Susan Morrison— Designer, Author, Speaker

Creative Exteriors

Garden designs featuring high impact, low water plants.

Creative Exteriors

Author Amy Stewart's Cocktail Garden, as seen in Sunset Magazine.

Creative Exteriors

No Lawn Garden, featured in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Creative Exteriors

Cozy backyard, as seen in The Less is More Garden.

Creative Exteriors

Tropical courtyard garden, as seen in Fine Gardening magazine.

Creative Exteriors

Featured on Water Wise Garden Tour 2021.

Residential Design Services In California’s East Bay

Welcome! As owner and principal designer for Creative Exteriors Landscape Design, my philosophy is simple: to create unique and sustainable gardens that match each client’s lifestyle. Because choosing the right designer for your project is an important decision, in addition to a project gallery, this site includes information on the design process, as well as offering a free guide to preparing for an initial consultation.

In search of a little garden inspiration? View my media page for links to articles and podcasts or speaker page for a description of current talks. Do-it-yourselfer? Head straight to Amazon for design advice from The Less is More Garden.

— Susan Morrison

Portfolio

Susan has designed hundreds of East Bay gardens, ranging from hillside estates to postage stamp-sized front yards. A commitment to the environment and a desire to create gardens that can be lived in and enjoyed year round have inspired her design aesthetic.

Concord Terraced Garden

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Danville Rustic Retreat

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Cozy Concord Backyard

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Orinda Hillside Garden

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Jewel Box Garden

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San Ramon No-Lawn Garden

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Pleasant Hill Courtyard

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Martinez Multi-Generation Home

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Amy Stewart’s Cocktail Garden

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Tour My Garden

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Resources

DIY Inspiration

For design inspiration and guidance, read my latest book, The Less is More Garden.

Consultation preparation

Download a free copy of Preparing for a landscape Consultation, a guide to help you get the most of an initial meeting with Susan—or with any landscape designer.

Download

CC Water District Lawn to Garden

Information on lawn to garden rebates, gardening in Contra Costa and before-and-after garden transformations.

Testimonials

“Susan demonstrated that she knows how to blend creativity and practicality.” Our neighbors have said that her design increased the value and beauty of not just our yard, but the entire neighborhood.

Tim and Catarina, Danville

“Susan is a pleasure to work with and has such wonderful vision.” Our front and backyard look so beautiful. It is incredible that this is the same home and yard!

Debra and John, Moraga

“The transformation has been amazing!” Working with Susan has been so much more than just ‘redoing our yard.’ It’s been both a pleasure and an adventure!

Carla and Lennart, Concord

We chose Susan for her collaborative approach. We particularly appreciated her aptitude in flexing her design style to accommodate both our budget as well as our vision, rather than imposing a standard ‘signature design’ that suits any typical suburban lot.

Tai, Danville

“Susan Morrison did a fantastic job!” Her experience and expertise helped us through every phase of the project. We would recommend Susan to anyone.