{"id":692995,"date":"2026-03-30T18:18:34","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T18:18:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/692995\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T18:18:34","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T18:18:34","slug":"glendale-homeowner-swapped-his-lawn-for-california-native-plants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/692995\/","title":{"rendered":"Glendale homeowner swapped his lawn for California native plants"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Water-hungry lawns are symbols of Los Angeles\u2019 past. In this series<\/a>, we spotlight yards with alternative, low-water landscaping built for the future.<\/p>\n

When Christopher Smee welcomes visitors to his Glendale garden, he enjoys giving what his friends jokingly call \u201cthe botanical tour.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWould you like to walk through the native chaparral?\u201d he asks, pointing out the California native plants in his front yard: a multi-trunk toyon, bright orange California poppies (Eschscholzia californica), lantern-shaped Bladderpod (Cleomella arborea) with yellow flowers that bloom most of the year, purple Arroyo lupines (Lupinus succulentus), fragrant Allen Chickering Sage (Salvia \u2018Allen Chickering\u2019), and tall, silvery white sage (Salvia apiana) at the center.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love the majesty and structure of the white sage,\u201d he says, pointing out the dried branches he leaves for the birds. \u201cI love the color, and when I learned about its importance to the Indigenous community,<\/a> I felt it should be at the center of the garden.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

Before: Christopher Smee\u2019s Glendale home when it had Bermuda grass and nonnative plants. <\/p>\n

(Christopher Smee)<\/p>\n

\"Christopher <\/p>\n

After: Smee\u2019s garden today. <\/p>\n

Like many newcomers to Los Angeles, Smee, a 45-year-old former flight attendant, was fascinated by the city\u2019s landscape and its famous palm trees when he first moved from England.<\/p>\n

As he spent more time hiking outdoors in Los Angeles<\/a>, on the Mount Thom trail in the Verdugo Mountains and the Pacific Crest Trail in the San Bernardino Mountains, Smee started to appreciate the native plants that thrive in Southern California\u2019s dry climate.<\/p>\n

So when Smee and his husband, Ryan Tish, bought a 1925 French-style home in the Rossmoyne Historic District, he knew he wanted to redesign the traditional front yard.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a privet hedge, a lonely juniper, a hibiscus, a large bird of paradise and a camellia bush,\u201d he says. \u201cThe lawn was mostly dirt. In fact, it had been colored green with CGI in the online real estate listing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Succulents <\/p>\n

The new patio, or \u201cwine terrace,\u201d overlooks the garden. <\/p>\n

A native of Newcastle Upon Tyne, where English gardens are as beloved as football teams, Smee found the Glendale front yard\u2019s layout off-putting. \u201cYou couldn\u2019t get into the garden because the plants were a barrier,\u201d he says. \u201cYou had to climb over things to get to the garden. In the U.K., my family had a long front garden that we actually used, so having a front garden and not using it seemed silly to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even though Smee had never gardened before, he decided to remove the tropical plants and Bermuda grass lawn in 2021 and plant a native garden to honor the California plants that grew there before the homes were built.<\/p>\n

\u201cI asked myself the question, \u2018What was meant to be here?\u2019 \u201d he says, standing in his yard as birds, bees and butterflies floated through the landscape. \u201cThat was the key question. All these plants I see in gardens \u2014 are they original? My husband grew up in L.A., and he couldn\u2019t answer the question himself. I learned that generally they are not. I wanted to make things right, so I went on a journey to find what was here originally.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

The only nonnative in the yard, a multi-trunked olive tree, pays homage to the Glendale neighborhood, which was once an olive grove. <\/p>\n

He began by visiting the Theodore Payne Foundation\u2019s demonstration garden in Sun Valley, where people can see native plants growing in their natural habitat. \u201cThey sell flash cards<\/a> that are like the Farrow & Ball paint chips you get for home improvement projects,\u201d he says. He also visited local nurseries such as Plant Material<\/a>, Artemisisa Nursery<\/a> and Hahamongna Native Plant Nursery<\/a>, which offer native species.<\/p>\n

