Nikos and his crew at Terra Bella Landscaping are truly the 'Dream Team!' From the design plans to implementation, things went smoothly and the work was even done before my deadline. My vision was of an English Garden and a South of France aesthetic. We met several times and there were at least two design changes until we reached the final design, including the specific plants such as annuals, perennials, fruit trees, roses, aromatic vines, herbs, hydrangeas, ground covers, etc. His crew were on time, polite, and cleaned up after each day's work. In my conversations with Nikos, he mentioned the idea of an 'edible garden,' which could introduce different textures and colors to the yard. I must admit that I was not keen on mixing my lovely garden with vegetables, however, our yard gets the most sunlight in the middle section of the garden so it appealed to me. Nikos mentioned the work of Rosalind Creasy in her book 'Edible Landscaping,' and even gave me the book! Once I saw the ideas in the book and how they could mesh nicely with my English and French garden vibe, I realized I could have it all: a beautiful multicolored and fragrant garden with 'farm to table' capabilities. I couldn't be happier, and I highly recommend Terra Bella Landscaping for your gardening needs! read more

I've had them complete both my backyard and more recently my front Landscaping done. I love it and now have full use of my yards all season. Everyone is professional and easy to work with. I will continue to use them in the future. Would recommend them to anyone. read more

Terra Bella has been one of the best contractors we've ever worked with. Nikos and his team have been extremely responsive, diligent, and committed to the project. They take care to make sure all the landscape elements work together, including items that we didn't anticipate when we decided on the project. They were extremely fair, and kept us fully informed throughout the project. The project had some access problems, but Nikos and his team communicated very professionally and politely with our neighbors to solve these, and all were complementary of them. Would definitely use Terra Bella again. read more

Nikos and crew did a phenomenal job on our front yard. It was a complete refurb from a (drought victim) grass patch to a beautiful fenced-in paver patio with landscaping. We spent quite a bit of time in the design phase working to blend in the existing trees and deck. He has a left-brain creative approach, listened to our wants/needs and offered great ideas. The construction went smoothly and well-coordinated as I was some doing projects alongside his crew. We finished very close to budget. His guys worked hard and were diligent about site safety. We are really pleased. read more

Terra Bella Landscaping - NIkos and crew did a great job on my front yard! - Landscaping Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Terra Bella Landscaping completed a backyard landscaping project for us this spring. We did a lot of research and received several quotes before deciding to work with Nikos, and are very happy with the quality and scope of the work that was done. Our project entailed: - Beautiful new stone paver patio - Realistic, safe, and low maintenance artificial turf - Functional grading, irrigation and drainage - New sprinkler system - Tasteful, high quality, and thoughtful use of plants and ground cover - A winding 'dry creek' made of stones, which Nikos proposed and which we love - Build out of a play structure for our boys One thing that is particularly unique with Terra Bella, at least compared to a few other companies we received bids from, is that Nikos used computer aided design to take our concepts, ideas, and favorite photos from Houzz and Google Searches to develop a landscape plan for our backyard. This was extremely helpful, and helped us visualize the final product and provide feedback and changes before a shovel (or tractor) ever hit the soil. Nikos and his team's expertise, integrity, creativity, skill, and execution were all top-notch, and we are very pleased with our new backyard. read more

After my last review Nikos contacted us and then came by to fix the problems I had written about. He found that his workers hasn't hooked up a couple of the drip irrigation lines properly, and fixed them. He also changed out the valves on the irrigation system so now we can choose to either use gray water or tap water in our drip system. This has been a great help because now I don't have to water all the plants by hand every weekend. And, he didn't charge us for this additional work. As I said initially Nikos is a nice guy. And in the end I am happy with the work that was done. It just took a long time (and a lot of angst) to get there. read more

One of the best and most ethical landscape contractors I have worked with. You are in good hands with Nikos from Terra Bella. read more

