Please note: this page contains reviews and opinions sent in by Berkeley Parents Net subscribers. Your own experience may be different. Please always check references before hiring!

2011 - 2012 Recommendations

An affordable gardener or 'coach' in training

I am looking for a gardener/coach in training who would be willing to work with me to create a safe and inviting backyard space/garden for our family on a small budget- especially for my 4.5 year old daughter. We rent, but have a backyard, and multiple empty containers that can be worked with. Also willing to spend some money on supplies. I am a new widow who is trying to come up with solutions to make life a little easier with working full-time, a baby, and my daughter. I hate to have to turn on the TV so much for her when cooking dinner, bath and naps for baby, etc. I thought that maybe with a nice & magical backyard space- I can teach her to take care of a garden and play outside during those busy times... Looking for someone to help with this- ideally someone who needs more recommendations or is just starting out so would be willing to work with a small budget. Thanks! Out of the Ashes

Reasonably priced gardener needed for maintenance

I'm looking for a person to do bi-weekly garden/yard maintenance that is more than 'mow & blow' but not necessarily a full-service, high-priced landscape service. We want someone who knows how to prune effectively and has an eye for aesthetics. Someone with experience in irrigation systems would be ideal. We have a modest house in Oakland with a great yard that needs love. We love to garden but with 2 infants - we can't find the time! We've hired a couple 'gardeners' recently who have hacked away some beautiful vines and trees and nearly ruined them. I've called a few people listed on BPN site but either they seem to turn their noses up at the idea of working in our modest yard in our modest neighborhood or they have been incredibly overpriced and have turned it into a bigger landscape job than it really is. We are willing to pay more than we currently do for 'mow & blow' but can't seem to find the right people for the job! lost in weeds

Garden Clean Up

Hi- We're looking for someone to clean up our garden - it's gotten rather over grown - the bushes need to be trimed, weeds pulled, etc. Any suggestions for someone with reasonable rates? Thanks! stephanie

Gardener who weeds

Help! I need a gardener to actually WEED. Not just use a weedwhacker. Someone who knows weeds from flowers, at least when told which is which. I have a large yard and can't manage it alone. I need some mowing, some raking (or blowing) nothing complicated. I'm in Oakland. I looked thru the archives and didn't find any recent recommendations. Thanks. Dawn

Climbing rose needs pruning

I have a beautiful climbing rose that has grown over an arbor and needs trimming. I have tried it, but can't get high enough to give it the full treatment it needs. Any recommendation of someone who would do a single, small job like this, but that also knows what they are doing! ak

Small job updating front yard

We really need to update a fairly small front yard which at some point was finished with lava rocks but is now overgrown with weeds (we've really let it go). So this will be a very basic job, nothing intricate - just pull all the weeds out, level the ground, cover it with the plastic that prevents weed re-growth and finish it off with a new layer of lava rocks (to match the other half of the yard that my husband updated himself last year). I am looking for recommendations for a competent and responsible contractor for this fairly small job. One of the very important requirements - we need this to be done quickly and on time. Almost all of our previous experiences with contractors were bad in that regard - something is promised to be done in a few days and then it stretches for weeks. The worst example was a promised two-week job that took 4.5 months for no other reason than a person just not showing up. So we would really like to avoid that this time. Thank you. anon

Need Affordable Yard Maintenance Person

Does anyone have an affordable yard maintenance person who they would recommend? We live in South Berkeley close to Ashby Bart. We have a couple of projects that we need help with and regular on going weeding and mowing around the whole property. The main project we need done first is installing sod in the backyard. The space is not that big, probably about 50 feet by 30 feet. My husband has done the majority of heavy lifting getting the area prepped, but we need someone who is knowledgeable about soil prep for weed prevention. Thank you for any suggestions! No green thumb

Yard/lawn maintenance/cleanup

We need someone to clean up our yard, weed it, and come on a regular basis to keep it looking good. Someone affordable. tired of pulling weeds

Recommendations for someone who can trim bushes

Hi, We have some really tall bushes, 10-12 feet, and we need to find someone who can trim them. Any recommendations? Thank you! Lauri

Gardener Needed To Take Care Of Roses

I am planting our garden where there was nothing when we bought our fixer-upper, and my dream is to have tons of roses. I had some planted last year but now learned that they are way too close to a wall they are supposed to cover, and way too close to each other. They aren't doing very well and I have never had a garden, let alone roses and don't know how to fix the situation. If you know of a gardener who either specializes in roses or is REALLY good with them PLEASE let me know. Thanks so much!! Rose Lover

Landscape clean up in Orinda

Does anyone have a recommendation for someone who can clean up our property? The previous owner littered a hillside with plastic garden pots, etc. We also have another hillside with branches, logs and some trash that we want cleaned up. We also have a shed built on a hillside that the previous owners stored a bunch of old metal chairs and tables in and underneath - we'd like that cleaned up and hauled away. roger

Gardener needed - mow and blow is OK

Looking for a gardner or a team of gardeners. Mow and blow is fine. I'm in a rental and need someone to come mow and blow at a low cost. I don't want anything fancy or any gardening 'coaching'. I just want the lawn and a few bushes cut. I'm not worried about plant care. I just need someone who will show up when they say the will and cut the lawn!

