We recently had Circlefoot back to rebuild a pergola and remove a whole stand of black bamboo. The quality of work was, again, outstanding. Bamboo removal is difficult, to say the least, and Diego’s team went at it with the determination that was needed. In the process, the Circlefoot team transformed the space with a table-top raised bed from which we now get our salad greens. The veggie-mix soil Diego recommended from Lyngso has been fantastic in our early growing results.

Also, appreciate Diego’s flexibility. Our wisteria is over 30 years old and I dreaded the thought of having to drastically cut it back to replace the pergola that supports it. Diego’s team was able to systematically deconstruct the old supports while simultaneously building the new structure- leaving the wisteria unharmed.

Diego helped my wife and I redesign our front yard, replace the driveway with pavers, add a paver walkway all the way around the house, build a pergola and planter box, and furnish the entire landscape with low-water use plants on an automatic irrigation system. The entire project took about 2 months and was delivered ahead of schedule. Diego and his team were professionals in their communication, direction, and execution.

There were a few incidents that occurred during the project (as with any project) and I wanted to describe how Diego handled it. The demolition of the concrete pathway caused the brick entry area at the front entrance to show a crack. Diego was prompt in communicating the damage and immediately discussed with his hardscape lead Steve on options for fixing it. Steve’s team was able to remove the damaged brick, match it at the store, and repave it in the same design so that the result looked like new. I was very impressed at the speed (did not affect schedule) and quality of the work. Diego did not charge us for this repair.

Diego also offered to fix our fence. The fence was not damaged by his team but by our neighbor’s new construction. Diego was very kind to fix this free of charge and our neighbor even commented that he had been bugging his contractor to fix it for a while but they had been dragging their heels on it. This definitely made me feel lucky to be working with Diego.

Finally, there were numerous small instances that showed care and attention to detail. When they removed an invasive privet tree from our backyard, they salvaged some straight wooden sticks. Later, they salvaged an errant fig tree and put it in a pot for us, and used the privet sticks to support it. I was impressed by their foresight and economy. When I was installing string lights on the pergola that Diego’s team built for us, Diego’s team member Jacob climbed on top of the pergola and mounted the solar panel for me. My wife and I also became new parents right after construction started. Diego was very accommodating in letting us know when there would be loud construction noise and front-loading it as much as possible so it wouldn’t affect our new baby.

When my wife and I moved into our home a few years ago, we already knew that we would want to redo the backyard. The existing landscape was an odd combination of overgrown bushes in some areas and completely fallow ground in others (mostly hard clay devoid of any nutrients). To top it off, we also had drainage problems and a defunct pool we wanted to remove.

We interviewed several landscaping outfits, ranging from the “mow and blow” types on one end of the spectrum (“We’ll be done in a week!”) and more careful outfits like Circlefoot on the other (“We’ll do topographical and soil surveys and generate design drawings before we do anything”). The main problem was that most firms across the spectrum were unwilling to engage with some aspect of our project, most often the pool removal and updating our drainage plan.

This is where Circlefoot really shined. Circlefoot already has solid experience designing and implementing drainage plans, and Nicholas, our project manager, was willing to research pool removal options and even found a reasonably-priced outfit to get it done. They have a great relationship with a good pavers installation company, so that made them a one-stop shop for our landscaping needs.

As with many all-encompassing solutions, Circlefoot is not cheap. That said, my wife and I were not looking for cheap, just reasonable. We have had a number of things done to our house ranging from electrical to flooring work, and we have gone with a cheaper contractors before. The honest truth is that more often than not, we go bonkers trying to oversee the process to ensure they are doing quality work (or, in some case, to make sure the work gets done at all), so what we save in money, we pay in our own time and headaches instead. As working parents, we don’t have much extra time, and we already have headaches aplenty.

Circlefoot was just what we needed for our landscaping work. First of all, they were always available and communicative. We texted and emailed with Nicholas frequently, and he and the owner Diego made sure that they were available if a phone call was needed. We have had contractors go MIA on us for extended periods of time as they take on multiple projects, and we never had any concerns about that with Circlefoot.

Second, they showed strong initiative. Every project has its bumps and unexpected twists, but Nicholas and Diego did their best to stay ahead of the them. For example, when they were having trouble getting us on the calendar of their pavers partner, they figured out additional planting work they could progress on in the meantime without risking getting in the way of the subsequent pavers work. This kind of forethought kept delays at a minimum and gave us the reassurance that they were making consistent progress.

