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Marin-Friendly Virtual Garden Tour
Welcome to the Marin-Friendly Virtual Garden Tour! As with our past garden tours, we are excited to feature inspiring homegrown and professionally designed gardens that demonstrate a wide variety of environmentally friendly gardening practices. But now we are bringing the gardens to you – virtually! Now you can take your time and visit these exciting gardens online, at your leisure, as many times as you like.
We'll be adding new gardens throughout the year, so be sure to check back periodically.
Many gardeners in Marin—and beyond—are moving toward a more natural style of landscaping. They are replacing resource-guzzling lawns with native plant gardens, installing rainwater catchment systems, recycling yard and food waste into soil amendments, and attracting beneficial insects as a means of natural pest control. Their gardens conserve water and energy, recycle resources on site, thrive without the use of toxic chemicals, and display a diversity of plant and animal life. Some call it sustainable or ecological gardening. Others call it environmentally friendly or natural gardening. We call it Marin-Friendly gardening. It works in harmony with nature to create and maintain ecologically productive gardens, attuned to the climate, microclimate, topography, and soils of Marin.
This place-based approach to gardening is basically a return to common-sense gardening where waste is minimized, natural processes are encouraged and utilized, and local conditions are considered. Nature is viewed as an inspiring partner, rather than a threat, and natural plant communities are used as models for the garden design. Just as plants growing in nature survive without special fertilizers, chemical pest controls, or heavy irrigation, plants in our gardens can do the same. By selecting plants that are adapted to local conditions—such as soil, light, moisture, drainage and exposure—and allowing them to thrive naturally, Marin-Friendly gardeners are minimizing the impact of their gardens on our local environment.
We'll be adding new gardens throughout the year, so be sure to check back periodically.
What is Marin-Friendly Gardening?
Many gardeners in Marin—and beyond—are moving toward a more natural style of landscaping. They are replacing resource-guzzling lawns with native plant gardens, installing rainwater catchment systems, recycling yard and food waste into soil amendments, and attracting beneficial insects as a means of natural pest control. Their gardens conserve water and energy, recycle resources on site, thrive without the use of toxic chemicals, and display a diversity of plant and animal life. Some call it sustainable or ecological gardening. Others call it environmentally friendly or natural gardening. We call it Marin-Friendly gardening. It works in harmony with nature to create and maintain ecologically productive gardens, attuned to the climate, microclimate, topography, and soils of Marin.
This place-based approach to gardening is basically a return to common-sense gardening where waste is minimized, natural processes are encouraged and utilized, and local conditions are considered. Nature is viewed as an inspiring partner, rather than a threat, and natural plant communities are used as models for the garden design. Just as plants growing in nature survive without special fertilizers, chemical pest controls, or heavy irrigation, plants in our gardens can do the same. By selecting plants that are adapted to local conditions—such as soil, light, moisture, drainage and exposure—and allowing them to thrive naturally, Marin-Friendly gardeners are minimizing the impact of their gardens on our local environment.
Marin-Friendly Resources
Water-Wise Gardening Website
Visit our Water-Wise Gardening website to find inspiration and information to help you design and maintain your Marin-Friendly garden.
Rebates
Explore MMWD rebates for mulch, rain barrels, laundry-to-landscape graywater system components, and more.
Explore turf replacement rebates from the state of California.
The Gardens
Native Hillside Garden
Mill Valley
This unique, 100% California native hillside garden is sectioned into distinct plant communities, including riparian woodland, coastal scrub, dry meadow, sedge transition meadow, hedgerow and chaparral. Learn more.
Honey Sweet Garden
San Anselmo
As enthusiastic permaculturists and organic farmers, Jane and her family love to experiment with Marin-friendly practices in their fruitful, bee-happy garden. Dubbed “Honey Sweet Garden” for obvious reasons (honeybees!), lots of hard work and care have gone into reusing and recycling here as much as possible. Learn more.
California-Style Landscape
San Rafael
The owners of this expansive sanctuary in San Rafael have created a dream California-style landscape. Comprised of a variety of low-water-use plants (some native and some Mediterranean) and dotted with succulents, this garden provides a peaceful, picturesque environment while remaining water-conscious too. Learn more.
Shade Garden
Fairfax
In a garden tucked away under the tree canopies of Fairfax, homeowner Laura has managed to create a lovely oasis that happily thrives in the shade. Accented by unique recycled materials, permeable pathways and a colorful library/office space (refurbished from an old shed), this landscape surely inspires others to brave the shade! Learn more.
Big Sur Comes to Tiburon
Tiburon
Once dominated by monochromatic lawns, this Tiburon landscape had all the vivacity and vigor of unbuttered toast. Inspired by the coastal plant communities of Big Sur, the landscape architect worked with a palette of succulents, grasses, pebbles and steel to transform this space into a dynamic garden that is low maintenance, drought tolerant, functional and gorgeous! Learn more.
Raised Bed Gardening at The Redwoods Senior Community
Mill Valley
The garden at The Redwoods senior community is located on Marin Audubon Society land along Arroyo Corte Madera del Presidio (Corte Madera Creek). Fiona Dunbar, the garden programs coordinator, has her soil-covered hands full with managing everything from many eager resident and community volunteers, to what to plant, where and when. The garden is comprised of 15 large raised beds, 12 of which are for organic edibles and three for cutting flowers. Learn more.
The Land of Misfit Plants
Mill Valley
Who would have guessed that this creative Mill Valley garden serves as a halfway house for plants that simply need a second chance? The owner, a landscape designer, brings home plants that are unwanted at her clients’ gardens and introduces them into her own. In this way, the garden serves as a sort of plant laboratory where new plants are tried and tested throughout this constantly evolving landscape. Learn more.
Garden of Natives
San Anselmo
Driven by love and knowledge of local native plants, this homeowner transformed a simple hillside garden into a lush and colorful oak woodland experience. Learn more.
The Art of Lawn Replacement
Fairfax
This quaint garden in Fairfax proves that good things really do come in small packages! An exceptional example of a turf replacement project, its balance of landscape and art is truly inspirational. Learn more.
An Urban Farmer's Paradise
Mill Valley
Aside from providing stunning visual appeal, this terraced garden in the hills is an urban farmer’s paradise! Packed with thriving food crops, the garden provides food for seven local families. It also features some clever, unique creations. Learn more.
Teaching Students from Seed to Table
San Anselmo
San Domenico School’s Garden of Hope is not only an amazing one-acre garden but it also provides students with an outdoor classroom and a very unique educational experience. Learn more.
Small is Beautiful
San Rafael
This garden was designed more than a quarter of a century ago by the now well-known landscape architect, Topher Delaney. The garden features many succulents and a wide variety of climate appropriate plants, as well as many interesting container plants. Learn more.
From Lawn to Bee and Butterfly Garden
San Rafael
Bursting with blossoms and alive with the sounds of buzzing, it’s hard to believe this lovely butterfly garden was once a boring expanse of lawn! Motivated to find a more colorful, low-maintenance alternative to turf, this homeowner decided to re-landscape with a cheerful palate of flowering, drought-tolerant plants. Learn more.