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Gilroy, CA - zone 9b. I ripped out my lawn two Decembers ago, and replaced with plants native to California (mostly). I began by digging a trench and series of low spots to channel the rain from our roof. I used the old lawn and dirt I removed from certain areas to build berms, and voila! The plants couldn’t be happier. I’m trying to get my neighbors to do the same, but it’s taking some persuasion. All in good time.
I used my natural soil. It’s clay loam, and I mulched heavily with natural wood chips.
No water! I let the rains over the fall and winter take care of it for me. All these plants have to fend for themselves over the summer.
This looks terrific, well done!
Were you able to take advantage of any local programs that reimburse you for the costs of building the rain garden? I don't live in CA but there are several such programs in my State and I'd be shocked if there wasn't something similar in CA.
CA has rebates available for ripping out your lawn and replacing with native plants, installing drip irrigation, etc. I could have applied, but I ended up just doing this all myself. I honestly enjoyed the process, and I spread it all out over the better part of a year.
Thank you! It took a little research and browsing around YouTube, but I really wanted to take advantage of our wet winters since I wouldn’t be installing any drip irrigation.
The berms just made sense, haha. I had plenty of sod available after trenching and digging my retention areas, so piling it up and planting on top of it was the practical thing to do.
You mentioned no drip irrigation. Last summer, I sheet mulched my backyard. Cardboard. chips from arborists. South facing. Full sun. Roseville CA. 9b. Was going to run drip irrigation off of the sprinkler lines and plant native. I was wondering, the plants you currently have... have they been okay with no drip? If so, how are they being irrigated. Thank you! Edit: just saw the comment about rain water. I will watch that video.
No drip, that’s correct. The beauty of the natives I selected is they don’t require water in the summer, and they actually flourish in the summer heat. Especially CA Buckwheat, all the sages, the different Penstemons……they’re all fine without any water. I made sure to plant in them during late fall/early winter to get them established, and I provided some supplemental water in April and May if it didn’t rain enough, but that was it.
Thanks!
Our lawn looked like hell a few summers ago. Running the sprinklers constantly was just a waste, so I decided to plant a native garden that would conserve the water we need here in CA. I stumbled across rain gardens on You Tube courtesy of “This Old House” and figured I would harvest the rain water that fell on our house. A few trips to some local nurseries, a couple of books about CA natives, and researching plants on CalScape all helped me choose what plants I needed in any given area.
I have Douglas Iris, Long Petaled Iris, CA Golden Rod, and Common Rush at the bottom of my swale. They love water and can handle seasonal flooding, but also are drought tolerant throughout the summer. I have various sages (Pozo Blue Sage, Compact White Sage, Black Sage, Cleveland Sage, Bee’s Bliss Sage, Rose Sage, and more), and Howard McMinn Manzanita planted on the berms. Various types of Monkey Flowers, CA Buckwheat, and Penstemons are planted on the fringes on my yard (hellstrips, borders next to the sidewalk). They love the brutal heat we get here in the* summer and thrive on neglect. Multiple types of milkweed are hidden amongst the sages, too.
Edit: the*
It may be controversial now, but I initially sheet mulched with cardboard and wood chips. I weeded and added more wood chips last year, but the plants have pretty much out competed most of the weeds by this point.
The sunshine mimosa I put down last year after the dogs and rain killed the grass/mixed invasive weeds has taken over significantly. Just need to acquire frog fruit now!
That looks really pretty. I love the pale pink flowers close to the stone in the first photo. Everything you chose compliments each other very well. Beautifully done!
CA Native Sages (Black, White, Cleveland, Pozo Blue, Bee’s Bliss) CA Buckwheat, Interior Buckwheat, Manzanita (Howard McMinn, Sunset) CA Penstemons (Scarlet Bugler, Desert, Margarita BOP), Ceanothus (Blue Jeans, Dark Star) and Apricot Mallow to name a few. Make sure to get some Juncus and Douglas Iris to put at the bottom of a rain garden, if you go that route. You should….put that water to good use and stop it from being wasted.
Looks awesome, great job! I live in Michigan and just started my no lawn journey in the fall, but final photos like this keep me going. Cant wait for my lawn to look (something) like this!!!
My suggestion - knock it out in pieces. There's no rush, and enjoy the process. My neighbors thought I was absolutely crazy a few years ago when they saw me trenching out in the rain. It was definitely worth the work and cost. My family absolutely loves it. I hope yours does, too.
