When students at San Rafael’s Marin Academy return to school — and the warm sun emerges — they’ll be able to gather in a new courtyard designed just for them.

The 2,000-square-foot area was completed this fall after nine weeks of construction, replacing a previous courtyard, which was half the size, flat and offered no shade.

“The courtyard’s purpose has always been for student gathering, mostly for lunchtime, but the previous layout was not conducive to other activities, such as rallies, guest speakers and group project meetings,” says Julie Baccelli, Marin Academy’s head of corporate affairs.

“The new layout incorporated the sloped ground into tiered seating, doubling the usable space and creating an area that can be used for more purposes,” she adds.

She also points out that the curved seating allows for multiple groups to meet in distinct configurations or focus on a primary speaker or event at the apex of the curves.

Six mature trees were planted for aesthetics, shade and beauty, and reclaimed Monterey cypress wood was milled for the project by Nick Harvey, the founder of Bay Area Redwood.

Two former Marin Academy students were involved in the project — Garth Herrema and Gracie Felsenthal.

Herrema, who later earned a college degree in construction management and now leads projects with San Francisco’s Build Group, served as the lead on this project for Build Group.

Felsenthal, a recent Marin Academy graduate now studying engineering at Tufts University, joined on as an intern, contributing hands-on support throughout the project.

Additionally, Hayden Hicks, Marin Academy’s director of facilities, was involved in the design and planning, and CMG Landscape Architecture in San Francisco was responsible for the landscape design.

Modern meadow

If you dream of looking out onto a green meadow instead of a cultivated garden, winter would be a good time to plan and plant it.

To give gardeners a look at what it takes to get one started, Monrovia, a premium grower of ornamental and landscaping plants, has just released “Fall Review,” the third video and latest in its “Modern Meadow” YouTube video series.

“Meadows are a full sensory experience, with color, movement and a connection to nature,” says Katie Tamony, chief marketing officer and trend spotter at Monrovia. “The modern take on this natural garden style has the appeal that people seek with native plants, but it’s better behaved and easier to care for.”There will still be “the feeling of a wild meadow with beautiful grasses, colorful, pollinator-friendly perennials and edible perennials, just on an easier to manage scale,” she adds.

By choosing the right plants for the space, Tamony insists a meadow-style garden can be low maintenance and drought tolerant once established.

The modern meadow can also be created in any garden size, by choosing compact plants that stay tidy in the landscape, while still creating the feel of a wilder look.

The “Modern Meadow” video series starts with “Before,” a six-minute video which takes viewers through the first stage of a front yard makeover, featuring homeowner and Monrovia plant selections manager Georgia Clay discussing three garden design options with designer Lisa Nunamaker of Paper Garden Workshop.

It’s followed by the second video, “Planting Day,” which is an 11-minute behind-the-scenes look at how a design plan comes to life.

The third video, “Fall Review,” shows viewers the completed garden and offers advice for fall garden maintenance.

“The video series was filmed in Zone 8, and the majority of the featured plants are also good for Zone 9,” Tamony says. “We encourage gardeners to use the My Plant Finder link at Monrovia.com to confirm which varieties will be best suited for their zone and growing conditions.”

Show off

If you have a beautiful or interesting Marin garden or a newly designed Marin home, I’d love to know about it.

Please send an email describing either one (or both), what you love most about it and a photograph or two. I will post the best ones in upcoming columns. Your name will be published and you must be over 18 years old and a Marin resident.

PJ Bremier writes on home, garden, design and entertaining topics every Saturday. She may be contacted at P.O. Box 412, Kentfield 94914, or at pj@pjbremier.com.