What a bummer. Dane is super knowledgeable and seems to have amazing designs that really keep Marin based 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. read more

I was very pleased with the work done by Mystical Landscapes. We had a project with retaining walls, 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. read more

Dane is a cheap shot. And not to mention a racist man... He had promised to pay an amount and then backed out last minute when the job was done . He claimed he did not like the work , but was the one who ordered all materials. He was supper rude to the workers that were doing the job for him . He made a racist remark when they were finished and talked down on them like if they didn't understand him . When I. Fact they spoke proper English and most the workers are Mexican american . He told them he wasn't going to pay them an amount bc he didn't like how it looked when again he was the one who ordered all the materials . He tried defaming a worker and telling him he wasn't good at his job when that worker has been in that field for more than 10 years . And never had a complaint... always done correctly . Next time you have this man do a project for you at your home . Remember that he treats his workers like crap especially his Mexican workers . Also remember that it's not him creating your beautiful garden or ur concrete floors , or your home lay out , it's the workers that are busting their asses to make sure you get your dream come true and it's their hands that build your places ... these poor 4 men work their asses off on a 10 grand job. Just so that he can pay them 800 . Which is only 200 dollars each... instead of the 1,800 he promised them... I highly do not recommend to put ur dream homes in the hands of this fraud and racist man .... Again think of the workers he treats terrible .... read more

Dane and crew worked with us on an extensive home back and front yard remodel project that included the removal of a large fountain and koi pond, hillside planting, and pool tiling work. Dane's priority is client satisfaction from beginning to end. We did not know what we wanted or what was possible with our project. He helped us hone our design aesthetic and came up with a plan that was both beautiful and practical for our needs. When challenges came up, as they always do, Dane pivoted design changes as needed while keeping us on budget. Dane also reuses materials as much as possible, such as using excavated dirt from the backyard in the front yard to save us money. Dane's crew is reliable and easy to work with, and we were happy to have them at our home. One of our main priorities was good communication. Dane and his team were always reachable. Even a year and a half later, we could contact Dane with any questions about our project and know he would be happy to help. We love how our project turned out and enjoy it so much whenever we look out our windows. read more

Mystical Landscapes - Pool tilework - Landscaping Near Me - San Rafael, California

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Believe it or not, we found Mystical Landscapes on Craigslist and continue to be amazed @ the overall transformation of our steep, uninteresting backyard. Owner, Dane Rose was quick to grasp our wishlist: patio to join several awkward areas, pathways to connect each side of the house, deer-resistant plants and a 20' x 40' flat "play area" for family and friends to enjoy. The project was completed efficiently, well within the planned timeframe. There was some miscommunication as to the size of the patio as Dane's drawings are conceptual rather than precise. His contract was both detailed and concise with payment due dates. read more

I've had several subsequent consultations with Dane and each time I take away ideas that are actionable and that I immediately put into practice. Whether it be small things like a suggestion to put in a water tap so we can hand water plants in a new area, how to avoid slippery steps, or conceptual things like asking "what are you trying to accomplish here" and giving advice on how to accomplish a certain feel, I've appreciated his work. read more

Dane is shockingly unprofessional. As a non-profit children's preschool, we were over-the-moon to hire him. Our teachers and families, alike, were so excited to see to our outdoor garden and play area transformed by his ideas. He had some wonderful ideas but they never came to fruition. After we hired him, signed our contract and paid half the contract amount, he became increasingly hard to get ahold of. On the few occasions he did show up to work, he arrived late in the day, stayed for an hour or two, then left. His attitude became unsavory: boasting that our $5,000 contract was beneath him, unlike the $100,000 jobs he claimed to book. We expected our project to be finished by the agreed date of Friday, March 17, 2017. Instead, we were left in the lurch. He left many unfinished projects including: installing our sound garden, completing a sandbox, and finishing a multi-level sail shade structure. And to add insult to injury many of the things left undone were unsafe for our students. Today, when he arrived to work, at 2:30pm, he walked out on his contract. After he quit, we asked him to leave. To our surprise, he refused. We asked him repeatedly to leave, and he continued to loiter, saying: "Go ahead and call the police." So we did. San Rafael Police arrived and escorted Dane from our campus. read more

Mystical Landscapes - Dane being escorted off the campus by SRPD. - Landscaping Near Me - San Rafael, California

We had Mystical Landscapes (ML) do a pretty major overhaul on our backyard in fall 2020 and as I am writing now in the spring of 2021 - we are VERY pleased with the results. We removed our lawn, which was a real pain to keep healthy giving the soil and location, and removed multiple pretty ugly pressure treated wood retaining walls. In its place we now have a beautifully sculpted Sonoma fieldstone retaining wall, new artificial lawn and a wonderful assortment of plants. The net result is essentially a new living space as we love being in our backyard, and on our patio looking at our backyard, whereas before it was not an appealing space, so we never really used it. Now its the best "room" in the house. Dane did a great job of looking at the value of his work, bang for the buck spent, and improvement in home value, as well as incorporate cool design features to make our yard beautiful, fun and unique. Thanks ML! read more

We hired Dane to re-do portions of our yard that another gardener had installed. We found him very easy to work with, very clear and willing to work within our parameters. He also listens and has a good eye for the calm, coordinated look we wanted. Every time we look at our back yard, we are glad we hired him! Our front yard is very challenging (south-facing, clay soil, lots of deer that munch almost everything). He warned us that a few plants might not survive, but he will replace any that die within a year, which is a great guarantee. We've only lost a few to our voracious deer. He makes the whole process easy and uses a better method of installing irrigation hoses to reduce leaks. We hope to hire him again for another section of our yard. read more