Seeking energetic gardener for general clean-up

I'm seeking a good, energetic gardener/yard maintenance person who can take direction for general cleanup, trimming, pruning, etc. Anyone have a recommendation? keith

Need a good gardener in Richmond Hills

I am looking for recommendation of a good gardener. Our great gardener recently took a full time job elsewhere so I am looking for some recommendation to replace him. We live in Richmond Hill and have a fairly low maintenance yard. I am looking for someone who can come on demand (we don't need someone regularly on monthly or bi-weekly base) to trim, clean, and fix. It will be great if it's someone who is proactive (in terms of giving me advice on what to do instead of just ''taking orders''). If you know someone that's honest, flexible, and knows his/her stuff, please let me know. Jane

Basic yard maintenance - mow lawn, remove weeds

I am looking for someone to come and do basic yard maintenance every 2 weeks -- mow the lawn, remove weeds, general yard clean up, and some occasional hedge trimming. My lawn is not big, but the yard is a good size. There aren't a lot of weeds right now, so there won't be much weeding up front. I am not looking for anything fancy like garden design or landscaping service. I just need someone who's reliable and reasonably priced who can do basic yard maintenance. Thank you in advance for your recommendations! - Looking for yard help

One Time Yard Clean Up in El Cerrito

We are looking for a reliable crew to come and clean up a lot of vegetation on our fence. This will include the removal of a big blackberry bush in our neighbors yard. I want this job done efficiently and to have all the debris hauled away. Looking for a good price.

Gardener who can trim plants on roofs/walls

Hi - I'm looking for a recommendation for someone who can cut back the plants that are growing on our house as well as cut back the trees and ivy in our yard. They'd need to be insured, and have experience working at heights. buried under jasmine

Winter gardening advice

Hi everyone. Happy New Year. My #1 resolution for 2011 is to get my garden into shape, and instead of waiting until spring I would like to get started now. The problem is, I'm really not sure where to start (I have quite a large lot and it has been 'let go' for quite some time). So I need some help, with design and also implementation. Any suggestions on where I might get some reasonably priced consultation? I'm looking for someone who can take a look at my yard and give me suggestions on where to begin, what to plant and when, etc. Also, any suggestions on what I can do in the winter months to jump start my garden for spring? Would love any suggestions you might have. Thank you so much for your help! Amy

2009 - 2010 Recommendations

I need a garden coach!

Hello list members. I have just moved to a new home in Berkeley, and I have a small lot that I would like to transform into a beautiful private garden. I have never had outdoor space before, and I'm not sure where to start. I want to do the work myself (and I can't afford to hire a landscaper anyway), but I need help with designing, planning and creating my garden. Mostly I have questions like: what plants will do well in my garden, when should I plant, do I need to irrigate, etc.. I hear there are ''garden coaches'' out there that can help me become a gardener... anyone have experience with one of these coaches that you could recommend? Thank you so much for your help! Keith

Can you recommend a good gardener for Albany?

Can anyone recommend a gardener for Albany? We need a major yard clean-up followed by setting up regular maintenance. Thanks!

Someone to install garden based on my plan

I would like some recommendations for landscape installers to help us fix up our backyard. I have a garden plan already, but need someone (or perhaps a team of different folks) to do the following:
- remove an old hot tub
- remove a few bushes
- install an irrigation system
- add a lawn
- bring in topsoil
- create some flower and veggie beds I'd rather avoid a pricey design/install firm and go with someone who can do what I need with a little bit of direction who can also make some recommendations on low maintenance plants that can thrive in the area. Most of the landscape installer recommendations seem a bit outdated. Thanks in advance Redoing the backyard on a budget

Crew landscape maintenance needed

Hi, We have a small front area of our apt building that needs periodic weeding, trimming, and general landscape maintenance every 4-6 weeks. We're looking for someone reliable and inexpensive and hoping to find more recent recommendations. The location is in the Lake Merritt area. Thanks! jt

Consultation needed: how to care for garden

We recently have moved to El Cerrito, after buying a lovely home with a landscaped backyard. I am looking for someone to come and help me with a consultation: I would like to plant some fruit trees and learn how to care for the yard the previous owners planted and cared for. Any ideas? Thanks! anon

Garden installer

We have a plan for a new front yard and am looking for recommendations on reliable and reasonably priced installers who could remove the lawn, redo existing irrigation, remove a small retaining wall, and landscape the area. Thanks

Someone to maintain both yard and garden

Hi, About 2 years ago we hired a landscaper/gardener who came and gave recommendations on plants and flowers for our garden, and went and bought all the items we selected and planted them for us. We had an ongoing gardening service that comes twice a month so we continued to use this gardener for maintenance. The garden that was planted two years ago is now in disarray. Our gardener seems to be good at lawn maintenance and not so good at garden maintenance. Does anybody have a recommendation for a gardening service that can maintain both lawn and garden, and if so, can you also tell me what an approximate going rate might be for this service? Also, does anybody have a good recommendation for a landscaping service to help replan a garden? Thanks! Lin

A Berkeley native, Michelle knows the local plants and takes into account the practicality of a garden and how you use it. She knows how to design a garden from scratch, or as in my case, take a straggly garden and properly prune it, fill it in with new plants, nourish them organically, and upgrade the irrigation system. Since I hired Michelle, she now has four clients just on my neighborhood block. She has individualized to each of our needs-- and we are all thrilled. Elizabeth

Reasonable gardener who does more than mow and blow

We are looking for a new gardener and would appreciate some referrals. We are looking for someone who is reasonable priced and reliable, but will do more than mow and blow. We are looking for someone who can help us with light hardscaping, tree maintenance, irrigation, planting etc. Please let us know if you have someone good to recommend. Thanks! Rebecca

Gardener for one-time cleanup?

We're looking for a gardening company who can do a one-time cleanup of our front and back yards (pruning trees, shrubs, vines, and weeding). Anyone have any recommendations for N. Berkeley? Anyone tried Bloom Gardens? Overtaken By Greenery

Simple yard maintenance

Hello. I'm looking for recommendations for a gardener to do simple yard maintenance -- mowing the lawn and raking, some hedge trimming, fertilization, maybe some weeding -- in Lafayette. Looking for someone who is reliable, honest, and low cost. Thanks very much in advance! jaia

Need a Great Mow and Blow Crew

I am looking for a great mow and blow crew, not too expensive, but understands what a weed is and what a flower looks like. My current crew seems to delight in slaughtering anything that blooms... Thanks! Desperate Garden

Need some yard help for several months

I've never hired a gardener before and have a question - in addition to lawn mowing, will a gardening/landscaping service do some light weeding as part of a once per month service? Does anyone have any recommendations for gardeners who do this? I just had a baby and can see that I'll need some yard help for several months! Thanks! Too busy to mow and weed in Berkeley

