gardens
do gardens matter? absolutely!
More often than not, the garden is the first impression before walking through the front door. What's more welcoming than the sweet scent of creeping thyme or a hedge of lavendar? More importantly, a well-tended garden adds value and desirability to a home. Do we tackle yards when prepping houses for sale? Most definitely. Jill and I are frequent visitors at Devil Mountain Wholesale Nursery in San Ramon where we hand pick ornamental trees, shrubs and groundcover and load it all up in our “company” truck. Our hard-working gardening crew is known to weed, prune, mow, blow, plant, repair fencing, build beds, haul away debris, lay down tons of mini-bark and maintain the properties throughout the marketing period. Front doors are often painted a cheery color, pots are planted with overflowing flowers and herbs, and fresh door mats are laid out for an overall impression that warmly says “welcome!”
288 Indian Road
Piedmont
When we suggested removing the overgrown camellias and rhodendruns, our sellers hesitated; "Why would we remove mature plants?" To be frank, dominating shrubbery can often hide the house and feels like a barrier. Once the beds were cleared, the home not only presented with beautiful front windows, but also brought a lot more natural light into the stunning formal living room. While the front beds called for serious editing, the backyard was altogether a different story, requiring a fair amount of planting, weeding, power washing, and watering.
before & after
6348 Heather ridge
montclair
This sweet house in the Montclair Hills presented with a unique challange; it was tucked into a hill with very little usable back space on a downward sloping lot. Thanks to Etsy, a very capable handyman, a hard-working gardening crew, pea gravel and cafe lighting, we transformed a tight narrow space into an inviting outdoor dining area that requires virtually zero maintenance. What could be easier . . . or more inviting?
before & after
