Design

From design consultation and rough sketch to full color rendition, we’re here to help you design your dream landscape. Starting with protracted and thoughtful observation rather than prolonged and thoughtless action, Terra Nova offers permaculture design, edible landscaping, native and drought tolerant softscapes and watershed friendly hardscapes. 

Installation

Time for us to get our hands dirty! The second stage, this is the implementation of your ideas, as we put together ecological landscapes and gardens from nuts to bolts (hardscape) and roots to shoots (softscape). We have 30 years of experience planting the green side up.

Terra Nova: Un-paving the way since 1988!

Maintenance

Everything from our trademark ‘Tread Lightly’ service and fine gardening to careful landscape maintenance. We use organic fertilizers, non-toxic pest and weed control, hand tools and a low noise approach- because we don’t believe you should know that the gardeners have showed up by how much noise they make. Offering weekly, bi-monthly and monthly service.

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Browse our extensive portfolio of work!
Learn more about our sustainable maintenance!

Consultations

Let’s talk landscaping. Includes site walk throughs, plant ID and care, soil assessment and care, storm water runoff management, graywater and rainwater use.

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Landscape & Garden Design

This starts with a design questionnaire, and a collaborative design charrette with tracing paper over the site base-plan. We then transfer that information into a design draft with a color rendition as a final master plan.

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Compost and Mulch

Healthy landscapes and gardens have a good and direct relationship with compost. We design and build on site sheet mulching, composting and worm bin systems and always top things off with mulch.

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Landscape Construction

We design and build fences, gates, arbors, pergolas, decks and raised garden beds incorporating sustainably harvested or salvaged lumber.

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Hardscapes

We specialize in the softer, greener side of hardscapes- we consider them to be the vessel for the softscape. Using environmentally friendly, re-used or up-cycled materials, we put together watershed-friendly pathways, walkways and patios.

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Softscapes

As plant lovers and horticulturalists, this is where we see it all coming together. We have extensive knowledge in California native plants, drought tolerant plantings, plant guilds, edible landscapes, organic gardening, food forests, mini farmscapes, hedge rows and pedestrian orchards. 

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Water Conservation

At the heart of a good ecological landscape is smart water management. Includes drought tolerant plantings, drip irrigation, graywater and rainwater catchment systems, compost systems, soil care, swales and earth works and last but not least plenty of mulch.

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Irrigation

We specialize in drip irrigation systems with new valve manifolds and smart timers, spray to drip conversion and irrigation repair.

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Tread Lightly

This is our bicycle powered landscape service. Available for fine gardening and landscape maintenance on the greater west side of Santa Cruz, CA.

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Garden Coaching

This service is for gardeners who need a little advice in their gardening projects. Whether it is fruit tree pruning, new plantings or plant care tips, this coaching is for you.

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Ecological Landscape Maintenance

As of December 31st, 2015 over 100 landscapes in the Monterey Bay area have been certified as Monterey Bay Friendly. The program is modeled after the Bay Friendly Landscaping program in the Bay Area which is already the parent of River Friendly Landscaping in the Sacramento area.

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Customer Testimonials

“I loved working with Ken and his Terra Nova Landscaping team!! Ken is easy to work with and a seasoned professional. We had a drainage problem on our property. Terra Nova came out for an estimate, gave us some options for fixing the problem, and ultimately fixed the problem one week ahead of schedule. The team is responsive and professional. I can’t say enough great things about our experience with Terra Nova. We were so pleased with our first project that we have hired them for two additional projects.” —Pam O, Westside Santa Cruz

 

“Terra Nova Ecological Landscaping has exceeded my expectations. They have created and maintained a mixed edible and flower garden of which I could only dream. They are incredibly knowledgeable, honest, reliable, skilled, and absolutely the best people with whom you could ever imagine working with. If you want the best gardeners available, who can make your garden dreams come true, I absolutely recommend them!” —Terry Seehart, Pleasure Point, Santa Cruz