2007 - 2008 Recommendations

Need help cleaning and organizing our garden

Hello, My husband and I have started to work on our backyard, and are realizing it's more than we can handle right now. Clearly the yard hadn't been taken care of in many years before we moved here a few years ago, and we've just been doing one house project at a time. The yard is made private by laurel hedges, which have become choked and mostly killed off with ivy. The terraced area is a pile of dirt, and the two strips of grass within the terrace have been destroyed by our dog -- peeing and scratching at it. The archives on BPN are a few years old, and I know there were some postings within the last year about landscaping but I didn't take note of them at the time. We are not looking for this to be an award-winning garden area! Just something private, child- and dog-friendly, hopefully with native drought-resistant plants, easy to maintain, and, of course, as inexpensive as possible. The labor looks difficult -- removing the dead laurel and ivy -- and we thought about hiring day laborers to help us with that. Has anyone tried Co-Creations at Magic Gardens? Or do you have someone in mind who could deal with the hedges + plantings + irrigation + dealing with dog issues? We've never hired anyone for projects like this as we're such do-it-yourselfers, and it's hard to think of spending a large chunk of money on it. But I'm 8 months pregnant and this seems beyond us right now. Thanks so much! -longing for *inexpensive* backyard beauty

Need an individual, not a mow and blow crew

I am looking for a gardener--prefer an individual, rather than a crew--just to do hands-on weeding and watering. I need someone pleasant, with reasonable rates, and definitely not a mow and blow crew. Any recommendations? Diana

I'm trying again to find a recommendation for a sole individual to help maintain my garden. I would like to find someone who could come to my garden once a week for 3-4 hours on a regular basis to do simple maintenance, like weeding, cleaning up debris, deadheading, and putting in plants from time to time. I don't want a crew, but rather one person who can get to know my garden spaces, care for them, and help me keep them under control.

Can anyone recommend a reliable gardener for our Berkeley Hills home? We previously paid $55.00 every two weeks($110 a month). thanks lauren

Re: Searching for a wonderful gardener/landscaper
Hi there. Myself and a couple of my neighbors hired a gardener recently who did a super job. His business is called Green Garden Alchemy, and his name is Mark Correa. He cleaned up all the weeds in no time flat and helped us change the plants in our front yard. He also put some flagstone stepping stones. He's was great at arranging everything. Up the street, he helped my neighbor plant a vegetable/flower garden. I was amazed at the transformation of their back yard. It was an utter mess the last time I saw it. He's good. I've recommended him to other neighbors, and we'll be using his services again for upkeep. Green Garden Alchemy (510) 910-0427 He also can be reached by email at: ialchemist at sbcglobal.net Erinn

Re: Relationship Help - With My Garden
Hi,I can give a strong recommendation for my gardener, Pat Stoll. I know she spends a lot of time talking to my wife about our garden, not just working in the garden and ignoring us. Sometimes Pat even accompanies my wife to Berkeley Hort. to help her shop for new plants. She can be reached at 510/652-2352 or at PatStoll at sonic.net. Dave

hi, I'm looking for a new gardener to do the basics: mow and edge the lawn a couple times a month (maybe some occasional weeding). any one like their person? thanks. sarah

Our lives became very busy with the arrival of our daughter, now 18-months old. We had let our plants and bushes either die off or get out of control, and the whole yard desperately needed to be weeded. Luis beautified our yard with new plants that he helped us pick out, new wood chips, and lots of weeding. He now keeps it looking good with a visit every other week.

The appearance of our house has really improved. It is so nice to come home to a house with a well-kept attractive yard versus the messy situation that we had previously. And best of all we can spend more of our precious free-time with our daughter and each other rather than working on the yard.

Luis does a great job for us and we highly recommend him. He works hard, he is polite and he charges reasonable fees. Luis speaks limited English, but his wife translates. Please contact Luis directly via email at lgardella20 at hotmail.com or by telephone at 510-528-7063 or 510-847-0411.

Greg

Edwin Mossop has over 15 years gardening experience, over 6 of those in the Bay Area. He is great to work with and does full service garden design/build/maintenance, whatever your needs are. He specializes in drought-tolerant garden planting/installation. We recently redid our back yard (went from concrete to vegetation) and Edwin did an excellent job consulting and assisting with our yard & garden renovations. He works all over the bay area and can be contacted at 415.680.8053. Chris

Luis Ramos, (510)967-2246, who I hired based on reviews in BPN, did some work for me a few years ago and then again a few months ago. The most recent experience was very unprofessional on his part. We agreed on a price for once-monthly yard clean-up, after which he twice tried to bill me for more than the agreed monthly rate. Then, in May, after 5 months of coming, he just didn't show up. I called several times, but he never even called me back. -Jean

I have a great gardener and I just wanted to recommend him to anyone looking for a high quality gardener. His name is Javier Casanova. My wife and I bought a house in north Berkeley last year, and it came with extensive and elaborate gardening that we had no idea how to care for. Javier had been recommended by the previous owner, and I have to say he is an excellent gardener and a very conscientious person. He is probably not going to be the cheapest person you can find, but he does a very high quality job and really knows how to care for each type of plant. We learned the hard way by trying to hire someone cheaper and save a few dollars, and I'm not sure our plants have forgiven us yet. Javier came in and saved the day and he has done such a good job I really felt compelled to write this recommendation for him. You can reach me (Jim) with any questions at jimelutz at hotmail.com, or you can contact Javier directly at 510 375 5125. Javier lives in Richmond but works all over the East Bay. He speaks Spanish and English.

