Confessions of a Lazy Gardener: My Personal Planting Guidelines

Avoid straight lines. I used to watch Designer's Landscape and Gary Alan used to always talk about "designer curves." I don't know about the rest of his ideas, but this one stuck with me. I have a few curving rows of plants dividing my front yard, but the back has clumps of plants.
Plant in odd-numbered groups. I usually plant 3 plants together and then have them in 3 different parts of the yard.
Low allergy producers. I refer to Ogren's Allergy-Free Gardening. He created a rating scale of 1-10 called an OPAL Score. Plants with a 1 can go in my garden. Plants with a 4 or 5 can go in if I really like them and if they are planted away from our windows. Plants with an OPAL score more than 5 don't go in our yard.
Make it low maintenance.

Plant plants with similar needs together. This is just common sense. If I need to give extra water or an acidic soil to one plant, I should other plants with those same needs nearby.
Buy from a local nursery. They will carry plants that grow well in our area. If you buy from a mail order catalog or online, be very careful about the climate zone.

Climate Zones can be tricky! The Sunset book shows Camarillo covering zones 20, 21, and 23.
There are micro zones even within tiny Camarillo!

If it spreads too fast or takes a lot of care, it's a weed in my garden. I don't like weeds!

Morning Glories and asparagus ferns will not be tolerated!
The hibiscus that was so prone to white fly is outa there!
The calla lily that replants itself all over is on my hit list.
The lambs ears has spread all over, but I tolerate it for now because I love the soft furry blue green leaves and it is easy to pull out. Besides, it's filling areas that are otherwise empty. If something better comes along, the lambs ears are going. The same is true for the round-leaf plant that started as a pond plant.

I don't have to keep planting year after year. I have a very small area in front that I have planted with bright annual flowers. Slowly I am filling in even that area with perennials.

If it doesn't grow, you haven't lost much.
The smaller plants can adapt to the conditions.
Our yard looked fairly sparse for the first year or two since I was starting fresh. Mulch helps make it look better until things grow in.

If it's poisonous, it goes in the front where the dogs won't be tempted to nibble on it.
If I want to eat it, it goes on the side yard.

I keep trying a vegetable garden. It seems the insects, squirrel, and birds get the produce before I do. Plus, the produce that's in season in my yard is also in season in the grocery stores and local farm markets.

I have a few fruit trees and I keep trying herbs, tomatoes, and lettuce. I have some luck with chives that I can snip for my dinner.

The side yard gets sun, but it's also gated so the dogs are kept out of the produce.

Especially the plum tree that was in the back. The dogs would eat the plums off the tree, then regurgitate the pits with the plum juice onto the carpet. Now the plum tree is out of their reach and most of the carpet is out of the house.

Pittosporum has an OPAL score of 5, but I have a fair number of them in my yard because they come in dark green, yellow green, white tipped, and minty green.
Lamb's Ears are a weed in my garden, but I tolerate it because of the blue green fuzzy leaves.
Canna comes in a variety with red and green striped leaves.
Nandina Nana has red tinged leaves that can be stuck in a vase with 3 little flowers to make a quick and easy floral arrangement even in winter here.
Geraniums (actually Pelargonium) grows outside here and comes in all kinds of leaf colors!
Shrimp plant has reddish brown bracts.

I have shiny green citrus leaves, fuzzy lambs ears (see why I tolerate its invasive ways?), spiny bromeliads, and fluffy Breath of Heaven.

The Breath of Heaven is next to the path.
Roses, selected for their fragrance, are under our bedroom window and by the path.
Pittosporum is also known as Mock Orange and we also have an orange tree and a lime tree for the real citrus scents.

The shrimp plant, Bird of Paradise, and Hibiscus attract hummingbirds.
I like plants that attract butterflies, but unfortunately most of the flowers that attract butterflies produce a lot of allergens for me.
The bee population is shrinking. Welcome bees into your yard. (But I personally do not welcome yellow jackets or wasps!)
Bats eat tons of mosquitoes and can be welcomed with a bat house.
If you want birds, butterflies, bees, and bats, you also have to avoid insecticides and other poisons.

You can use natural predators like carnivorous snails, praying mantis, and ladybugs .
You can make a home-made trap for yellow jackets and wasps.
Organic gardeners have many tricks to avoid pests without poisons.

Most of my plants are selected for the year-round leaf color, but there is always something of interest all year.

I selected plants that flower all different times.
The roses bloom from March and into January.
Berries, interesting branches, and pods or cones can provide interest in the winter even in snow country.

I made a spread sheet on Excel that can be sorted by botanical or common name, form (shrub, tree, ground-cover, etc.), OPAL score, sun, water, height,seasonal interest, color, and other features. I'm happy to share it. I made it for myself, so I don't claim it's complete or accurate, but I do find it extremely helpful when selecting plants.

Confessions of a Lazy Gardener