California Poppies and Yarrow
Sage grows at the edge of a bioswale
Coyote mint, california fuchsia, and carex line a dry creek.
California Poppies and Yarrow
About California Eco Design
A one-stop shop for Landscape Design, Installation, and Maintenance for Long Beach and beyond.. Specializing in native and drought tolerant plants, artful stormwater design, and eco-friendly materials.
​​Since it's founding on Earth Day of 2010, California Eco Design has been working with Long Beach's Lawn to Garden program to help residents convert lawns into drought tolerant gardens. We have worked with the City of Long Beach's Office of Sustainability, the Marine Bureau, and Public Works. Other clients include the Conservation Corps, Lake Arrowhead Community Services District, Balboa Park Conservancy, Children Today, Maple Village School, as well as apartments and homeowners' associations.
Who We Are
Founder Kai Craig grew up on the Big Island of Hawai'i, where he began a lifelong appreciation for plants and the relationship between people and the environment. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from UC Berkeley in Conservation and Resource Studies, with a focus on coastal ecology. He spent a year abroad at the University of the West Indies in their Marine Environmental Management program.
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​While earning his Master of Landscape Architecture degree at Cal Poly Pomona, Kai completed a group thesis on a proposed Santa Clara River Parkway for the CA Coastal Conservancy. During this time, he worked for the City of Los Angeles' Watershed Protection Division, helping with the Riverdale green streets project and a Low Impact Development for Los Angeles manual.
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​In 2017 Kai was named to the Los Angeles Expert Biodiversity Council and Committee Chair of the Long Beach Surfrider Foundation's Ocean Friendly Gardens Program. He enjoys hanging out with his wife and son, playing guitar, camping, body surfing, and gaming online with friends.
Our Approach
We start with a strong understanding of California's climate and plant life, horticultural knowledge, and design principles. Just as important is what YOU bring to the table. We listen to your goals and get a sense of your preferred aesthetic style. We observe your site, the architecture of your home, the environmental factors of wind, sun, soil, and water. THEN we develop a custom design that is a reflection of you and your home while connecting it to our wonderful California coastal ecosystem.
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Our focus on the complete cycle from visualizing a design, to implementing a plan, to caring for the resulting landscape sets us apart. We only build and maintain our own designs, but if you only need a plan, you can be confident that we have put our creativity to the test!
Planting Design
We select native and climate-appropriate plants for your design. Using plants adapted to our Mediterranean climate allows them to take advantage of wet winters and survive dry summers.
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We seek to emulate natural plant communities and enhance biodiversity in a style that suits you and your home..
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Ecological Design
Nature's wisdom is the continual cycling of materials. Much of modern development has broken natural cycles like nutrient, carbon, and water. Life cycles of endemic plants and animals require these cycles to function.
Through each stage of the process, from design to site rehabilitation, to planting, care and maintenance, we seek to repair these natural cycles... It's possible even in our urban setting!
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Low Maintenance Design
While our gardens require more knowledge and a little more time per visit than a typical lawn, maintenance is usually only necessary once or twice a month. .
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We maintain our own gardens within our service area
Hardscape Design
Features like pavers, decks, pathways, retaining walls and patios form the structure of any landscape. These surfaces have a big effect on how the landscape performs in terms of drainage, erosion, heat gain, and carbon footprint. We address these issues while making beautiful and comfortable spaces.
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We often use 3D models to help develop and visualize your hardscape concept.
Our Commitment to Excellence
At California Eco Design, we are dedicated to delivering excellence in every aspect of our work. Our commitment to quality craftsmanship, sustainable practices, and customer satisfaction sets us apart. We take pride in creating landscapes that not only beautify your surroundings but also contribute to the greater well-being of the environment and the community.
