29581 Via Valverde
Laguna Niguel 92677

Access: 90%

Nestled into Southern Orange County suburbia is a Certified Wildlife Habitat that has been tamed.  Walking along the right side of the house, past a shade garden and continuing on, you'll pass a young fern garden of maidenhair, mother, and rabbit's foot ferns.  Then you'll see a peaceful terrace that overlooks a "natural" meadow featuring a manzanita tree, gaura and chondropetalum amid perennial grasses swaying in the wind.  Just past the terrace is a more formal gravel garden of clipped boxwoods and an espaliered rose.  Retracing your steps, you'll arrive at the front gate where a 'Buff Beauty' climbing rose welcomes you into the strolling garden pathways.  Its cottage garden plants, such as hydrangeas, roses, and penstemons are paired with an interesting mix of low-water plants like phormium, euphorbia, duranta and sephora, among others.   If you arrive between 11:30 and 1pm there's a good chance you'll be able to enjoy seeing butterflies playing in the strolling garden.