--- title: "Steve Masley Consulting and Design — Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/steve-masley-consulting-and-design-pfvwus-pf~402720963 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~402720963.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "Steve Masley Consulting and Design" category: ["Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/92f343910ea3b306_2805-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "Petaluma, California, United States" latitude: 38.2403 longitude: -122.6777 phone: "(650) 464-3045" website: http://www.grow-it-organically.com rating: 4.3 review_count: 6 best_of_houzz_awards: 2 followers: 281 last_updated: 2026-09-05 --- # Steve Masley Consulting and Design Original Houzz profile: [Steve Masley Consulting and Design](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/steve-masley-consulting-and-design-pfvwus-pf~402720963) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers - **Location:** Petaluma, CA - **Serves:** Cotati - **Houzz rating:** 4.3 out of 5 (6 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 2 awards (2014–2015), for Design, Service. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Houzz Influencer - Recommended on Houzz - 25,000 Ideabook Saves I am an organic gardening consultant and edible landscape designer working in the San Francisco Bay Area. My primary focus is on raised bed organic vegetable gardens and edible landscaping, but I also do cottage gardens, cutting gardens, and drought-tolerant California native and Mediterranean landscapes. I do troubleshooting and maintenance as well as installations. I taught the Local Sustainable Agriculture Field Practicum at Stanford University in 2007 and 2008, and was instrumental in revitalizing the Stanford Community Farm. In 2012, my garden was featured on the Common Ground Edible Landscaping Tour. ### Services Provided - Landscape Design - Garden Design ### Areas Served - Cotati ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | Steve Masley Consulting and Design | | Address | Petaluma, California, United States | | Phone | (650) 464-3045 | | Website | http://www.grow-it-organically.com | | Followers on Houzz | 281 | **Social profiles:** - Facebook — http://www.facebook.com/growitorganically - X (Twitter) — http://www.twitter.com/gionewsline - LinkedIn — http://www.linkedin.com/pub/steve-masley/60/202/11b - Blog — http://www.grow-it-organically.com ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [Steve Masley Consulting and Design](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/steve-masley-consulting-and-design-pfvwus-pf~402720963) - **Website:** http://www.grow-it-organically.com - **Phone:** (650) 464-3045 ## Credentials **Certifications & Awards** - Instructor, Stanford University, Local Sustainable Agriculture Field Practicum 2007-2008 - **Best of Houzz:** 2 awards (2014–2015), for Design, Service. ## Reviews **Overall rating: 4.3 out of 5 — 6 reviews** ### All 6 reviews **★★★★★ — RollingPlanter, Jan. 2019** > This is a long overdue review. I frequently talk to Steve through phone calls, emails and and social media postings. He has given us much valued feedback on what we should do with our product and other considerations. He even purchased our product for an installation in Redwood City, California, again, gave us feedback on improvements and what he liked about our design. He really knows what he is talking about and he's passionate about what he's doing. When someone has a heart in their vocation... One who hires such a person gets the best. I hope one day we can actually meet in person. **★ — kristamccutcheon, May 2014** > We hired Steve to provide a design (of what would grow where) of a small organic garden in our backyard. He came over, clearly had lots of knowledge and ideas, and took measurements. I paid him $160 for his time with the agreement he would send me a copy of the design and I also said I wanted to hire him to implement the design which he seemed enthusiastic to do. He cashed the cheque, but I was never able to schedule a start date for the work and more importantly nor did I receive a copy of the drawings I paid in advance for. **★★★★★ — Tricia Herrick, Dec. 2013** > I cannot speak highly enough about Steve Masley and the work he has done for me. Steve is a wealth of knowledge on all things that grow in a garden. He has recommended the right vegetables to plant each growing season, delivered them to the house, planted them with me and continually checks to make sure all is going well. He also has a fantastic aesthetic sense; my garden become a showpiece! If something doesn't thrive he replaces it or provides detailed instructions on how to care for it. He is also readily available for email consultations and drop-ins whenever I have questions. My family now has access to some of the most amazing organic vegetables we've ever tasted. Our lives are