We had such a great experience working with Gun on the redesign of our front yard and backyard. She was referred to us by our neighbor, and from the first time we met her, she was knowledgeable, organized, thoughtful, and easy to work with. We wanted something beautiful but low maintenance, and Gun really took the time to understand what we were looking for. She had us complete a survey, met with us a few times, and put together a thoughtful design with visuals and a really cool rendering video that helped us picture the final space. What stood out most was how much expertise she brought to the process. She truly knows her plants and was great at explaining what would work best in different areas based on light, watering needs, and long-term maintenance. She also uses great technology and apps to help think through lighting, irrigation, and the overall design. Gun was onsite multiple times to walk through plant and tree options with us, and she also referred us to a great landscaper who helped bring the design to life. During the final walkthrough, she even brought over a few plants from her own garden, which was such a sweet and personal touch. We love her expertise, her attention to detail, and the special touches she brought to the project. We highly recommend Gun! read more

Gun quickly understood our vision for an updated yard - a garden with lots of color and variety. Gun systematically assessed lighting and water requirements for the various areas, and helped select a beautiful variety of plants. She designed water zones and drip system. She did a great job with improving the lighting plan, and worked very well with our contractor. Gun communicated back and forth with the contractor on the plant list, and helped select alternate plants when some were not currently available. We are retaining Gun for future consultation on the watering schedule and highly recommend her services. read more

Blue Hibiscus Gardens - New Driveway, new fence, and landscape - Landscape Architects or Designers Near Me

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We are so grateful that we chose Gün to help make our outdoor living space a dream come true! She was absolutely wonderful and easy to work with. She took note of all our ideas and concerns and provided many great suggestions that we incorporated into our final plan. You can tell that Gün is truly passionate about horticulture and knowledgeable about her work--her designs, the quality of her work, and her communication with us prove this. Everyone now compliments how nice the yard looks and loves how comfortable it is to sit out and gather in it. This is all thanks to Gün's help and design. We also appreciate how she occasionally sends emails about tips or reminders that help our garden thrive. It feels like we've gained a friend not for only ourselves, but for our garden. We recommend reaching out to Gün to anyone who is interested in designing a new yard or updating their current one. She does fantastic work, is a great listener, and will work with you to make your backyard dreams a reality. read more

Gun helped us design both our front and back yards. I was very impressed with her detailed survey before we even talked to her! We had previously had a design done by another landscape designer that I ended up being unhappy with. I really felt like Gun really listened to my concerns and likes/dislikes and Incorporated it into the design. Budget was an issue with the previous design, and Gun made sure that our design was budget friendly and made sure to communicate this with the landscaper she recommended. She also had a lot of water saving and eco friendly suggestions that made my Earth loving heart happy. Gun communicates really well over email which is my preferred method of communication. As for the actual design, I love it. We got a lot of compliments from our neighbors and even had someone ring our doorbell asking for more information. It makes me happy to see my baby plants growing in. Such a difference from the dead grass before! Sitting in the backyard makes me feel so calm. I am so glad that the kids have a safe place to run around now. I only wish I had done it earlier! read more

Blue Hibiscus Gardens - Backyard right after completion - Landscape Architects or Designers Near Me

