Congratulations on your first garden!!
Everybody says to start with the Sunset Garden book for western (u.s.) climates.
A "mediterranean" climate is actually quite dry most of the year. So a mediterranean garden would not naturally be "lush" if planted with mediterranean plants.
Give thought to using California native and California-friendly plants. Water rates are only going to increase and these types of plants are more drought tolerant after they are 'established' in the garden. See 'theordorepayne.org' for native plants.

I guess I meant "full" and with varied heights of plants filling the space in front of the fence...not lush as in a green lawn :)

I have picked up Sunset magazine and admired the mature finished gardens, but how do I get started, figure out what plants go where so that when they are mature they all look good together?

Consider what you might want to "screen out" in terms of neighboring structures and how you want to lead the eye. Decide pathways, you can lay out a hose first, maybe add a sitting area? Start with slower growing plants first, (I try to buy the biggest I can afford, I'm not convinced a 1 gallon manzanita will grow better than a 5) give them a head start, my favorites being manzanita and ceanothus. Research for variety and eventual size, no sense in planting something and having to continually prune. Then fill in the rest, native sages, grasses, wildflower seeds. I use shredded redwood to mulch, fantastic stuff.

I like ceanothus, it will look great with sages, rosemary, lavender etc for a purple/grey/blue color scheme that I like. We are on the SF peninsula, so our climate is pretty temperate and a bit more rain than many places in CA, but I do want to have drought tolerant plants so I don't have to water too much - and besides our townhouse is a Mission style and will look great with a Mediterranean theme.

I definitely do not want to have to prune weekly just to get up the front walk, which I do right now for the only 3 living plants in the garden, which the PO placed in exactly the wrong locations! One of them has thorns and grabs me as I walk by, I am going to have to remove that thing.

In terms of soil prep, what I have right now is bare soil pretty packed-down looking (not watered in a couple years other than by winter rain) and not up to the level of the patio and walkway. I think I will need to add about 4" of soil, should I add topsoil, compost, or is something else recommended such as a mixture? i will mulch the top to help retain water, too.

Here is an example of what I have to start with:

Back patio - taken in winter before we bought the place

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Front walkway with horrible overgrown ugly shrubs (even worse now) and ubiquitous ivy.

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Another view of the front walkway taken during our renovation, the trash is gone now and next the ivy and shrubs need to go.

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Any advice on removing these types of shrubs?

I don't really have advice about removing shrubs, but I would definitely suggest you do your prep and planning now and wait until fall before planting anything.

As for design, there are some good websites where you can get ideas and even free garden plans that might help. I like http://www.bhg.com/gardening/, and http://www.sunset.com/garden/.

Repetition is a good way to make your garden attractive and pulled together, choose some plants and get a lot of them instead of planting one of everything you love. When I did my new streetscape garden last year I used mostly lavender, sage, and ornamental grasses, and I got half a dozen to a dozen of each type of plant. Also, don't forget bulbs for seasonal color, poisonous ones that critters won't eat (like narcissus and belladonna lilies) will come back year after year.

Hi Tinan!

Congratulations on your purchase and your garden.
You will be able to create a little paradise in your yard.
Since you have such small beds, be sure to check here on the eventual size of plants before you plant them.

Getting rid of the ivy and the nandina takes a bit of time. They are stubborn regrowers.

My girlfriend Alison has a similar situation to yours, and she uses shepherd's hooks and huge pots to extend the appearance of her narrow beds. She had to give up on killing the ivy, since hers creeps under the wood fence from the common area. I'll try to get some photos so you can see what she has done with the same space.

What fun you will have!
Renee

You do not have a lot of room, and what you have looks shady, so keep that in mind. What you have there now looks about as old as the building itself (however old it is) so it's probably time for a refresh. Make sure if there is an HOA that you have permission to make changes!

The best way to start is to look at gardens whenever and where ever you can, look and look and look, in magazines, in walks around the neighborhood, on blogs, and decide what you like and don't like.

You can plant what you like, and pull things out and try new stuff and pull things out and try new stuff and gradually get the look you want and gain experience and knowledge in the process, OR you can find a professional designer to give you a decent design right away with much less effort and time on your part.

The first method ends up costing more than the second, but you've gained experience and knowledge and hopefully had fun doing it. The second method--is for those who don't have the patience, interest, time and energy.

Many Ceonothus can get really really large, so choose carefully!

Congrats.
Lots of time for prep work and reading to gain the knowledge you need to make the right decisions.
If you want natives they grow in natural soil so no need to add topsoil or anything and most don't want fertilizer.
Ceanothus don't like mulch...learned that the hard way.
Search this site for natives or drought tolerant plants you should find lots of threads to read.
Since you are in the Bay area theodorepayne.org website might help but to far to visit. Visit some local native gardens and keep in mind things usually get bigger than advertised.
I would check out
laspilitas.com
cnps.org

Re HOA - we are responsible for all landscaping inside our fences - CC&Rs specify all owner responsibility and freedom to plant and garden - only restrictions are that if overhanging plants bother a neighbor we would have to trim, no climbers on the stucco, and food crops are prohibited due to pest attraction (roof rats).

It's not shady actually, those pictures were taken on overcast days early in the morning, the back is shady in the afternoon but the front has no shade at all from 11:00am - sunset. There are no trees nearby so only shade is from the fence when the sun is low.

