Here is another photo. The front yard does NOT have a sidewalk in front of it.

Roger's Gardens in Corona del Mar sponsored a "California friendly" landscape contest a few years ago that focused on low-water use, low maintenance but very attractive landscape designs. I understand the contest is still ongoing with participation encouraged by various water districts. The point of this is that there are photo galleries of winning landscapes that address the exact needs you express. Very much worth reviewing to get inspiration.

FWIW, I would not necessarily be overly quick to dismiss either the dry streambed, artificial turf or a rock/drought tolerant plants approach as being out of character with the neighborhood or looking too artificial. It depends on the quality of the design and its relationship to the house and vicinity. And I've seen some artificial lawns that you would have to get down on your hands and knees to inspect to determine they were not real..

Roger's Gardens

Here is a link that might be useful: California friendly landscapes

I have no comment on landscaping but I assure you there are low water-need plants which will not remind you of the desert, even ferns. One of my favorites is Myrsine Africana. It would not suit your need but it is an example of a plant looking lush yet drought tolerant.

Chances are you're going to end up with a worse mess than you started with. There truly are few options lower-maintenance than lawn. No planting of low-water use shrubs is going to look good without someone doing regular cleanup.

If this were my rental, I would get irrigation installed for the front, put in some less-thirsty breed of grass, and raise the rent enough to cover the cost of a mow-blow-go bi-monthly lawn service. Keep it simple.

I don't have a lot to add as far as the yard; lawn is pretty basic care and mow & blow crews won't wreck it.

But I wanted to comment on the links to the Roger's Gardens CA landscapes: thank you for sharing these!!!

Thank you everyone!!!! Great advice, ideas, and suggestions!

Smiles,
Sooz

I've really enjoyed looking at those gardens gardengal48. Do you know what that really flat groundcover is that are in a lot of the photos?

Yeah, it's always good to realize that one can have a very lush and colorful garden yet still be very xeric and low maintenance. KInda inspiring, no?

Can't see the groundcover all that clearly but I'd suspect it was either dymondia or wooly thyme - both are very drought tolerant, although dymondia is not hardy across much of the country.

Marti, Dymondia margaratae is the flat gray green ground cover, and it can make an excellent walk-on lawn substitute. Works best IMO if installed with automatic irrigation, but needs much less irrigation than any type of lawn grass commonly used here in California. With Dymondia, initial weed prep is critical, because dealing with Bermuda grass or Oxalis pes-capre is a real pain if it isn't eliminated initially or grubbed out as an invader.

Before you get carried away Marti, dymondia is only hardy to about 25-30F. Doubt it will make it long-term in the DFW area. Woolley thyme would be a decent substitute however and a lot more drought tolerant.

Maybe consider adding some ornamental grasses (Mexican feather grass, e.g.) and one or two eye-catching drought tolerant plants (Protea Banksia, e.g.) to liven up the space a little...

thanks for the suggestion of the ornamental grasses (Mexican feather grass) ... that I will try in my yard too!!

You could make a front courtyard for entertaining with pavers that fit your budget. Imagine a bistro set or a couple of adirondack chairs in the middle. then have a border on the front and side that includes the mexican feather grass.

Agree with Lili777. Some kind of paved courtyard made private with screening; panels of some kind of fencing perhaps topped off with hogwire and climbing vines...and/or border of xeriscaping plants. Lots of Mediterranean, Australian, so. African plants to choose from.