Come with us on a tour of long-time Mill Valley, CA resident Marni Leis's magical backyard, where shade, texture, and form take the place of color and string lights festively adorn live oaks year-round.
A pair of Adirondack chairs sit beneath the chandelier in the front yard.
A look upward at the festooned trees.
A shady corner next to the front walkway is a good vantage from which to contemplate the rest of Marni’s garden.
In the backyard, more strings of light create a bonfire effect.
Marni’s tips for a successful garden: Keep your plant variety down (“Two types of ferns next to each other looks messy; one type looks intentional,” she says), and plant in drifts rather than clumps.