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Review long overdue. I contacted Blue Hibiscus Gardens along with a few other landscape designers to help redo the front yard. I ended up choosing Gün for the project because on the initial consultation she was assertive in what would work and not work after looking over the area, measuring spaces and assessing sun exposure. None of the other designers I met with did that. I wasn't looking for a "yes" man to automatically do everything I thought I wanted, with no regard for sustainability and longevity of the yard space. What I wanted was an expert to tell me if what I wanted could work for the space since I'm not an expert. Her website also had a great assessment tool for requesting a consultation: it asked for preferred style and type of space. I had requested a water-wise type yard but equally colorful and lush, and that is what I received. Gün's knowledge about drought tolerant and native plants served the project well. She took the time to listen to what I liked and wanted; the entire process was organized, interactive and collaborative. I was given a great 3D rendering with a list of plants at the end of it all. Gün also helped me choose a landscape contractor when it came time. The only regret I have is that we were not able to turn her entire vision into reality; when it came time for the contractor to start work, some of her original plant selections were not available. However Gün quickly made appropriate substitutions to help me and the landscape contractor. And that really should not be counted in any way negative to the work she did for me, as my contractor experience was a separate experience. While the yard has matured nicely and Gün's vision was for the most part achieved, I often wonder how wonderful the yard would have looked if all her original plant selections were available by the nursery suppliers. I would definitely work with Blue Hibiscus Gardens and Gün again! read more

Gün was a real pleasure to work with. She's knowledgeable, a fantastic communicator, and very conscientious with regard to Covid safety practices. I was impressed with her process & approach. As a very visual person and fellow designer, her 3D renderings were key for my understanding and helped to better inform our discussions. Her design was thoughtful and very in line with what I was looking for, and the end result is lovely! My new front yard has already received several compliments, and I look forward to seeing it fill in over time. My new side yard walkway is beautiful and far more functional. And my backyard is my new go-to relaxation spot - so rustic, cozy, and lived in. Gün has been a great ongoing resource as well. She was timely in her communication with my landscape installer, was on-site to place plants, and has since helped me with multiple questions and plant ideas. I've had some terrible experiences with contractors in the past and consider myself very fortunate to have worked with her. I can't recommend Gün and Blue Hibiscus Gardens highly enough! read more

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Gun is amazing to work with. We worked with Gun for our backyard landscaping after a huge house expansion project. Our yard was basically full of construction trash, muds, and weeds - but Gun saw through all that and gave us a beautiful design that incorporated all of our random ideas and plans for the yard. We had pretty specific requests like fitting a large lawn for our big dog, a sports court, veggie garden, sitting areas, and storage space - and Gun pulled all that together into a cohesive design that worked for all aspects, taking into consideration sun position, sight lines, and flow of the space. We literally looked at the first draft of the design and were like "well, I guess she nailed it on the first try!" Gun's extensive knowledge of plants was one of the primary reasons we hired her. She gave us great recommendations for our request of "functional" plants, and even considered how our neighbors' trees overhanging the fence might affect our garden plans. Most importantly, she carefully considered the best placement for each plant based on the sun that we get in the yard and the amount of water each plant will need. I highly recommend Gun - just have one conversation with her and you'll know that she's the real deal! She responded quickly to all my random emails (even late at night!) and listened carefully to our questions and ideas. She's a fountain of knowledge and you won't find anyone better! read more

We really enjoyed working with Gun. Her 3D renderings gave us a great view of not only what we were envisioning but also some ideas that we could ponder. She helped us use our existing concrete patio and retaining wall and developed a design that we are really happy with. We have a great low water garden and are enjoying blooms all year long. She is very knowledgeable regarding native plants and worked around out desire to retain some of our plants. She was easy to work with, was available for questions and gave quick responses. She was flexible when we decided to add some plants to our front yard. She worked well with our landscaper and he noted that he usually works off his own designs. However, he worked well with her and they have since worked on other projects together. I would recommend Gun and would gladly work with her in the future. read more

Gun is great to work with. I wanted to remove all my grass and move to a more drought tolerant landscape but needed help with design and plant selection. She is very knowledgeable about both, providing many first pass ideas but also incorporating my feedback. She has a very thorough and structured process, and delivers results on time else lets you know if any issues or delays, and is very responsive. Five stars! read more

We loved working with Gun! She has such a deep knowledge of plants and how best to work with the landscape we have to make a beautiful garden. It would have taken us years to do enough research to be able to come up on our own with the design she created for us. She was also able to recommend a great contractor do actually bring the plan to life, AND someone to come by and do quarterly maintenance. She's the best! read more

