Edible Landscapes Designed to Nourish
Your Land and Your Life

We are Orchard Keepers, a Santa Cruz–based edible landscape design, installation, and home orchard care company rooted in ecological stewardship and long-term horticultural expertise.

EXPLORE OUR APPROACH
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A garden path lined with trees, green bushes, and bright orange flowers, with sunlight filtering through the leaves.
Black and white illustration of a lemon hanging from a branch with leaves.

A Different Kind of Landscape Partner

Place-Based Expertise

We bring over 20 years of regenerative agriculture and fruit tree knowledge to every edible landscape we design, build, and care for.

Food-First Design

As a true edible landscape company, every project begins with soil health, climate-appropriate plant selection, and long-term productivity, not just aesthetics.

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Ongoing Stewardship

From home orchard care to vegetable garden services and orchard maintenance, we partner long-term so your landscape improves with time.

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Designed with Nature in Mind

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Designed with Nature in Mind ◆

Lemon tree with ripe yellow lemons in a backyard garden, surrounded by other trees and plants, under a partly cloudy sky.

An Edible Landscape Company That Thinks Long-Term

Orchard Keepers is not a general landscaping company.

We are a specialized edible landscape design company serving Santa Cruz County and the Northern California foothills, including Los Gatos, Saratoga, Woodside, and Portola Valley.

WE INTEGRATE

— Edible landscape design & installation

— Home orchard care & fruit tree pruning

— Vegetable and kitchen garden services

— Native & drought-tolerant plantings

— Irrigation system management

— Garden pathways, decomposed granite walkways, flagstone patios, and natural stone installation

Begin your stewardship journey
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Two people standing outdoors with shovels, planting or moving mulch in a garden area. There are piles of mulch in front of them, and a background of green trees and plants.
A garden scene with a grapevine supported by a wire trellis, surrounded by colorful flowers including purple irises, orange California poppies, and various other blooming plants.

Professional. Personable. Rooted in Place.

Caring for food-producing land can feel intimidating, especially when time feels precious.

— We understand the fear of getting it wrong.

— We understand the overwhelm of conflicting advice.

— We understand that your land reflects your values.

With deep roots in UCSC’s regenerative agriculture tradition and over two decades of local growing experience, the Orchard Keepers team bridges horticulture and construction, ensuring infrastructure supports long-term plant success.

We guide.
We educate.
We communicate clearly after every visit.

Schedule a thoughtful consultation
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When Food Systems Are Done Wrong, You Lose Years

Most landscapes are maintained in a slow state of decline.
We believe land should regenerate — not deteriorate.

Plant the wrong variety?

That’s 3–5 years gone.

Plant the wrong variety?

That’s 3–5 years gone.

Prune incorrectly?

Recovery can take seasons.

Prune incorrectly?

Recovery can take seasons.

Install irrigation poorly?

Roots suffer quietly.

Install irrigation poorly?

Roots suffer quietly.

Hire the wrong contractor?

You’re left managing the fallout.

Hire the wrong contractor?

You’re left managing the fallout.

Edible & Ecological Landscape Services

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Edible & Ecological Landscape Services ◆

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Trusted by Homeowners Who Care Deeply About Their Land

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Orchard Keepers have taken care of our Pear orchard and odd fruit trees in the Santa Cruz mountain area for years. We've found them to be very informative, helpful and do great pruning and cleanup. They are always friendly, thorough and show up for their appointment. We highly value their services.

JUDY D. VIA GOOGLE

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FAQS

Questions We’re Often Asked About Our Edible Landscape Services 

  • Most fruit trees take 2–5 years to reach meaningful production. Proper variety selection and pruning dramatically impact that timeline.

  • Food production is central to our philosophy. We also design drought-tolerant and native systems that support pollinators and ecosystem health.

  • Yes, we specialize in fruit tree care and pruning throughout Santa Cruz County and surrounding foothill communities.

  • We focus specifically on edible and ecological systems within estates, not general property maintenance.

  • Yes, our edible landscape design phase ensures clarity, sets budget expectations, and protects your investment long-term.

A Thoughtful Path Forward

Success isn’t a single harvest. It’s a relationship that deepens each season.

Oranges ripening on a citrus tree with green leaves.

STEP 01

Listen & Assess

We begin with a consultation to understand your land, your goals, and your values.

A garden with various flowering plants and greenery, enclosed by a wooden fence with a metal trellis.

STEP 02

Design With Ecology in Mind

Through a paid design phase, we create a clear plan rooted in climate, soil, and long-term success.

Black cherry tomatoes growing on a vine with green leaves in a garden.

STEP 03

Build & Steward Long-Term

The Orchard Keepers team installs with intention, then partners with you through ongoing edible landscape maintenance and care.

Explore edible landscape design
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Stewardship Over Shortcuts

Orchard Keepers exists to help you become a confident steward of your land, reconnecting food, ecology, and daily life through thoughtful edible landscape design and care.

Schedule a thoughtful consultation