Dave's Organic Gardening has been a wonderful experience for our family plus extended family! Dave has taught us so much about plants and how to take care of them. All naturally, it has been a fantastic ride; our plants are doing great under Dave's excellent teaching. This morning I looked up at a tree that was trimmed under Dave's advice. I realized how gorgeous it had become, perfectly balanced and happy! I am learning and loving it; Dave is so strait forward so natural, with a big heart showing all over him. Creating a garden, fruit, veggies, flowers, succulents, whatever is your fancy, you need a wonderful soul like Dave to guide you and teach you the ropes and send you on the way the be a green thumb! Genuinely written with much gratitude. read more

If you want the review in a nutshell, here it is: Dave's Organic Gardening did more damage than help for our yard. He charged double what he said he would. He would go for long periods without communicating and showing up. And when we asked for clarification on bills that listed visits when his team did not show up, or for work that was never completed, he got very nasty in his communication. To read more about our experience with Dave, please read on. We had high hopes for Dave's Organic Gardening. We hired him after doing extensive landscaping, and our previous gardeners were doing blowing and mowing, but very little active maintenance of the yard. We agreed to pay him double what we had previously been paying, and he promised that he would get the yard in great shape. He and his team began by replacing plants that weren't doing well, and he encouraged us to use his "tea" to get the plants going. Despite the agreement on $300/month for the maintenance, he began regularly charging us $600+/month. We initially thought that the high rates would go down as soon as the yard got in shape, but the huge invoices kept coming. To make matters worse, he wouldn't arrive at a regular time each week, which made it difficult to communicate with him on site. In fact, he would go weeks without showing up (as our lawn soon began to look like a meadow of weeds). One major element that needed help was irrigation, and he promised to get the irrigation of the front and back yard figured out. I gave him access to our irrigation system, yet he only worked on a small portion of the yard (neglecting the irrigation across the majority of the yard). Many plants died as a result. After months of neglect and infrequent visits (yet continued invoices that kept arriving), we canceled our relationship with him. Here is a quick list of the reasons we are so unhappy with Dave's Organic Gardening: 1. Some of the plantings that we paid for at the outset were never ordered and planted. 2. Many of the plants that we laid out to be planted in particular places were planted in the wrong place. As a result, some areas are crowded with plants, whereas other areas are empty. 3. A large percentage of the plants that were planted with the expensive compost tea died or are still struggling mightily. In fact, most of the plants that he installed are now dead. 4. We were charged for items in the invoices that were never completed. For example, we needed our vines trimmed, yet they were never done. Even so, his invoices listed these tasks as completed. 5. Irrigation on the yard was only partly completed, yet we were charged for all of it. 6. Regular maintenance was charged for but not provided (e.g., lawn was 2' tall), but invoices kept coming. 7. Dave encouraged us to mulch the garden, but the mulch job was super sloppy. When they installed, they just covered the yard with it, ignoring design elements like a pea gravel border. Worse yet, he charged a lot for the mulch, but we were removing trash and ceramic bits out of the mulch for months. 8. We had to re-do all the pea gravel landscaping that was buried under mulch. What makes all of this worse (the sloppy work, the dying plants, the exorbitant prices) is that when we asked him to elaborate upon the invoices, especially the ones that came in months late and included dates when he and his team weren't there (my wife and I were home working throughout the pandemic), he was--as others have said--really nasty. He starts out very nice, but he can quickly turn very unprofessional. Since we let Dave go, we hired another gardener, who charges a fraction of the rate, works very efficiently, and has helped our yard recover from the damage that Dave did. read more

Dave listened and communicated well while providing services that met our needs. We appreciated his organic approach to keeping our yard healthy. read more