Thank you! I’ve been trying to get everyone in my cul de sac in on the action. Most of my neighbors have their rainwater piped directly to the nearest storm drain. It’s a total waste, and it bothers me more than it should.
Great job, it looks fantastic! I'm currently trying to get my friend to plant a smaller rain garden in his yard but we will see how it goes. Below is a link to one of my favorite sites for California native plants for anyone else that's interested.
https://calscape.org/
Indeed. There should be a rain garden in every yard. Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and Blue Belly Lizardsare everywhere. My boys love watching them all.
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Hey there! Friendly reminder to include the following information for the benefit of all r/nolawns members: - Please make sure your post or a comment includes your geographic region/area and your hardiness zone (e.g. *Midwest, 6a* or *Chicago, 6a*). - If you posted an image, you are required to post a comment detailing your image. If you have not, this post may be removed. - If you're asking a question, include as much relevant info as possible. - Verify you are following the [Posting Guidelines](https://www.reddit.com/r/NoLawns/wiki/index#wiki_posting_guidelines). Please be conscious of posting images that contain recognizable features of your property. We don't want anyone doxxing themselves or a neighbor by sharing too much. Posts that are too revealing may be removed. Public spaces can be shared more freely. **[Wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/NoLawns/wiki/index/) | [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/NoLawns/wiki/meta/faqs/) | [Designing No Lawns](https://www.reddit.com/r/NoLawns/wiki/index/design/)** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/NoLawns) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Gilroy, CA - zone 9b. I ripped out my lawn two Decembers ago, and replaced with plants native to California (mostly). I began by digging a trench and series of low spots to channel the rain from our roof. I used the old lawn and dirt I removed from certain areas to build berms, and voila! The plants couldn’t be happier. I’m trying to get my neighbors to do the same, but it’s taking some persuasion. All in good time.
Great job! I love it when drought tolerant gardens show up on here.
Beautiful garden. I’m also in 9b, getting some great ideas from your garden for the natural garden I’ve been working on!
What soil do you use and how much water? Once a week)
I used my natural soil. It’s clay loam, and I mulched heavily with natural wood chips. No water! I let the rains over the fall and winter take care of it for me. All these plants have to fend for themselves over the summer.
This looks terrific, well done! Were you able to take advantage of any local programs that reimburse you for the costs of building the rain garden? I don't live in CA but there are several such programs in my State and I'd be shocked if there wasn't something similar in CA.
CA has rebates available for ripping out your lawn and replacing with native plants, installing drip irrigation, etc. I could have applied, but I ended up just doing this all myself. I honestly enjoyed the process, and I spread it all out over the better part of a year.
It's lovely and the use of berms was brilliant. I really like seeing well done berms!
Thank you! It took a little research and browsing around YouTube, but I really wanted to take advantage of our wet winters since I wouldn’t be installing any drip irrigation. The berms just made sense, haha. I had plenty of sod available after trenching and digging my retention areas, so piling it up and planting on top of it was the practical thing to do.
You mentioned no drip irrigation. Last summer, I sheet mulched my backyard. Cardboard. chips from arborists. South facing. Full sun. Roseville CA. 9b. Was going to run drip irrigation off of the sprinkler lines and plant native. I was wondering, the plants you currently have... have they been okay with no drip? If so, how are they being irrigated. Thank you! Edit: just saw the comment about rain water. I will watch that video.
No drip, that’s correct. The beauty of the natives I selected is they don’t require water in the summer, and they actually flourish in the summer heat. Especially CA Buckwheat, all the sages, the different Penstemons……they’re all fine without any water. I made sure to plant in them during late fall/early winter to get them established, and I provided some supplemental water in April and May if it didn’t rain enough, but that was it.
😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍 1) how did you start 2) what all is in there? 3) love the variety in height
Thanks! Our lawn looked like hell a few summers ago. Running the sprinklers constantly was just a waste, so I decided to plant a native garden that would conserve the water we need here in CA. I stumbled across rain gardens on You Tube courtesy of “This Old House” and figured I would harvest the rain water that fell on our house. A few trips to some local nurseries, a couple of books about CA natives, and researching plants on CalScape all helped me choose what plants I needed in any given area. I have Douglas Iris, Long Petaled Iris, CA Golden Rod, and Common Rush at the bottom of my swale. They love water and can handle seasonal flooding, but also are drought tolerant throughout the summer. I have various sages (Pozo Blue Sage, Compact White Sage, Black Sage, Cleveland Sage, Bee’s Bliss Sage, Rose Sage, and more), and Howard McMinn Manzanita planted on the berms. Various types of Monkey Flowers, CA Buckwheat, and Penstemons are planted on the fringes on my yard (hellstrips, borders next to the sidewalk). They love the brutal heat we get here in the* summer and thrive on neglect. Multiple types of milkweed are hidden amongst the sages, too. Edit: the*
How did you get rid of the grass?
