We tried to schedule a 60 minute consultation with Matt with the intent of gauging whether we…read moreshould engage his full design service. We ran into some difficulties at the start due to a last-minute cancellation by Matt and some unresponsiveness through email. When we voiced our concerns, Matt really stepped up to ensure our concerns were met. He immediately refunded us for the cost of the service, and he offered to meet with us at no cost. We ended up taking a 30 minute video chat with him, and Matt was super helpful in explaining various options. When we realized that his typical project scope was a bit bigger than what we wanted to spend, Matt was very gracious in connecting us with other contractors and designers. Despite the early hiccups, we got the sense that Matt is a genuine guy who is more interested in doing the right thing rather than making quick buck. We really appreciate his thoughtfulness, and we will definitely consider engaging with his services again in the future!

We did a 75 minute Virtual Design consultation with Matt at Water and Earth earlier this year. Our…read morebackyard project wasn't quite large enough in size or scope for his full in-person design services. The virtual call was perfect for our project, we provided Matt with pictures of the backyard space as well as a video walkthrough. He took this information as well as our preferences for how we envisioned the space to be used to come up with a 2D design. He also recommended materials and local contractors. We contacted one of the contractors a few weeks later and finished the project with them in about 2 months. I highly recommend the Virtual Consultation for smaller projects with Matt. His feedback for our questions and experience with similar projects were very beneficial to starting this backyard project for us.

After interviewing several landscaping design firms, we chose to engage Taylor at Applewood for our…read morefront and backyard landscaping project. From the very first phone call, we could tell he knew his craft. He spent generous time listening to our wish list and understanding our vision, explaining the design/build timeline, and answering every "what if" we threw his way. We also loved his design work in his portfolio of course. Shortly after we engaged Taylor, he was on site taking detailed measurements, photos, and even drone shots of our entire front and backyard. He flagged any potential sloping issues, suggested realistic solutions, and connected us to his trusted referral that could further help us. Any time we had follow up questions, he made himself available and responded quickly - no hard sell, just clear information. Although we weren't able to go forward with the full project due to unexpected yard and budget constraints, Taylor handled the change with total professionalism and never made us feel pressured. The insight we gained from his preliminary work was helpful and will be very useful for when we decide to continue with the project in the future. If you are looking for a knowledgeable, responsive, and genuinely easy-to-work-with design partner, we'd highly recommend giving Taylor at Applewood a call.

Taylor did an awesome Job designing my front and back yard! In my opinion he is the best designer…read morethere is! Give him a try you'll be happy you did.

We hired John and his team at H&J Landscaping for a complete backyard renovation and couldn't be…read morehappier with how it turned out. The project included a paver patio, grass installation, concrete stepping stones with pebble borders, flower beds with irrigation, tree planting, a retaining wall and landscape lighting throughout. John really knows his stuff and has been doing this for over 30 years so it shows. He made sure everything was done right including adding weed blockers, bark mulch and even gopher wires under the planting areas so we won't have problems down the road. The price was very competitive compared to other quotes we got and the quality of work is outstanding. Yee was great with communication and always responded to our questions quickly which made the whole process easy. The crew worked hard every day, cleaned up after themselves and finished the project on time. Our backyard went from a bare mess to the best looking yard on our street and neighbors have already asked us who did the work. Highly recommend H&J Landscaping for any landscaping or hardscaping project. We will definitely be using them again for our front yard!

Although I ended up not going with H&J, the level of service and professionalism they offered for…read morethe onsite consultations was stellar. They gave valuable information and suggestions during the walk-throughs that helped carry over in my conversations with other contractors. I really appreciate the time they took to helping me out and would highly recommend them for anyone looking for a solid contractor with fair, competitive pricing. Honestly, I think their previous work speaks for itself.

I've worked with Amy on a couple of projects interior and exterior at my home. Amy's magic is not…read morejust copying the latest trends. Instead she listens and then works with her customers to provide her unique and beautiful design. She is a joy to work with!