Beautiful landscape at our new house. The crew was easy to work with and made our outside so beautiful! Really worked with the budget we had. Thank you for the wonderful yard! read more

Terra Bella Landscaping - Front yard - Landscaping Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Nikos and his team installed a rain water retention system for us about 9 months ago. The process was easy, the tanks look amazing, and best of all - they work! Thank you Nikos for your expertise and thoughtfulness. You continue to be super helpful when we have questions and great to know you are always a phone call away. read more

About 14 years ago I tried to contact them repeatedly about landscaping services, but they never returned my calls. I just decided to try them again last week, and called their number repeatedly over the course of several days - leaving a polite message each time asking them to call back. Their recorded message said they would return my call as soon as possible, but my experience this time is the same as the last - they were completely non-responsive. Perhaps they should change the message on their machine to more accurately reflect their dysfunction. read more

Terra Bella Landscaping did an excellent job landscaping our backyard. We were impressed with the knowledge and time Nikos spent helping us identify which plants would yield the most success in our new backyard. Before the landscaping, we had a somewhat unusable space above a retaining wall. Now we have beautiful staircase to access the space and a wonderful seating area. Thanks to everyone at Terra Bella! read more

Terra Bella Landscaping - Landscaping Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Nikos and his crew did a great job transforming our sketchy landscape into a thing of beauty and function which we hope to enjoy for many years to come. Nikos was easy to work with and was most accommodating when changes were needed/requested. This was a five week 15000 square foot project that included elevation changes, crushed granite paths with 64 steps, a flagstone patio, several retaining walls, a Bocce court, a horseshoe court, and approximately 350 plants. There were a few bumps along the way but the project came in pretty much on time and on budget. Many thanks to Nikos and his crew for a wonderful landscape. read more

We are very happy with our new landscape! From the design process through the completion of the job, Nikos was excellent to work with. He always listened carefully to our ideas and comments, was very knowledgable, stayed within our budget and completed the work in a timely manner. We would highly recommend Terra Bella Landscaping! read more

It has finally come time for me to write my very bad review for this company. I really wonder how much $$$$ one has to spend to get treated with professionalism. I'll get into more of that later. Initial design was boring, I had to make many adjustments and bring ideas. Execution was poor. Guys break branches and/or step on plants. Do you think they would prune off the broken branches? Hell no. We had a veggie box with drip system installed. Um, they literally ran a pipe into the box ...and thats it. The water came out in one spot and ran out the box. This is an example of how poorly Nikkos supervises and manages his crew. They also planted one of the plants sideways...told him about it many times and they never fixed it. So many other similar examples. The initial design was so boring that I decided to redesign part yard myself. I thought about doing it DIY but I don't have the time. I did extensive plant searches and picked out what I wanted. Nikkos made some really weird suggestions that didn't make sense at all for the space. Like a Willow tree right by the house...uh, no thanks I don't want the roots to tear up my foundation or the tons of leaf debris. So after all the work I did in selecting plants, he claims he can't find some of them cuz they are too exotic...yet I see some of them at the local supermarket! Then there is the very confusing estimate, this guy needs to take a class on excel cuz he doesn't know how to use a spreadsheet. He wouldn't list the plants on the estimate so I was never clear on if I was actually getting what I wanted or not. Then there is his very unprofessional, confusing and even juvenile way of communicating on email. I send him a well written, direct and clear email with what I want and I get back...oh 4 one sentence emails that don't answer my questions (which I even numbered to make it easier for him). Oh and he also took the liberty to harvest wild mushrooms out of my yard without my permission, nice touch of doucheness. The job is done like they are a discount company but the bill is NOT. It kinda makes me wanna start my own landscaping company so I can do a much better job. read more

Nikos replaced our backyard fence. After about a year the treated fence posts showed rotting. Nikos was not prepared to replace them or warranty the posts for an extended time taking into account the rot. I feel he did not stand by the materials he used. Would never use him again especially with his poor attitude. read more

