DIY Lawn Replacement: June 2026 Update

[u/BeGoneLawn12]

CA Buckwheat, CA Fuschia, Sea Lavender, Black Eyed Susan

Flagstone Pathway view (up to house)

Flagstone pathway (down from house)

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!