• A full, ornamental orange tree makes a great central backyard tree.Nick White/Digital Vision/Getty Images
  
  Northern California's diverse geography and climate leads to ample landscaping ideas, ranging from the Pacific beaches to the eastern snowy Sierra Nevada mountains and the Central Valley. When planning landscaping for your front or backyard, you can choose plants and styles that suit a warm Mediterranean climate, a continental Mediterranean climate or an alpine climate zone.
  
  

Central Tree

• Plant a central tree in the backyard that becomes the focal point of the yard instead of lots of flower beds and a variety of fruit trees. For example, sycamore -- a deciduous tree type -- thrives in Northern California and provides an excellent shade in warm, balmy summer days.
  
  Go with a tropical fruit-bearing tree like a grapefruit or orange tree. The thick trunk, waxy leaves, flowering branches and succulent fruits are enjoyable to watch grow and harvest in late spring and summer. Landscape around the tree with gravel or sand, stone or wood benches, Make a winding flagstone pathway leading toward the tree. Complement the tree with a few potted plants on the patio or deck but keep the tree in the spotlight and your watering chores to a minimum.
  
  

Eco-Conscious

• Create a Northern California landscaping style that is attractive but also extremely eco-conscious. Depending on where you live in Northern California -- in more of the Mediterranean coastal climate or the cooler mountain ranges -- consider how much water you will need to use to keep the trees, flowers and bushes healthy throughout the year.
  
  For eco-conscious gardening, use permeable paving to wind around the front or back yard. This type of paving, according to the Sunset website, helps rainfall drip efficiently into the soil so you do not need to water unnecessarily.
  
  Since most Californian native plants bloom in spring, combine the species with plants that flower at other times, to stagger the look of the garden from season to season. Butterfly weed, coral fountain and Mexican lobelia, part of the bellflower family, add great summer color and cut back on transplanting or planting annual flowers.
  
  

Simple Backyard Garden

• Create a landscaping plan that incorporates low-maintenance flowers and trees. Desert plants, such as cacti and Arizona poppy, can last for weeks or even months without any care. Apart from plant choices, choosing durable, water resistant furniture for your deck or patio will let you relax more about your backyard chores.
  
  A stone or terracotta tile patio, for example, keeps the ground cool and is easy to clean. You can add a drain too if your area of Northern California receives more rain, like San Francisco. Adding an arbor that leads to the garden, or a patio terrace roof with winding California grapevines, would make a stylish, low-maintenance touch.