I had planned to write off our very poor experience with Kaiser gardens as a costly mistake that I…read morewould eventually forget, but having received another $168 invoice from the company today, I feel I can not be silent as I would hate for others to have such a negative experience. Lisa has a good design eye, but it ends there. Working with her was very disappointing and I wish I had never hired her - we wasted thousands and lost months and months. After $3,000 of design services and a crazily expensive $5,000 yard clean up that was twice what she estimated it would cost, we ended up with poor plans and the need to completely start over. In short: good design eye, below average listening to client's needs and carrying them through to design, and very poor work management. Very basic design criteria were ignored (e.g. we wanted only CA native plants, Australian plants or edibles and she came back to us with a list of plants that largely ignored the criteria), very basic measurements weren't taken (e.g. the distance of a few key trees from the fence were off by 15-20 feet, rendering every plan she did except the last completely unusable - it took me less than 20 minutes to get the measurements to within a foot or two - why she and her assistant didn't do that at the beginning is beyond me), and she spent time with us briefing a subcontractor who was not licensed to work here, and then another contractor who required a topo map - something we could have had done with our lot survey but didn't do as she told us it wasn't needed. The cost to do it after the fact as a separate survey was significantly higher than if we had done it in the first place. Most disappointing was her inability to give us very basic guidelines - eg. XYZ type of stone wall will cost about 2-3 times the same in wood - so we didn't have any sense of what the installation of the project would have cost. We have since spoken to a couple of landscape design/build firms and the difference has been night and day. The company we will go with managed in 30 minutes to walk around and give us a good rule of thumb - "if you want a solid curved stone wall about 30" high from here to there, it'll run around $15-$20k, but you can cut that a bit by using stone facing on CMU or slash it in half by going with straight lines and wood..." sort of basic info that Lisa could never give us. I regret every calling Kaiser, and I get angry every time I look at how her crew butchered my weeping native chestnut that had made a lovely veil to the ground - they were supposed to trim up a little in two spots to make a path under its boughs and they slashed the whole thing. I cry when I think about the money we wasted and fume when I think about what an awful experience it was. I wish I had my $8,000 and months of back and forth back.

We chose Lisa Kaiser of Kaiser Gardens for a complex landscape project involving many moving parts…read more- basically, designing and creating multi-level garden patios out of a heavily forested and overgrown hillside. This work required an exceptionally skilled eye for design, as well as a highly skilled and hardworking crew that possessed expertise in stonework, berm-building, patio-building, planting and irrigation, all of which and more was needed to execute a landscape design this challenging. Besides being a brilliant designer and having a great deal of knowledge of plants and materials, Lisa is a very thoughtful person who is able to stay calm and organized no matter the circumstances. She also brings a great deal of personal integrity to her work, which is so important when issues arise between clients and contractors, as they invariably do over a months-long project that throws unexpected curves to even the most well- thought-out plan. As a result, our project proceeded harmoniously to conclusion, leaving us with a "Garden in the Forest" more beautiful and functional than we had ever imagined. Not only were we happy with the "grand design" but also with the dozens of custom stonework, plant, and other design features that make spending time in our new garden such a joy. We were so fortunate to have found Lisa as well as her talented crew.

You know you have "arrived" when you are looking at Gardens and Gables. Their artistry is…read morelegendary and they create pure magic. I was looking at a home for sale when I actually took pictures of the backyard. It was that beautiful. Later when reading the disclosure on the property I saw the name behind the work that inspired me to consider buying the home. Garden's and Gables. Stone masonry, beautiful plantings, serene sitting areas, all made such an impression. About a week later after a lunch in San Rafael, my mom and I stumbled upon their office. My mom and I walked in and spoke with Margaux. She was running the office, but had time to discuss a consultation. They have a Landscape Architect and have won many awards. Margaux was very down to earth and easy to talk to. I am so grateful to have a chance to Cinderella my yard from weird looking failed amusement park into something beautiful. This company is the gold standard for landscape design.

When my wife and I wanted to have our two concrete patios and stairs redone in flagstone and also…read moreput in some new plants in our backyard, we interviewed a half dozen contractors/landscaping companies, including "Diamond Certified" companies. In the end, we decided to go with Gardens and Gables. First, their price for the project was very reasonable. Second, landscape architect Kathleen Slattery was able to suggest ideas that were not only better than what we had originally planned, but they saved us money too. Third, Orlando and his crew worked hard every day. cutting and setting the large, heavy flagstones. Their work was impeccable, and they cleaned up the site after every day's work. Kathleen was flexible with some further changes we wanted to add to the project, and she was easy to communicate with and kept us updated on the project. Now we can really enjoy our backyard. Gracious suburban living at its best! Mark Lundin

Nikolay and his team did an exceptional job! It's always a…read morepleasure to work with professionals who bring creativity and attention to detail to every aspect of a project, he and his team did that and so much more. They transformed a challenging, dirt hillside into a spectacular outdoor living space. The combination of practical elements like drainage and irrigation with aesthetic touches like dry stack walls, plant placement and lighting have created a truly stunning outdoor environment. The space has become an oasis in our day to day as well as completely functional entertainment area for family and friends. I would highly recommend Iris and will certainly use them again.

