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!

2009 Recommendations

I would like to take out some parts of our backyard lawn and make it into a walkway to save water and to give my three year old an area where he can ride his tricycle. We have a well established garden with plants so the project will be small, just the walkway. I haven't decided whether to do natural stone or gravel (recommendation welcome!) I am hoping to find someone who doesn't mind small projects, has a good design capability so that the walkway will be integrated smoothly into our existing landscape, and can install at reasonable cost. I read past posts but most of the recommendation seemed to be for larger projects. We are located in Orinda. Thank you! shiho

I strongly recommend Bountiful Botanicals. They recently designed and installed an amazing garden for our Oakland residence. Lara, the owner, was so helpful and really listened to what we wanted. The garden came out better than we had expected, and on a smaller budget than anticipated. The crew that worked at our home was respectful and cleaned up everyday before they left. Their attention to detail was amazing. I wish all contractors could stay on schedule and budget like this. We also hired them to maintain the garden going forward since so much care was given to it from the start. You can call or email Lara with any questions. lara@bountifulbotanicals.com or 415-290-6609 Betsy

2008 Recommendations

I live in Lafayette and am considering doing a major landscape/pool project in my back yard. I did speak with Lazar, I like the fact that they do everything from start to finish. Design, construction and maintenance. Does anyone have any experience with them. If you have other recommendations that would be great too. Carole

Hello, We are looking for a talented and reliable (very important) landscaper/gardener for our front and back yards which have been sorely neglected. We just need someone to clean up and perhaps help us change some of our plants. Eventually, we'd like to plant a vegetable garden, but for now we need someone to help us make sense of our tangled mess before it's winter! Thank you. Bethany

I am looking for someone who can re-design our small front and back yards at our Alameda home. It needs to be someone who can help us make the best use of our very small backyard, minimizing dead spaces, optimizing 'traffic' flow, and making it feel as large and airy as possible for its size. We'd like to stick to drought-resistant native plants and other materials light on the environment. We would love some sort of artificial surface in part of the back yard that can be used like grass but does not need to be watered or mowed (field turf?) as we have two small children who would love to play out there, and maybe even have a small play structure. And of course we don't have a huge budget, so we are hoping to find someone who can give us a range of options based on our limited means. Anybody have recent good experience to share? Thank you! Sara

Has anyone worked with Robert Trachtenberg for landscaping? Please advise on the pros and cons. Thank you! anon

We are looking for a landscape design firm to develop a design plan for our backyard and make specific recommendations about location of and materials for our hardscape, as well as the overall design. We are design dummies and really looking for input based on the layout of our yard, architecture of our house (story book tudor), personal needs (we like to entertain), etc. We are on a budget but at this point we realize it's probably worth it to engage a very skilled individual or firm even if it means spending our 2008 budget on the design plan then implementing it in phases over the next few years. Can you help? Thanks in advance Jane

Help designing and planting a garden

Can anyone recommend a garden expert or landscape designer who would be willing to work alongside us to put in a garden? We want to do something nice with our garden but don't quite have the skills & know how. We want to do the installation, with help, and want to do most of the design, with help, rather than hand the whole business over to someone else! We'd rather hire someone than lean on our more garden savvy friends for such a big job. Thank you. Jenny

Lara can be as involved as you want. You mentioned you needed coaching and would be great for that. She is extremely knowledgeable about plants and a great communicator/teacher.

Though our yard is relatively small, she invested lots of time with us. She is genuinely concerned that she was giving us exactly garden that we wanted and more.

She is even happy to meet with us on weekends (so rare!).When we couldnmt meet, she e-mailed us extremely detailed e-mail, which I loved. One other thing is important when considering a contractor is Larams prices. Her prices are reasonable and she is extremely conscientious of staying within our budget. And if something is higher, she makes every effort to explore other options and make other suggestions as well.

We are at the final stages of our front yard makeover and have gotten so many compliments on it already. We live in a pedestrian and biker friendly street and so many strangers have come up to us to say what a wonderful job Lara has done. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. I can share some pictures with you. Happy in my garden

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

Native landscape gardener needed

Looking for a landscape gardener who specializes in Bay Area (or at least west coast) native plantings, but who is also willing to put in a lawn (native grass?) and can help repair sprinklers. Saw only one old recommendation online. The natives part is key here. anon

Re: Searching for a wonderful gardener/landscaper
I can highly recommend highly James Bronson III. He has an incredible eye for landscape design -- and a way with plants (a friend raves about how her bougainvillea have thrived since he began taking care of her garden). You can contact him at 544- 9729, or email jbronsonlll at yahoo.com. Best wishes for your garden project! David