better for having Steve a part of it! **★★★★★ — gallanic, Dec. 2013** > Steve took out our dull front lawn and replaced it with a beautiful Mediterranean garden. Steve is an expert in vegetable gardens, and low water use plants. **★★★★★ — Jean Scheible, Nov. 2013** > I have always dreamed of having a vegetable garden, but knew very little about how to get started. Steve was incredibly knowledgeable about every step of the process. He first scouted my yard to find the best spots to build the garden and then created ergonomic specs for the boxes, taking into account my height. He was wonderful in recommending the best plants for my garden and even got my kids involved in the planting. We had a beautiful summer vegetable garden and just planted a winter garden with Steve. He is passionate about gardening and is a great teacher. **★★★★★ — dmdutton, Sept. 2013** > Steve turned our front yard from water guzzling grass to a drought tolerant beautiful landscape. Exactly what we wanted. He is personable and easy to work with. He also built us a beautiful trellis from redwood branches where we grow string beans in the summer. ## Selected projects - [JD Garden, Hillsborough](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/jd-garden-hillsborough-pj-vj~392068) - Location: Hillsborough, CA - Photos: 19 - Description: My clients have two young boys, and wanted an organic vegetable garden so they could experience growing and harvesting vegetables fresh from their own garden. We opted for 2 long, deep planters on the deck. It was a challenge getting 6 yards of soil down to fill the beds, so we did the smaller bed the first week, and the larger bed the next week. - [Rustic Redwood Branch Trellises](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/rustic-redwood-branch-trellises-pj-vj~142142) - Location: Palo Alto, CA - Photos: 7 - Description: When I lived in the hills overlooking Silicon Valley, my garden was always getting munched by deer. I had to find a way to fence them out, but I was on a tight budget, so I used the materials at hand: windfall redwood branches. They were abundant, renewable, and free. Left on the ground under the trees, they were also a fire hazard that had to be cleared periodically. Redwood branches make durable, attractive deer fences and trellises. Anchored in holes in the ground, the branches can be woven i… - [ME Garden, Menlo Park](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/me-garden-menlo-park-pj-vj~282130) - Location: Menlo Park, CA - Photos: 14 - Description: If any garden could be described as a "postage stamp garden", it's this small garden in Menlo Park, California. Just 7 feet by 8 feet, it's located right outside the kitchen, the perfect place for growing herbs and vegetables. We designed a keyhole raised garden bed with an L-shaped access off the kitchen door, so the client can slip out to clip herbs or harvest salads, vine-ripened tomatoes, and other vegetables. The deep root zone of the raised bed allows you to plant on tighter spacing, then… - [Container Vegetable Gardens](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/container-vegetable-gardens-pj-vj~446894) - Location: Redwood City, Palo Alto, CA - Photos: 35 - Description: A kitchen garden is a great way to have seasonal vegetables and fresh herbs right outside the kitchen door, but a lot of people just don't have the space. If you have a deck or terrace, container vegetable gardens are a great option. Window boxes are excellent for growing salads, and can be mounted on deck railings so they don't reduce the footprint of the deck. The warm glow of terra-cotta pots is part of their appeal, but glazed ceramic pots can add a splash of color. Whatever container you ch… - [SF Garden](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/sf-garden-pj-vj~142121) - Location: Portola Valley, CA - Photos: 5 - Description: Here I installed 3 raised bed vegetable planters for a client in Portola Valley. One of them features a redwood branch trellis for growing green beans, peas, cucumbers, or flowering vines. - [Stunning Garden Photo Prints](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/stunning-garden-photo-prints-pj-vj~146169) - Location: Redwood City, CA - Photos: 23 - Description: This is a collection of my best garden photos of the last 10 years. They're excellent prints for kitchens, dining rooms, outdoor dining areas, and home offices. A great resource for interior decorators looking to add life to a room. These unique photos are available as high-quality prints on canvas, acrylic, metal, and paper, in sizes ranging from 8" x 5" to 30" x 20" and larger. You can select from a wide range of frames as well. If you choose a frame that's close to your window casings and omi… - [JW Garden](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/jw-garden-pj-vj~142039) - Location: Saratoga, CA - Photos: 6 - Description: This client had