Cleveland Sage
Salvia clevelandii
Pollinator anchor
- Water
- Very low
- Bloom
- May – July
Tierra Viva plant palette
Species we plant in North County gardens
Each garden gets a custom palette—these six form the backbone of most Encinitas and Cardiff projects.
Toyon
Heteromeles arbutifolia
Bird hedge
- Water
- Low
- Bloom
- Berries Nov – Feb
California Lilac
Ceanothus ‘Yankee Point’
Slope groundcover
- Water
- Very low
- Bloom
- March – April
Coast Live Oak
Quercus agrifolia
Keystone shade
- Water
- None established
- Bloom
- Year-round canopy
Sticky Monkeyflower
Diplacus aurantiacus
Hummingbird magnet
- Water
- Low
- Bloom
- April – August
Deer Grass
Muhlenbergia rigens
Sculptural texture
- Water
- Very low
- Bloom
- Plumes Aug – Oct
What we do Ecological
Ecological
services
Everything we do is chemical-free, habitat-positive, and designed to build living soil over time.
Schedule your site visitNative Plant Design
Regionally appropriate plant palettes that thrive without irrigation.
Habitat Gardens
Monarch waystation, bird sanctuary, and pollinator corridor design.
Rainwater Harvesting
Bioswales, rain gardens, and cistern systems that capture every drop.
Lawn Removal & Rebate
Turf-to-native conversions with full utility rebate processing.
Soil Health & Compost
Regenerative soil programs to build living earth over time.
Eco Maintenance
Chemical-free, hand-tool maintenance respecting beneficial insects.
From lawn to life
Year-one transformations
Native plants need a full season to settle their roots. Here's what year-one looks like.
Field log · year one
-
Month 0Lawn removed
— · 80 gal/week
-
Month 3Plants establish
18 natives planted · Drip only
-
Month 12Habitat thriving
24 species, 4 bee families spotted · Rainfall sufficient
Field log · year one
-
Month 0Bare slope, erosion
— · Runoff loss high
-
Month 4Groundcovers rooted
Ceanothus + monkeyflower in · Drip twice / week
-
Month 14Slope stabilized
Living mulch holds the hill · Storm capture only
Field journal
Letters from the gardens
“The first hummingbird showed up the week the monkeyflower bloomed. My kid screamed. In a good way.”
Amelia P.
Cardiff · Pollinator Haven
“Tore out 1,800 sq ft of fescue and saved $640 on the first quarterly water bill. The rebate paid for the install.”
Devin & Mara K.
Encinitas · Hillside slope
“Rosa drew a planting plan that respected the old olive tree, the cat's sun-spot, and my husband's view of the neighbor's shed. Magic.”
Theresa L.
Leucadia · Food Forest
Garden stories
Gardens we've grown
Our belief
"The most radical act of environmentalism is to tear out your lawn and plant something alive."
We've helped 380+ families make that choice. Each garden becomes a node in a growing ecological network — reconnecting San Diego's fragmented habitats one yard at a time.
Join the movement Credentials
Certifications & affiliations
California Native Plant SocietyCertified Bay-Friendly LandscaperQWEL CertifiedUSGBC Member
The stewards
Hands in the soil
Free site visit Let's walk your yard
Let's walk your yard
together
We offer a free ecological site assessment — we'll evaluate your soil, sun, drainage, and design a native garden plan at no charge.
(760) 555-0303 · grow@tierraviva.com