Wanting a garden that was easy to use and colorful year-round, Smee contacted landscape designer Guillaume Lemoine<\/a> of Picture This Land to help design a formal French garden using California native plants.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always had a vision of walking down the porch steps, turning straight into the garden, and being able to walk to the wine terrace,\u201d Smee says. \u201cYou want to get some usage and joy out of your garden. Not just something to look at when you drive by.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like many design projects, the plan changed over time. \u201cThe French garden didn\u2019t happen,\u201d Smee says. \u201cBut one day I will do it.\u201d Still, the cottage-style garden has a French-inspired look composed of four quadrants with a water fountain in the center.<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

Smee\u2019s Glendale lawn before it was removed. <\/p>\n

(Christopher Smee)<\/p>\n

\"Orange <\/p>\n

Prolific self-seeding California poppies, lupine and Common Tiny Tips grow in the front yard.<\/p>\n

(Kit Karzen \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n

Before planting, Smee and his husband applied for a turf removal rebate from Glendale Water and Power<\/a>, which gives homeowners $3 per square foot for replacing turf with drought-tolerant and native plants and for installing irrigation and a rainwater capture system. After the work was completed, they received a $1,596 rebate for removing 798 square feet of turf in the 2,000-square-foot yard. Smee estimates they spent about $20,000 in total on design fees, plants, removal and installation before the rebate.<\/p>\n

Next, they hired Roger Ridlehoover and Maria Maturano of the Land Design Project<\/a> to remove the lawn and plant climate-appropriate plants. The team started by cutting the Bermuda grass, turning it over and letting it sit to kill the roots. Then they added cardboard and a thick layer of mulch, using a no-dig gardening method called sheet mulching<\/a>. \u201cIt worked,\u201d Smee says. \u201cWe had a few strands of Bermuda grass come back, but that was it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Smee <\/p>\n

Smee is backed by white sage, which he wanted to be the center of the garden. Note: This photo was taken with a 360-degree camera.<\/p>\n

After setting up movable micro-emitters for irrigation, they planted native species that fit the site, soil and climate, focusing on their role in supporting a diverse ecosystem.<\/p>\n

Because of a delay with their retaining wall, they ended up planting the garden in July 2021, which is usually the hardest time of year to start a new garden.<\/p>\n

But the delay proved that you can plant in the summer, Smee says, at least if you use native plants.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe only lost a few plants,\u201d he says. \u201cOf course, fall is the best time to plant before it gets too hot, but if you are working with a good landscape designer, it is not out of the realm of possibility. \u201c<\/p>\n

From the street, you can see the garden\u2019s silver and green leaves shimmering, with bright bursts of California lilac (Ceanothus Yankee Point) spilling over the front wall. Toyon brings red berries in winter and white flowers in spring, while California sagebrush and Cleveland sage fill the air with an intoxicating perfume<\/a>. There is now a new patio that looks out over the garden, just as Smee wanted. All the plants are native, except for an olive tree he planted to remember the neighborhood\u2019s past when olive groves filled the area before homes were built in the 1920s.<\/p>\n

\"Bladderpod <\/p>\n

Bladderpod (Cleomella arborea) flowers most of the year. <\/p>\n

\"Orange <\/p>\n

California poppies bloom in the spring. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to honor the history of the area and the theme of the streets,\u201d Smee says about the low-fruit olive tree, which is less messy than other varieties that often leave oily stains on streets and sidewalks. Smee thought about planting an oak tree instead but worried that a large tree might be too heavy for the retaining wall along the sidewalk, so he decided against it. \u201cIt\u2019s still a lingering regret,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love seeing the deep, rich green of the toyon next to the pale green of the sage, dudleyas, sagebrush and the olive tree,\u201d Smee says. \u201cI wanted to make sure that even in the hottest part of summer, my garden wouldn\u2019t turn brown.\u201d<\/p>\n

After years of working in his garden, the former novice has figured out what grows well in his yard\u2019s different spots. California Wax Myrtle (Morella californica) couldn\u2019t handle the summer heat. Salvia clevelandii \u2018Winifred Gilman\u2019 didn\u2019t do as well as the other sages and was too aromatic for his taste. He also tried showy penstemons, but they didn\u2019t like the shade near the house. <\/p>\n

