Edible Earth Designs

I hate gardening, but if you can eat your garden, now that’s a totally different story. Man, nothing’s better than fresh veggies from your own garden.
That being said, once in a while you meet a person who strikes you as someone truly passionate about what he/​she does and Mark is one of those people. The first time I met him he evaluated my backyard and gave me the best options on how to clean it up and what can potentially be done with it so it’s not always a jungle. I could tell in conversation that he’s extremely knowledgeable and cares deeply about what he does. Then he gave me the best estimate (yes, I called like 5 services), got rid of a long expired weed tarp, cleaned up my overgrown wasteland all in a day’s work. Then over the next 6 months or so, transformed what used to be weeds hell into fruit and veggie harvesting paradise, all while patiently educating me on all the details about organic and sustainable gardening practices, and how to maintain and nourish the land by planning and cutting different cover crops. His monthly maintenance are priced very reasonably and he does such great work. There I thought I killed everything I touched, but now I’m eating tomatoes, cauliflower and chards harvested from my own garden! Heck, beats not eating my labor 1000x. Maybe one day he can even convince me to plant some powers, ha!

When I moved into my house last year the back yard was a sandlot, filled with dog poop. trash, and other assorted goodies. No one had done anything with it for decades. It looked like hell and I couldn’t imagine how I was going to get it revived. I learned about Mark’s business, just a few blocks away from me in the Excelsior, gave him a call, and the rest was history. He spent considerable time developing a plan for the garden in consultation with my husband and me, and practically overnight, transformed it into a backyard paradise. We have dozens of edibles – e.g., blueberries, strawberries, kale, potatoes, tomatoes, leeks, artichokes, lettuces, cucumbers, and so on – many different types of shrubs, vines and flowers, fruit trees, and herbs. It’s a joy to hang out on the patio looking at the garden in the evenings. Recently he strung lights on our Palm tree, providing us with a quasi-​topical effect that looks awesome. He’s got a great personality, is reliable, hard-​working, and his rates are very reasonable. I’d recommend him to anyone!

Mark transformed our backyard from a concrete wasteland into a terraced garden full of vegetables, herbs, fruit trees and flowers, reusing the existing building material. His sense of design and «fit“for the space is awesome. No more buying bags of salad! Also, Mark took the time to explain the different types of plants to our family, including our kids. The installed automatic irrigation system makes watering a piece of cake. We look forward to working with Mark to keep the garden maintained throughout the seasons.

Had a very good experience working with Mark. First off I thought communication with him was excellent. He returns calls and shows up exactly when he says he will. Secondly, I was happy with the price quoted. I now have a fab edible garden with a passion fruit vine (!) and all kinds of veg, fruits and herbs. This has been made all the easier to maintain as Mark installed a drip irrigation system, so we never need to worry about watering and there is no run off into the rest of the yard. Mark worked very hard and quickly to get the job done and I will certainly work with him again. He is very knowledgable and happy to explain about all the different plants and he will go out of his way to make sure they blossom. Once are garden has matured a little I will add some pictures.

I was really nervous about hiring a landscaper because I knew fixing my back yard was going to be a big job, and my funds were limited. Mark was able to completely transform my parched weed-​farm into a beautiful sustainable garden that supplies me with fruits and vegetables, and looks great to boot. He was able to work within my budget by finding creative uses for materials I already had on hand (crappy old tree branches? How about borders for my new beds!) and showed me tips and tricks to keeping my new spread weed free and growing beautifully. He also shared a ton of recipes and ideas for some of the stuff we planted, which as a cooking newbie helped a bunch (like, what exactly do you do with swiss chard?). I’m totally thrilled with my new back yard and can’t wait to show it off to friends. It feels great to finally have a beautiful space that also supplies me with home-​grown produce, and all within my limited budget. What also sets Mark apart is that he’s always willing to answer my questions (is this a weed? or a vegetable?), and is easy to reach on the phone. Great service, great prices and an overall great experience. I highly recommend.

Mark has helped us to move from small attempts in the backyard to full on renovation into something beautiful and enjoyable. I love how Mark had a vision for working with what we had and adding to it in such a remarkable way. We have added fruit trees, planter areas, mulch and wood chip areas, fire pit, etc.
Mark has gone above and beyond to give us a great garden and keep it maintained in a fun and reasonable way. We always appreciate how he uses his knowledge to share permaculture secrets, involves the kids in the education process, and generally offers helpful input.

Let me tell you if you want an awesome garden design that is functional, beautiful, and great service then this is it! I was searching for someone to help me transform my backyard space into a garden at a reasonable price that would actually listen to my requests. I called Edible Earth Designs and spoke to Mark who was came by for a consultation the same day and had wonderful ideas. Once he got the project going he stayed within my budget and even added some extras on the house. The service was great, he followed up with me and now I love my garden masterpiece! He also taught me so much and it made me a better owner of this wonderful garden. I would highly reccomend this place if your looking for someone to design your yard and do the work at great price and a smile on their face!

In March, Mark created my edible garden. Last week, I had my first sampling: beets, swiss chard, kale and tomatoes. One word: WOW!
Not being one to go out of my way to ingest vegetables, I have to confess, this was one of the best sensory experiences I’ve ever had in my mouth!
Not only is it yielding delicious food, the garden is a feast for the eye. Mark wove a variety of flowers into the garden scape that literally has passersby stopping and praising.
Mark is committed to creating a self-​sustaining, eco friendly gardens. He does great work.

Mark’s enthusiasm for creative and practical solutions for backyard gardens is incredible. With San Francisco’s nano-​climates it really takes a deep understanding to know what fruits and veggies are going to do well where. His advice has either saved several of my crops from failing or helped bolster the bounty.
I highly recommend Edible Earth Designs to anyone looking for a garden design or installation for growing food at home. Within a few months time you could have your own organically grown herbs and foods that you harvest in your slippers.