Ecological Landscape Design-Build · East Bay

Landscapes Designed and Built With Uncompromising Craft.

Sustain With Me is a woman-owned design-build and garden stewardship studio in Berkeley. We design, build and care for native, water-wise and edible landscapes, from hand-set stone walls and permeable patios to fire-resilient gardens, using natural materials and a skilled crew paid a living wage.

Schedule a Consultation Explore Our Work
Loved by East Bay homeowners · Read their stories
Ember-compliant food and pollinator garden in Berkeley by Sustain With Me Landscapes
California native plants in a Sustain With Me garden installation
FeaturedEmber-Compliant Food & Pollinator Garden, Berkeley
Native GardensStone Retaining WallsPermeable PatiosPergolas & StructuresEdible GardensFire-Resilient DesignGarden StewardshipNative GardensStone Retaining WallsPermeable PatiosPergolas & StructuresEdible GardensFire-Resilient DesignGarden Stewardship
01

Accountable team, from first sketch to stewardship

20+

Years of master carpentry, masonry and metalwork on our crew

15

East Bay communities we design and build for

0

Plastic edging, landscape fabric, turf or chemical sprays

Ecological Landscaping Services

Three Ways We Bring a Landscape to Life

From the first sketch to the garden's tenth spring, one accountable team designs, builds and cares for your landscape.

Design-Build by Sustain With Me Landscapes01
Design & Installation

Design-Build

California native, water-wise and edible gardens designed and installed by our own crew, with clean stonework, level paths, thoughtful drainage and efficient drip irrigation.

Learn MoreBook a Consultation
Reclaimed stone retaining wall in Lafayette by Sustain With Me
Permeable paver patio in Lafayette
Nothing
Artificial

The Sustain With Me Standard

Fine Detail Work, Built to Last. Nothing Artificial.

A Sustain With Me landscape is an investment in craftsmanship and in the land itself. Every material is chosen to belong in a living ecosystem, and every project is built by a team we are proud to pay well.

What We Use

  • Natural stone and reclaimed materials
  • California native plants wherever possible
  • Compost and regenerated, living soil
  • Infrastructure for growing your own food

What We Never Install

  • Landscape fabric or plastic edging
  • Artificial turf
  • Chemical sprays or pesticides
  • Synthetic fertilizers

The one exception is efficient drip irrigation. Water is essential to regenerating land, so it is the only plastic we put in the ground.

A Living Wage for Every Craftsperson

Our skilled crew earns a living wage. That is how we keep a talented, dedicated team together, and it shows in every stone we set.

Schedule a ConsultationOur Philosophy

Our Process

Seven Considered Steps, One Accountable Team

Professional, transparent and passionate, with regular updates and honest timelines. Design typically takes six to ten weeks.

Begin With a ConsultationSee Our Full Process
Completed design-build landscape installationStep 06 · Installation
  1. 01

    Consultation

    We discuss your ideas, preferences and budget. The initial consultation is $150.

  2. 02

    Site Assessment

    On-site measurements and photos become a digital base map.

  3. 03

    Design

    One or two concepts at the low and high ends of your budget, presented in person.

  4. 04

    Cost Estimate

    A detailed breakdown of cost, timing and installation.

  5. 05

    Documents

    Demolition, grading, planting and irrigation plans, plus material procurement.

  6. 06

    Installation

    Full-service build by our own crew, from demolition to clean-up.

  7. 07

    Aftercare

    A complimentary visit one to two months after completion and a garden care guide.

Founder Amelia Greenland in a client garden
Construction foreman Kirt Rohlack working the soil

“Gardens should be both beautiful and functional.”

Amelia Greenland, Founder

About Us

A Biologist, a Teacher and a Team of Master Builders

Founder Amelia Greenland is a biologist, educator, mother and licensed landscape contractor. After six years teaching science with a focus on food justice, she founded Sustain With Me to help families turn their yards into places of beauty, learning, resilience and self-sufficiency. She runs the company the way she ran a classroom: investing in her people, paying them well and building real community among her crew.

Science-Led

Soil, water and habitat guide every design.

Crew-First

A living wage and a culture of craft.

Hands-On

Our own team designs and builds.

Kirt Rohlack, Construction Foreman

Kirt Rohlack, Construction Foreman

More than two decades in high-end carpentry, irrigation design, metal fabrication and masonry, with a passion for organic farming and eco-friendly hardscaping.