Dane is a mixed bag. He has a wonderfully creative mind, but his execution was lacking. He brought several unique design elements to the project, where if executed well they would have been amazing. We had several large communication failures. We wanted a colorful garden and got a fairly average succulent garden. His lump sum contract means that you have to just trust that you will love those high level line items. In actuality you have no idea what you are getting till it is done, if you love it then you will be happy, if you don't you are stuck. In our case lump sum meant if he went over in one area he skimped in another to even out costs. So we paid a huge premium for a potted plant area that was poorly executed. Even though his contract is lump sum he will itemize costs. Where I could confirm the costs he listed, they were 50-150% marked up and he "charged" tax on the marked up value. I found this to be a poor value. Here is my review on a scale of 1-10: Finished Job on Time 10 Creativity 8-9 Small Equipment Operator 8-9 Execution of Ideas 4 Quality of work 3 Communication Skills 3 Attention to detail 2 Value relative to results 2 read more

**I'm updating this review 6/28/15 and adding a star. Here's why: We are blown away by how quickly the garden has filled in and how well everything is growing. Soil prep and plant selection has been just about perfect with few casualties and no deer trouble. Dane has continued to be available and has made a couple of visits to tweak and troubleshoot plants and hardscape. This service after the fact is valuable and appreciated. Hiring Dane was like taking our hopes for our landscape and pouring on time and talent we don't have. The result was a design that reflects how we live in our space and some really great surprises. Dane planted a tough, steep slope with a great variety of deer and drought resistant plants without sacrificing color and texture and he created a vegetable garden and mini orchard in a limited space. He is a fountain of good ideas, some of which saved us a lot of time and money by letting us refinish and reuse certain elements of our landscape that I might have torn out. He reconfigured an existing dry stack wall and paired it with some timber steps that look like they've been there forever, and he refinished an old fence giving it a new life. Dane is a good collaborator who truly designs with the character of the client in mind. I highly recommend him for landscape, garden and hardscape projects of any size. read more

Bravo to Mystical Landscapes! They did a great job in restoring our garden this summer. Dane Rose, the owner, was very knowledgeable and professional. Together with his wife Jan, the project went smoothly and was completed on time at the highest level of quality. They not only brought life and colors to our garden, but also created a truly mystical garden for us. We highly recommend Mystical Landscapes. read more

Dane is the real deal. I have been a horticulturalist for forty years twelve of which were with Sunset Magazine. Now I am a Garden Coach and have walked hundreds of gardens with clients. Dane is the type of landscaper dreams are made of. He does what the client wants, completes the job in a timely manor and works one job at a time. These are very important qualities in a design build contractor. read more

After searching for a while, Dane was my first choice in contractors to help me transform an uninteresting back yard with a water thirsty lawn into a meditative temple garden. I was not disappointed. The transformation was a success! His experience was evident as he listened and then made suggestions. His demeanor is respectful, humble, and honest. He was a very open and creative collaborator, ever mindful of his client's vision. I always felt that he truly wanted the finished product not only to be a pleasing landscape design, but also to be something that would thrive and that could be appreciated for years to come. His broad range of experience and knowledge were evident as he and his crew tackled the multiple aspects of the project from deconstruction, construction, soil amendments, drainage and plantings. Everything was completed in a timely and professional manner. He more than met my expectations. read more

I have worked with Dane on several occasions and found him to be an excellent collaborator. He combines an almost encyclopedic knowledge of plant material with an intuitive sense of what would work visually in the surrounding context and with regard to the existing architecture. He is open to experimentation, but also relies on his years of experience to create landscapes that will thrive in challenging environments. I would absolutely recommend him. read more

I found Dane and Mystical Landscapes because I admired another garden he installed in my neighborhood. I had a general idea of what I wanted to do with my garden, but Dane improved my ideas and put them into action. He provided a fair quote, an ambitions timeline and creative design/installation ideas. Dane kept me involved throughout the design and installment process. When something was not exactly what I thought it would be, I would mention it to Dane and he would address it immediately with his crew. Communication was easy and honest. Dane was extremely responsive when I had an issue with the new irrigation system coming immediately to fix it. Dane provided what we agreed on and delivered the project on time. I have already recommended Dane to a neighbor and would not hesitate to recommend him again. read more

I contacted Dane with the goal of having my dull, ordinary, small condo patio turned into something special. I wasn't sure what could be done, given all the condo regulations. But Dane assured me that my patio space could be greatly improved. He was right, and I was not disappointed. The result was far more than anything I could have imagined and has resulted in rave compliments from family, friends and neighbors, as well as plaudits from my friends all over the world. As for me, I'm truly loving the remodeled space, spending quiet times reading, having lunch, and relaxing on the patio as well as some casual entertaining. The work was done on time and for the agreed-upon price, always a pleasant surprise when dealing with contractors. I'm sure Dane was tempted to steal my extension cord, but he managed to restrain himself! And one more thing: A few plants were damaged in the unusually hard freeze this winter. Not Dane's fault, but he took care of them at no charge - as part of his one-year warrant. The project was a resounding success. My condo patio is now a showpiece. read more