We had a great experience with Linda, owner at Sunrise Garden Design. She patiently listened to our…read moredreams and desires, and helped us land on a backyard design that was practical and beautiful. She clearly communicated her expertise and when our questions drifted to the actual execution of the work, she would always say "that is for the contractor to decide". While some may think this response abrupt or uncaring, Linda is clear in what she does (design) and does not do (installation). We did end up tweaking some design elements to lower installation cost but overall followed her plan. Even when we asked for different plants after her main design was completed, she helped us out at no additional cost. It was a good learning experience for us and we are happy with the final result. Thanks Linda for your great service!

My husband and I are so happy we enlisted the services of Sunrise Garden Design and had the…read morewonderful opportunity to work with its owner Linda. Linda's design process from beginning to end is extremely effective! It involved friendly communication and relationship-building to ensure we provided her with our plant interests and overall desired garden outcome that helped her with designing our front yard. Linda's expertise in plant knowledge and garden design resulted in a drafted plan that was very detailed and informative. In addition, Linda's contractor referrals helped to seamlessly complete the project process. About six years ago, we had our front yard transitioned from lawn to drought-tolerant plants, but it hadn't been thriving. With Linda's help, we were able to keep the healthier plants and incorporate their place in the yard into Linda's plan. We appreciated that as well as her suggestion to transplant many of the existing plants that didn't really fit the front yard's plan to the backyard area where they can still be enjoyed. Linda's gardening love and enthusiasm is infectious! With our newly completed front yard and improved backyard, I'm looking forward to increasing my own gardening skills and enjoying the therapeutic benefits it can provide.

We met Susan from Creative Exteriors Landscape Design when we were enjoying the Walnut Creek Garden…read moreTour a few years ago. She was very friendly and engaging when we met her and we subsequently saw a few of the gardens she had designed while on the tour. When we finally made the decision to update our front and back yards from grass to drought tolerant plant, we met with Susan to discuss what we were looking for. I wanted to have a "desert-scape" look, with a gravel mulch or base, in the front yard and my wife, Mary, wanted a colorful backyard filled with all the color and all of the flowers that we could plant! We were also adding a large 15' x 20' covered patio area to our existing covered patio area and adding additional aggregate patio under the new covered area. We also wanted to add a circular brick patio and fire pit to the back yard in an area that was currently lawn. Susan definitely understood the assignment and went right to work! She took photos of the existing front and back yards and produced a beautiful plan that met both of our desires. We tweaked a few things along the way and Susan helped us make our dream backyard a reality. She recommended a couple of landscape companies to bid on the job and we chose, Steve Gardell of Gardelle Construction to do the job. They were great to work with. Their entire team was amazing! Susan remained in contact during the construction and actually was onsite the day that the plants were delivered to make sure they were placed correctly. When we had concerns a few weeks later about a few of the plant choices we had made, she cheerfully guided us in replacing three or four plants with new varieties that she and my wife picked out. It's been a few months now since everything was finished and we could not be happier! I'm attaching some before and after pics for your review. All of the pictures that have lawn/grass in them are the before picks. If you're contemplating a landscape project, we could not recommend Suan any higher. Please contact her. You will not be sorry!