Third, Circlefoot was displayed the utmost professionalism at all times. At one point, we had to make drastic cuts to their design proposal in order to make the work fit within our budget — Diego was ever courteous and approached all our negotiations with an eye on meeting both our financial and our practical needs. Similarly, whenever Circlefoot felt they needed to deviate from their design proposal, they would formulate a few proposed solutions before raising the issue with us. This kind of project management style removed much of the load from me and my wife, which allowed us to focus on the other important things in our life (work, kids, etc.).

Overall, Circlefoot was a pleasure to work with. In fact, they were such a pleasure to work with that we are continuing to work with them to maintain our new yard. They take pride in their work, and their deep knowledge about plants, soil, and water are steadily making me a convert into the permaculture mindset.

Last year Diego and his dream team (Josh and Jake) created a magnificent garden environment in our front yard. They did such a marvelous job that we quickly hired them to do our back yard. They created what they called an “edible” forest comprised entirely of plants that produce fruit, vegetables, or can be used for teas. As with our front yard, they created a beautiful garden environment that is a wonder to behold. This year we harvested blueberries, onions, carrots, broccoli, and peas. They also installed a drip watering system, two rain tanks to supplement the water supply, a wooden decorative archway, a beautiful walkway across the garden, and two raised beds for growing vegetables.

I’m happy to report that 1 year later both front and back gardens are thriving. This spring and summer our plants have practically exploded to life, going from small young plants to full-grown flowering beauties. We continue to marvel at how well Circlefoot Permaculture’s designs came together to make our home a more beautiful place. Thanks, guys.

We worked with Diego, Nick, Katie, Elliott, Donny, and Jacob on a project for our small front yard and back yard over the past several months and we’re very happy with the results – thank you! This involved installing a drip irrigation system, a number of fruit-bearings and other plants that are low maintenance, a dry creek, several planter boxes, a flagstone path, another walking path along hexagonal pavers, and a group of small boulders.

It started with a consultation to evaluate the space: our small yard with limited sunlight. We had some ideas but it was great to understand prior projects and creative options given our situation and budget.

Together we worked on the plan. The team really listened and cared about our priorities and adjusted several times to bring what we came up with together to life. It also required careful coordination to meet the requirements of our HOA board. The CFP team was very responsive and flexible as we made a few adjustments on the fly to meet the requirements.

At last, it came time to execute on the plan. The entire CFP crew was professional, kind to our two young children, productive every working day (mostly Wed through Fri), and completed the project ahead of schedule!

Like most projects, there were a couple of minor hiccups along the way. In our view, how you respond to these is most important. Here’s one example – the nursery provided the wrong plant to CFP which they planted in our yard. Once we realized it was incorrect, we notified the CFP team and they quickly and humbly apologized, replaced the plant, and did so with a smile.

Would highly recommend you consider them for your project – thanks again!

I found out about CFP on Yelp and, after reading the reviews, I decided to work with them to landscape my front yard with native, drought-resistant plants. Each step of the process from planning to execution was completed with the utmost professionalism. I consistently felt my concerns, interests, and wishes were heard and respected. The knowledge each member of Diego’s team displayed was impressive.

It was such a nice experience to watch the old yard disappear and the new one emerges. The planting was done in the fall so it has taken until spring to really see the yard in full bloom.

My last comment is that Diego and his team are a delight to work with. This is truly a team of gentlemen.

Diego and his team at Circlefoot Permaculture know what they’re doing especially if you’re looking for services that are seriously well thought out and just plain good for the planet and you. From tricky tree trimming to full-on remediation and care of a landscape, Circlefoot does it with professionalism and superb quality. Diego’s experience and knowledge of permaculture strategies and biodynamics put him on the cutting edge. And I believe the respect he and his company has for the earth and especially his clients is what makes him the right choice. I respect the respect he gives.

With Diego, I feel like not only does the land transform into an alive, abundant, connected, and growing space, but the homeowner goes through a transformation as well. His attention and care in what he does is inspiring and contagious, you become excited and proud to care for your space, too. That sort of newfound or reinforced appreciation is…unique to the individual and really special, I believe. I’ve got a big smile just thinking of the things he does, and how the seeds he sows and designs he installs just continue to fruit and bear more and more.

If you’re stumped on what to do w/ your front yard, backyard, walkway, whatever. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with your land…if you know there’s potential or even if you feel like there’s no potential left in your land, give Diego and Circlefoot a call, ask some questions, give them a challenge, and see what beautiful blooms as a result.

It’s the responses I get from friends, neighbors, and family that confirm that choosing Circle Foot to design our property in Menlo Park was an invaluable decision.

