Landscape design services for San Francisco
Seed Studio is a residential landscape design studio with 15+ years experience in San Francisco. We specialize in designing small, space-efficient gardens that thrive in the various microclimates and soil conditions across the city.
Our landscapes reflect a modern simplicity in design while being grounded in California’s native plant ecology, creating gardens that are beautiful and adapted to the urban environment. That means fewer visits from the gardener, stronger resilience to drought, and outdoor spaces that get better with time.
From Potrero Hill to the Sunset, Noe Valley to Pacific Heights, the Castro to St Francis Wood, we’ve worked across the city’s varying conditions and neighborhoods.
Space-efficient design
San Francisco's outdoor spaces are compact, but that doesn't mean the scope of work is. Our clients want spaces for entertaining, quiet relaxation, children and pets, often all within the same small footprint.
Integrating multiple uses and features while maintaining a clean, coherent overall design is a core strength of our practice.
Microclimate adaptations
The city's topography and marine coastal setting create a wide range of localized conditions. Wind and fog flow in from the ocean, hills and ridgelines redirect those flows.
The results are temperature gradients, differing wind profiles and available sunlight, which require specific adaptations from one neighborhood to the next.
Soil conditions
Below the surface, geology and soil conditions are equally varied. The city sits on everything from actual sand dunes, nutrient pool Franciscan hillsides, serpentine outcrops with solid rock, and infilled wetland areas.
Each presents a distinct set of challenges and opportunities for landscape design, drainage, and planting.
We guide every project through a clear design process
From initial design concept through construction documentation, our creative process clarifies the possibilities, helping you make informed design decisions.
We partner with a range of trusted professional consultants, contractors and craftsmen, assisting in selecting the most suitable team for your project’s needs.
Experience you can depend on
Seed Studio was founded by landscape architect Steve Ritchey. Inspired by his passion for nature and a love of design, Seed Studio is the culmination of his experience in the disciplines of landscape, architectural and ecological design.
With over 25 years of experience, his work as a landscape designer is shaped by a deep knowledge of California’s native plant communities and a commitment to designing outdoor spaces that reconnect his clients to the landscapes around their homes.
“Steve Ritchey of Seed Studio is a talent and was really cool to work with. He designed a beautiful, unique, clean, modern space for us. Our beautiful backyard is a testament to his vision and commitment. ”
“Our backyard has now come to life as a place for our gatherings as well as a home to hummingbirds, bees and an occasional visiting hawk.”
“From the start Steve was clear about the process, realistic about timing, and very quick to respond to my questions. ”
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