Planted Earth

Specialties

Listening to our clients and creating a plan that reflects their style, and meets their functional requirements. Working with our clients to build from the plan while staying within budget. Gardening with our clients as the seasons pass, responding to what each garden presents to us. We are a full service landscape company. Creating and caring for unique gardens that reflect the tastes of our clients is our pleasure. Stonework is one of our strengths. No site is too challenging for us. We offer more construction services than the average landscape contractor. We are often consulted by people who have drainage issues and foundation problems. By regrading the earth and creating alternate routes for storm, and subterranean water we can protect your home’s foundation. We strive to conserve water by choosing native and drought tolerant plants when possible. By designing and installing irrigation systems which use technology to conserve water we reduce water usage.

History

Established in 2003.

Planted Earth is a small collaborative group of craftspeople, and designers with a passion for helping people make the most of the space that surrounds their home. Company founder Michael McFadden has been involved in the landscaping industry for 25 years. His start working for the family landscaping business in NJ led to a curiosity about alternative ways to create gardens that were functional first. In 1995, after earning a BS in landscape architecture from Rutgers University, he settled in Jackson WY. His work there with Naturescape Designs, and The High Mountain Group was often designed on site with inspiration from the surrounding wilderness of the Teton valley. His introduction to Bay area landscaping in 2001 was provided by the talented staff at Garden Architecture in Berkeley CA where he supervised construction for two years before creating Planted Earth. Merritt college landscape horticulture graduate Eric Gallagher, designs with a decade of real gardening experience.

Meet the Business Owner

Michael M.

Business Owner

Michael McFadden is a licensed landscape architect and contractor with a hands-​on approach to creating unique outdoor environments. For twenty-​five years, Michael has studied and practiced design, while at the same time building and caring for gardens. It is Michael’s belief that part of maintaining design proficiency is keeping his hands in the dirt. Michael holds a BS in Environmental Planning from Rutgers University, and spent five formative years in Jackson, Wyoming, drawing inspiration from the surrounding wilderness of the Teton valley. Today he is the founder and owner of Planted Earth Design Build Company, a small collaborative group of craftspeople and designers. Planted Earth has been honored to showcase two gardens in the Secret Gardens of the East Bay Tour, one of which was the 2007 recipient of the Best Outdoor Living Space award from the city of Piedmont CA. Michael lives in El Cerrito with his wife and two daughters.