\u201cNative plants are often described at nurseries with their sun preferences: \u2018full sun\u2019, \u2018partial sun\u2019, \u2018shade,\u2019 etc.,\u201d he says. \u201cBut full sun in Glendale is very different from full sun in coastal Brentwood. Trying out different plants has helped me learn what \u2018full sun\u2019 means in my own garden, so now I can choose plants more confidently.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"An <\/p>\n

An overhead view of the garden. <\/p>\n

Smee learned a few things about himself along the way too. \u201cI\u2019ve always thought water fountains were a bit twee,\u201d he says with a smile, but now he loves his. He found the clean-lined water fountain at Reseda Discount Pottery & Fountains<\/a>, which he calls an \u201cAladdin\u2019s cave\u201d with hundreds of fountains running at once. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like in \u2018Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade\u2019 where he has to choose the goblet,\u201d he says, laughing. The birds and bees love it too, he adds. \u201cThe ravens have left Cheez-Its for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Five years later, Smee\u2019s dream is now a reality. He strolls along a stepping-stone path through dry chaparral and coastal sage scrub, with Mexican gold onyx boulders on either side, leading to the patio where he and his husband like to host friends during the summer.<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

Smee didn\u2019t think he wanted to install a water fountain, but now he\u2019s glad he did because it attracts wildlife. <\/p>\n

Last year, he welcomed more than 300 visitors during the Theodore Payne Native Plant Garden Tour<\/a> and had to set up a one-way path through the garden to help manage the crowd.<\/p>\n

For maintenance, Smee says he prunes once each season, four times a year. He doesn\u2019t have a gardener and rarely waters the plants. \u201cThere is a lot of ebb and flow in the garden,\u201d he says. \u201cI cut it back a lot every year to make space for wildflowers in the spring. I get sad when the wildflowers die, but then I chop them back and save the seeds, and before I know it, the California Fuchsia (Epilobium canum) blooms, adding red to the garden.\u201d<\/p>\n

After the first year, while he was getting the garden established, he saw a big drop in the couple\u2019s water use. \u201cWhen it gets hot in the summer, I turn on the water once a month,\u201d he says. He tried not watering at all, but when he saw the California fuchsia, also called \u2018hummingbird fuchsia\u2019 because the birds love it, struggling, he turned the water back on. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not in the wild,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s still a garden, and I want to enjoy it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Christopher <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really been a joy to reunite the soil with the plants that belong here,\u201d Smee says of removing his lawn and planting California natives.<\/p>\n

Now that he has finished creating a native habitat at home, Smee looks forward to using what he has learned by volunteering at the Sunshine Preserve<\/a>, a 3\u00bd-acre site owned by the nonprofit Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy on the eastern edge of the Verdugo Mountains in Glendale.<\/p>\n

Working with other volunteers, Smee has helped remove invasive plants and plant native species, including 30 oak trees that attract local wildlife like the endangered monarch butterfly<\/a>, mountain lions and bobcats. Smee and his group have planted 40 or 50 white sages to help rebuild the local population. <\/p>\n

\u201cAt the preserve, I\u2019m learning how things grow in the wild,\u201d he says. \u201cThe ground is natural dirt, untouched by gardeners. Woolly bluecurls can be tricky for home gardeners, but at the preserve, it thrives because it\u2019s in the right place. We\u2019ve probably planted hundreds of native plants over the last three years. Come back in 30 years, and you\u2019ll see what we\u2019re working toward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smee admits he knew little about California plants and soil at first, but he says he has since become more connected to the land. In the process, he learned there is real joy in bringing native plants back to the soil where they belong.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope people can see that a California native garden can be joyful, colorful and full of life \u2014 that\u2019s it not just about conserving water, but about enriching life through the biodiversity that the native plants attract to the garden,\u201d he says. \u201cThoughtful plant selection can ensure a native garden has something of interest at all times of the year and doesn\u2019t have to go brown in the summer.\u201d <\/p>\n