Confessions of a design snob: those strong opinions extend to garden and landscape design. So, in…read more2005, when we had enough of the juniper and pyracantha dominating the landscape of the original ranch home we had purchased a few years earlier, we started searching for a landscape designer. Of course, landscape architects and designers abound in our neck of the woods. Most were uninspiring. Many offered a "signature" design that they rubber-stamped upon every garden. As if gardens can be purchased off-the-rack. I can't quite recall how we found Susan, but I am so glad we did! She was collaborative, listened carefully to the vision of my land plan, and introduced a sophisticated plant palette that not only worked with my preferences but also the unique conditions of our property. The plant palette flowered and peaked throughout the seasons, introducing visual variety all year long. She helped us select a landscape contractor, showed up at important milestones to ensure that our collective vision was implemented, and helped me spend our limited budget wisely (we acquired a few 15-gallon trees, splurged on key 5-gallon anchor shrubs and 1-gallons; but saved money by purchases dozens upon dozens of 4-inch plants that I installed myself ... after after work, in the dark, with a headlamp on). The prior property owners never installed drainage and therefore caused the soil to be a sodden, stinky, clay-ey mess devoid of nutrients. So the new plants took a few years to establish. Five years later, the garden was drop-dead gorgeous and extraordinary - not only to behold but to enjoy. More importantly, Susan and I had such a fantastic time working together that we've kept in touch for the past 14(!) years ... and adapted the garden (through "garden refreshes") as our needs changed. Our continued collaboration allowed us to enjoy the garden as it evolved from the pristine weekend destination of a gardening enthusiast to a relaxed outdoor space that accommodates family gatherings, a play structure, games, and soccer nets. I have and will continue to recommend Susan to any one who will listen!

Natural Landscaping transformed my awkward, depressing backyard into a private oasis for my family…read moreand friends. Paul took my half-baked ideas, used them to develop a thoughtful, beautiful design, and then managed the installation to completion. Backyard project included: install wrap around paver patio, pergola, backyard plants, new lawn, and sprinklers; regrade, and fix drainage. We had a wonderful experience working him, and his pricing was very reasonable. Paul gave us such excellent work on our backyard, that we had him back to redo the landscaping for our front yard, and he nailed it again. Front yard project included: new concrete walkways, new driveway, LED lighting, and new drought-tolerant ground cover, plants, and cobblestones. Paul is our go-to guy for landscaping now.

Paul came by and we discussed my project. He was going to give me an estimate. Four days go by and…read morenothing. I texted him about it and he seemed to get upset. He then said I should just get another contractor, so I did. Good luck with this guy.

We had Black Diamond design and install pavers for our front and back yards two years ago. A few…read moremonths back, we noticed loose pavers on the stairs leading up to the house and larger-than-normal gaps between the pavers in other locations. I called Black Diamond and Chavalah and Ayla in customer support scheduled repairs within a couple of weeks. Hector came out and not only fixed the pavers we had marked, but also proactively inspected the remaining pavers and fixed them as well. We're glad to have chosen Black Diamond for this project.

We worked with Vanessa Grimaldo on a renovation of our backyard in Berkeley. Vanessa and Black…read moreDiamond Paver Stones transformed our dilapidated, overgrown backyard by installing paver stones, synthetic grass, a proper drainage system, and a rebuilt staircase. The finished backyard looks excellent and the quality of the construction appears high. Vanessa specifically provided excellent, white-glove service throughout the entirety of the project and was super responsive to all of our communication. We did have a number of issues arise with the crew (mainly excessive dust seeping into our house and trash being left behind on the neighbor's property line), as well as the accounting department (an accidental attempt at overcharging us), but Vanessa always did an excellent job of troubleshooting these issues and helping to guide everybody towards a resolution. She also worked diligently on our backyard design and expertly guided us through several iterations and unexpected construction issues. I highly recommend working with Vanessa and Black Diamond Pavers.

We hired Ricardo to help with a remodel of the pavers in our backyard and worked closely with Pat,…read morethe project manager. They were both wonderful to work with from start to finish - very communicative, professional, knowledgeable, and easy to work with throughout the entire project. Most importantly, the work speaks for itself. Everything turned out beautifully and we absolutely love our new backyard. We're so happy with the finished result and would definitely recommend Ricardo, Pat, and their team!