I highly recommend Luis Gardella for gardening projects big and small. He has done several major projects for us, as well as routine maintenance, and his work is impeccable. He speaks Spanish; his wife Ibis speaks fluent English and is very helpful in setting up consultations and estimates. She was our babysitter and they are a wonderful family. Luis does landscaping and fire prevention clean-up, including pruning, trimming, weeding, fertilization, and hauling. I have known him for 5 years and can vouch for his character, work ethic, and professionalism. LUIS PEREZ GARDELLA lgardella20 at hotmail.com (510) 847.0411 cell (510) 528.7063

hello! i wanted to recommend our gardener, luis cruzado, to tame your garden jungle or to make it look like a jungle! luis has performed multiple projects for us including putting in a few lawns and sprinkler systems. he takes his time to do the job right. best of all, he will knock on our door to ask if our toddler is sleeping or when he will be sleeping! WOW! limited english but he seems to understand my enthusiastic cherade/miming efforts. luis cruzado: 510-215-2073. did i mention extremely reasonable? aaron

HI there, I am looking for recommendations for a gardener, all the recs posted are about a year old. We have a small back yard in El Cerrito that is completely overgrown in weeds., and there is some old wood to haul away as well. Anyone know a good- cheap- gardener that would come give us an estimate. Thanks! Weedy. aimee

I would like to recommend a unique and amazing gardener, Michelle Bayba. I have never had a gardener like her. She is knowledgeable about all aspects of gardening, and she plants and designs gardens as if they were her own. She's full of energy and natural creativity. She is personable and fun to work with, does amazing work, and has very reasonable rates given her skill level. A Berkeley native, Michelle knows the local plants and takes into account the practicality of a garden and how you use it. She knows how to design a garden from scratch, or as in my case, take a straggly garden and properly prune it, fill it in with new plants, nourish them organically, and upgrade the irrigation system. She provides full service, from design, all irrigation, to maintenance. If you hire Michelle, never again will you have that "mow and blow" treatment, or your raspberry or groundcover accidentally be removed. Since I hired Michelle, she now has four clients just on my neighborhood block. She has individualized to each of our needs-- from designing from scratch to maintenance of big gardens, and we are all thrilled.

I would like to recommend an excellent gardener, Luis Perez Gardella. We have know and worked with Luis for over 6 years. He is hardworking, honest, responsible, attentive to detail, and he takes great pride in his work. He can be contacted at: H) 528-7063, C)847-0411, or by email at lgardella20 at hotmail.com Melissa

I highly recommend my gardener Luis Ramos for yard and lawn maintenance and general landscaping. Luis has taken excellent care of my front and back gardens for about 4 years. He (and his crew) weed thoroughly and do a great job trimming plants and trees artfully. He also did a wonderful job installing and maintaining my irrigation system. Luis has always been dependable and willingly tends to my special requests. He is reasonably priced and I couldn't be happier with his work. His phone number is (510) 967-2246
ljf

Re: getting a tree trimmed
I would like to recommend my landscaper-handyman, Robert, for your tree trimming. He does excellent work, to a high-degree of quality, usually completes the job within a few days of our intial meeting and at an excellent price. He has trimmed my trees, built a retaining wall, put in sprinklers and sod and even built a fence for me. I highly recommend him for any job, especially pruning and trimming trees. --Happy with my landscaper

I'm pleased to recommend Sandy Morrill, Garden Consultation and Design, phone 510.841.6337. Her knowledge of plants is encyclopedic, and she is especially good with California natives and drought-tolerant species. Sandy can provide consultations, species identification, recommendations, garden design, and she can also do garden cleanup and landscaping.

When we moved to our current house last year, the garden of native flowering plants was outstanding, but due to our ignorance the garden has somewhat suffered over the winter. Sandy came to the rescue, and after three visits in the last few weeks, the place is in full bloom and looks tidy and beautiful. Her rates are very competitive and she is a pleasure to work with. Give her a call! Tiffany

When I bought my duplex in Oakland, I tore out a concrete back yard, and needed help conceiving and creating an organic garden. Christopher from Get Dirty Gardening turned a slab of rock and weeds into a flourishing, healthy organic garden cornucopia surrounded by a rich sea of flowers.

In one year, I have harvested strawberries, lemons, kale, chard, lettuces, arugula, spinach, beans, peas, cucumbers, beets, carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, potatos, tomatillos, peppers, and more!

Christopher is knowledgeable and passionate about about soil remediation, what grows well in different seasons and regions, when to plant, how to nurture the soil, and he loves to educate would-be food gardeners to become self-sufficient in growing their own veggies.

He made a green thumb out of this city-girl. I cannot say enough how thankful I am for his wise, warm and humble guidance creating both sustenance and beauty here in my Oakland hood. Even the bees and butterflies are coming back! Feel free to call him anytime for one hour of consultation or ongoing support. 510-860-5134. Tell him Alli sent you.

Looking for a person who could transform our overgrown sloping front yard into a colorful garden with irrigation system and a stone path. Creative gardener needed. No building involved. Ideas and planting skills only. All previous listed are too big for our small project. Thank you.

I'd like to recommend Luis Gardella for gardening and yard work. I've known him and his wife for six years and can strongly vouch for Luis' character. He's very serious about his work, responsible, honest, and hard-working. His English is limited, but communication can be conducted through his wife, Ibis, who speaks fluent English and is quiet helpful. Luis is moderately priced and is offering his services in: pruning, trimming, weeding, fertilization, and hauling. He also has experience in fire prevention clean-up and landscaping in preparation for real estate sales or rentals. Melissa

Contact Ibis H) 528-7063 C) 847-0411

I would like to recommend Luis Gardella to anyone in need of a reliable, thorough, and knowledgeable gardener. Luis has cared for our yard for the past three years, and has recently returned from time spent out of the country. He carefully prunes plants, weeds, and spends the time necessary to tend to a yard - not just the ''mow and blow'' type of garden care. Luis speaks mostly Spanish, but you can easily communicate through his wife, Ibis. They can be reached at 510 847-0411 (cell) or 528-7063. Alissa