If you're considering working with Dave Hunsaker, you're very fortunate to have found him! In January 2022, I assumed the responsibility of a HOA property comprising 38 units on a six-acre property that was extremely neglected for 7/8 years. Today, in October 2023, the irrigation is working accurately and efficiently because of Dave's ongoing commitment to identify the water zones associated with 5 controllers and 50+ values. That in itself - was no easy task because so many valves were buried and had been lost for years! Not only did he identify the zones and watering patterns, but he also generated the documentation to create an efficient working map for the entire property. At that point, it was all about repairs and replacements with an absolute commitment to implementing the best water-wise solutions available. In addition, he had me hovering over him throughout the process, asking questions, listening, and learning. Knowledge is power - I've gained that because Dave is so knowledgeable (and patient) about all aspects of irrigation and horticulture, a true source for everything. With the irrigation working at peak efficiency and a 20,000 decrease in water expense compared to last year, yes - that's something to talk about! At this point, we transitioned to the enjoyable task of planting. Once again, Dave's vast knowledge of drought-tolerant plants and an overall organic approach to maintaining the property has been invaluable. In closing, the property is thriving now, so his role is nearly done, and his accomplishments are profound. His expertise will always be included in the annual budget to assess the on-site landscape crew and ensure the irrigation system and property are maintained to our established standards. The cross-check between two providers is imperative for a property of this size and complexity, and we are immensely thankful that he will continue to oversee and maintain the integrity of what he's accomplished with this property. I'll say it again because it's worth saying again - if you're considering working with Dave Hunsaker, you're very fortunate to have found him. read more

UPDATE: We worked diligently to be constructive and very nice. As mentioned originally he started out well. I am updating as am shocked at his petty note below and his accusations with the other reviewer. Note readers...no recent reviews...the only positive is outdated. If you have any concerns or issues, you can see how he handles it. We concur with the other negative review and also had a specialist come in to look at the similar odd pore/ fungus-like issue. Irrigation and water was not an issue. Evidence pointed to something that was put in the soil. (ie bad brew of compost tea) The other client who let him go also advised she felt the compost tea brew had become nasty...not just ineffective but damaging. My review sharing our disappointment and perplexment was fair and factual. His response, as you can see was aggressive. Is this the kind of person you want on your property tending to your sweet garden? As originally stated: "started out great. another client of his (note: have learned she let him go too after seeing her plants die, high bills but worse work, and concerns about his compost tea)...and myself had been perplexed as his downhill trajectory. He misses gopher/mole/rat activity and just wants to sell you on his compost tea (can be great IF prepared correctly but not if you miss key other issues which are simple to discover). He now has a second person and didn't tell me the rate would go up in advance. He also verbally said one quote and billed higher. When trying to address it, he wouldn't. He also would be a no show on and off during the many months...sometimes disappearing for 3 weeks. Odd. I hope he can turn things around. (NOTE: i stated my hope he could turn it around...but he just went on the aggressive offense instead) Follow up; His take on things is overly defensive, inaccurate and extremely offensive. He has taken great liberty with the truth.. It is ironic because we had at one point taken the time to advocate for him, spread the word and recommend him to others. When it started to go down hill, we tried to work it out and give him the benefit of the doubt. We clearly should have quit him ooner. Given the time we invested both with him and in trying to get the word out to support him, his response is beyond disappointing. Thus, it is important we take the same time to alert others of our experience. Reviews are one data point for customers Dave...you don't need to be so aggressive with me. We remind you do not come on or near our property again. read more

Dave's Organic Gardening helped us create a totally organic garden for the first time and we couldn't be happier! Our garden has been ridiculously bountiful and we learned many interesting permaculture techniques, like composting, planting symbiotic plants together, and attracting natural pollinators. I also feel like working with Dave helped me really understand the joy of gardening. Now I love getting my hands dirty and eating loads of homegrown, organic produce with my family. Give Dave's Organic Gardening a try! read more

Dave's Organic Gardening - Our first totally organic garden was super bountiful! - Landscaping Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Dave and his team are highly reliable. He communicates well and offers suggestions on how to improve your yard. I highly recommend him.

