While many people expend their time, energy, and capital on the interior design of their homes, the outside is at least as important. Landscaping your California home can make living there all the brighter, even on the occasional dreary day. And if you eventually decide to sell your house, its exterior will already be ready for Instagram, Pinterest, and the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).

Not everyone realizes California’s weather can be a little rough on plants. With that in mind, here are a few landscaping styles that will thrive (and look great) in your yard in Mill Valley.

One great way to make beautiful Mill Valley, CA, real estate look even better is by landscaping with the kind of flora that belongs in your backyard. No, we don’t mean with dandelions and crabgrass, but rather flowers and other plants native to your region.

At the beginning of your seach, look for local nurseries or garden centers that carry classic Cali-flora like Point Reyes Meadowfoam, Shrubby Monkeyflower, and Hummingbird Sage. These native wildflowers are great for any homeowners wanting a wild, lush, even cottage-like atmosphere filled with healthy, growing plants. You might notice other homes for sale in Mill Valley, CA that feature such plants. To make yours stand out, rely on beds and little fields of wildflowers, stony paths, and a variety of plant heights to enliven your yard.

Another popular (and easy to maintain) style of landscaping is Modern. In Northern California, and especially in Mill Valley, you can mix in clever rock designs and durable plants at different elevations. For example, some Modern-style homeowners choose to have a decomposed granite yard instead of a grass one. Decomposed granite is finer than gravel, somewhere between pebbles and sand and available in a striking variety of colors. Considering California’s chronic water shortages and fires, a modern and rocky yard is arguably the most sustainable yard choice that also beautifies your landscaping. It’ll make any homes for sale in Mill Valley, CA, unique and aesthetically pleasing, and in the meantime, your yard will be easy to maintain.

 

When it comes to Northern California homes and Mill Valley, CA, real estate, an easy way to plant your landscape is by not using conventional plants at all. Together with your garden, embrace the mild, Mediterranean climate that brings temperate winters and hot, dry summers. Fill your yard with specimens like leaf milkweed, toyon, native bunch grasses, and other wetland species; you’ll want to plan your garden around the first winter frost, which typically occurs in early December (you can consult this online almanac for plant-specific timelines).

As you become more familiar with nursery, the project takes on an added dimension: you can mix gentle grades and angles to showcase different kinds of plants. Check out the particulars of this Marin County garden, which features an amazing 200 plant species growing in various habitats (woodland slope, coastal shrub, dry meadow, and hedgerow coexist).

Have you improved your landscaping and are now ready to sell your home? Reach out to trusted Mill Valley, CA, real estate agent Beth Brody for assistance.