I have had the good fortune of having my extensive yard cared for by Luis Gardella over the past years. His name has been posted here before (which is how I orginally found him). He was out of the country for some months but he's back now and has openings for yard maintenance and upkeep. Others gardeners have worked on my yard before but the services provided by Luis stand above the others. He's reliable, thorough, and efficient. He will fertilize if you request it, he weeds, shapes your plants, trims, and if you have other yard projects in mind he can tackle those as well if you give his wife, Ibis, detailed instructions. Luis speaks mainly Spanish but all communication can be relayed easily to his wife Ibis. If you are in need of help with your yard, I can give a rousing thumbs up for Luis. You'll come home to a gorgeously tended yard! To contact Luis call 847-0411 (cell) or 528-7063. Or email him at lgardella20 at hotmail.com. Robin

Our neighbor's son, Paul Harkness, recently began his own gardening/landscaping business and I wanted to recommend his work. This summer he built three beautiful veggie boxes (4X8 raised beds) for us, which we love. Paul has a keen eye for detail and a quick mind for problem solving. He's warm, honest and patient with children. My four-year-old son cried when the job was done and Paul had to leave! Call Paul Harkness and tell him Hilary recommended him. (510)504-0453

I must regretfully post a negative review of Luis Gardella. I found him to be unreliable, and he attempted to overcharge me as well. In fact, he wanted to be paid in full for all work before it was finished, and after i gave him 75% of the $, he vanished and had to be called repeatedly before he finished his poor quality work. My husband & I speak fluent spanish, so this wasn't a communication issue. Dont use him! butchered garden

2005 - 2006 Recommendations

Hi, we want to put sod in part of our small back yard. It's a very small job - only about 200-250 square feet. Ideally we would like someone who will do it all - order and deliver the sod and put it in, but we could also take care of purchasing it ourselves and just pay someone hourly or a flat rate to put it in. We'd prefer to use something that is reasonably drought-tolerant and could put up with a lot of foot traffic of two small kids. Reasonable, reliable, etc. desired. We live in N. Oakland. Any recommendations?

Looking for a gardener who can do everything? Tashi Lama is one such gardener. He has acquired his skills working in gardens in Berkeley, Albany, Oakland and San Francisco for the past 7 years. He worked for 2 years for a Berkeley garden maintenance company. He worked for a Berkeley landscape company for the next 4 years, including 6 months at the Golden Gate Botanical Garden. His company is called the Lama Gardening Service. He can be hired for landscaping (making paths, walls, irrigation, sealing or painting a deck, etc.), monthly maintenance (including lawn mowing), one-time clean-up, planting, pruning, weeding, and poison oak removal. He is knowledgeable of plants not only from his work, but also from classes at Merritt College. He strives to be an organic gardener. He's a nice guy, too! Tashi's email address is pasam71 at yahoo.com. His cell phone number is 510-393-2462. His home number is 510-525-7578. Nori

I live in Kensington and am looking for a gardener that is more than a mow and blow maintenance person. Besides a small lawn, my yard has rhododendron, grasses, bamboo and other shrubs that need ongoing care. I am interested in finding someone with knowledge and experience in horticulture for about 4 - 8 hours per month depending on the season. Thanks, Claudia

I would like to enthusiastically recommend my gardener Luis Ramos for yard and lawn maintenance and general landscaping. Luis has taken excellent care of my front and back gardens for about 3 years. He (and his crew) weed thoroughly and do a great job trimming plants and trees artfully. He also did a wonderful job installing and maintaining my irrigation system. Luis has always been dependable and willingly tends to my special requests. He is reasonably priced and I couldn't be happier with his work. His phone number is (510) 967-2246 ljf

It's about that time of year again--the long rainy season has left us all with overgrown yards. I want to recommend Jose to do clean-up jobs, tree removal, sprinklers, laying sod, gardening and anything else yard-related. He is reliable, charges modestly and does a great job. You can reach him at 510-685-3018. lexie Feb 2006

I have the most wonderful gardener that has a few slots available. Herman has done all my gardening for my 3 Oakland properties for 5 years. He is very quick and thorough. He never needs to be told what do and fertalizes, weeds, and trims before I can tell him I want it done. I have a very large front and back yard and I have not spent a day doing yardwork since we have lived here. He is reliable and reasonable and also does special landscaping and irrigation projects. I have refered him to many of my friends who are also extreamely happy with him. If you'd like to see his work, e-mail me privately. His # is Herman Dubon 510-541-8758
snoopdocc

I would like to enthusiastically recommend my gardener Luis Ramos for yard and lawn maintenance and general landscaping. Luis has taken excellent care of my front and back gardens for about 3 years. He (and his crew) weed thoroughly and do a great job trimming plants and trees artfully. He also did a wonderful job installing and maintaining my irrigation system. Luis has always been dependable and willingly tends to my special requests. He is reasonably priced. I know there was a negative post about him last month, but I believe that opinion was based on very limited knowledge and a simple misunderstanding. I have never had a problem with Luis and I couldn't be happier with his work. His phone number is (510) 967-2246. Lisa

I highly recommend Chiam Saechao, tel: 510-504-3893. Does it all, has a truck for taking stuff to the dump, very knowledgeable, reliable, gentle guy, hard worker, reasonable fees. Has done work for me for many years. I'm picky and I have a gorgeous garden he very much helped to create which he now maintains. Also cleans gutters! Free estimates. Call him!
satisfied customer

I recommend Dierdre Davis of Glimmering Gardens for garden cleanup like this. She specilizes in just this sort of project. She is very thorough and careful, and uses safe techniques that respect the plants. Her prices are quite reasonable. You can call her at 510 708-7248 or email her at ditdavis at yahoo.com. Karen

My friend who referred me to Luis uses him to do bi-weekly maintenance, and she's been very happy with his work. He also does sprinkler installations, new lawns, and other gardening-related tasks.

Luis speaks Spanish, but is wife, Ibis, speaks fluent English. She came along for the initial estimate, and I spoke with her on the phone to see how my bill was adding up. She was easy to communicate with.

