Owner Riley Twohig was born and raised in Monterey and has lived here all his life. He put himself through college working as a gardener for Ansel Adams and the Garden editor of Sunset Magazine. Riley earned his B.A. in Landscape Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley in 1976. Since then he and his crew have worked extensively in the Monterey, Salinas area amassing an intimate knowledge of the local soils, micro climates and plant environments. Let them put this expertise to work for you. Creative Landscaping is a small, hands-on company that offers you truly personal, expert service. They can design and install anything outdoors you desire.
Served areas
- Monterey Peninsula, Salinas, Carmel, California
Highlights and features
- Landscape design and installation
Associations and certifications
- B. A. Landscape Architecture, member CLCA, BBB
Services
We'll work with you to custom design and install a landscape that fits your needs. I always want to know if there are any plants you would especially like included or colors you love or hate. I also want to get a feel for the type of landscape that suits you best, and design accordingly. I'll work within your budget whether we create a formal plan or work from simple on-site sketches. Our expertise includes, but is not limited to:
Low Maintenance Landscapes
Drought tolerant plantings
Mediterranean Gardens
Natives
Carmel, Cottage-Style Gardens
Formal Gardens
Rock Gardens
Carefully planned driveways, walkways, retaining walls and patios can enhance the functionality and visual appeal of your exterior spaces. We have years of experience building walks and patios of concrete, pavers, flagstone, etc., for any type of yard or outdoor space. We also build beautiful ponds, waterfalls, etc. of natural stone and boulders. 
We do extensive work in concrete, stone, pavers, brick, block, etc. Our flagstone patios for instance may be set in soil with ground cover planted in-between; on compacted decomposed granite; or mortared onto a concrete base with grout in-between. Retaining walls may have a poured concrete footing with re-bar, or sectional masonry units on compacted base. Well-done masonry work can turn an ordinary property into a remarkable one. We provide expert concrete, stone, paver, brick, etc. installation at an affordable price.
We offer a variety of masonry services, including:
Driveways
Patios
Entries
Walkways
Retaining walls
Steps
Firepits
Columns
We design and build any structure outdoors you desire. These include decks, fences, retaining walls, gates, steps, arbors, trellises, sheds, raised garden beds, etc. The exterior surface of most of these structures is built of Redwood with pressure-treated Douglas Fir for structural support or ground contact. The deck surface may also be built of sustainable hardwood or Trex. All of these woodwork projects are custom designed and built to suit your budget and home environment.
If you've considered turning your landscape into a beautiful night-scape with low-voltage accent lighting, we can make that happen. Lighting not only provides a stunning backdrop after dark but a measure of security for your home as well. Steps in particular should be well lit to prevent tripping in the dark. 
We specialize in drought tolerant drip irrigation systems. This is the most efficient use of water as well as the most beneficial way to water your plants. Sprinklers make sense only in lawns. Used in the landscape they invite weeds and excessive water use. We also install French Drains and other drainage systems.
Reviews (5)
Sheila W.
Jun 10, 2016
Stan M.
Creative Landscaping turned our derelict front yard into a beautiful garden. There are now quiet, private spaces as well as attractive public ones. We now spend time in our patio, shielded from the street where before there was no privacy. We are completely pleased with the final result. Thank you, Riley!
Susan M.
From the very start of our garden project, Riley showed a willingness to listen to our ideas, incorporate the requirements we had of the project and make suggestions. He was efficient with the timeline of the project and all along the way, took in our questions and concerns, adapting as needed. We would definitely recommend working with Riley for any type of garden project.
His knowledge of plants is extensive and his design ideas are excellent. Not only do we love our new garden and look forward to enjoying it for years to come but we have had many of our neighbors comment on how much they love what we did to the garden. Thank you Riley!
His knowledge of plants is extensive and his design ideas are excellent. Not only do we love our new garden and look forward to enjoying it for years to come but we have had many of our neighbors comment on how much they love what we did to the garden. Thank you Riley!
Janet B.
Riley and his crew transformed our backyard into a thing of beauty. I especially appreciated the neat and professional manner everyone exhibited. All the tools were kept in a trailer and they showed up with an outhouse on wheels. The disruption to our lives was minimal and the benefits speak for themselves.
Gary G., Landscape Architect
Riley Twohig has over the years successfully completed numerous jobs I have designed. His willingness to see what needs to be done and professionally fulfill the obligations of a plan or a request from a client, is a smooth and easy task for him to accomplish. Riley graduated from Cal Berkeley with a degree in Landscape Architecture and chose to create gardens from the hands-on-approach. His vision for the environment is easily explained in his photos of the Big Sur Coast, two of which hang in my office.