From the beginning consultation to the final walk-through it was filled with ease, flow, and focused intention. Diego’s team treated the land as if it was their own with kindness, respect, and consistent care.

What was revealed with this project is that our principles and ethics line up with Diego’s company; heart-centered and holistic. What I know for sure is that the native plant and food forest we co-created will provide a sustainable and therapeutic place for us to gather and reap. There is more good news; we get to continue the relationship with Diego’s team as they will be taking care of our property with their maintenance program!!!

Graciously composting, Kellie J. Barrow

We’ve hired Diego to do several things in our yard: 1) get rid of a large swath of invasive oxalis via sheet mulching, 2) install an additional water source to make garden watering easier, 3) prune and fertilize our two citrus trees. Our lemon tree in particular had been unhealthy and unproductive for several years. The foliar spray and soil drench that Diego applied produced great results – we’re back to having more lemons than we know what to do with. Even better, Diego was willing to give me the foliar spray recipe and trained me on how to apply it in the event I need to do it myself to save money. Diego’s willingness to solve issues in the landscape without the use of toxic chemicals is refreshing and has frankly led to far superior outcomes than previous hires. Diego’s prices are very reasonable and he’s never gone over budget. My Mom has a master’s in botany, used to run a landscaping business, and grows a lot of her own food. So, I have high expectations with regard to the quality of landscaping work. Diego exceeds expectations, and we look forward to working with Circle Foot on future projects.

We wanted a water-wise and environmentally sound way to refresh and rehabilitate our tired front and back yards. Circle Foot Permaculture, in the form of Diego, Josh, Kenji, Daniel, Nicholas, Ben, and other hard-working crew members delivered what we had hoped for, and then some.

We initially hired Circle Foot to prune our trees and draw up plans for a new garden design incorporating grey-water capture and rainwater storage along with added “food forest” edibles and bird and insect habitats. Our plan was to implement the design in stages over the course of a year. Instead, we just had them keep going.

Our yard has been transformed and has never been healthier or better looking. We couldn’t be more pleased with the results.

We highly recommend Circle Foot Permaculture.

We’ve had terrific experiences with Diego and the entire crew at Circlefoot Permaculture and can’t recommend them highly enough. We first started working with them about two years ago after being frustrated by the failure of some of our plantings and trees, especially redwood, to really take off in our San Mateo garden. After doing some fairly extensive research into local master gardeners, arborists, and permaculture specialists, we thought that Circlefoot’s approach, credentials, and customer reviews really made them stand out. Two years later, our garden is absolutely THRIVING. It is incredible how much the trees in particular have grown thanks to their expert and sustainable soil amendments. The redwood, which had barely moved in about 7 years and was covered in scaly and brown spots, is now lush, green, and nearly twice as big as it was. Diego and his crew are very careful and attentive to every detail and they really know their plants–they are also always on time, and responsive, and their costs come in right on the estimate. They are also terrific people who are fun to work with and eager to share their extensive knowledge. If you’ve had experiences in the past with landscaping crews who only care about hardscapes and couldn’t care less about the condition of your soil and the variety, beauty, and health of your plantings, Circlefoot is for you! Do yourself a favor and hire them!

I wanted to replace my lawn with a more environmentally friendly, diverse, and productive landscape. I like doing things myself, so last year I started applying some permaculture techniques on my own, mulching over the grass, putting in some drip irrigation, and planting some trees, perennials, and vegetables. My plants didn’t do too well, however, so I decided to get some professional help.

It was not easy finding a landscape designer who understands permaculture, so I was delighted when found Diego. I really enjoy working with him, he is very honest and down to earth. He has excellent knowledge of what kinds of trees and plants would work well in our landscape. He considers the entire picture in his landscape design: sunlight, irrigation, soil life, biodiversity, insects and birds, and multiple layers of plant life. He communicates well, always letting me know what he’s planning to do, when he’s going do it, and how much it will cost. He is very flexible and accommodated my needs. His prices are very reasonable, especially when you consider how little maintenance the landscaping requires once it’s established. His team does almost all his work carefully by hand, without using gas-powered equipment, and he has an organic and biodynamic approach to gardening to build soil and plant health without using harmful chemicals.

Diego designed and landscaped our front and side yard (about 1500 sq ft). His team trimmed a tree, removed some shrubs, applied mulch and compost to the soil, replaced a concrete walkway with a beautiful curving flagstone path, built an herb spiral, planted ornamental and edible plants and trees, and set up a water collection and drip irrigation system. Only five months later, our yard is brimming with delicious artichokes, peaches, blueberries, strawberries, oregano, and is full of beautiful sunflowers, poppies, calendula, lavender, sage, and more! And I know it will only get better with time.

