Larkspur runs from the tidal marshes along Corte Madera Creek up into steep, wooded hills, and its yards change just as fast. Near the marsh and around parts of Greenbrae, the land is low and flat, the soil is heavy, and winter rain can sit on the surface for days. A few blocks west, homes above Magnolia Avenue climb hillsides so steep that many backyards are a series of narrow ledges. Either way, water is the main thing to plan for, whether it's pooling on flat ground or running down a slope toward the house.
We design Larkspur yards around those two very different conditions. On the flats, that means grading and drainage that move water off the lot, with patios and paths built on bases that won't settle. Up the hill, the work is walls, steps and terraces that turn a slope into living space. Get in touch by phone or with the form, and we'll find a time to walk the property.
Wet Ground Near the Marsh
The neighborhoods closest to Corte Madera Creek and the marsh sit on low ground, much of it soft bay soil that holds water and can settle over time. That shapes everything we build there. Lawns go soggy in winter and patchy in summer, and patios poured straight on the native soil tend to crack and tilt as the ground shifts. We start with grading so water flows away from the house and toward a planting area or a drain. Patios get a thick, well-compacted gravel base, and we often use pavers instead of a solid slab, since individual pieces can come up and go back down level if the ground shifts. Raised beds keep plant roots above the wettest soil. Plants that handle wet winters and dry summers, like sedges, rushes, native grasses and tough shrubs, do better here than water-hungry lawn. Salt can reach the soil on the lowest lots too, so we pick plants that tolerate a little of it. The approach is much the same on the low ground next door in Corte Madera.
Hillside Lots Above Magnolia Avenue
West of Magnolia Avenue, Larkspur's streets climb into the hills, and the lots climb with them. Many homes have a front door at street level and a backyard that drops away steeply, or the reverse, with the yard rising behind the house. These lots often have narrow terraces held up by old walls, some of them timber that has been rotting quietly for decades. Rebuilding those walls with drainage behind them is often the first job. From there, we add stone or concrete steps with consistent heights, small flat landings for seating, and planting that holds the slope and handles shade from the canyon trees. Access is tight on many of these streets, so we plan deliveries and equipment carefully, often staging materials at the street and moving them down the slope by hand or with a small track loader. The goal is a hillside you can actually walk around and use, not one you just look at from the window. For more on building on slopes, see our retaining walls work.
Larkspur Landscaping Questions
If they're soft, leaning or bowing, yes, and sooner is better than later. Timber walls on Larkspur's shaded slopes hardly ever dry out, so they rot from the back side where you can't see it, and many were built without any drainage behind them. A failing wall usually gives up in a wet winter. We replace them with block, stone or concrete walls that have real drainage built in behind, often in the same footprint so the terraces you use stay put.
Carefully, and with consistent heights. Each step gets a solid base set into the slope, built from stone, concrete or pavers so it suits the house. We keep every riser the same height so the stairs feel natural underfoot, add landings where the climb is long, and build in drainage so water doesn't wash out the base or turn the steps slick. Low lighting along the edges makes them safe to use at night.