Sweetwater Collaborative sought Dave's expertise in making compost tea for us to improve the soil for a food forest project we were working on. Dave was prompt and courteous and had good follow through. He went out of his way to deliver the tea the first time, and had it ready for pick up when we did that two weeks later. The tea looked good; effectiveness is only measurable over time. He invoiced us for his work and kept good records. Dave also explained the process and equipment he used to make the tea, which gave me added confidence in his product. 7/11/2015 Now two years have gone by. Sweetwater has continued to rely on Dave's Organic Gardening to provide compost tea for most of our workshops. We have found that it really makes a difference when we plant trees after first soaking them in Dave's tea, and pouring it at the bottom of our rain garden basins. We highly recommend Dave as a first rate source of compost tea. read more

I recently hired Dave to care for our garden. After I explained to Dave, what I wanted, we negotiated how much time he would need. I was so pleased when upon his next visit, he remembered and completed each task I had requested. Our yard is beginning to look cared for and he is bringing it back to its original glory. He is a really nice guy to have around, a good listener and I am able to text/email him, any requests I have for ongoing work! I feel like I have an ally in the garden, someone who cares as much as I do. He is on time, fairly priced and honest. read more

Dave and his crew have been caring for my garden for a few years now, and it has never looked better. He has weaned me off using chemicals, and introduced me to ways of keeping the garden looking beautiful without them. I enjoy working in the garden myself, and Dave is able to understand what I want and how to make that happen. I have been extremely happy with the work he has done for me, and I would recommend him to anyone who is looking for a knowledgeable, reasonably priced and hard-working gardener. read more

Dave is great - his work is high quality, affordable and thorough - he put in a raised garden bed for me recently - and I love it! read more

These guys are great and true to their name. Extensive knowledge of organic gardening practices. They work hard and show up on time. Reasonably priced and easy to talk to. Double thumbs up. read more

I've known Dave a few years now, and have used Dave's Organic Gardening a number of times. He has always delivered good service in a timely manner, at fair rates. He just removed a bunch of ornamentals that were encroaching the driveway ( this week ). In the past year he removed a huge amount of very heavily ingrown English Ivy. This was a big job but Dave knocked it out beautifully, and helped us remediate the area afterwards. Dave left our place a lot better than he found it. We will continue to use him with confidence. read more

I'm so happy to have found someone as dependable and reliable as Dave. I really appreciate that we can email ideas back and forth and that he's easy to communicate with. Dave is happy to share ideas and suggestions - never pushy and always a good listener. He's obviously dedicated to the good health and balance of my yard and plants, and things are so much improved since he's taken over from my week-end warrior model! I had some camellias that would look good for about one month a year, then start looking sad and blighted. Under Dave's care they are improving all the time. Thanks Dave! read more

I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Dave's Organic Gardening. Dave is professional, timely and dependable. He shows up when he says he will and does an absolutely amazing and beautiful job. He is also a great guy to have around, the kind of person you enjoy talking with and look forward to having on your property. He helps out in any way he can. He even collected my mail for me when I was out of town! Amazing! You'll never be disappointed with Dave! read more

We hired Dave after our previous gardener no-showed several times and when he did show up, we were not pleased with his services. Eventually, we fired him after several chances and hired Dave. Dave made an appointment and showed up on time. We told him what we were looking for and needed. We have a small garden in our back but it is full with native plants, roses, honeysuckle, hibiscus, an aloe tree and various succulents. When we hired Dave we thought the aloe tree was going to have to be replaced but he brought it back to life. Further, the garden is RADIANT and THRIVING. He is always on time, returns text messages, communicates extremely well and is very fair in his pricing. If he doesn't know something, he researches the issue and find out for you rather than telling me incorrect information. He just recently made us a beautiful raised redwood veggie garden and high enough for me due to my disability and it is GORGEOUS. I very rarely take the time to right such a good review on an individual for his services, but Dave is above and beyond. I recommend him highly. read more