Highly recommended, I wish there were more landscapers and gardeners like Diego!

Circle Foot Permaculture owner, Diego Torrelio and crew came and helped us “re-invent” our soil so that this season we could grow more organic produce and produce healthier fruit trees and herbs. He taught us how to buy, plant, and care for our garden, trim trees, and work with weeds — so that in the future we can do it ourselves. He also “spruced up” our front yard which was overgrown. He and his team were fast and extremely knowledgeable about all the latest techniques in organic gardening, tree and yard care. If you are looking to make your yard more eco-friendly, use less water and perhaps even provide food for your table, then we strongly suggest giving Circle Foot a call.

Diego is amazing! His ecological approach to landscaping creates sustainable designs that are custom-built for his customer’s requests. He finds solutions to concerns including water conservation and organic pesticides and the result is aromatic, practical, and vibrant yards.

Circlefoot Permaculture is a design-build landscaping company that focuses on sustainable, drought-resistant gardens using the principles of permaculture. The cool thing about their design-build is that the designers are also the builders working in the garden- making changes and evolution of the plans go very smoothly. The project included removing lawn and other plants, installing paths, soil testing to accurately amend our soil, sheet mulching to improve soil and prevent weeds, building a small pond, building a patio with a bench near the pond, selecting and planting natives, installing 2 865 Gal water tanks for roof water and laundry to landscape grey water system.

Our garden space is about a third of an acre and sloped – huge water consumption to keep a lawn green. It has now been replaced by mostly natives with a few Mediterranean climate-friendly shrubs, birds, and bee friendly native meadow with a pond with a small waterfall to attract the birds and drown out urban noises. Being in our garden has become a pleasure – the scent of the native sages and flowers is wonderful with the sound of running water.

The mechanics of working with Diego, Josh, and the company were really good. Our project was done over a few months and we always had communication from Circlefoot – we had a schedule for which days they would be working and always a text message if something was going to change. I was very pleased when Circlefoot proposed doing the maintenance on the garden – it gives me a very high level of confidence that the plants will flourish and that in a few years we will have an established and drought-resistant garden.

Diego at Circlefoot Permaculture has a deeply loving and heart-centered way of relating to landscapes and all of the elements that are alive within them. What is special about the way he operates is that he takes the time needed to deeply attune himself to what is happening with the trees, the soil, the air, the water, the surrounding life, and the animals. In all of his work that I have seen it is clear he makes artful and well-calculated decisions that benefit the whole system of a landscape. With an incredible eye for both beauty and function, he knows how to bring places to life in a way that it becomes continuously evolving towards wholeness with the clear ability to envision the process years after its beginnings.

Diego and his team are real gems. They designed a creative and beautiful water capture system that allows me to have the fruit trees and flowering plants I wanted in my landscape even in drought years. They were on-site working hard when they said they would be. They were pleasant, patient, and flexible working around my other construction which should have been finished long before they were scheduled to start. I will definitely use them again and give them my highest recommendation.

We had a wonderful experience with the Circlefoot team on our landscape project! Our project included transforming the front yard into a more environmentally friendly, resource-efficient, and easy-to-maintain landscape as well as a very deep sloped hillside in the back of our house into a usable outdoor area.

Diego and the team were very easy to work with. The project was planned, managed, and executed well according to schedule. We were updated on the project regularly and communications were well articulated. The team is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to plants, and landscaping options. They turned our vague ideas into beautiful landscapes. They are also very detailed and service-oriented. All our concerns and requests were addressed and sometimes before we even asked. The follow-up after completion of the project is also impressive. The team will continue to monitor the plants and irrigation system to ensure proper growth and water conservation. It still seems unreal that we actually completed the project on the date as in the original proposal.

We couldn’t be more pleased with the results and can’t wait to invite our friends over to share the terrific view and outdoor space. We highly recommend Circlefoot Permaculture.

Circlefoot Permaculture has been working on my vegetable garden for about a year now. The garden has never looked better. Diego and his team are creative, knowledgeable, and professional. They have tolerated my naughty Golden retriever puppy, they have helped manage my small flock of chickens, and they are a joy to work with. I feel like I am underutilizing their talent, but for now, I couldn’t be happier with their work.

From tree care with an eye for long-term tree health, to the needed process of fire mimicry for oaks & other fire-dependent species, to Permaculture Design & Installation… Circlefoot offers it all. No matter what I have had them do or seen at other sites in the area, I can always see that there is lots of intention with this company, Diego really does take the time that is needed to really assist the landscape. I highly recommend his & the companies services.