We purchased a home with a huge backyard and so much potential -- but it was completely overgrown,…read moreand it was hard to envision what could truly be done with the space. From the moment I reached out to Pat, we connected right away. He is incredibly knowledgeable about landscape design, layout, and all things plants. He really helped us see what was possible. Pat then introduced us to Ricardo, who is the expert in hardscape, mechanical work, and overall execution. Ricardo and his team worked tirelessly to demo our backyard. Once it was cleared, we finally saw how much usable space we truly had -- and we even uncovered a view! We were so pleased with the entire process -- from design to execution -- and absolutely love the end result. Working with Pat and Ricardo was seamless, professional, and collaborative. We're already looking forward to having them transform our front yard next. We highly recommend Universal Pavers for anyone looking to reimagine their outdoor space!

We have done multiple projects with NAB construction. Nate and his crew are fantastic. They do…read moregreat work, are responsive and are very professional. Hoping to plan many more in the future.

Nate and his team at NAB totally rebuilt the front stairs of our house, and put in some extra…read morelinear drainage that connected to our French drain system. It ended up being a decent size job, with a fair amount of digging for the drains and demo of the old stairs, took a couple weeks to complete the job. Nate was a pleasure to work with, responsive, had great ideas about how to tackle the job, and his pricing was totally fair. Most importantly, as you can see from the pictures, they did excellent work. Finally, they stood behind their work, a few cracks showed up maybe 6 months after the job (100% not their fault, we deal with a driveway that shifts a ton from the weight of a steep slope we are on) and they repaired the cracks no questions asked and free of charge. I know he does jobs much larger than this but he never made our job feel insignificant or unimportant, and followed through like a true pro. I'd use him or recommend him again, no question.

Alfredo and his team did a great job with our yard clean up. They were efficient and price was…read morecompetitive.

We've been working with Alfredo and his team for a couple of months and couldn't be happier with…read moretheir service. Their monthly rates are very competitive, and their response time has been great. On the few occasions we've reached out about minor repairs, Alfredo's quick response was especially impressive. If you're looking for a high quality and reliable gardening service provider, I highly recommend GT Gardening Service.

We worked with Francisco and Pat to design and install both a French drain and new driveway. The…read moredriveway came out beautifully and we are thrilled with the final product. Francisco and his crew worked hard and we were amazed at how they transformed our property so quickly. We appreciated the clear communication and thoughtful design they provided. We also felt that the price was very reasonable. We would certainly reach out to them again for future projects.

We had a great experience with Francisco and Gonzalez F Landscaping. Francisco provided a…read morecompetitive bid, started quickly, and completed the project on schedule. He built a stacked-block retaining wall with a very solid, conservative design, including a concrete foundation beam that others had not proposed to help ensure the wall wouldn't settle or move. Francisco also designed a thoughtful hillside drainage and discharge system to control runoff, prevent erosion, and avoid creating drainage problems for our downhill neighbor. His extensive experience with drainage systems was obvious, and he clearly takes pride in building things to last rather than cutting corners. Francisco is also an excellent communicator and listener. He took the time to explain the design and each phase of the work, listened carefully to what was important to us, and was very open and responsive to our questions and feedback throughout the project. His crew was hardworking, friendly, and a pleasure to have around. Francisco stands behind his work with a strong guarantee. We would definitely use Gonzalez F Landscaping again and highly recommend Francisco and his team.

Kevin, John and their team did a wonderful job of trimming my bushes and trees. They also met with…read moreease the challenges of clearing and trimming border plants and clearing months of inattention in both my front and back yards. (debris, weeds,leaves) The service was prompt, very efficient, and a very pleasant team to have in my yard, I am appreciative to have now scheduled monthly maintenance with Kevin, John, and team. Submitted by Donna L.

Kevin responded promptly after I left a message. He came to the house the next day. I showed him…read morethat I needed. I asked Kevin to clean up our front, side, and back yards. They were overgrown with weeds and some dead leaves from the rainy season. Also, the bushes needed trimming. He scheduled to do it only a few days later. His crew of 4 arrived on time and worked hard. The results were transformative. I am planning to have them do regular maintenance. Thanks Kevin!