You've caught my attention with your comment that deciduous plants from temperate papers aren't well adapted....I assume you mean not adapted to summer dry conditions?

I'm a transplant from the Midwest and perhaps that's why I'm attracted to a lot of temperate climate deciduous plants. My garden has many that fit that description, such as Viburnum, Itea, Fothergilla, Aronia, Hydrangea, and yes, no surprise, my water bill is a problem.

I've spent this year integrating California natives into the fringe areas of my garden where irrigation coverage is poor, but can't bear to part with many of those ill-adapted deciduous plants....

Hoping for a rainy winter!

We are not getting a lot of rain in So. CA, unfortunately, though we have had a couple of storms, not nearly enough. Hopefully the mountains will get plenty of snow.

echolane, which natives are you planting so far? Just curious as I have a couple of spots which would be good for natives.

It surprised me when I listed them to see how many newly planted natives I've acquired. But I found quite a few places to integrate them in hopes of using less water.

I had very recently limbed up a Pin Oak and the plants in its shade zone now have a lot more sun and will need even more water. So i looked for natives I could like and then I murdered a half dozen hydrangeas, a Blueberry, a deciduous azalea whose color I never liked, and a couple of wonderful hardy Fuchsias which finally had caught fuchsia mite. One huge surprise digging out their roots was discovering how bone dry the soil was under those water hungry plants; I don't know how they survived! Nevertheless, I planted four Ribes, Mahonia 'Skylark', a Carpenteria, all of which apparently will prefer supplemental water in summer. (I hope I've done the right thing!) I've already lost one of the Ribes and I don't know why. :-( . At the same time, I added a couple more Fothergillas, a plant I don't want to live without, knowing I will have to water them more.

Along the fence lines where my irrigation system barely reaches, I've planted Manzanita Dr. Hurd, Manzanita 'Louis Edmonds', Rhamnus 'Tranquil Margarita', another Mahonia 'Skylark', Ceonothus 'Concha', another Ribes.

And in another part shade area I am screening with Rhamnus californica (I prefer the species as I haven't been successful keeping Eve Case alive) and Heteromeles, and I also have several Holodiscus, a Physocarpus, a Rhus triloba, a Keckiella cordifolia, several Mahonia repens, Salvia 'Winifred Gilman', Penstemon centhrafolia, Philadelphus 'Goose Creek', and a couple of Mimulus, a Phacelia.

And, lastly, I have three Rhus ovata which are now three years old. They aren't growing very well, one not at all, and I don't know why.

I've been gardening for about 50 years, yet I feel like a total novice with these California natives.

Very interesting. There is a whole learning curve with these plants. It seems we've been planting the wrong things for decades--azalea, camellia, lilies, hosta, ferns, etc. We had a couple azaleas die of drought and old age. I won't miss them. I'm digging out a patch of liriope today, will probably replant some of the rooted bits. It seems water-wise to me, at least it's still alive now with not a lot of water.

I've dabbled in natives. The problem is..they are sold at nurserys. You either have to get them from botanical garden sales or travel to some hours drive specialty nursery. Nothing at Home Depot.

I liked a natives garden I once did for an entity. I remember planting Catalina Island Huechera..a beauty with big sprays of flowers..fast grower. The various Cal fuchsia's and selected Monkey flowers...Salvia greggii. Coffeeberry, Soap plant- the bulb.

Still,hard to find.

Our local Summerwinds Nursery in Palo Alto has an impressively large selection of native plants. With the drought/water situation going on with no sure end in sight, interest has picked up on natives and the nursery has responded. As good as it is. it doesn't have the variety that a nursery more devoted to natives would have. Still, I bought most of the natives I've acquired from them.

My garden is still full of "wrong things". I've gotten rid of only a small percentage and those that remain will be much more painful to part with if it comes to that.

Hoping for.more rain!

Exactly.I agree 100%. Even my exotics to plant..are getting more and more the type that can fend for themselves after a few years. What has died because I couldn't water enough?..ok. When its nice and warm plants that love that and some dry- go to the head of the class. I see the writing on the wall. Plants that think that is bad? sayonara.

I do cling to some water lovers I've had for years- predrought by plenty!..but its getting harder to do that. I might one day let the tree fern go,the Iochroma,the Brugmansia's.

Winter seems different in my area too. I am near Sacramento. The other day I had an appointment and on the drive there, then again at the doctor's office, I noticed so many blooming Roses looking lush and beautiful. It isn't unusual that roses have buds here at this time of year but once they bloom they rarely look nice. Due to cold and humidity they are browned and withered, some never fully open. I prune them at this time so they can take a rest. This year is different and I can't see why as we have had plenty of rain here. I took a different route home from my appointment and saw the most beautiful Bougainvillea. It was about nine feet tall and trained as a tree. It was free standing too, not in the shelter of a building or fence. This is the first time I've seen one bloom in December. If I owned a cell phone I would have stopped and taken a picture. As I write this, Sunday, rain is predicted for much of the week. I am grateful for the posies and the rain but I'll never understand mother nature.

My climate is very similar to the climate of South Africa, and so I have planted mostly South African plants in the front yard, along with desert plants from Mexico that do well with little water. For me, it is more about paying attention to the climate and choosing plants that are native to the climate I have rather than trying to find plants that are native to my tiny microclimate (coastal SoCal). If I lived further inland, I would be in a different zone and would have different plants. I have one tree from South America: Ceiba speciosa, and it does not appear to need much water, but the one I had in Venice did a lot better than the one I have now, probably because of soil differences.