You'll find a lot of plants that thrive in the central valley with a minimum of care. It's 2.5 miles long, and has a good bike path. Keep an eye on California Life's calendar for native plant sales in Northern California. Treated properly, these tough customers will provide you with years of beauty. If you have oaks, their acidic leaves make excellent compost for plants like camellias, azaleas, rhododendrons, conifers and mountain laurel.
Hollies are probably one of the most overlooked plant families in landscaping plans.
Take time to see what the nursery has to offer and decide where the plants would fit in your landscape plan. While you're at it, check out red-berried pyracantha and toyons. Edible landscaping looks and tastes good. An example is the ornamental kale you'll find in nurseries in late fall. Lettuce, chard, spinach and parsley also make handsome companions for ornamentals.