a side yard with a difficult microclimate, miserable soil, and a drainage problem where water pooled on the deck after heavy rains. They wanted something more interesting with year-round color, and were open to integrating berries and edible annuals into the design. We brought in a fertile, fast-draining soil and formed low berms along each side of a curved path, to replace the straight-arrow paver path that was there before. The pavers were integrated as steppingstones on the be… - [SaladScapes](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/saladscapes-pj-vj~144906) - Location: Redwood City, CA - Photos: 12 - Description: We grow most of our salad in SaladScapes and window boxes. Lettuces can be grown in trays as shallow as 4" (10cm). A 'SaladScape' is a lettuce tray grown for beauty, not just salads. These trays are fertilized with worm castings generated from kitchen scraps and shredded bank statements. As they're growing, you can harvest a few large leaves from each plant for sandwiches or a lunch salad. Once the lettuces are fully grown--in 6-8 weeks--you can cut them off 1 1/2" from the ground with a pair of… - [Growing Tomatoes in Containers](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/growing-tomatoes-in-containers-pj-vj~469605) - Location: Redwood City, Palo Alto, CA - Photos: 20 - Description: Tomatoes are a little trickier to grow in pots than peppers or eggplants, but they're well worth the effort. You can grow determinate (bush) tomatoes in 5-gallon or 7-gallon pots, but indeterminate (vining) tomatoes are more productive, more flavorful, and there's a much wider choice of varieties. For indeterminate tomatoes, you'll need a 10 to 15-gallon pot if you're growing them organically. The larger soil volume gives you more room for organic nutrients and holds more water, which is critica… [See all 9 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/steve-masley-consulting-and-design-pfvwus-pf~402720963) ## Ideabooks - [WikiArbor](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/67578089/list/wikiarbor) — 5 ideas - [Grape Arbors](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/62525329/list/grape-arbors) — 33 ideas - [Harvesting and Edible garden ideas](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/62527750/list/harvesting-and-edible-garden-ideas) — 2 ideas - [Raised Bed Designs](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/6619393/list/raised-bed-designs) — 10 ideas - [Gates/Fences/Screens](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/62526346/list/gates-fences-screens) — 4 ideas - [Adobe and SW Design](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/50960294/list/adobe-and-sw-design) — 4 ideas - [Tomato Varieties](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/61985832/list/tomato-varieties) — 21 ideas - [kitchens](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/53529569/list/kitchens) — 4 ideas - [Laundry](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/56071865/list/laundry) — 2 ideas - [Great Home Features](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/14992700/list/great-home-features) — 7 ideas - [TS Garden Possibilities](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/13181119/list/ts-garden-possibilities) — 12 ideas - [Deer fences](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/24901519/list/deer-fences) — 1 idea - [Ideas for pets](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/23450605/list/ideas-for-pets) — 1 idea - [Deck Designs](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/22953611/list/deck-designs) — 1 idea - [Design ideas](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/7727985/list/design-ideas) — 3 ideas - [Whitney Garden Ideas](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/20037423/list/whitney-garden-ideas) — 4 ideas - [PR Garden Plant Choices](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/7726533/list/pr-garden-plant-choices) — 7 ideas - [Attracting Beneficial Insects for Pollination and Organic Pest Control](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/7448537/list/attracting-beneficial-insects-for-pollination-and-organic-pest-control) — 15 ideas - [Woven Redwood Branch Trellises](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/6515446/list/woven-redwood-branch-trellises) — 5 ideas [See all 19 ideabooks](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/stevemasleyconsulting) ## Community Q&A **Q: Would these survive the south ( zone 9-10 ) in rainy season?** *(in Photo Questions)* So fun! A: samantamyc, green beans don't do well in cold temperatures. They do best in a temperature range of 75-85 degrees, with nighttime temperatures in the high 50s-60s. They germinate poorly at cooler temperatures and are more susceptible to diseases. My guess is if you plant them in a warm spot in late August/early September and keep them watered through the rest of the hot season, they might produce in November and December, but it really depends on what your low temperatures are. Frost will kill them, and the low light of December won't be the best for them. **Q: how do you make the tree trellis?