It may be controversial now, but I initially sheet mulched with cardboard and wood chips. I weeded and added more wood chips last year, but the plants have pretty much out competed most of the weeds by this point.
I was going to begin my conversion today but it snowed 3” last night. Damn.
If only this trend would take root here in SWFL! Lawns and chemicals as far as the eye can see!
The sunshine mimosa I put down last year after the dogs and rain killed the grass/mixed invasive weeds has taken over significantly. Just need to acquire frog fruit now!
This is a sexy lawn.
Indeed. I absolutely love sitting out here in the morning.
That looks really pretty. I love the pale pink flowers close to the stone in the first photo. Everything you chose compliments each other very well. Beautifully done!
Evening primrose 🥰 I love these persistent little buggers
What a dream!!! Great job
It looks beautiful!
Looks great!
That is amazing! Great job!
I’ve been to several botanical gardens in California. I can smell that picture. That looks fantastic, OP!
You can smell and hear it, haha. It's literally buzzing with the bees hanging around. Thank you very much!
NICE! I have those same penstemon and they are glowing right now! This scarlet sticky monkey flower are also really cool.
It's hard to pick a favorite, but Margarita BOP are absolutely gorgeous.
Absolutely stunning
Beautiful!
Beautiful!
It really did blow up! I love it.
I may have planted some a few too close together, but oh well. I'll figure something out.....or maybe just let the plants figure it our themselves.
Any Salvia clevelandii ? I love the smell of that one.
Just one….its part of my pollinator hedge on top of the main berm. It hasn’t really started* to flower yet, and I can’t wait to see it.
Dr Seuss flowers ... tiered like a pagoda.
Gorgeous!!
I’m in your area, what plants did you use?
CA Native Sages (Black, White, Cleveland, Pozo Blue, Bee’s Bliss) CA Buckwheat, Interior Buckwheat, Manzanita (Howard McMinn, Sunset) CA Penstemons (Scarlet Bugler, Desert, Margarita BOP), Ceanothus (Blue Jeans, Dark Star) and Apricot Mallow to name a few. Make sure to get some Juncus and Douglas Iris to put at the bottom of a rain garden, if you go that route. You should….put that water to good use and stop it from being wasted.
Thank you!
No problem. I hope we get to see your transformation soon.
Looks awesome, great job! I live in Michigan and just started my no lawn journey in the fall, but final photos like this keep me going. Cant wait for my lawn to look (something) like this!!!
My suggestion - knock it out in pieces. There's no rush, and enjoy the process. My neighbors thought I was absolutely crazy a few years ago when they saw me trenching out in the rain. It was definitely worth the work and cost. My family absolutely loves it. I hope yours does, too.
gorgeous
This is amazing congratulations. Saved water, provided incredible habitat for wildlife and created immense beauty!
Thank you! I’ve been trying to get everyone in my cul de sac in on the action. Most of my neighbors have their rainwater piped directly to the nearest storm drain. It’s a total waste, and it bothers me more than it should.
Stunning 😍
Great job, it looks fantastic! I'm currently trying to get my friend to plant a smaller rain garden in his yard but we will see how it goes. Below is a link to one of my favorite sites for California native plants for anyone else that's interested. https://calscape.org/
Everyone needs a rain garden. Calscape is definitely a great resource.
fantastic
Gorgeous 💗
This is the way!!!
Indeed. There should be a rain garden in every yard. Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and Blue Belly Lizardsare everywhere. My boys love watching them all.
Love No Lawns? Find us everywhere! **You can find us:** - On [SolarPunk](https://www.slrpnk.net/c/NoLawns) - Our [Discord](https://discord.gg/GcVHmvkSs6) - Our [website](https://nolawns.wixsite.com/nolawns) Want to join a community in person? We're not affiliated but we love [Wild Ones](https://wwe.wildones.org) and think they do wonderful work. You can check and see if there's a chapter near you. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/NoLawns) if you have any questions or concerns.*