A couple of quick questions.... Do you plan on living in the house? How many square feet is it? Would extra outdoor entertainment areas be of interest? How large is the back yard? Any possibility you'd consider creating an enclosed or partly enclosed courtyard in the front left yard? If so, what type of living space do you have immediately behind the front left wall. Easy to see where I'm going with this. The pistache is a wonderful tree, and could be enclosed or at least "visually enclosed" with hardscape or low fencing, pavers, etc.. not sure if you're still looking for input..... cheers!

I would just go to your local nursery or landscape company and talk to the people there. They should be very informative as far as what plants do well in your climate and sunny areas! Not sure about Lantana or Mexican Primrose there, but you may want to ask someone about those 2 flowering plants for summer to add to your mix? I know that Lantana is drought tolerant and pretty resilient in general. Flowers all summer long and does spread out easily. I would ask someone about these 2 things with some cactus and/or succulents in the mix! They would be beautiful all together! :)

For the most part, plants decline and die in situations where the amount of food/energy they're able to create (with the help of the sun) is less than they are expending to drive their metabolic processes. It doesn't LOOK like your tree is in any immediate danger of expiring, but symptoms made manifest by ongoing limitations commonly lag the cause by weeks to months. Necrotic leaf tips and margins are far more often than not a symptom of over-watering and/or a high level of dissolved solids (salt) in the soil solution. Occasionally it can be traced entirely to growers watering with their own version of enhanced frequency; more often, it's the result of a poor soil that simply does not allow the grower to water correctly w/o the plant paying a tax in the form of diminished root health because the soil remains saturated long enough to have attained the age of majority. Curing the effects of too much water in the soil starts by using a soil that doesn't hold too much water, and by default, not enough air. Then, using a 'tell' as an indicator of when it's appropriate to water to put a polish on what you practice. I use soils that hold no (or nearly no) excess (perched) water. That means I'd have to work very hard at over-watering. That scenario makes things easy for the grower and easy on the plant. If you've been forever in battle with your chosen soil for control of your plants' vitality, the change that occurs when you switch to a good soil (one that allows you to water correctly [so you're flushing accumulating salts from the soil whenever you water w/o your plant paying 'the tax'], will make it seem like you have somehow done something magic. Too, where a poor soil makes fertilizing something of a helter skelter proposition, good soils make it monkey easy. Your job, as chief grower, is figuring out what is most limiting to your plant and fixing it. This represents the difference between a plant surviving at the outer limits of what it's programmed (genetically) to tolerate and one that's growing in its 'sweet spot'. understanding how soils work, followed by understanding how plants work, are representative of the largest steps forward you'll likely make as a container gardener. There are several links I can suggest if you have interest? Low light and cool temps can cause plants to stall in sort of a consequential dormancy, but nutritional issues and root congestion can do the same; as can the cyclic death and subsequent regeneration of roots as the root mass wobbles back and forth between just right and too wet. Soggy soils kill roots. Before the top can/will grow, the root system has to be able to support new growth, so dead roots have to be replaced. The energy it takes to regenerate roots might have been put toward an increase in the plant's mass. The difference between what a plant is and what it could be is described as lost potential. Even plants that LOOK good can be losing out on an extreme measure of potential; and in plants, lost potential can never be regained under ANY circumstances. If your plant has a droopy or hang-dog look, it's likely from a lack of turgidity (internal water pressure), brought about by too little water, too much water, and/or a high level of dissolved solids in the soil. Unfortunately, after wilting the leaves of F lyrata often don't recover to occupy their former spatial positions. IOW, once they wilt, their attitude usually changes at least partially so that droopy appearance becomes a permanent thing. Try reading this. Al

I'm amazed at how fast this is growing!! It looks like in less than a month it may look pretty much green overall! I have about 1-1/4 flats left, which I have decided to use in a smaller planting bed parallel to this with gravel walkway in between them, to give green on both sides rather than the black mulch in that area now. In SoCal green and shade is essential psychologically, for me anyway. (The black mulch showing is not what I'm removing, it's on the other side and across about 7' from the dry creek bed)