A vibrant pink and yellow variety of California poppy with a blurred garden background.

Designing for Beauty & Pollinator Habitat

Services

  • Cultivate your sense of environmental stewardship and connect with nature by supporting your local ecosystem! Specializing in water-conscious pollinator habitat and California native plantings, Janet brings your garden to life. Pollinator Steward Certified by Pollinator Partnership, Janet skillfully incorporates native host plants, nectar plants and other habitat to create gardens that are both beautiful and nurturing to wildlife.

    With degrees in Conservation and Landscape Architecture from UC Berkeley and years of experience in the design field, Janet blends her understanding of local ecology with form and composition in the garden. Fluent in cottage gardens, dry succulent gardens, low maintenance landscapes, and edible garden design, Janet can help you design your dream garden that looks beautiful year-round!

    See her portfolio here: Portfolio

  • Health centered aesthetic pruning for the crowning glory of your garden. An experienced touch to improve your tree’s structure and hep it thrive.

  • Bay Area nature themed stickers, prints and apparel (because I love native plants so much)! Garden signs for habitat. Find me on Instagram: @forestxfriends or on Etsy.

    Learn more about my art practice here.

  • Illustration of a landscaped garden with various plants and flowers in front of a building with a stone and white siding exterior and an archway.

    Orinda Entry Garden for Sustain with Me Landscapes

  • Close-up of vibrant orange poppy flower being held in hand, with a background of various colorful flowers and garden soil.

    Oakland Hills Wildflower Garden

  • A detailed landscape garden plan showing various plants, trees, and features around a residence, including a dry riverbed, mixed meadow, and labeled plants like thimbleberry, huckleberry, Pacific reed grass, bush anemone, and pink muhly grass.

    Berkeley Meadow Garden

  • Landscape design plan showing various plants, trees, and garden features around a building with labeled areas, pathways, and a new gate. This Berkeley, California, garden has lots of native plants. This is a cottage style garden.

    California Cottage Garden

  • A black and yellow butterfly with blue markings on a purple flower with multiple purple blooms in a green garden.

    Gardening for Habitat

  • A concept landscape design sketch showing a front yard with plant groupings, stairs, and pathways. It includes labeled plants such as rock purslane, purple ca fuchsia, pt. sal sage, CA poppies, deer grass, agave, and tradescantia. There's a rock wall, gravel path, compost layer, and plants like Leucadendron and Romneya behind, with a residence in the background.

    Succulent Garden for Sustain with Me Landscapes

  • Oakland Hills Wildflower Garden

    Oakland Hills Wildflower Garden

  • An aluminum garden sign with art nouveau style illustrations of a hummingbird, flowers, and butterflies, placed among green leaves.

    California Inspired Garden Signs

See Portfolio

How it Works

  1. Consultation

It all starts with a consultation. Book a free 15 minute phone call to get the ball rolling! Tell me all about your garden vision, so we can see if I’m the right fit for your project. If not, I’ll give you a referral. If it sounds like a garden match, I’ll schedule an in-person consultation for up to 1 hour! At the in-person consultation, I’ll be able to see the site of your future garden and make personalized recommendations. My hourly fee is $95 (for all design work as well as the consult).

2. Site Assessment

After signing a design contract, the first part of the design process is a detailed site assessment. I’ll measure your site to create an accurate base map. I’ll draw your design using the base map, so this step is very important for accuracy! In addition to measurements, I’ll also take photos to make sure I have the fill view of your site and any relevant details (such as existing plants, views to the neighbors that need to be screened off, etc.).

3. Design

Using the information gathered at the site assessment, I’ll begin your design. Make sure to send any information about what gardens/plants/materials so the design is as accurate as possible! I’ll update you with drafts and edit due to your feedback. One you are happy with the design, I can recommend a contractor to build your dream garden!

Contact me.

janetrichardsondesign@gmail.com

2323 Broadway

Oakland, CA 94612