Quick and fair price. Leak was repaired without issues. Fast response and quick serviceread more

We engaged Marion for a series of 3 different fences around our home, planting of 2 20 foot oak…read moretrees, irrigation and mulch. All of the work was performed when scheduled, crew was prompt, courteous, professional;, and best of all experienced. When there was a questions, they asked and all of the work was completed to our specifications. It looks amazing especially the metal fence and the trees. Check out the images-I highly recommend Marion and his crew. Thanks for a great looking yard!

I highly recommend this professional, knowledgeable and excellent value for your money company…read more Marion is refreshingly old school. He's current in ALL materials and his design is amazing. So easy and stress free to work with. Do yourself a huge favor and contact Marion . Leave your project in the hands of truly professional with decades of experience Marion.

If you are looking for a really great landscape design, AJ is the one to go to…read more I have know him for a long time and had the pleasure to see his work and it is amazing. I highly recommend

The reviews speak for themselves. AJ is friendly, knowledgable and professional. He makes an…read moreeffort to explain all aspects of the project and present multiple solutions for the client. The website is a good resource for additional information and photos. I recommend AJ to anyone looking for a good landscape architect.

I've had the pleasure of working with Monarch Gardens for the past 10 years. They first designed my…read morefront garden, which exceeded my expectations. Carolyn and Dave completely understood my esthetics, and selected plants that matched it beautifully. I get so many compliments from neighbors to this day. Several years later, I was ready to tackle my backyard, and they delivered an absolutely wonderful space. This included some hardscaping and lighting as well as the planting, and we absolutely love it. I continue to work with the team on my garden maintenance and they are terrific. I highly recommend Monarch Gardens.

Carolyn and Dave Anderson have always been our first choice in landscape designers and gardeners…read morethroughout our many years of moving and establishing new and varied gardens. we have always relied upon Carolyn's sophisticated eye in choosing color palettes as well as livable designs that provide beauty and comfort regarding our outdoor living needs. Both she and Dave have always been accommodating and generous in their willingness to listen and to provide incomparable service. Their crew is just wonderful!

What a bummer. Dane is super knowledgeable and seems to have amazing designs that really keep Marin…read morebased plants and style at the forefront. Unfortunately he makes you jump through a million hoops to try to contact him including reading his books, watching his videos, submitting an 10 page form, and then requires a 4 hour paid design meeting where he can only meet you during the week (so you have to skip work). His schedule is booked out for months, and he just informed me (after doing all those steps) that he isn't accepting new projects at all in 2024 and can start soonest in 2025. Recommendation: be more upfront with your customers so they don't waste their time with your requirements and let people know right away if you are open to projects or not in the year. I will say - I really do love his portfolio of projects and wish I could work with him, so again - what a bummer.

I was very pleased with the work done by Mystical Landscapes. We had a project with retaining…read morewalls, a drainage system, stone pathways, a small patio, and some tree planting, as well as repair and programming of our irrigation system, among other things. It completely transformed our yard and improved our living space, due in no small part to Dane's artistic vision and his meticulous management of his staff. He gave a very clear breakdown of costs in the beginning that was above what I received from other landscapers. He gave options to reduce cost as I saw fit. He gave suggestions that improved the visual harmony of the yard, instead of simply meeting base requests. I ended up adding other improvements as the project went on because I was so pleased with the ongoing work and his transparent cost breakdowns. I particularly liked how we were able to repurpose elements of the landscaping to other areas of the yard, instead of simply throwing things away. It made me feel like we made the best possible use of our budget. Overall, I'm very pleased and will be contacting Dane again for future landscaping projects, as well as recommending him to friends.

Fabian mowed, edged and trimmed my lawn in no time flat. Skills and tools make such a difference…read more He blew the clips clear of the driveway and sidewalk and left everything very tidy. He was very responsive to my request through Yelp and arrived promptly. He gave me an estimate for further yard clean up and communicated clearly. You will be pleased when using Fabian.

Fabian rocks! He showed up on time and found the the problem with my irrigation system and fixed it…read morequickly. He's a 5 star guy! I highly recommend him.