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We flirted with unquestionably native California grasses. There's a significant fire risk. Humans are all about overcoming natural cycles, which include burning us out of here periodically, killing any of us who can't run fast enough.

Our front yard is now weed cloth and chips. Inert, it looks great, and the town no longer cites us.

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I'm sorry for your local insects. Not much nectar or pollen in typical wood chips.

I tried no mow grass. Died too. Then I seeded with California poppy, red poppies, corn flowers, honey wort and Shasta daisies. They are reseeders and bloom in sequence in my Ca 8a/8b zone. Also mint. It will take over.

Be careful with the mint, but you already know that. I have a bunch of CA poppies in my yard, which I only discovered by letting everything grow after we bought the house. Imagine my surprise and delight when the "wild carrots" turned out to be beautiful poppies! They continue to spread and make the yard a wonderful place in the spring.

Shasta daisy is competing with the pineapple mint in my front yard. It’s a riot. And they will never leave!

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