This client came to me wanting help to re-design her front yard to something that was easy to maintain, had visual appeal from the street and was low in water use. The challenges were a shady front yard full of dead grass and overrun with neighboring tree roots.   We did a small flagstone path and patio (secured in mortar and back filled with decomposed granite) where her old dead lawn was.  And along her existing sidewalks we added colorful succulents and perennials.  The end result is a water-efficient landscape that is easy to maintain and stays beautiful all year long.