Questions
Frequently asked
The questions we hear most about working with us, from where we garden to how a project begins.
What does Monarch Gardens do?
Monarch Gardens is a family-run, licensed landscape design/build company. We design, build, and maintain gardens: garden design, landscape construction (masonry, carpentry, terracing, paths, water features, irrigation, lighting, and drainage), and ongoing garden maintenance — one team from the first sketch to season-after-season care.
Where does Monarch Gardens work?
We’re based in San Rafael and work across San Francisco, Marin County, and Southern Sonoma County, including San Rafael, Ross, Lucas Valley, San Anselmo, Mill Valley, Tiburon, Sausalito, Corte Madera, Larkspur, Novato, Petaluma, and the towns between.
Who owns Monarch Gardens, and how long have you been in business?
Monarch Gardens is owned and operated by the husband-and-wife team Dave and Carolyn Anderson. We were founded in 1994 as CM Design and bring over thirty years of landscaping and horticultural experience to every garden.
Do you design fire-safe landscapes?
Yes. We design fire-safe gardens with defensible-space layouts and plant choices that lower fire risk without leaving the garden looking sparse, often paired with drought-tolerant planting.
Do you create drought-tolerant, low-water gardens?
Yes. We design low-water planting palettes and irrigation that cut water use while keeping the garden full, using plants suited to Northern California’s dry summers.
Do you plant California natives and create habitat for pollinators and monarch butterflies?
Yes. Native regenerative habitats are a specialty: California natives that rebuild soil and support pollinators, birds, and beneficial insects. Our name comes from a beachfront garden where we planted milkweed and butterfly plants, and a client’s daughter found more than fifty monarch chrysalises in the yard.
Are your gardens organic?
Yes, we garden organically. The monarch butterfly is an environmental indicator species — among the first to decline in an unstable or toxic environment — and we work with the land, not against it.
Can you design deer-resistant, edible, or medicinal gardens?
Yes. We design deer-resistant plantings, edible gardens such as raised beds, orchards, and kitchen borders, and medicinal herb gardens. Carolyn is a trained Western herbalist, which shapes our edible and medicinal plantings.
Do you offer ongoing garden maintenance?
Yes. Our maintenance keeps gardens healthy as they grow in — pruning, soil care, and seasonal work on a rhythm suited to the planting. Some of our client relationships go back more than ten years.
How does a project with Monarch Gardens work?
In three steps. We listen and observe, asking the questions you haven’t thought of to learn how you want to use your space. We design, mapping the site and sketching options together. Then our crew builds with care and clean sites, and we tend the garden as it grows.
How do I get an estimate for my garden?
Every garden is priced to its site and scope, so we start with a conversation. Call (415) 453-5544, email info@monarchgardens.com, or use the contact form, and we’ll be clear about options, materials, estimates, and scheduling from the start.
Have a question we didn’t answer?
Tell us about your site and how you’d like to live in it.