Check out a few of the California Friendly or Be Waterwise websites. Most have photo galleries associated with them illustrating a wide range of drought tolerant landscaping.

Here's one to get you started: CAFriendly Landscaping

Idk if dec.granite, but it's a nice warm color with the house.

I live in SoCal too, and a few years back I removed most of the shrubs that needed water.

Craftsman Exterior · More Info

Not about question - want to share a nice layout. You and they have a long walkway, and curves. I think there are stones near your house, and possibly could extend them to a 'destination' to the corner of the house at the right, with seating. Maybe d.g. all around the lemon tree.

Less Lawn More Garden · More Info

Less Lawn More Garden · More Info

Less Lawn More Garden · More Info

I have never watered my "lawn". I have gone for native bunch grasses/wildflower and the dried look. I do not have a HOA with rules or even a city department that weirds out when the grass gets too long. I have accepted that during an exceptional drought my garden is not much to look at. I have seen it rise from the ashes from seed banks aand roots when the rain returns. I was amazed. I am in Central Texas and we are in your situation also right now. No rain all winter, missed spring rains, and we never have much after mid June so it is a long brutal summer ahead. My water source is my rain water tanks.

There are so many plants that will be good. There are grasses that withstand more abuse than others. With such a slope, I would look into using swales to dirrect water to your shrubs, and rocks to create pockets that hold back soil and run off when it does rain. Also the roots love the moisture that follows the rocks into the soil. I got a lot of knowledge out of" Gardening with less water" by David A. Bainbridge. And "The dry garden" by Beth Chatto. It is written by a Britt so she does not have Texas or inland Cali temperstures. But she had interesting lanscape features for holdong water like gravel pits.

I need to get out there and weed eat my tall grasses for fire control. The good thing is that we have NO MOSQUIOTOS this year. I think one died on my arm a week ago.

Can plant a few of these, mixed in.

https://www.drought-smart-plants.com/aeonium.html

"Crassula, that ubiquitous Jade Plant. There's a reason why it's so widely grown, and that's because it's virtually impossible to kill.

Eventually, these plants can bloom in winter with pink or white clusters of blooms."

This says it's Crassula falcata.

Color! All Drought Tolerant! · More Info

These yards remind me of yours. I like the mix of rock sizes and other interest besides just a vast expanse of a few low plants scattered around.

I think varying the heights of everything really looks more interesting, as well as mixing in drought-tolerant plantings with color.

Lantana is a great one. Mine in brutal Texas … we’ve had continuous triple digits and zero rain. This is from 2 4-in pots:

And Gardengal’s link is great because the photos give specific plant names.

@everdebz That Crassula falcata is beautiful! I’m going to check into those for myself. :)

Other good 'warms' - 'firesticks' on the orange side.

Bottlebrush aloe ?

My favorite replacement for lawn in arid environment.

Just anecdotally, I would go for bark mulch over rocks; my parents' neighbors in So Cal put in a drought-resistant rock garden, and during the summer it just radiates heat. I would imagine the bark would be better about retaining any moisture it did get and not being as hot.

Crassula red seems outdoors for 9 - 11 ... flowers smell like sweet cinnamon. :)