The Turf Removal Program supports a native meadow design concept, well-suited for Simi Valley's Welcome Corner landscape renovation.

This design uses natural elements such as boulders and pebbles, along with gentle changes in land shape (grading). Features like small hills (mounds) and shallow channels (swales) help guide water into a planted basin designed to hold and absorb rainwater.

The irrigation system for this project includes several water-saving features:

• A weather-based irrigation controller that adjusts watering based on local conditions
• High-efficiency sprinkler heads
• Dripline irrigation covered with 3 inches of wood chip mulch to reduce evaporation

The selected plants are low water use and California Friendly®. Once established, they require minimal irrigation and are well suited to the climate in Simi Valley.

These sustainable design choices support the goals and requirements of the turf removal rebate program. The concept is multifaceted since there are not only program requirements, but also location and climate constraints factoring into this landscape renovation.

Note. The botanical names of plants are in parenthesis below.

Due to the location of this particular site, most people will view this landscape entirely from their vehicles. In order to achieve the design's vision, every plant in this landscape has been thoughtfully considered.

Starting along the sidewalk, in front of the Welcome Sign is a low, grass-like meadow of sedges (Carex pansa and Carex divulsa) coupled with the grey vertical leaves of Flax Lily (Dianella revoluta 'Lil Rev').

Tucked in amongst the meadow planting is a California native called Sundrops (Calylophus berlandieri), giving bright lemon-yellow accents throughout the height of the summer growing season.

Leading the eye to the Welcome Corner Sign are multicolor Gazanias (Gazania rigens) with Purple Statice (Limonium perezii), and an additional planting of yellow Sundrops. In the early spring this same area will be seeded with California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) for an extra splash of bright orange color lasting from early spring into the summer months.

Behind the signs on the berms is a taller meadow planting of Pine Muhly grasses (Muhlenbergia dubia) and sage (Salvia 'Amistad'). Both plants provide visual interest with the bushy, chartreuse-green leaves and dark purple blooms of the sage plants interspersed with clusters of the tall, slender grasses. These grasses provide graceful, fluid movement when breezes blow through, and their blonde spiky seed heads last from summer into the winter months.