It occurs to me that whoever lives in this house has no commitment to maintaining the landscape. If I were to landscape the area, my thought is I would also have to maintain it or watch it revert to its present state. Al

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Are you planning to do any maintenance? Are the areas irrigated with automatic sprinklers or will the plants have to fend for themselves?

If you do have irrigation, stick with some basic cast-iron shrubs that don't need a lot of care, grow slowly and that don't get too big, like boxwood. If the area is not irrigated, it might be better just to pull out the dead plants and leave the area empty, with just a thick mulch to keep the weeds at bay.

What I do with postage-stamp beds is to make them bigger. The rule of thumb is the width of the bed should be at least 1/3 the height of the structure. Most planting beds are way to small. However, they do need maintenance and watering. If the occupants don't have time to do it, it's better just to leave it empty.

Sorry, missed that you said there were no sprinklers. Honestly, you are just wasting money on plants if someone forgets to water them. What about just saving for a while for some irrigation? Even drought-tolerant plants need some regular irrigation to get established. Clean and neat empty beds look better than plants that are not going to survive.

i agree. i would clean up the beds and add a layer of compost and a layer of mulch and let it be for a while. that grass looks way to old to save too. that's what i would focus on first. it's a big job, but if you do a lot of research before you start you can do it yourself.

one last tip. if you do decide to redo the lawn be sure not to bury the tree with a lot of new dirt. it can kill the tree.

jen

Thank you all for your kind remarks and suggestions. My fiance inherited and remodelled the house last year. It had been rented out for 20 years previously. My fiance had half his foot amputated a few years back and has has had continual pressure ulcers on it, so yard work is very difficult for him. Last spring, when someone climbed his back fence and stole his week-old lawn mower, he gave into despair and just quit watering the front yard, letting it all die. He and I met last summer and got serious last Christmas, and while I can't replant an entire lawn, I can plant flowers and shrubs, and water and mow a lawn.

With this in mind, would someone have any suggestions for me. I've given good reasons for why the yard is the way it is and I have more good reasons for asking about the beds before doing the grass and I'd be really grateful for advice about them.

There are some tough plants for shady areas that require minimum care once established. Here's a few...

Clivia miniata
Meyer's fern (asparagus meyeri)
asparagus fern (although it can spread in unwanted places)
sword fern (ditto on the spreading)
Heucheras (my fave is 'Amethyst Mist')
Liriope
Mondo grass
Arum italicum
Cast Iron plant (Aspidastra)
Primrose (although they don't look like much in the summer)
Asarum caudatum (native ginger groundcover)

Some taller shrubs:
Fatsia japonica
Nandina domestica
Boxwood

I think that in the bed closer to the garage, clivia would look great, maybe with some variegated liriope. You will definitely need to mulch the bed.

We dont mean to be critical. Many people just have no time to care for a garden. There's nothing wrong with that! We just didn't want you to waste your money, is all.

Basic tough landscape shrubs that don't require pruning and that don't get too big are a good place to start. Then as you find you have time and expertise, add other things that require a little more effort. If you live in a neighborhood where things get stolen, be cautious about too much color and stay away from red roses, they get stolen 1st and fastest (I know from experience!).

If you don't want/need the hastle of watering a lawn, why not get rid of the lawn alltogether and opt for a xeriscape. A couple of large, drought tolerant plants (aloes ferox, agave americana variegata, aloe arborescens, new zealand flax...) some shrubs here and there (rosemary, new zealand tea tree...)I have recently gotten rid of large sections of my lawn and replaced it with drought tolerant plants.

a xeriscape shouldnt be dismissed as only cactus and rock, they can look really nice and require very little care and water once established. Here are a couple of xeriscape examples:

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And for the dry, shady bed, click on the link. There is a long list of plants for a dry, shady spot in California.

Here is a link that might be useful: Plants for dry, shade garden

Hi. Sorry to take so long to respond, but I've been called in to work seven days a week because of an emergency. Thanks for the great suggestions and the beautiful pictures of xeriscaping. Since we're going to be on metered water next spring, that just might be the best way to go and those photos are mouth-watering!

Central Cali,in that last picture what are the blue and lavendar plants growin near the walkway and in the cracks.All these pictures are beautiful.
TIA
Kathi

Kathi, the blue is veronica liwanensis and the purple/pink is creeping phlox. The phlox comes in many colors.

The trick words with the xeriscaping is "once established." You will need to water regularly through the summer to establish ANYTHING. I'd suggest you put in an irrigation system - I use soaker hoses with quick couplers and timers, which makes it pretty easy to 'set and forget' once a week.

Without good soil prep, mulching, and consistent watering, you will not have good results. Also, if you do all the right things and establish a nice garden, you will have to maintain it. This means weeding - and beautiful mixed beds like the ones pictured above are usually hand-weeded; deadheading, pruning and feeding. All of this must be done on a regular basis. There are very few shortcuts in gardening long-term.

Are you sure you have time for all this?

I love my garden and spend hours in it. But realistically most people don't have the time, energy, and/or money. Gardens take effort and it must be done on a consistent basis.

Aspidistra is good, though slow ($$). there are some colored foliage cvs ($$$$) (but they may not be as tough? i don't recall ever seeing them ITRW)
Iris foetidissima, another classic dry shade plant.
Nephrolepis. will need some water.
Aucuba (slow), will need some water.
X fatshedera might fit better than fatsia. some water.
Nandina should be good (kind of ugly, depending on taste). doesn't grow very fast. but i think will then survive with no water (in shade).
the backside (garage wall) of Japanese boxwood might hollow out. slowish, and i think will then need a little water.
Try Ruscus if you can order it. I saw it only once. looked nice tho maybe a bit boring.
hmm, the blob of dirt under the garage window is not thoroughly dark. how long has the agave in the pot been there?

Definitely get rid of the lawn under the trees.
if you don't mind common stuff...
English ivy is great under deciduous trees, water regularly until filling in (they'll love wood chips mulch). then slow irrigation, once a month during the hot months will be enough. keep it dry and it won't try climbing the trees very fast.
privets :-)
citrus (non dwarf) are very tough once established...
Pittosporum tobira in lighter/dappled/part shade.
winter bulbs are great under deciduous trees. narcissus/daffodils are cheap. leucojum grow similarly, but look different enough to be interesting. probably can't find them retail. they seem to flower despite more (winter) shade than narcissus will flower in.