Paths
Drought Tolerant Gardens - Water Conservation Gardening
Native Plants
Mound and Berm gardens

General Tips:
Step down foliage height. Trees in the back, to tall shrubs, short shrubs, perennials, and then some very low growing things in the front.
Use of foliage color, some evergreen, some deciduous, different shapes and textures.

See:
8 Landscape Design Principles | Garden Design

• Prevents weed seeds buried in the soil beneath from sprouting.
• Limits the need to use herbicides for weed control.
• Helps retain soil moisture by reducing evaporation.
• Offers some erosion control on slopes subject to washout from heavy rains. Although this physical barrier works well against annual weeds, perennial weeds have more time and size to find a way to spread above and below the fabric.

See Will Perennials Spread with a Weed Barrier? | Home Guides | SF Gate

See:
Landscape Fabric 101 - The Pros and Cons You Need to Know - Bob Vila
Plants for hummingbirds