The Magic of Mature Trees

This Tudor-style home’s front yard offers inspiration on how to incorporate a mature tree into the landscape design on your property. The majestic beauty becomes the focal point, offering shade for relaxing or climbing, helping to keep the home cool, and enhancing privacy. 

And it’s not the only tree in this enticing garden: To the left of the walkway, there’s a large citrus tree. Planting a fruit tree, whether citrus or stone fruit, is a great way to incorporate a food garden into your landscape. Agaves line the walkway to the front door — an excellent low-maintenance and drought-tolerant option that can easily be enhanced with an explosion of color in the spring by sprinkling California poppy seeds among them in the winter. 

If you have a large tree in your front yard and want to achieve this look, make sure you are using plants that enjoy shade or partial sun throughout the day. Focus on choosing native plants for your region that naturally grow under the tree’s canopy while providing support to pollinators and wildlife. Great options include monkey flower, alum root, coyote mint, hummingbird sage, yarrow, or red-flowered buckwheat. 

And don’t neglect the front porch! A beautiful planter welcomes guests to your front door. Succulents, natives, and annuals, which can last for years or be freshened up each season, are all great options to fill colorful containers. 

Some tips for the home gardener:

• Make sure to research your gardening zone and pick the right plants for your area and conditions to maximize their success. 
• If you are hoping to include natives in your design, most independently owned nurseries have a dedicated native section and specially trained staff. Calscape and Bloom California are great online resources for identifying the right native plants and the nurseries that sell them.
• Don't have any mature trees but want this look? Talk to your nursery about fast-growers and plan for their front-yard domination in years to come. If your budget allows it, invest in a mature tree from a tree nursery.
• When designing your space, think about how you want to use it and the purpose you hope it serves for your home and community. It will help influence your plant choices and placement.