!