Their contact information is 526.1894, or 847.0411. Email is lgardella20 AT hotmail.com. R Whitaker

I'm writing to recommend my gardener, Jennifer Putzer. She is very experienced, knowledgeable, honest, communicative, and a pleasure to work with. She maintains our rather large garden on an ongoing basis and helps me understand what I should be doing in the garden as well. She is great at recommending plants for various situations, and also does landscape design (she is in the landscape design program at Merritt but has many years experience with plants already, so I think she is a bit ahead). She can be reached at plant_chic AT yahoo.com or 510 663 2988. Jennifer

I had a very unsatisfactory experience with Marco Rosen with Lawns Plus based in Walnut Creek. He charged $450 to weed and spread mulch on our fairly small lot. He did preliminary weeding and then covered up the rest with mulch...when I pointed this out, he said he would fix it. He did not. He also failed to mulch beds after they were pointed out to him and did not listen to my concerns, some of which I raised twice while he was at the house. In a nutshell, he overcharged for inadequate work and was not responsive to my concerns. We also agreed upon pruning, some of which he could not do because of the rain. This is understandable, but he did not reduce his charges. It was not complicated work I was asking and he spent less than 5 hours there with a helper, which totalled to almost $100 an hour ....for poor weeding and mulching. We spent the weekend finishing the job he sloppily started. Find someone else...I will next time. Mallory

I wholeheartedly recommend my gardener for anyone who is looking for lawn and garden care. Right now, Luis is installing an irrigation system, cleaning up winter weeds, and planting spring blooms for us and we couldn't be happier with his work. Luis is very well priced and easy to work with. His English is limited, but he works with his wife Ibis who speaks fluent English and is very helpful. Contact lgardella20 AT hotmail.com or call Ibis: 847-0411

Lizzie Bridge is a skilled organic gardener looking for new gardens to beautify in Berkeley. She is adept at pruning, planting, weeding and all aspects of garden work. She can do maintenance work and design, if you need help to create low-maintenance and lovely garden beds. She has a degree in horticulture and has worked for nurseries in the Bay Area for the past 6 years. Her services are $20/hour. Please contact her at Liz55 AT hotmail.com Nori

I am looking for a company that can tear out the weeds in our backyard and install a very basic lawn. I don't want to spend a lot of money to "remodel" my yard. Any recommendations for reasonable contractors would be greatly appreciated. Desperately in need of lawn

2004 and Earlier

I highly recommend Stylosus, owned by Martie Steele, for landscape design, installation and garden maintenance. We used her to fully design and install our new backyard, and she currently maintains her/our creation. She was the most reasonable, both in times of money and attitude, of all the people we interviewed. Martie is a great person to work with: she knows her stuff, has high energy, is creative, enthusiastic, extremely friendly and both flexible and accommodating. Specifically, she guided us in the design of our yard, the removal of the old matter and unwanted trees and plants, the construction of a redwood deck and patio and a stone walkway, the choosing and placement of plants and trees to meet our needs and wants and the installation of an irrigation system. During the long process there were many decisions to be made, so we spoke often. Martie was always charming, understanding and most of all helpful and productive. Her work - from the drafting table to the soil - was outstanding. She is great at balancing being the expert and allowing you to develop and express your own ideas of what you really want the end product to look and feel like. She is well worth her reasonable rates. 510- 665-5529. Joe

I highly recommend Chan Saepan for your yardwork maintenance/gardening needs. He's very reliable and detailed in his work. He has his own equipment and is flexible with his schedule. You can reach him directly at 510-851-2588. howie

Hello, I would like to recommend Miguel and his team for gardening services. They are responsible, hard working and affordable. Miguel is available monday-sunday. Their work includes gardening, lawn, cement, fences, sprinklers, trees and maintenence. If you are interested they can be reached at (510) 776-1090 ask for Miguel Ramirez for a free estimate. Lizet

We are moving to El Cerrito August 3rd to a house with a huge backyard and large front yard. We'll need maintenance work done twice a month and are looking for people who bring their own equipment. Will need to prune trumpetvine that's taken over garage roof and part of fence, do some grading for drainage, battle back a big stand of bamboo and lots more. Thanks. Advice on how to proceed, when to hire a landscape gardener, etc. would be appreciated, as we are new to home ownership and garden stewardship. Thanks. hedy

I've recently been quoted $140 per month for a gardener to come twice per month and maintain my yard (which is on the largeish side). I'm talking about weeding, pruning, trimming, and cleaning up. That seems like a lot to me. I'd like to hear what others pay for this kind of service. Thanks. Denise

I would like to recommend Mr. Yuki at 510 708-0999. He is an older Japanese gentleman with somewhat limited English so his son came along on the first visit to interpret. He worked like a fiend to do a massive clean-up for us and everything looks wonderful. Now he comes twice a month for a very reasonable $170 per month. kathryn

My experienced gardener has openings. He has worked for me for four years and he's terrific. * Hardworking * Honest * Reliable * Willing to do all jobs, large and small. He has all his own equipment, and truck for hauling. His services range from lawn mowing, planting, and weeding to pruning and hardscape like irrigation and amazing stone walls! He's a nice guy and he's reasonable too. Call him directly Erick 685-0556 (or reply to this ad for references) bweller

As the weather warms up and we look at our gardens, I would like to recommend my gardener, Luis Ramos. He will do anything, from basic landscaping to spring clean-up. He is available for monthly maintenance, and fencing work, too. I have hired him for two years and found that he is punctual and industrious. At first, I thought his rates were a bit high but when he and his crew cleaned up my substantial yard, it was IMMACULATE. I was able to host a few summer parties and have people over without cringing. This year, I will use him again after the rains stop. He and his wife have decided to try to save for a down payment on a house so he needs more work. I would be happy to answer any questions. He speaks English but communicates best in Spanish. His home telephone number is (510) 532- 4678. His cell phone number is (510) 967-2246. He works in Berkeley, Oakland, Layfayette and Alameda. Please feel free to contact me. locke

If you're in need of yard work and gardening I recommend Chan Saepans' service. They can do anything from basic yard upkeep and maintenance, to heavy weeding, pruning/trimming, hauling and clean-up. For a reasonable, free estimate call 510-290-8865. Services are also available on monthly, bi-monthly, or weekly basis. K. Kennedy

I highly recommend Jesus Abrego and Omar for Landscaping and Home Improvement. Jesus and Omar have established our backyard; from laying down concrete, mosaic tiling, putting up lattice, building an arbor, laying sod, planting plants and clean up. We provided the; design and plans, as well as purchased all goods and products needed for yard. All goods were delivered to our home before Jesus and Omar began working on our backyard. Jesus and Omar were compensated for the labour only. They are available to work on weekends only (both Saturdays and Sundays). Jesus and Omar have been hardworking, honest, reliable and a pleasure to work with.