Nikos and his crew created a beautiful front yard with artificial turf, plants, irrigation, and a dry creek. He's knowledgeable about all aspects of landscaping, has good design ideas, is easy to work with and kept me involved as the design progressed. I'm very happy with the work and the end result. Several years ago he created a lovely back yard and I had no hesitation about calling him when I was ready to redo the front yard. read more

I have had a stellar experience with Terra Bella. My family and I needed to completely transform and revitalize our front yard. This was no mean feat - our yard required complete demolition and tree removal, regrading, a stone walkway, and fence replacement. My wife and I had a rough vision for what we wanted and Nikos helped us clarify and refine that vision into a real project through the design and feedback process. His suggestions were great and he provided very helpful diagrams and mockups. Once the project began in earnest, the crew was very good and quite respectful of our time and space. The project progressed on schedule and all of the major milestones were hit as anticipated which was just delightful given that it was a 5 week project. Since the project wrapped up at the end of June, we've had great support from Nikos in making sure the new plants and watering system are working well, and I really couldn't have hoped for a better experience. read more

Terra Bella Landscaping took special time with us in designing our front yard for our daughter's wedding. After several consultations, Niko's talented crew quickly transformed our yard into a colorful and delightful wonderland. The variety of plants was incredible. Niko was very responsive to the changes that we made along the way, and came by often to check on the progress of the yard. His thoughtful touches included a drive by the day before the wedding, and a quick pruning of a climbing rose that needed that final extra touch. I couldn't recommend this business any higher, from the crew that dug the ground, to the careful individualized attention to laying the pavers for the driveway, to the knowledge and dedication of the owner, Niko. read more

Terra Bella has come through with the improvement of our garden. The drip irrigation system has been expanded to distribute water evenly, and Nikos walks through with me to address each area of the swale and each plant in it. I appreciate his honest discussions about what needs to be done, and the guidance he gives to his workers as they garden. Thank you Terra Bella, for a wonderful garden. read more

I have worked with Terra Bella Landscaping many times. They are on time, hard working proffesionals with good attitudes that really understand the landcaping business. Adam B read more

Nikos worked with me and heard what I thought I wanted to do. Because he has a lot of experience, he knew how to help me make design choices that ended up making me happy. Once we settled on a design, I had a chance to see it evolve, and make minor adjustments. The drainage issues that I had called about had to be resolved but I really wanted an artistic and ecologically friendly outdoor space. As for the work, all the prep work was right on schedule, the drains, and site preparation were extensive and handled well. Nikos coordinated with other folks doing work well. The first attempt at laying the granite-crete actually didn't meet Nikos' expectations and so - without any fuss, he removed it and did the entire granite-crete installation again. The result was great! My sister-in-law wanted her yard to look like that. Everyone comments on the transformation and I couldn't be happier. Other folks might say they can use the same materials, but without the artistic sense and artistry, I doubt that anyone else could have gotten the job done in a way that brings me such daily joy! read more

I give Terra Bella my highest recommendation. I was referred to Nikos when a memorial tree we planted for our son suddenly looked like it was dying. Nikos brought in new soil, had the tree lifted and replanted, and even stopped by to check up on it - and refused to charge us for any of the work. The tree is now flourishing. So when we wanted to replace our water-hungry lawn with drought-tolerant plants, we asked him to do a design. Nikos is a true artist, but one who is happy to incorporate his clients' needs and preferences. We now have a beautiful little garden that gives us great pleasure. Nikos's crew is top-notch and a pleasure to have around. Terra Bella is a company that offers great customer service, detailed knowledge, a strong work ethic, sheer artistry, and something truly rare--soul. read more

Nikos just wrapped up rejuvenating our yard. We added a play structure which required grading the yard, had Nikos install stairs and hardscape, added drip lines and lights, and plant. We are so pleased with the result. Nikos did a fantastic job. His workers are polite and respectful. He is attentive to request. I really enjoyed our trip to the bursary to pick out plants. Thanks for a great job! read more

