Ross is small, quiet and green, with big lots, old trees and gardens that have been growing for generations. Many properties here have formal beds, brick walks, aging lawns and hedges planted long before the current owners arrived. Some of those gardens are worth saving. Others have simply grown past their prime, with roots heaving the paths, irrigation patched together over decades and plants that no longer suit a drier climate. The flatter lots along the creek face another challenge: water that collects in winter and has nowhere to go.
Most of our work in Ross starts with a full landscape design that sorts out what to keep, what to rebuild and how the whole property should work. From there, our crews handle the landscape installation in stages so the garden stays livable throughout. Call, or tell us about the property through the form, and we'll set a date to walk it with you.
Restoring a Mature Estate Garden
An older Ross garden is rarely a blank slate. It usually has good bones, a grand old oak, a stone wall, a brick path, a mature hedge, along with decades of patching, overgrowth and tired planting. Restoring it starts with sorting what's worth keeping. Healthy trees and quality stonework usually stay. Overgrown shrubs that block light, lawns that need constant water and irrigation that wastes more than it delivers usually go. From there, we rebuild paths and terraces that have heaved or sunk, often reusing the original brick or stone so the garden keeps its character. New planting fills in the gaps with species that suit Marin's wet winters and dry summers, while still matching the style of the property. The goal is a garden that feels like it's always been there, just healthier and easier to care for. Irrigation usually gets a full rebuild during a restoration, since the old system is often a tangle of spray heads and buried lines nobody has a map for, and new drip zones cut water use sharply without changing the look. For new terraces and walks, we build on the same solid bases described on our patios and hardscape page.
Flat Lots Near the Creek
Not all of Ross sits on a hillside. The flat lots in the valley near the creek have rich soil and room for big gardens, but they also collect water. After a series of winter storms, lawns turn to mud, low corners stay flooded and the soil can stay saturated well into spring. On these properties, drainage gets designed into the landscape from the start: gentle grading, swales that look like natural dry creek beds, catch basins in low spots and outlets that won't back up during high water. Planting choices lean toward trees and shrubs that tolerate wet winters, with raised planters for the plants that hate wet roots. Paths and patios sit slightly above the surrounding grade so they stay dry. Big valley oaks and sycamores often share these lots, and we keep new grading and drains outside their root zones so the trees that give Ross its character stay healthy. The same valley-floor conditions continue into neighboring Kentfield, where rainfall runs even higher.
Ross Landscaping Questions
Yes, and that's often the best approach in Ross. We start by identifying what gives the garden its character, usually the big trees, the stonework and the overall layout, and plan around keeping it. Original brick and stone can often be lifted, cleaned and relaid on a proper base. New planting matches the style of the house and the existing garden. The result looks like a well-kept version of the original, not a brand-new yard dropped into an old setting.
By giving water somewhere to go before it collects. We grade the ground with a gentle fall away from the house, add catch basins at low points and run solid pipe to an outlet that works even when the creek and street drains are running high. Dry creek beds and swales can carry water across a yard while looking like part of the garden. Raised beds and slightly elevated patios keep the parts you use dry.