I can't recommend Amy enough. She's a design magician! Everything she's helped me with has turned…read moreout amazing. I keep pulling her into projects because I know the end result will be better.

Excellent service and value for garden design and installation. Tina was great to work with in…read moreselecting drought tolerant plants for our front yard. She also reworked the existing irrigation system and fixed a lot of broken items for us. Her instal crew was very professional and we love the results!

Ambience Garden Design installed a small retaining wall and planted about 100 drought resistant…read moreplants in our front yard. This was done as part of a lawn conversion project. Tina's communication before and during the project was excellent. She is very responsive and delivered what she promised. Very happy with the quality of work.

Nightmear is not over. We hired gardener put weedscreen over the yeard, now the weedscreen…read morecompletely block the breath of the yead. All of the plant have mold on them. The only mistake source was Kathryn Mathewson. if she didn't suggest to change the composite, we would haven't had so much weeds, we wouldn't need weed screen and we ouldn't have the mold problem. I cannot express how angrey I am with the terrible quality work Kathryn has done for us!

Kathryn Mathewson and Secret Gardens Contributions to My Garden…read more Kathryn Mathewson and her company, Secret Gardens, has been working with me on my family's one acre garden for over ten years. Kathryn's many years of experience and education helps her quickly see problems and solutions. She has excellent artistic and ecological insight with deep plant knowledge. My family is always learning from her. Because of her special skills our garden is like no other. We started with a Master Plan and then took small steps to implement her plan. The first steps would take years to make an impact so we started with planting perimeter plants, preserving large trees, planting needed and unique trees, and improving our soil to make it biologically rich and healthy. We love our front garden waterfall/stream/pond garden with its two patios, native meadow, and unique paths. It is like nothing in any picture book! Kathryn has excellent long term vision to bring nature into my family's life. She is constantly educating us and everyone who works in our garden. She finds quality contractors and plantsmen to help build our vision and manages their work. Over the years I often have thought I could do something without her advice. This has led to mistakes which she graciously turns into a positive. Because of these mistakes I have learned to discuss all garden details with her and as well as many interior and architectural details. Interior and building topics she addresses and designs are: elevation improvements, window sizes, door location and designs, natural light in rooms, room designs to improve garden views out of every window, garden details which are harmonious with the house details, and appropriate craftsmen for each project. Our garden has been on garden tours and is used by local school children for their nature classes. On these occasions Kathryn educates the visitors and is an excellent and knowledgeable speaker. My family is honored to have had Kathryn come into our lives and help us improve our home and garden. I have attached some pictures which show the quality of her contribution to us.

My rule of thumb is to get 3 quotes and pick the middle. I also tend to believe that projects can…read moredouble in time and cost. Juan and Outertainments asked about our budget and then stuck to it (the only of the 3). Juan was very genuine in his feedback when we were getting our initial quote. Unlike other quotes where it was "yes" to everything (inevitably blowing the budget away), he helped us understand the value of some choices over others (e.g. cement vs pavers). Since this type of project was unfamiliar to us and we weren't certain on details beyond some high level things, he was able to take our suggestions and help us understand the final results. He was also flexible with giving us a few quotes as well as understanding what aspects could be split out to future projects. Abel (the foreman) and his crew came out and were PHENOMENAL. They were thorough and professional. They went above and beyond regularly. I joked with him on the last day that I'll be seeing him soon when we're ready for the front yard to be updated. I can't recommend them highly enough.

We had a strange issue. The contractor who installed the outdoor bbq we did not like and wanted to…read morechange it. Juan came up and helped us understand the problems and what is the best options. He did not wish to upsell and gave enough time to explain everything. Juan came up with an honest estimate and options for granite. He was upfront with the granite selection and was open to reusing our existing doors, warmer, sink, and lights. They were removed and replaced with pavers. The final product is incredible; we get so many reviews from whoever comes to our backyard. They not only completed it in the scheduled time but also did an excellent clean-up after the job. Overall, Juan and his crew did fantastic work. I have already started letting everyone know about your work in my neighborhood.