Jesus does not speak English; however Omar has a good command of the English language. The best way to reach Omar is in the evenings after 8pm or on weekends on Tel#: Hme 707-642-0825, Cell: 707-334-2972. Again I highly recommend working with Jesus and Omar. 510.849.2325. Sainabou

I would highly recomend GOOD EARTH LANDSCAPING 510-506- 0508 for any projects or even maintenece you need done. They are fantastic. Call then at 510-506-0508 Anon

David Ward is a landscaper with a great asthetic, an ability to follow through with plans, and he's honest. His number is 510 658-5863. Sticks and Stones is the name of his company. Sincerely, Susan

Greetings, I have a reccomendation for a wonderful gardener. They are a husband and wife team and do everything from mowing to landscaping. Their company is called Breene's Greens and they can be reached at 510-543-8686. Jackie

I'd like to HIGHLY recommend Luis Ramos for any yard projects you have, large or small. I submitted a recommendation here at the beginning of the summer but Luis is still looking for new projects so I'm putting this out again. Luis runs his own company and is available for maintenance as well as one-time clean-ups or irrigation projects. I found him on this email list and ended up hiring him in the spring to do extensive yard work, which included installing new sod and an irrigation system (both drip irrigation and sprinklers), breaking up and removing a concrete walkway, and putting down flagstone. Hems done a fantastic job q he pays a great attention to detail and gives good advice while still listening to our ideas. For example, he transplanted a tree that we had planned to keep in our new lawn because it would have gotten too much water, and hems given us good advice on everything from moving plants around to what kind of wood chips to use, to where to put our kidsm swing set. Wemre pretty price conscious right now so hems been very obliging about breaking down his price estimates to make sure we understand exactly what wemre paying for, and if it makes sense for us to do some of the work ourselves. (It doesnmt.) Luis is also just really nice to work with, and was very patient when we changed our mind about different parts of the plan. You can reach Luis at home 510/532-4678 or on his cell 510/967-2246. His wife, Herlinda, is also available for housecleaning services. Katrina

Re: great mow and blow guys
I will recomend Nir Hadari 510-506-0508 with Good Earth Landscaping (not to be confused with Rare Earth) for mow and blow jobs. They do the bigger jobs, but simple maintanence they do well too. They are a small licenced co. so their prices seem reasonable to me. And they are sweet. Anon

nir Hadari (510-506-0508) with Good Earth Landscaping (not to be confused with rare earth landscaping) Is fantastic! They have transformed our ugly bumpy, rocky, dirt backyard into a paradise. They did our lawn, irrigation, deck and flagstones. They broke everything down and hauled it away. I do know they are licenced. but because they are small, they are well priced (believe me we checked around!) now that our yard is done they maintain it too! satisfied customer!

Can you recommend a gardener who has experience cutting back WISTERIA and general PRUNING of small trees and bushes? Thank you so much

We found our gardener through a posting on this newletter and we'd like to recommend him again. Luis G. Perez is an honest, hardworking man. He brings his english speaking wife, Ibis, to the first meeting and they walk around the garden with you as you discuss what you'd like him to do. It is obvious from the get go that he is very knowledgeable regarding plants, trees, etc. and he is very proactive in his approach to our landscaping needs. Rarely have I had to ask him to tend to something that he hasn't already seen and taken care of first. His pricing is very good and he is on time, reliable and a hard worker. I am thrilled to have found him and would be very happy to discuss him in more detail to anyone interested. His numbers are: 526- 1894 Cell: 847-0411 He's terrific! karen

I have used Luis Perez' (he also goes by Luis Garella) services and agree that while he does good work, I have had to pin him down, in print, finally, to commit to a consistent price regarding the identical work he did for me from week to week. The price he charged me was sometimes 30-50% more than the week before; when I called him on this, he either backed down or said that the job entailed more than the week before. Finally, I put down the duties in writing, in Spanish, and that seems to have resolved the ''ambiguities.'' I think that a firm commitment in writing, which both homeowner and gardener sign, is important, esp. in light of big projects. anonymous for my gard No Green Thumb

I'd like to recommend Luis Gardella for gardening and yard work. I know him and his wife and can strongly vouch for Luis' character. He's very serious about his work, responsible, honest, and hard-working. His English is limited, but communication can be conducted through his wife, Ibis, who speaks fluent English and is quiet helpful.

Luis is moderately priced and is offering his services in: pruning, trimming, weeding, fertilization, and hauling. He also has experience in fire prevention clean-up and landscaping in preparation for real estate sales or rentals. Contact Ibis 526-1894 847-0411 ibisb at Access-4-Free.com Stacy

I'd like to recommend Alfredo (Al) Ramos (510) 928-0779. We hired him after getting several bids 2 years ago to level our front and back yards, install an irrigation system, and put in sod. His price was FAR lower than his competitors, and he showed up when he said he would. We kept him on for 6 months after, to make sure the grass survived...and we've kept him ever since because he and his team do such a nice job. He comes twice a month (or once, or whatever you prefer) and charges us $70 a month (though of course it's different for everyone based on size & difficulty of job). They mow, edge, and blow the patio & steps, leaving everything neat. We've had them do seasonal ''big'' garden clean-ups, and some tree trimming too. Al is a decent, honest man. Good luck! Heidi

I can highly recommend Suzanne Steffansen (919-6950). She is reliable and self-directed. She has also made some excellent new planting choices (she also does some landscape design). mac

I recommend Jean-Marie Letellier as a gardening contractor for steep slopes. His e-mail is Letelliers at aol.com. He is French, and has done wonderful work with steep slopes that reminds me of the Provence region in France. joelle

I posted a message some time ago but thought I'd post again because my gardener still has several openings and is very reasonable and quite good. I highly recommend him for anything from a one time clean up to regular maintenance to other major jobs (e.g. irrigation installation, fencing, flagstone patios). His name is Luis Ramos and can be reached at 510 532 4678.