** *(in Photo Questions)* A: You dig post holes in a zig-zag pattern--like a series of W's, about a foot apart--then place sound redwood branches, 3 in each hole. Point one forward, one back, keep one in the middle. Then thread a few horizontals through, and wire them loosely together. Play with the pattern until you're satisfied, then backfill the holes with soil and tamp it into the holes around the bases of the branches with the handle of a hoe. Tamp firmly. Then start tightening the wires. **Q: How do you prevent the wood from rotting at the bottom of the planter?** *(in Photo Questions)* A: The beds are filled with a free-draining potting soil, and the wood at the bottom of the planters is not touching the wood of the deck, it's boosted up on 2" steel frames. This allows water to drain out of the bottom of the beds and through the deck boards onto the ground below. Air circulation between the planter and the deck allows it to partially dry between waterings. The wood at the bottom of the planters will eventually rot out, but the spacers slow the process. **Q: Build** *(in Photo Questions)* Are those metal posts? Is the base of your frame hollow or does the dirt go clear to the ground? A: Of course I'm concerned about ecology, I've been an organic gardener for 30 years. And as I said, I rely on client's contractors to build the beds and make them structurally sound. In my years in the business, I've learned which designs are problematic, and which designs are more durable, and I incorporate this knowledge in my design and material recommendations. You can't tell much about the construction of the trellis from the photo I put up, so you don't know how I've modified it. In fact, I did put an extra hour of work into it, and as I said, I've had some in place, with minor repairs, for 4 or 5 years. With the shape they're in, they'll last at least another 5 years. Trellises don't stay in the same place year after year, because you have to rotate crop families even in small gardens. So having a trellis bolted to the same place in a bed limits rotation and isn't ecologically sound. Sometimes, you don't want a trellis in the back, you want it in the front, to provide a cooler microclimate to shade cool-season vegetables. An in-bed trellis gives more flexibility than hardware-mounted external trellises. With your rolling planters, you can just change the crops you plant in that particular planter, but with a fixed bed, you have to rotate crops and their supports. You're exaggerating on the durability of these materials, even the cheaper trellises I put in last years, not months. The drainage in my beds is perfect for vegetables, so they're not rotting out quickly. Even in 10-year-old beds, when I deep-dig and expose the bottom timbers, there's very little, if any, fungal etching, even along the seams of unlined beds. **Q: Bountiful harvest!!!! How did you get the plant to thrive like that?** *(in Photo Questions)* I've tried growing eggplants here in windy Zone 9 Dublin, CA. But never to they look like this! Advice please! A: I make my own organic potting mix using really good compost and fresh worm castings, including a few live worms for nutrient cycling. Annie Thornton's idea book features some of my work: https://www.houzz.com/magazine/how-to-grow-vegetables-in-containers-stsetivw-vs~24753545 I use big pots, and also build organic soil amendments into the potting soil at the outset, so I don't have to add fertilizer down the road. It's like winding up a clock. You can find out more at http://www.grow-it-organically.com/fertilizing-container-vegetables.html. In your location, you'll need to put eggplants in the hottest, sunniest, most sheltered location you can find, but these Japanese style (early) eggplants should still perform well in your climate. **Q: Dimensions...** *(in Photo Questions)* I love these planters, what's the LxWxD and how deep did you go with the fabric for holding the soil? I have a 16'x12' deck that faces south and I would love to build one of these out there. Thanks... A: Domoni, if I remember correctly, the shorter one is 2' x 12' x 28", and the longer one is 2' x 16' x 28". The depth could be 30". These are actually a little too deep. Landscape fabric goes from 2" below the rim all the way around the bottom. They rest on a U-shaped steel frame that keeps them up off the deck, so it can dry out below them. I would recommend using wider boards if you plan to build something like this, so there are fewer seams. Planters rot out first along seams, so minimizing seams reduces the surface area most subject to rotting. --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-09-05.*