Re: Relationship Help - With My Garden
You sound like me. I had gotten tired of relying on professional help to keep my garden manageable, and even with professional help and an irrigation system, many of my plants weren't thriving and I couldn't figure out why. Claudia Vieira is a landscape designer who has just recently branched out into garden coaching. She is helping me learn how to maintain my garden so I will enjoy it more and not keep wasting time and money on things that don't work out. In our first session we analyzed problems, and she showed me how to trim, move, feed, and adjust water to the plants that were in trouble. Suddenly I am enjoying puttering in my garden and thinking up questions for my next session of garden coaching. You can reach Claudia at cvgardendesign at gmail.com or 653-6535. Heidi

Hi - I'm looking for a gardener who I guess also works as a consultant? I have several smaller garden projects that I want to do around my house (mainly involving plants) and I'm limited on funds so I'm trying to do it all myself. What I'm hoping is to find someone who can come over here and sit with me a couple of hours and go over all the ideas that I have. I'm just learning about the gardening world so I want someone who can help me pick out plants right for my area, talk to me about what's feasible and not feasible, and really help me come up with a ''plan'' that would work with my skill ability and also time constraints. I guess maybe they would charge me by the hour? Anyone have a recommendation for me? would-be green thumb enthusiast

We need someone to help us navigate a garden remodel including lighting, masonry, water feature, the whole nine yards. We had one person by and did not find it helpful. Has anyone got a recommendation? Actually, I'm not even sure who we need; a landscape architect? Landscape designer? Our yard is average sized. Anyone out there had a good experience? MM

Hi All, I would really appreciate recommendations for a good landscaper who can help us achieve our dreams for our yard. We hope to find someone who specializes in local east bay native plants and can help us design a garden that is low maintenance and attracts butterflies and wildlife. All suggestions appreciated! Nicole

We are going to be planting a ''WHITE'' garden on a blank canvas. We would like to work with trees, shrubs, grasses, vines, lawn, flowers all in shades of green, and white/cream, (hostas, jasmine, crepe myrtle), but no color. Has anyone had experience with a landscaper who is versed in ''moon gardens''? Moon Garden fan

I'm seeking recommendations for a landscaper who incorporates edible plants into landscape plans. We have small front and backyard decorative gardens, and would like to fill some spaces with edibles (herbs, berries, veggies) but in a way that doesn't disrupt the visual harmony of the space. We're looking to mix edible and decorative plants together in a way that is aesthetically pleasing and practical (a functional kitchen garden)--and organic only, please! Plant Eater

I'm thinking of removing my front lawn to replace with natives. I started doing it last fall but got bogged down with the design. Want to hire consultant who can look at the big picture to assist me with design; I want to do the work myself. Any recommendations? Thanks. anonymous

Hi BPN. I am looking to transform my small front yard from bermuda grass to a largely native drought-tolerant/low-water landscape. I need to do this on a relatively low budget. First, does anyone have any advice for removing grass that doesn't involve nuking it with poison? Next, if you have any local resources to recommend (nurseries, classes, and/or landscape consultants) that are reasonably priced I'd appreciate the advice. Thanks! Aspiring Gardener

I am looking for someone with lots of experience in edible gardening to help me establish a vegetable garden at my home in El Cerrito. I get a lot of fog and the soil has been amended over the past 5 years but is still basically clay. What can I grow, how to best amend the soil, raised bed or not? Help! susan

Hi There, I'm looking for more recent recommendations for a landscape architect who can do both hardscape and softscape and who is reasonably priced. Thanks in advance for your recommendations! Elaine

2007 Recommendations

I live in Lafayette and have a fairly large backyard in need of some new life. I'm hopeing to get some ideas and a plan from a Landscape designer and do the work as we can. Does anyone know if this can be done by a student (almost finished with school) from UCB? I thought it might save some $$$ using a student. Any thoughts??? Yard needs love

We are looking for someone to lead us in getting our back yard together. This would include putting in a sprinkler system and lawn. Any recommendations?

I want to recommend Manuel Garcia, 510-652-5612, for drainage, landscaping and other yard work. Manuel installed a French drain in our yard and not only did a wonderful job, but was a pleasure to work with. He is very knowledgable, and helped me understand my needs and options. Manuel also does landscaping, cement and other yard work, and I would strongly recommend him for any of these kinds of projects. Martin

I would like to highly recommend Matt Horn Landscaping and Tree Care (510-658-6088). Matt just finished a job for us (August 2007) that included an irrigation system, lawn & plantings, flagstone patio, concrete stairs, fence, and tree pruning, and we could not be happier with it. Matt does extremely high quality work and he and his crew were a pleasure to work with. He has a really good eye for design, and was able to suggest several different options for consideration that fit within our budget. He finished the job within budget despite us having to make some adjustments to the project along the way. Matt is extremely professional, friendly, and left the job site clean every day. If you hire Matt, you will not be disappointed. Lucy