I recently removed my swimming pool in my backyard, and get Gun to help me to covert it into a garden. Gun is very knowledgable on plants : she helped me to pick all the plants. Since I knew very little on gardening and plants , she even took me to quite a few local garden to find out what I like. We ended up with a very long list of plants. Gun is very easy to work with: she gave me an initial landscaping plan and adjusted based on my needs couple times . She also gave me a lot of information on how to take care of the plants I have. read more

Gun was incredible to work with. The end product is gorgeous and we will continue to take advantage of Gun's expertise as the garden matures. Gun is the very rare designer that combines professional expertise with an ability to listen and deliver what her customer wants. I think most designers have a style or two they are able to deliver that they personally like. Gun is unique in that she will take whatever style or vision you have in mind, then elevate and perfect it. She will work very hard to make what you envision work, but will also not be shy in telling you, hey, you have no shade in your garden so these shade plants aren't really going to work. Gun took me to the nursery to get an understanding of what I liked. She also looked at my pinterest. With that understanding she made a beautiful plan in 2D and 3D. She then made several alterations to that plan to get it perfect. She was very open to those changes and to collaborating. She also did a great job in the execution. She handled ordering all the plants, supervised their installation, and was very watchful of our contractor to make sure things were installed properly. We love our garden and are so happy with it! Thank you Gun! read more

I recently worked with Gun on a landscaping project for my home in Sunnyvale. We removed both front & back lawns and planted all drought tolerant plants. I used rock and driftwood in my plans and she help me place them around the yard for the best impact. Gun helped me so much with plant placement and plant selection. It can be a bit overwhelming trying to figure out which plants should go where. Gun has so much horticultural knowledge and knows where plants will do best based on which direction the sun is at what time of day, which plants are shade friendly and which plant need more drainage! She also made a great recommendation to espalier some vines & a fig tree along my back fence. I can not wait for spring to see the plants thriving in their new home. read more

Gun is so knowledgeable and passionate about her work. She had great suggestions for how to handle some problem areas in our backyard, did follow-up research after leaving to learn why one of our trees had spots on the leaves, and hand-pruned some bushes that had been butchered by our gardener, making them look infinitely better when I thought they weren't going to look right for months! Definitely recommend her for jobs of any size, including small projects. read more

Gun very well may be the best contractor we have ever worked with on a home project. She responds so quickly, is so knowledgable and has such an amazing work ethic that other contractors would do well to follow her model. We hired her to create a landscape design for our front yard that was drought-friendly, low maintenance and eliminated the front lawn entirely. She was recommended to us by our landscape contractor/installed Jesus Zazueta, who was also great to work with. Gun was available to meet with us right away, and she quickly created a Pinterest board full of beautiful, drought-tolerant plants loosely based on my own Pinterest board of favorite garden "looks." She walked us through the types of plants that would do best in our yard based on sunlight/shade, and rooted in her extensive knowledge of plants. She worked quickly and efficiently to put together a 3D rendering of the yard with a video walk-through. Her vision for the yard was spot-on, and I found that she was always one step ahead of us in terms of figuring out affordable lighting solutions, watering issues, and numerous other factors we had not thought of. The completed yard is beyond what we thought possible, and we've had neighbors complement us on the yard so many times already. I appreciated Gun's commitment and devotion to our project from start to finish, and we couldn't be happier with the results. Thank you, Gun!! read more

Gun at Blue Hibiscus Gardens was wonderful to work with. She and I met several times to go over our space and plan out what we wanted. A lot of the plants we had on our property were removed due to construction and she took at look at what we had and came up with a proposal that met what we were looking for, addressed some issues that she raised when reviewing the property, and found some exciting and exotic plants to all a real kick to our yard. She went above and beyond by interviewing landscaping companies for us, collecting bids, and working with our chosen vendor through the planting and installation process. It has now been several months since the work was completed. She stopped by a few times to check on the progress of the plants, and sent recommendations on how to keep the plants healthy and striving. Now my backyard is such a relaxing place to restore ourselves on the weekend, and it is all thanks to Gun's work! read more