I would like to give the appearance of a denser garden by using different plant heights, and I will definitely used some pots on the concrete to enlarge the planted area - especially at the back and the large area in front of our kitchen window.

Oops I forgot to add - there will be no lilies or other very toxic plants in my garden, because my cats will be enjoying the garden too - they come out on leashes and I may use a cat-fence-in product to allow them out with me while I am present (they are 17 and 18 years old and not as athletic as they once were anyway so little risk of them climbing out!). Even a nibble of a lily can kill a cat :(

As for a garden designer, I am a DIY kind of person - you should see what I have already done to the inside, over in the home decorating forum :)

Congrats on getting your own garden - it's a thrill! I was recently in the S.F. area and saw a gorgeous full-sun Mediterranean garden (link below) you might want to visit. I'd urge you to visit the U S Berkeley Botanical Garden and other local public gardens. It's also possible to see some great private gardens, sometimes just by driving around residential neighborhoods, for inspiration. The Garden Conservancy may be having Open Days tours your could go on. I also recommend you look at Pacific Horticulture magazine and see some of the gardens they have featured over the years. There are a number of books about Mediterranean gardening that would be helpful, too, plus ideas on the website for the Mediterranean Garden Society. Have fun!

Here is a link that might be useful: Wave Garden

Thanks for the wonderful link!

Is there a reason I'd have to wait for fall to plant? I know that many plants would do better if planted then, but I want to have something other than bare dirt and weeds to look at all summer! Would plants such as lavender be OK planted this time of year? I have potted dwarf Meyer lemon tree which I think I will keep in the pot.

Here in zone 24 I stop planting in June and wait until at least late October to plant again. I've learned the hard way (= the expensive way!) that for me plants put into the ground in the summer often die.

Since you've just moved into your new place why not use the next few month to figure out what you want and do research on plants that grow well in your area and in your sun/shade conditions? You could always grow veggies, which are mostly annuals, for quick results while you're waiting to put more permanent plants in the ground. If you're in a hurry, buy started veggie plants so you don't have to wait for seeds.

You might also look into local garden groups and meet other folks who can give you great advice about what plants they've been successful with.

Draw a scale map of your garden areas and make copies, then play around with "planting" things you're interested in until you find the combinations that work well for you. I use a super-simple old CAD program to do all my garden designs on a computer - so much easier to move plants around when all I have to do is a couple of clicks. Study how big the plants you like will get and be honest with how much room you have in each area. You can crowd plants a little, but there's no point in buying something that will get 6' wide if you only have a 4' space to plant it in - you don't want to be pruning it endlessly.

I know it's sooooooo hard to wait, but planning a great garden can be lots of fun, and the more homework you've done the less $$$$ you'll spend in the long run on plants that aren't suitable but which you just couldn't resist.

Annuals in pots would be a good way to get some quick color without risking loosing the new plants to summer heat and drought. Especially if you plan on using hanging pots to add height to your garden anyway, no reason to wait for them. But if you can bear it you should wait for the lavender and other perennials, not only will they be happier and generally longer lived if you plant them in the fall, you will also save a lot of water by having the rain water them in for a season before you need to irrigate.

No veggies - HOA prohibits due to pest attraction.

You can plant now, but some things may not do as well as they would if you planted in fall. There are a number of heat-loving annuals that you can use until you get your plan in order. Vincas and portulacas come to mind. You can also plant tropicals all summer.

By the way, if you have your heart set on lavender, be sure to purchase dwarf varieties and to put them where they get good sun and excellent drainage.

My friend Alison has promised to send some photos to me this weekend- I'll post them when they get here.
Renee

OK I will stick to weeding and then adding potted plants for now. We don't get rain until December though so it will be a long wait...

October is the month to plant- at least in Southern California. Check back here to see if Bahia chimes in with some suggestions for your garden. He's a bay area landscape architect/garden designer and has great ideas.
Renee
ps. Love your stairs!

You've gotten some great advice already, tinan. The only thing I might add is that, if you're going to wait till fall to plant (and avoid cooking some of your new greenery), as the summer progresses, pay attention to how the light shifts in your planting beds. Something that is in full sun now might be in part sun later on. That's not so bad. On the other hand, an area that is shaded or partly shaded now could end up cooking in full, merciless afternoon sun by late August or September. And the plants that thrive in one are not necessarily going to be happy in the other.

Kay

True, as the year goes on and the sun is not as vertical, some parts will be in the shade of the fence. But there is no overhead shade for the area after 11am, no trees or taller structures in that direction. So most parts will be in full sun year round for the hottest hours. My dwarf lemon tree is loving it!

Would there be any reason to wait on adding soil, top dressing and mulch, just to clean up the appearance for the summer or will it dry out too much and require more topsoil in the fall?

There's no problem with adding soil, etc. If it dries out, then water it in October. THe topsoil won't disappear just because it's dried out. Whatever mulch you use, make sure you can rake it away when it comes time to dig holes and plant. Make sure you mix the new soil in thoroughly; don't just lay it on top of the old soil.

You might find that once you start watering, dormant weed seeds will start to sprout. So you might want to water a few times after you add your soil, etc. so the dormant seeds will sprout. Then you can remove the entire weed now. Fewer weeds later on in fall.

Thanks! I figure putting some mulch down may help reduce the weeds, and at least make it look cared-for over the summer.