Amelia Greenland Founder & Licensed Landscape Contractor

Work With Our TeamRead Our Story
Completed retaining wall and garden for a Sustain With Me clientFrom a Client Garden

Testimonials

Everything she does is really intentional and rooted in what's best for harmony between humans and nature.
Samantha Y.Sustain With Me Client

“Kirt built a beautiful redwood planter box on site that was ergonomically designed.”

Theresa G. · Landscape & Custom Redwood Planter

“I am now enjoying the fruits of their labor - harvesting fresh vegetables almost daily!”

Nancy T. · Edible Front Yard, Built to EMBER Regulations

Schedule a ConsultationRead All Testimonials

Where We Work

Rooted in the East Bay

From the Berkeley Hills to Lamorinda, we design, build and steward landscapes for the microclimates, soils and fire realities of the communities we call home.

San Leandro and Hercules are at the edge of our service area. We do not currently serve San Francisco.

Check Your AddressService Area FAQ
  • Berkeley
  • Oakland
  • Piedmont
  • Kensington
  • Orinda
  • Lafayette
  • Walnut Creek
  • Alameda
  • Albany
  • El Cerrito
  • Emeryville
  • Richmond
  • El Sobrante
  • Pinole
  • San Pablo

Fire-Resilient Design

The First Five Feet, Reimagined.

Berkeley's Zone 0 rules took effect January 1, 2026, and California adopted statewide Zone 0 regulations in August 2026. We build ember-resistant landscapes that meet the standard and still feel like a garden.

  • Noncombustible stone, gravel and paver hardscape
  • Fire-smart plant selection and spacing
  • Custom metal fences, gates and enclosures
Schedule a Zone 0 ConsultationSee an Ember-Compliant Garden
Ember-compliant metal fence protecting a Berkeley edible gardenEmber-Compliant Metal Fence · Berkeley
Stewarded native and edible garden in Berkeley

Sustain With Me · Garden Stewardship

Garden Passport

  • Design IntentThe vision and purpose behind every planting area.
  • Plant PaletteWhat is planted, where, and why it belongs.
  • Irrigation NotesZones, schedules and seasonal adjustments.
  • Seasonal ChangesWhat shifted this season and how the garden responded.
  • Next StepsOur recommendations for the seasons ahead.

Your Garden Passport

Gardens Aren't Maintained. They're Stewarded.

Every Garden Stewardship client receives a Garden Passport: a living record of design intent, plant palette, irrigation notes, seasonal changes and recommendations, so anyone caring for your garden understands it quickly.

Tier 1

Stewardship

Monthly expert care, pruning and plant health.

Tier 2

Curator

Adds an annual plant and improvement allowance.

Tier 3

Lead Gardener

Adds quarterly walks, planning and coaching.

  1. Book a $150 garden walk-through.
  2. Receive our assessment and a recommended program.
  3. Receive a written proposal with a set monthly rate, month to month with 30 days' notice.
Book a Garden Walk-ThroughExplore Garden Stewardship

Investing in Your Landscape

Honest Guidance From the First Conversation

Every landscape we build is custom, and fine craftsmanship takes time, skill and quality materials. Design-build projects start from $30,000, and our most transformative work typically begins around $50,000. Design is a separate fee from your build budget, so we plan for both from the start.

Garden Projects

From $30,000

Patios, pathways, edible gardens, planting design and focused hardscape for one area of your property.

Our Specialty

Signature Landscapes

$100,000+

Whole-property transformations with stone walls, patios, structures, drainage, irrigation and planting.

Garden Stewardship

Monthly

A custom monthly proposal after a garden walk-through, based on your garden's size, complexity and goals.

Flexible Financing Through Hearth

Build the Full Vision Now, Pay Over Time

  • Loans up to $250,000
  • Funding often in 1–3 business days
  • No prepayment penalties
  • No home equity required
  • Soft credit check to see rates
  • Personalized monthly options

Financing is provided by third-party lenders through Hearth. Approval is subject to credit review and lender terms.

Schedule a Consultation

Let's Build the Landscape Your Home Deserves.

Book a $150 landscape design consultation or a Garden Stewardship walk-through. Tell us about your property and vision, and we will be in touch ASAP.

Design-build projects from $30,000 · Financing up to $250,000 through Hearth

Monday–Friday, 8 AM–5 PM
Based in Berkeley, Serving the East Bay