We worked with Gun this fall. She created a modern design for our backyard using primarily CA native plants. She was very responsive and the turnaround time was very short. She adapted to all of our requests and created a design that was very thoughtful. We love the plan and would highly recommend her to anyone! read more

Gun was a real pleasure to work with. She listened very carefully to our half-formed ideas, made sure she understood what we wanted and liked, as well as what we didn't want and didn't like. We are delighted with the results! She transformed our somewhat neglected front yard into a lovely low-water garden. She skillfully guided us through every step, from initial consultation, design, contractor selection, installation and plans for on-going maintenance. Any questions/issues were quickly resolved. We highly recommend Blue Hibiscus Gardens. read more

We hired Gun to design our front and side yard (on a corner lot). We had removed our juniper landscaping and wanted a fresh new design. We told her we wanted a drought tolerant landscape and an 'interesting yard' and she did not disappoint! We worked with her to identify plants that we liked and those that we didn't. She came up with an amazing design, with several mounds as well as a flagstone seating area and dry creek bed. What we loved most is how thorough and detailed she is. We told her we were doing the planting ourselves and she provided us with so much detail (nurseries, rockeries, a link to a landscaper in case we needed help, a link to benches she suggested or stepping stones) as well as a detailed irrigation plan, amount of bark mulch and rocks to buy, link to videos on 'how to install the creek bed and flagstone seating area. She also suggested we wait until the fall to plant since the summer weather is so hot. Gun gave us a beautiful landscape plan ; she is very pleasant to work with, extremely knowledgeable and we highly recommend her for any landscape project. read more

Gun Unsal from Blue Hibiscus is fantastic! After a long remodel project, our yard had been reduced to nothing but gangly trees and a few scraggly plants, and it was in need of a complete overhaul. I am handy in the garden and had a vision for what I wanted as we brought it back to life. Gun's expertise in hardscaping, plants, and trees brought this vision to life. I initially contacted Gun via email, and she responded almost immediately by calling to discuss an overview of our project and to set up a time to meet in person to see our yard. Her responsive and communicative approach lasted throughout the duration of our project (a breath of fresh air after working with slow or non-responsive contractors for a year!). Before we met, she had me answer some questions in writing so I could assess my landscaping goals (aesthetically and financially) and so she would understand what those goals were. When we met, she had used this information to provide me with a realistic description of the scope and type of work that could be achieved. Within a very quick time frame of our initial meeting, she created a digitized layout of a landscaping plan. The initial plan was awesome, as it addressed all of the parameters of the project that I had hoped would be incorporated. These included having a relaxed but slightly Zen feel in our shady backyard, installing low water plants in our sunny front yard, creating a visually pleasing but functional walkway to our front porch, removing old stone from a patio pad and replacing with bluestone, building a deck around an existing fire pit, and incorporating several Japanese maples and a crepe myrtle into the garden that I had been tending to in pots for several years. We met a few times and worked to tweak the plan a bit, and very quickly we had a finalized landscape plan. Gun had a list of several contractors that she recommended for the project, and helped us to contact them so they could come out to our property and provide a bid. We selected a contractor for the project (Zazueta Landscaping). I was very involved in the installation of the project, and Gun helped us to manage aspects of the project that were outside of my range of expertise but well within hers. Zazueta did a fantastic job on the installation of the project. Our garden has been installed for a little under a year now, and we couldn't be happier with the outcome. Our hardscaping is perfect and has made our yard so much more user friendly than it was previously. Our plants are healthy, beautiful, and thriving in the yard. I can't say enough about Gun, her working knowledge of all things plants, and the professional manner with which she approaches her work. I highly recommend her for your garden project! read more