Many people can make a difference on the planet even with a small garden, says Smee. \u201cHaving a native garden brings a unique level of joy because you discover you\u2019re doing something for the native wildlife that no other type of garden can do,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s a really special thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A PLANT LIST<\/p>\n

Bladderpod, Cleomella arborea<\/p>\n

Blue grama grass, Bouteloua gracilis<\/p>\n

Blue grama grass \u2018Blonde Ambition\u2019, Bouteloua gracilis \u2018Blonde Ambition\u2019<\/p>\n

Bright green dudleya, Dudleya virens ssp. hassei<\/p>\n

Britton\u2019s Dudleya, Dudleya brittonii<\/p>\n

California Laurel, Umbellularia californica<\/p>\n

California Buckwheat, Eriogonum fasciculatum<\/p>\n

California Fuchsia, Epilobium canum<\/p>\n

California Goldenrod, Solidago velutina ssp. californica<\/p>\n

Canyon Gray Sagebrush, Artemisia californica \u2018Canyon Gray\u2019<\/p>\n

Canyon Dudleya, Dudleya cymosa<\/p>\n

Yankee Point Carmel Ceanothus, Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. griseus \u2018Yankee Point\u2019<\/p>\n

Cedros Island liveforever, Dudleya pachyphytum <\/p>\n

Chaparral nolina, Nolina cismontana<\/p>\n

Chaparral Yucca, Hesperoyucca whipplei<\/p>\n

Allen Chickering Sage, Salvia \u2018Allen Chickering\u2019<\/p>\n

Mound San Bruno California Coffeeberry, Frangula californica \u2018Mound San Bruno\u2019<\/p>\n

Conejo Buckwheat, Eriogonum crocatum<\/p>\n

Desert Agave, Agave deserti<\/p>\n

Desert marigold, Baileya multiradiata<\/p>\n

Eastwood Manzanita, Arctostaphylos glandulosa ssp. glandulosa<\/p>\n

Fingertips, Dudleya edulis<\/p>\n

Giant Chain Fern, Woodwardia fimbriata<\/p>\n

Lanceleaf Liveforever, Dudleya lanceolata<\/p>\n

Lemonade berry, Rhus integrifolia<\/p>\n

Emerald Carpet Manzanita, Arctostaphylos \u2018Emerald Carpet\u2019<\/p>\n

Howard McMinn Manzanita, Arctostaphylos \u2018Howard McMinn\u2019<\/p>\n

Vibrant Red Monkeyflower, Diplacus \u2018Vibrant Red\u2019<\/p>\n

Narrow Leaf Milkweed, Asclepias fascicularis<\/p>\n

Wilson\u2019s olive, Olea europaea \u2018Wilson Fruitless\u2019 <\/p>\n

Tall Oregon Grape, Berberis aquifolium<\/p>\n

Palmer\u2019s Dudleya, Dudleya palmeri<\/p>\n

Margarita BOP Penstemon, Penstemon heterophyllus \u2018Margarita BOP\u2019<\/p>\n

Red-flowered Buckwheat,Eriogonum grande var. rubescens<\/p>\n

David\u2019s Choice Sagebrush, Artemisia pycnocephala \u2018David\u2019s Choice\u2019<\/p>\n

San Quint\u00edn liveforever, Dudleya anthonyi<\/p>\n

Tecate Cypress, Hesperocyparis forbesii<\/p>\n

Toyon, Heteromeles arbutifolia<\/p>\n

De La Mina Verbena, Verbena lilacina \u2018De La Mina\u2019<\/p>\n

White Sage, Salvia apiana<\/p>\n

Woolly Bluecurls, Trichostema lanatum<\/p>\n

WILDFLOWERS<\/b><\/p>\n

Blue-eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium bellum<\/p>\n

Arroyo lupine, Lupinus succulentus<\/p>\n

California Poppy, Eschscholzia californica<\/p>\n

Common Tidy Tips, Layia platyglossa<\/p>\n

California Goldfields, Lasthenia californica<\/p>\n