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Columbia Water Gardens

3.6 (91 reviews)
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Services - Columbia Water Gardens

Deck design

Earthmoving or regrading

Electric installation or replacement

26 More Services

Electric repair

Driveway construction or installation

Exterior wall construction

Interior wall construction

Retaining walls

Patio, porch, or terrace construction or installation

Walkway construction or installation

Irrigation construction

Irrigation design services

Irrigation repair or maintenance

Landscape construction or installation

Landscape design

Landscape maintenance

Landscaping building construction

Landscaping building design

Greenscape construction

Greenscape design

Playground construction

Lawn care

Light fixture installation

Light fixture repair

Design services

Construction or installation

Outdoor lighting installation

Tree care services

Tree planting

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Recommended Reviews - Columbia Water Gardens

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Another great service by Columbia Water Gardens! Octavio and his crew just finished our annual service and cleaning of our pondless waterfall. All the guys were superb! Polite, careful of our property and things look great again! We only trust CWG and they never let us down!!! Thanks to all!!

Front yard transformation
David G.

Consultation and Quote: I contacted CWG for a quote to install a pond and wetland filter in my backyard. I originally planned on doing this project DIY as I suspected it would be well outside my budget to have a professional do it, but after a thorough consultation with the owner Carl, I was presently surprised. I already had a general idea of the layout and design I wanted including a couple rough sketches; he listened, gave some input, and eventually we came up with an overall design idea that worked with the landscape area we were converting. He quoted me a fair rate, walked me through all the steps of the entire construction process, what all it would entail, and what to expect. He laid out all the features that would be included in the package we agreed on, I paid a deposit, and we set a start date for construction. Construction Process: Carl's crew began delivery his machinery and equipment, boulders, and the pond kit the week before they broke ground. The next week they got started, and before I knew it, it looked like a bomb went off in my backyard- which I expected, because Carl had warned me about it. His crew were all very polite and respectful, and took good care of my property while they were here. Change Order and Add-Ons: As the project began to come together, I was impressed, and approached Carl about adding a pondless waterfall in my front yard. The process was pleasant, he gave me another very fair quote, and after agreeing he had half his team started on the front yard, transforming that area as well. You could tell they all had a passion for the work they were doing, the results speak for themselves. I ended up approaching Carl with a couple more add-ons/change orders, including concrete curbs, decomposed granite pathways, mulch and plantings throughout the property. Again, this process was a breeze, and they were at it. Finished Product: All said and done, I ended up with waterfall and stream leading into a wetland filter and fountain-scape, then feeding into a series of waterfalls and down into a beautiful pond in my backyard. They completely transformed my property, and I couldn't be happier with the finished product. They added stepping stones, character boulders, mystery falls, plant pockets, koi caves, all with a true artistic attention to detail. In the front they constructed a beautiful pondless waterfall, even incorporating an 18ft long tree stump/log sourced local to my property, adding loads of character. Between the front and back yard they continued the transformation and built a series of decomposed granite pathways bordered by concrete mow-curbs, low voltage lighting, drought tolerant plants, and forest floor mulch. They did this all on time and within budget, and even worked an extra day over the weekend to help me meet a deadline before hosting my company party. Conclusion: I would highly recommend Columbia Water Gardens. They were professional, and true artists. Carl quoted me fair rates, and made the process pleasant. He found ways to save me money, and produced a wonderful project. I had a great experience as a customer, and would recommend them to anyone looking for a landscape transformation.

D960 F.

Carl and his team transformed our boring hillside into a backyard oasis! Our expectations were definitely exceeded!! Enough cannot be said about Carl's professionalism, honesty and transparency . Carl was available to answer all our questions and concerns regardless of the hour. The entire crew was absolutely amazing!! All were respectful of our home, professional, and kept us updated on the progress of the project. I'd like to give special recognition to Octavio Guevara who worked fervently from beginning to end, giving us this majestic waterfall! Even our dogs, Blu and Rocky, recognized his impeccable character!!! Thank you!

Old water and tank they kept our fish in.
Jeff C.

Octavio called me when he was running late and kept me in the loop the whole time. They were very professional and did a great job! I will use them again for my koi pond spring cleaning.

Before Columbia Water Gardens designed and installed our beautiful Koi pond.
Suze K.