I want to update the recommendation for Tony Lau (510-604-3410) that was first posted in 2006. We found Tony through the BPN newsletter and were very pleased with our experience. Our yard was a debris and weed filled mess that we wanted to convert to a beautiful and kid-friendly space. Tony and his crew cleared the yard, installed walkways and raised beds, built a playground area with recycled tire tiles, built a beautiful fence and gate, and helped us select appropriate plants and ground covers. The result was exactly as we wished. While Tony gave us great suggestions, he was very flexible and allowed us to determine what would work best for our yard, lifestyle, and budget. Tony was very easy to work with, and hems been great about answering questions that have come up or giving us advice, even after the project was finished. Imd be happy to provide more information about our experience or show you before and after pictures of our yard. neriss

Don't know if anyone is interested/has need in re-doing their yard, but just saw an acquaintance's new backyard with a play area for their small child & a stone patio for general outdoor use. The backyard was virtually un-usable when they moved into the house, but Bay Area Stone Gardens (Bill Armijo) was able to make it a very nice place for the whole family. She said that he asked a lot of questions about what they wanted and was able to make the yard ''child friendly'' but also adult as they entertain outdoors in the summer. stacy

Hello. We are looking for a great landscape architect to collaborate with our pool contractor on our backyard project. We know this is the pool guy we want to use, but need a whole 'design' for the yard. We live in Alamo. Thanks. Karen

We just had our front yard designed and installed by Deborah Kuchar of Green Alchemy. I read about her on the BPN website and found her website to see some of her work. www.greenalchemy.com. We wanted to have boulders incorporated in the design and she works with boulders among other things. I was sure she would think our job was too small. But in fact, she was very open to working with us. She came to our house twice after we agreed to work together. She helped us pick out the boulders. She was clear, pleasant, and has an excellent design sense. Irene

I just wanted to recommend Don Silva Landscaping for anyone who needs backyard work done. Don is a licensed landscape contractor and has recently finished re-doing our backyard (along with the work of Tomi Kobara, landscape contractor). We were at the tail end of my pregnancy when backyard work began and the project continued past our delivery date. What could have been a stressful project, (ie. new to parenting, new baby, and having backyard work done) was all in all, completely stress-free. Don and his sons were completely unintrusive. Don would check-in at the end of the day to give us a head's up regarding progress or to discuss the next phase of our project. At the end of each day, Don and his sons made sure to clean up their job site. I hate to say it, but they kept the exterior of our house tidier than I normally do. We would use Don Silva again in a heartbeat. To contact Don Silva, he can be reached at: 510-685-5175. Regards, Julie

I need help drawing up plans for and installing (something!) in my small-ish backyard in the laurel district of Oakland. For a variety of reasons, we've never used it much and are now very interested in making it a place to BBQ/let our toddler play, but can't even imagine where to begin - we know we want to have some kind of deck/patio and low-maintenance plants (we also have a dog), but are at a loss. I think I need a landscape architect, but don't even know... Any referrals or advice would be appreciated! sybil

We're looking for an affordable landscape designer for our house in Lamorinda. Preferably someone who would be willing to start with a few hours, maybe even a site visit, and help give us a roadmap. Talk through various ideas. We have extremely mature landscaping and tons of juniper on one side of the house, and a brand new boring concrete patio and gravity block retaining wall on the back. There's no flow or theme to it and we need some help figuring out short term and long term plans. We have access to people to do the labor, so we don't need (and can't afford) to hire a huge landscaping firm. Most of it we'll end up doing sweat equity over the years. But we need an idea of what will go where and what should be our top priorities. Thanks, Kristi

I want to highly recommend Andy Lenz for your garden consultation. Our garden was a juniper infested nightmare. Andy was just incredible to work with --and we now have a beautiful multi-purpose yard complete with flower boxes, a swingset he built himself and lots of secret corners for the kids. We spoke with MANY people -- and Andy was a one-stop shop -- he designed the garden, completely gutted what was there, built new supporting walls and two staircases, chose all the plants, installed the sprinkler system, etc. Andy is creative, responsive, very reasonably priced and fun to work with. He had great references and many repeat customers including us. He has been back to check on his work many times and works with us around maintenance and evolution. Please be in touch with me if you want more details on his work or if you want to see before/after photos. To reach Andy -- email enzand at hotmail.com
adene

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 am thinking of hiring Mr.Andreas Flache,Landscape Architect to design a garden and maybe even install it with a contractor he works with. I would love to hear from anyone who has worked with him. When I met him I loved his enthusiasm and energy, but as we have never worked with an architect before I don't know quite what to expect.ANY INPUT would be appreciated. Thank you. I would also love to hear about any other landscape Architects you have worked with for a hillside home.

