Stefani Muller Bittner

Stefani Bittner has been an ardent gardener for the last thirty years. She began teaching classes about edible gardening in 2007 as an outlet for her passions for design and sustainability, seasonal cooking, family, and community building. She has collaborated closely with Leslie Bennett in developing Star Apple since 2009.

A Bay Area native, Stefani began cultivating her gardening interests at home. Starting with ornamental plants, she quickly realized that her real love was for edibles. Dedicated however to a modern design aesthetic, she didn’t want to sacrifice her garden’s visual beauty and design balance in order to grow organic fruits and vegetables. So began her practice of aesthetic edible gardening.

A graduate of the University of Southern California, Stefani’s initial pursuits built upon an interest in non-profit corporate philanthropy. While raising her two young daughters, she began to consider a career that better balanced her passions and professional interests and, so decided to re-enter the world of landscape design. Since joining the field, Stefani has worked closely with award-winning landscape designer, Aerin Moore, of Magic Gardens in Berkeley, CA. Stefani launched Magic Gardens’ successful edible landscape design service as a complement to the popular bi-weekly ornamental and edible gardening workshop series she teaches.

Stefani encourages an open-minded approach -- experimentation is the best way to keep things creative in the garden and kitchen. It is also a wonderful way get children involved with the garden. When not busy with Star Apple clients, Stefani tends to her one and a half acre garden which includes a green-roofed chicken coop with seven resident chickens, a grey water irrigated fruit orchard and multiple compost systems.