(Click on title to see more photos) Photo above, on top of the south peak area of Rodriguez Mtn, just south of Palomar Mtn, just south of La Jolla Indian Reservation.   Apparently Arctostaphylos glauca, of advanced age, and resembling bonsai aesthetic in character, especially with the boulders.  Quite an engaging compositional stylistic character in these two photos.   Good influence for inspiration for some built landscapes where this stylistic can be appropriate.

(Click on underlined title to see more) Camissonia bistorta, blooms year-round in typical yard space that has some ambient ground moisture to tap into.  Lives about a year or two; readily reseeds and sprouts new plants with rains or occasional irrigation.  An all-star performer.  Makes masses of plants if you allow it, serving as an informal 12 to 18 inch tall and how ever wide groundcover.

 Near La Jolla Shores, great combo effect here with the Hakea and Korean Grass(Zoysia tenuifolia).  Hakea suaveolens is native to Australia, Korean grass, - fair to guess it's native to Korea, but it is native to the 'far east' of Asia.  Unknown designer.

Banksia prionotes, a Western Australian native, growing in Valley Center; red-leaved Leucadendron behind at right.

Malvaviscus arboreus, grows in a brambly fashion.  Fills in airy space, informal, intertwines amongst other plants.

After pruning, which is done annually in late winter/early spring:

Lovely color combo composition at the Vons shopping center on Midway Drive, with Hymenosporum flavum(tree - yellowish), Agapanthus(blue), Hibiscus 'Crown of Bohemia'(orange), and Xylosma congestum(orangish new growth, hedge in background).  Unknown designer.

Here's Peter Pook in Australia and his living sculpture as a chair.  And here's his website:   http://pooktre.com/photos/

(Click on underlined title to see more) Axel Erlandson created this with six sycamores planted in a ring pattern:  "To create the 'Basket Tree', Erlandson planted six sycamore trees in a circle, topped them all at one foot,

(Click underlined title to see more) Vulpia myuros, a common aggressively invasive annual non-native annual grass that grows in wild areas of the San Diego region, native to Europe, and gets up to about a foot tall.  Another caution about it is that it's highly flammable if ignited when dry.

Peach and Apricot on the same plant/'tree', by grafting.  I do this, I did this.  Mid Pride Peach on right, probably Royal/Blenheim apricot on left(scion from old tree in old Pt. Loma property in the La Playa neighborhood).