HIRE THEM!!!! We just completed a rather large landscaping project and Terra Bella managed the entire project beautifully. We had never worked with a professional company before (we were more the DIY type), but with two young children, we opted to hire the professionals to get the job done in a timely matter and they definitely delivered (super quality, reasonable prices, on time, good communication, etc). I don't often write reviews, but I highly recommend Nikos and his whole crew. Every single one of them are top notch and super professional. They clean up after themselves and even make your home look better then when they started (cleaning out the driveway, etc). Richard is beyond meticulous and we couldn't be happier with having him around. We were sad when they left, because they became part of the family. We also used Nikos and Liz to help with the design and then we fine tuned and changed a few things on the fly as the project progressed, which worked really well for us. Terra Bella installed some block retaining walls, steps, an awesome circle patio, upper kitchen patio, artificial grass, garden area and several plantings with irrigation all around. Give them a call, you will not be disappointed! read more

We really appreciated the skill, professionalism and dedication of everyone at Terra Bella. My husband and I know almost nothing about landscaping, gardening and plants. All we knew was that our yard didn't look good and we needed a new sprinkler system so we wanted to take this opportunity to upgrade the landscaping. We followed Nikos's suggestions for plants and for a new waterfall to replace a non-functioning pond. Everything looks beautiful. I'm so glad Nikos didn't just replace what was there but re-imagined the space. We are getting lots of compliments and enjoying our new yard every day. We liked the entire hard-working crew and really appreciated the good communication since there were a couple of delays due to weather and back-ordered items. We will definitely have Terra Bella do more for us in the future. read more

I am not writing in regards to any landscaping that was performed. I had a incident involving a Terra Bella Landscaping company truck. I was driving on the freeway when a loose rock fell and hit my windshield creating a crack. I immediately contacted the owner, Nikos, to explain the situation. To my surprise Nikos handled the situation very professionally and agreed to pay for the repairs. I felt compelled to share how Nikos made a conscious effort to do the right thing even though he was not legally responsible. Personal integrity is the foundation for ethics. I will definitely be contacting Nikos for any future landscaping plans. read more

We worked with Nikos designing our pond and yard. Nikos is very good at taking the time to explain how things work. He has been very honest and knows all aspects of the business. He is there after the job is completed. I would recommend Terra Bella to a friend. read more

Nikos installed my drought landscape about two years ago, along with a new automatic irrigation system. I was pleased with the work and way it all looks together. I have also been very pleased with his follow-up and problem solving. I did not contract with him for any ongoing maintenance because I thought I could do it myself since I am retired. However, there have been many times I have contacted him for some problem with the irrigation (broken pipe) or the timer (usually some kind of user error-mine) and he has always promptly come by, fixed it and answered my questions, with a minimal charge. He seems to have an ethical responsibility to taking care of previous customer like me, even though I am well out of the "warranty" period. I consider myself lucky to continue to be under his care and responsibility! I would highly recommend Nikos and Terra Bella. read more

Nikos and his crew did an amazing job of transforming our backyard. From design to finish he guided us through the process and gave us the backyard of our dreams. I highly recommend Terra Bella for any and all landscaping and design needs. read more

Just over a year ago Nikos designed and installed my garden - and I couldn't be more joyous about it. He was able to figure out exactly what I wanted and designed something that I will enjoy for decades. I've asked him to come back this fall to do a little rearranging. I highly recommend Nikos and team. He also oversaw the process of putting in a new driveway and slate in my front yard. It's beautiful! Did I mention the fountain he designed and the arbor... it doesn't get better than this! read more

They did a great job on designing and installing our landscape. We just love how it came out and they were so fast and did a good job. Nikos was really great to work with and we would definitely use them again and recommend them to our friends. Thanks for a beautiful yard! read more