Hi, I'd like to HIGHLY recommend Luis Ramos for any yard projects you have, large or small. He runs his own company and is available for maintenance as well as one-time clean- ups or irrigation projects. I found him on this email list a couple months ago and ended up hiring him to do extensive yard work, which included installing new sod and an irrigation system (both drip irrigation and sprinklers), breaking up and removing a concrete walkway, and putting down flagstone. He's done a fantastic job q he pays a great attention to detail and gives good advice while still listening to our ideas. For example, he transplanted a tree that we had planned to keep in our new lawn because it would have gotten too much water, and he's given us good advice on everything from moving plants around to what kind of wood chips to use, to where to put our kids' swing set. We're pretty price conscious right now so he's been very obliging about breaking down his price estimates to make sure we understand exactly what we're paying for, and if it makes sense for us to do some of the work ourselves. (It doesn't.) Luis is also just really nice to work with, and very patient when we change our mind about different parts of the plan. You can reach Luis at home 510/532-4678 or on his cell 510/967-2246. His wife, Herlinda, is also available for housecleaning services. Katrina

I want to recommend Mr. Choy Pham to do yard work - he is a very honest and hard-working man with very reasonable rates. please call 510 233-7912 Megan

My gardener has recently decided to start his own business which is good news for anyone looking for a very hard working and reasonably priced gardener. He can do anything from irrigation installation to building a fence; from regular plant maintenance to installing a flagstone patio. He is a wonderfully sweet man from Guatamala and truly does exceptional work. (As an aside, his wife cleans houses and I would also highly recommend her). My gardener's name is Luis Ramos and his number is 510 532 4678. His wife's name is Herlinda. Ortal

We are very happy with our gardener/landscaper, who was recommended to us by our neighbor, who also uses him. Our homeowners association now uses him as well. His name is Dan Rochin Jr. of Tierra Ajena Landscape Service in Martinez. His workers come every other week to our home to do maintenance. Dan also did some other things for us such as replacing a broken trellis and tearing things out and putting down woodchips to make a kid-friendly play area. He can be reached at (925) 229-0434. Please mention I referred you (no, I don't get a kickback, but we are just very pleased with his work). Lori

Call Laurah Hanson at 327-7673. She and her husband Wally Johnson have done our garden for years and are great! Tim

Amigos Gardening & Landscaping has done good work for us at a very reasonable price. We've had them install irrigation and a lawn, do major clearing of weeds and old tree stumps, bring in new soil and rototill, do pruning, and do twice-monthly maintenance. The owner, Mario Siguas, speaks good English; the other people in the business don't, but I haven't had any trouble working with them. They tend to run a little behind the schedule they give, and Mario can be hard to reach by phone sometimes, but they do good work, are fast once they get started, are honest, and are much less expensive than other people I've found. Mario also works at Monterey Market so I've always been able to find him when I do my shopping there if I don't reach him by phone. Their number is (510) 245-3825 or (510) 524-9190. Alexandra

From: Netsy

Maintenance gardener:
Roger Alphonso 408-226-4892
Does maintenance work on a monthly basis however we are using him for a one-time major weeding project. Comes highly recommended from this list. Though we have not used him yet. Will know more in about a week after he does our work.

I would like to recommend the services of Roger Alphonso and his I and I Landscaping crew. Roger and his crew are former Jamaicans, very hard workers and very competitive in fees and estimates. Their moto is "keeping the land healthy".

- $50 monthly service to do regular landscaping upkeep
- competitive estimates for fire safety clearing
- competitive estimates for any other landscaping job

Phone (408)226-4892

Kahli Waters has some gardening experience, and is a delight to have helping around the yard. Her rate is $10-12/ hour. Her number is 526-2570.

I have seen many requests and recommendations for gardeners and landscapers on the list and web site, but our needs are a little less refined. We're looking for someone to tear out an old, rotten wooden fence along with ivy and miscellaneous vegetation, and haul it all away. In addition, we'd also like to have the yard cleaned up: blackberry and morning glory removed.

I doubt if this is the kind of thing a gardener normally does. It's heavier work than that. Do you have any recommendations? John

Heavy Yard Cleanup
Painting
House Cleaning
Moving
Manual Labor Projects
Carpentry

I highly recommend gardener Norlang Bounthauy, 215-1903. He will estimate your job at very very reasonable rates, do the work quickly and cheerfuly, and carry away the clippings and branches. We used him for a massive backyard cleanup and were very pleased. Please tell him that Merry Selk suggested you call!

This is to wholeheartedly second Merry's recommendation. I called Norlang Bounthauy (I believe his last name is pronounced "Boon-THAW-Way"), who is based in Richmond, for the first time last Thursday evening (1999-10-07). He came out the next morning to perform a walk-through and to give us an estimate on our own massive yard cleanup, and the Saturday morning took on this daunting job.

Norlang and his crew of two other gardeners did thorough and professional work. All of the tree and bush trimming and removal was done with care, especially when trimming portions of neighbors' trees overhanging our yard and in preserving several plants, as requested. He and his team even noticed and did some extra, needed work (one example: blowing debris off a shed roof and a deck) that we hadn't specifically asked for, all for the originally estimated price.