Carl and his crew went above and beyond designing and installing our koi pond! They added beautiful touches and lighting that made our pond our new favorite spot on our property! They were on time, communicated with us, knowledgeable, trustworthy, professional and so friendly! I would definitely refer them to family and friends! This was a dream come true for my mom! Thanks guys you made us and the fish very happy!!

BEFORE

I really don't know where to start with complimenting this company. They transformed my my janky, home-made pond into a pondless masterpiece! From the initial consultation with Carl (the owner), to the meticulous professionalism of his team (Justin, Octavio, and Jose), these guys were wonderful to work with. They took special care of our existing spaces, plants, and installations, were respectful to me and my wife, and got every detail just right! They even replanted my plants and remulched! They absolutely went above and beyond in every way. The were also patient. I'm not the easiest guy to please. My Type A, Type 1, detail super freak personality usually means I micromanage my way out of fun projects, but I didn't have to with this team. Only a little help with some minor decisions required my attention, they took are of the rest. I cant wait to wake up every morning to smile at my new backyard! Hire these guys! No need to do more research. Just hire them and thank me later!

Laura R.

I have been struggling the past couple of days....something was wrong with one of my koi, the rest were fine...but this big girl just didn't look right to me and she didn't eat breakfast that first morning. I immediately checked parameters, we had vacuumed less than 2 weeks prior, had done a water change, used Pond Prime, beneficial bacteria...blah blah blah....we couldn't think of a thing more we could do This was the ONLY fish that seemed unhappy. I reached out to Carl Petite, who I've met through some online forums. I sent him this video and he agreed, this fish wasn't happy. We thought maybe it was something internal. I live in TX and he's in CA, so I called a "fish Dr" in my area. He too couldn't figure out what was wrong with this fish. Everything in their habitat seems fine This morning, I went to ck on the piggies and now another fish is swimming "weird", but this one is still eating....so I take a video and send to Carl. He called immediately and asked if we had a GFI to the pond. That was a big "NO".....he said he thinks something is shorting out and electrifying the water. I happened to mention that we had these underwater lights that started doing weird things....when I would try to change the lights with the remote, not all the lights in-line would change to the same color....I never payed much attention, it didn't matter to me. Bingo!!! Carl knew exactly what was wrong.... while hubby went into town for a GFI, I went out to the pond and pulled up the lights to ck the connections.....you'll see what I saw in the 2nd picture Carl saved us from losing our entire piggy family....and the heartbreak that was sure to come. I can never thank you enough Carl Petite and Columbia Water Gardens We will purchase a new set of lights for underwater.....a set that is closed...this in-line set will be used for the waterfalls and tucked into the rocks ABOVE the water line

Koi pond
Patrick B.

The level of service and knowledge that was provided to me by the owner and one of his installation technicians was priceless. I was in a panic when my koi pond stopped circulating water and within an hour a technician (Justin) was dispatched to my home. Within 10 minutes, the problem was identified. I had called numerous other places and nobody matched the professionalism and the genuine care and concern. I fully recommend this company and will look nowhere else for future needs.