We recently engaged Terra Bella to help us design and install our backyard space. Nykos had some great ideas on how to incorporate the design elements we were looking for. He was sensitive to our budget and provided options for us as we worked through the various components of our project allowing us to pick treatments that fit our design esthetic as well as our pocket book. We found Nykos and his team courteous and professional. His crew respected out privacy and our yard by cleaning up each day after they were onsite. In the end, we were very pleased with the outcome and would recommend this company to others looking to partner with hardworking and honest folks. read more

Thank you Terra Bella Landscaping. We went to Nikos with a vague idea of the look we were going for in our front yard. He clarified and brought into reality exactly what we wanted - incorporating some of our existing cacti and rocks into his design. He and his talented team took our yard from bare dirt to a beautiful drought-tolerant space with rock, stones, and plants. His guys are brilliant stonemasons, quick, efficient, and easy to work with. We chose Terra Bella based on a recommendation and seeing his work in person. Our experience was nothing but positive. read more

Just finished making final payment to Terra Bella Landscape and am so glad the experience is over. My job was a $35,000 makeover for water conservation in my yard. The end result is good, but and that is a big BUT, I spent so much physical and emotional time getting it right that I came close to pulling my hair out. Communication between Nikkos, his men, and me was non existant. The trust factor ended when his men put gravel down for a new artificial lawn without putting weed mesh and gopher wire under it first. The worst thing about it was they just had to scrape up the gravel in the backyard and start over for that lawn and proceeded to walk to the front yard and do the same thing. The one time I was gone in three weeks for a couple of hours and yikkkks. I had the same thing happen with a drip system not being set in a way that would water the flowers like another couple of clients. The valves were facing in the opposite direction of the flowers. His words were if the flowers die then we know it doesn't work and will have to fix it. There are too many such incidences to bring up without writing a book that all I can say is THANK GOD IT IS OVER read more

Terrible! I used Nikos twice, once for a $40K new front court yard project which turned out nice in the end I have to say. The way we got there though was far from smooth, main complaints are him not communicating well with his crew so things get missed all the time. He's also overcharging, I don;t mind paying extra for outstanding work, in more than one occasion though I got DIY level results where he should have sub-contracted so we had to argue over things and do them over and over. We had an upfront professional design so I should have not been involved and be surprised and delighted in the end and trust it's done right. Against my better judgement I used him again about a year later for my new place. Basic clean up of a bigger property, including mowing, trim around fences so they can be replaced, weeding, make it look nice basically. We negotiated the deal/price. 2 1/2 days into it his crew takes off, they are done. I thought they would come back because they left debris and a couple tools in my neighbor's yard, gates open, a lot of things we talked about untouched. He came back wanting to re-notiate the terms and charge more money because it took him longer than initially thought. Very poor business practice! He gave me quite some attitude in the 2 in-person meetings following that and no good reason as to why he couldn't do a better job other than money. Not my fault as a customer if he gives me a "bad" bid, which I still consider a lot of money given for what I got in the end. I got multiple comments from neighbors about the "hack" job I received. Time to find a professional landscaper I can trust, it's definitely not Terra Bella Landscaping. read more

Nikos Lynch and the entire Terra Bella landscaping crew are amazing! When we approached Nikos, we had a very tight budget and lots of grand ideas. Through imaginative yet careful design, Nikos was able to tailor our vision to meet our budget giving us the backyard of our dreams. His aesthetic is wonderful and he was able to take the jumble of our ideas and translate them to a cohesive, buildable plan. He recommended just the right materials for the hardscape and spent lots of time with us building out the plant selection to give our back yard a unique, personalized look and feel. The crew, especially Chris, was professional, conscientious and collaborative as they built out the plan. The craftsmanship of the carpentry and brick work is wonderful, and the care they took with the plantings clearly shows in how well they are established in just one short month. Nikos and his team completed the work on time and in budget, with the quality and care we expected. We love our new backyard and we highly recommend Nikos and Terra Bella Landscaping. read more