Who we are
Beauty is evolution. In our societal values, architecture, energy use, and water consumption, change signifies consideration and respect for a shared future. Here in the West, resource hogging green lawns are the neighborhood pariah, and low water, high yield, ecologically diverse gardens have replaced the drones of lawnmowers with birdsong and year round ecological harvest excitement.
The garden designs of Homestead Design Collective emphasize the seasonal splendor of nature in a way that can be enjoyed in a vase or on your plate or at your fingertips all year round, and in a way responsible to both the water bill and the aesthete in all of us. We are replacing the smears of green with low water nativescapes, swaying long meadow grasses with bee friendly wildflower blooms, and deep rooting fruit trees.
The evolution of beauty is the harvestable garden serving the land, the animals, and thumb scrollers on it. Everyday interacting and evolving a sustainable and gorgeous space in which to entertain, relax, learn, and thrive.
Stefani Bittner is the owner of Homestead Design Collective, a San Francisco Bay Area landscape design firm focused on creating beautiful gardens that provide harvest. Stefani is the co-author of The Beautiful Edible Garden (Ten Speed Press, 2013), Harvest: Unexpected Projects Using 47 Extraordinary Garden Plants (Ten Speed Press, 2017) and the upcoming The Fragrant Flower Garden (Ten Speed Press, 2024).
Our team offers a unique and sophisticated approach, using both organic farming and fine gardening skills, for people who want help creating aesthetically designed, organic edible gardens. Homestead provides design, installation, and full-service organic maintenance, harvesting, bee keeping, preserving, floristry and composting services. Homestead is the design team behind the Test Gardens for Sunset Magazine and the chef focused edible gardens for Robert Mondavi and Prisoner wineries. Our gardens can be found in commercial properties, public spaces, and private residences, and our work has been featured in San Francisco Chronicle, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Vogue, Sunset Magazine, Food & Wine, Time Magazine, Better Homes & Gardens, Modern Farmer, Food52, and Gardenista.com