Dillow's Water Garden

From any north facing window in the house, and from any vantage point on our decking, the eye is now drawn to the gentle flow of water over large simmering Palm Springs Gold boulders as it wanders gracefully down to a bottomless pool where the cycle is again repeated--pumped up, meanders down, singing as it goes, collected and returned. This lovely work of art replaces...well it replaces a baron deck. As the devastating news of the death of our youngest son settled in, we were faced with a host of issues no parent wants to confront but slowly the idea emerged to create some sort of "place" at our home to celebrate our son's life and host some of his ashes. Our second son had encountered a classmate from Middle School here in Redlands whose company COLUMBIA WATER GARDENS specialized in pools and water falls and artful work with rocks and blocks. Not knowing even the broadest outlines of what we were looking for we met with Carl Petite, our son's long-lost acquaintance and the owner manager inspiration behind CWG. He came to us at the end of a long day of work, and as if by magic somehow encouraged us to begin talking--talking about our son, talking about our pain, talking about our ill-defined wish to create "something" here near us to celebrate our son's life. I'm certain (well I exaggerate) Carl couldn't even spell hard sell. He listened empathetically, then pulled out his iPhone and began to show us some of his work as our eyes kept wandering to that open unused corner of the decking. Within an hour or more with Carl's gentle but expert help we had sketched out a water fall that he "might" be able to build for us in time for our Celebration of Life planned on our son's birthday in October. Within days Carl had drawn up a tentative project to scale (all projects he said are artistic works in progress--a declaration we were delighted to observe firsthand.) We met once more to go over general details, budget and schedule all of which were subsequently delivered electronically to us in thoughtful detail. One morning Carl's crew arrived and the magic began. Jose Ian and Octavio--and on occasion Carl himself, commenced the process of sawing through decking, moving dirt, hauling in gigantic boulders, rocks and dirt, blocks for the wall, rubber for the water channel. We marveled at the complexity of the project--water, pumps, electricity, lighting, landscaping--but we marveled more at the creative genius of all involved. Carl arrived on the first day with a can of orange spray paint and traced out generally where the water garden would go. We thought it off center. It was. Deliberately so. And it was brilliant in that regard--and then the work began. The work was basically done by the four mentioned men, working under the blazing hot July sun, from before 8 until after 5 daily for 2 weeks. Brief stop for lunch and then back at it. These 3 and Carl became family, adopted by us and Zona, the family dog. They were consistently of good humor, almost playful with us an our many questions, tolerant of modest suggestions and incredibly knowledgeable about their work. ("Sure you want to plant a palm near here...the root system will not be friendly to the--") Some artist use pencils, some paint, some oils. Ian, Jose. Octavio and Carl? Boulders and blocks. Boulders weighing up to 500 pounds! Try sometime making art with these--but art they did. We'd watch the careful placement of a huge boulder...the crew would back off, look at its placement from 5 different angles, come back and move it this way or that 6 inches, or tilt it one way or another until they were satisfied. And when they were satisfied? We were delighted as well. As the project neared conclusion, Carl came one morning with three pieces of driftwood. You see two of these clearly in the photo, front right and center. He was coming to Redlands from a project in the mountains when he spotted the wood and knew precisely where these 3 random pieces belonged. Again, the unerring eye and touch of an artist--spontaneous, not called for in the design, nor previously thought about. I should find some way to offer some thoughtful critic of the entire project least the reader dismiss the whole of this as fluff, so this: we did notice dust flying the day they hauled in the dirt, and there was the noise of the jackhammer as they crafted the shapes of the rocks, but other than these? Nothing. Columbia Water Gardens begin with Carl Petite. He's platinum. Smart, hardworking, a talented designer, but also an extraordinary human being--gracious, kind, soft spoken and caring. He loves his work, his crew, and we came to believe he loves his clients as well. His crew mirrors these talents and their work in our back yard will stand for us as long as we live as a celebration of a son too soon gone and the work of Carl's crew.

a rock garden in a backyard

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Thank you for the kind review Mark. Our team loved working with you.

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You were an Absolute pleasure to work with

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Ask the Community - Columbia Water Gardens

Review Highlights - Columbia Water Gardens

Carl and his team did a great job helping me turn our front lawn into desert scape.

Mentioned in 55 reviews

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MTS Landscape

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4.8
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This is the 3rd time we've used MTS landscape. I think that alone says a lot! At our previous home,…read morethey did astro turf and concrete. At our current home, they extended our driveway with concrete, built a concrete patio, installed astroturf, built a fire pit, a path, and adjusted our drip system as needed. Carlos is very communicative, replies quickly, and it's apparent that he knows the craft. The team is effective, works quickly, and worth every penny. I would highly recommend Carlos and his team and should we need more work in the future, I would reach out to him first. I've attached photos of our old home and our new one for reference.

We recently hired MTS Landscape for a project at our home that included cement work along the side…read moreand front of the house, as well as some custom cement planters. After finding MTS online, we compared their quote with a few other companies. When Carlos came out to meet with us, we immediately felt comfortable with his approach. He took the time to clearly explain the scope of work, and it was evident he had strong experience in this type of project. He really understood both the technical aspects and the look and design my wife had in mind, which gave us a lot of confidence moving forward. We also felt his pricing was reasonable, and he even offered some options to help us save money. The crew--Omero and his team--have been fantastic throughout the process. They've been polite, professional, and easy to communicate with. As of now, they are wrapping up the stucco and final clean-up, and everything is looking great. Overall, we're very happy with the results so far and the experience working with MTS Landscape. We would definitely recommend them for similar cement or concrete projects--or at the very least, suggest getting a quote from them when comparing options.

Columbia Water Gardens - landscaping - Updated July 2026

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