Shrub Planting in Menifee, CA

Plantings

The Part of the Yard That Makes It Look Finished

Shrubs, Beds and Trees, Planted Properly

This is his Plantings service, and it covers the whole planted side of a yard:

• Shrub planting, single plants or a full border
• Flower bed installation, front, side or back yard
• Trees, placed where they will have room when grown
• Ground cover and accent plants
• Bed shaping, soil prep and edging
• Mulch across the finished bed

Plants get set at the right depth and tied into the watering system, so they are not relying on you with a hose. Planting is drawn up with the rest of the landscaping, never bolted on at the end.

If You Are Putting In Artificial Turf, Menifee Code Wants Plants Too

Menifee Municipal Code Chapter 9.86 says living plant material, such as flower beds and tree wells, has to be included in the front, side and rear landscape design when artificial turf goes in.

The city does not want a yard that is nothing but plastic grass. That is easy if the planting is drawn up at the same time as the turf, which is how we do it. The same chapter also requires turf to be separated from planters by a mow strip, bender board or another barrier, so the beds and the turf get laid out together from day one.

Plants Chosen for A Summer With No Rain

At the nearest long-record station, only 0.31 inches of the year's 11.65 inches of rain falls between June and September. For four months, whatever your plants get, you are paying for.

Menifee sits in USDA hardiness zone 9b, average coldest night 25 to 30 F, so dry heat is the real problem, not cold. We pick plants that hold color through a rainless summer on a sensible amount of water, then put them on drip so the water goes to the roots.

State rules also set a minimum three inch mulch layer on bare soil in planting areas. It keeps soil cooler, slows evaporation and holds weeds down, so every bed we finish gets it. The same plant list sits alongside an artificial turf installation, since the city wants living plants in that design too.

Planting Is Where the Rebate Money Is

Artificial turf earns no rebate here. The program says "synthetic turf is not an approved conversion option." Live drought tolerant planting is the opposite. In Eastern Municipal Water District territory, which covers Menifee, replacing live grass with planting pays $5 per square foot.

The conditions are mostly about the planting itself:

• At least 250 square feet of grass removed
• At least three plants per 100 square feet
• No live turf or turf-looking grasses left
• The finished surface has to be permeable
• Funds reserved before work starts, project done within 180 days
• Trees add $100 each for up to five qualifying trees

That is why we plan planting and turf together, so you can have turf in one area and the rebate paying for the planted area next to it. It is first come, first served and subject to funding.

What counts as shrub planting?

Anything on the planted side of the yard. Single shrubs, a full border, flower beds, ground cover and trees, plus the soil prep, edging and mulch that go with them. It is the service on Paul's flyer listed as Plantings.

Do you install flower beds as well as shrubs?

Yes. Flower bed installation is part of the same service, including shaping the bed, prepping the soil, setting an edge so the bed keeps its line, and tying the bed into the drip system.

Which plants survive summer here?

The ones bred for dry heat. Only 0.31 inches of rain falls from June through September at the nearest long-record station, so anything thirsty is on your water bill all summer. We pick plants suited to that and to USDA zone 9b, then water them with drip.

Do I still need plants if I am putting in artificial turf?

In Menifee, yes. City code Chapter 9.86 says living plant material such as flower beds and tree wells has to be included in the overall landscape design in the front, side and rear yards when artificial turf is installed. Planning both at once is the easy way to handle it.

Why mulch, and why three inches?

Three inches is the state minimum for bare soil in planting areas under the water efficiency rules. It also happens to be about what you need to hold moisture in, keep roots cooler and stop weeds taking over, so it does a real job as well as a legal one.

Can planting earn a rebate?

In EMWD territory, replacing live grass with drought tolerant planting pays $5 per square foot. You need at least 250 square feet removed, at least three plants per 100 square feet, and your funds reserved before work starts. It is first come, first served and subject to funding.