Decomposed granite path edged in cobble, running between planted beds at dusk — Decomposed granite path on a cobble edge, planting beds either side.

Shrubs & hedging

Ornamental grasses

Soft mounds that move. Grasses are the counterweight to hardscape — they are the thing that stops a paved yard reading as a car park — and most of the California-appropriate ones want very little water.

Essential cost band

The workhorse option. Does the job, lasts, and is what most of a yard is made of.

Colour families

Green
Straw
Blue

Families, not products. The exact colour gets chosen off a physical sample against your house.

What is true of this material

Water: Very low to low depending on species
Maintenance: Cut back once a year; that is most of the job
Poolside: Seed heads and blade litter travel — keep them downwind

Attributes

TypeShrubs & hedging
Water useVery low Low
ExposureFull sun
What it is doingColour Sculptural
Near the poolKeep it back

Where this turns up

Low-water front yard

Talk this through with a designer See what a project like this costs