I would like to recommend a landscaper with whom we just had a terrific experience. We got his name from BPN and couldn't be happier. His name is Kevin Jackson and his number is 306-4713. He removed a large portion of our concrete patio, replaced a retaining wall, and installed sod and a sprinkler system. He was a pleasure to work with. He is very knowledgeable and good at explaining things, an extremely hard worker, kind, honest, and fair. The guys who work with him are great too. He also does gardening and monthly maintenance. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. Sarah

We want to economically landscape our small back yard (about 30' x 40'), which is gutted except for a hot tub and a tool shed. We're looking for someone who can design and build hardscapes (patio/deck), as well as recommend and install plantings. If you've been through this experience and have a recommendation, we'd love to hear it. Tired of mud

If you are looking for a landscape designer, I would strongly recommend contacting Claudia Viera. She specializes in sustainable garden design but is also very willing and able to listen to her client's ideas. I particularly enjoyed our trips to local botanical gardens and plant nurseries to pick out plants. I found her to be responsive to my questions and concerns, an overall pleasure to work with and am very pleased with how our garden has changed and grown since it was first planted. She can be reached at: CVGardenDesign at gmail.com or, (510) 653-6535 Feel free to contact me with any questions. Samantha

During the past 14 months, Claudia Vieira has been helping with our front and back yard landscaping project. She started with creating a landscaping plan which included our original ideas and improved it with many of her very creative ideas. She was involved with selection of majority of the plants most of which are California natives and also made recommendation for contractors to install irrigation system (with the intention to waste minimum water). All of the plants are in place since November of last year and they look great. Overall we are very happy with her professional approach to our project, her creative and dedication in selecting plants that will thrive in Berkeley and also her follow up to make sure the pants are getting established well. Overall I recommend her services to others. Claudia Vieira (510)653-6535 cvgardendesign at gmail.com
AJ

I am pleased to recommend Abbey Kletz of Landscapes for her amazing garden design talents. She transformed my unsightly yard into a paradise. She has worked in the Bay Area for many years and has left a beautiful mark on the landscape. She also works with a very talented installation crew who was unbelievably hardworking, timely and meticulous. The entire project was a joy and I look forward to seeing the garden grow. See Abbey's website at www.abbeykletz.com or email her at dookiea at aol.com Shoey

I just felt compelled to recommend Strada Design group to anyone looking for landscaping help. In searching out the right person to design our backyard I interviewed a number of companies ( I had had a spate of bad luck - or bad choices in hiring a house painting contractor and was determined not to make that mistake again)My experience working with Sarah Ray was such a welcome change. The result is breathtakingly beautiful and was clearly the result of a well thought vision backed by a lot of experience and knowledge. This was not a small project and I was impressed by her forethought in terms of irrigation, lighting and keeping it something that was not a nightmare to maintain. The cost was reasonable, on budget and relatively glich free. I am so grateful for a successful and stressfree job well done I felt I should at least share my good fortune. My yard is incredible. Strada Design Group 510 812 7498...ask for Sarah! Jessica

Another happy customer! I would like to add a recommend for Matt Hornby Landscape Design and Construction. We decided to use him after reading another recommendation on BPN and had a very pleasant experience. Matt did our garden on Rose Street in Berkeley and he did a wonderful job. We had a good idea of what we wanted for the site: flagstone and gravel pathways, stone walls, irrigation, some drainage and of course planting. Matt was very quick to make our vision his own, explained what was possible and what wasn't and also helped us achieve what we wanted within our budget. He is very knowledgeable and helped with the right plant selection We were particularly happy that he broke down all costs for us which gave us a good overview on where the money went. We are now enjoying a beautiful garden thanks to Matt. Contact: 510 717 1342 and email: matthornby72 at yahoo.com R.K.

2006 Recommendations

Can anyone recommend a reasonable landscape designer for a back yard of approximately 35 x 40 feet? We don't have the wherewithal to do everything at once, so we need someone who's good at phasing a project and keeping costs down. lc

I would highly recommend Theresa ''TC'' Donovan. She has done two large projects for us over the past several years, and a smaller one. She does large and small projects. Here's what I said for her website: TC designed and installed three gardens for my husband and me. The first comprised the entire front yard of our first house. We sold this house at a nice profit, thanks in no small part to the beautiful, imaginatively-styled garden. She also designed and built the front and back gardens of our current house. She possesses great talent as a designer, and a great font of gardening knowledge. TC considered all of our needs in creating our gardens. She designed them in a way that paralleled the historic style of the house. Thanks to TC, our gardens also provide a safe and structured play area for our children, while at the same time incorporating our interest in growing flowers and vegetables. TC also quickly and efficiently installed the gardens once we had decided on a plan. I feel very connected to these gardens because TC listened carefully to my ideas and preferences and worked with me on the design and plant selection. Our front yard is old fashioned and structured, has small box shrubs, and two varities of hydrangeas, and it fits perfectly with our Victorian house. The back yard is a European style country garden with a grape arbor that actually produces grapes, an olive tree, lemon and lime trees, raised vegetable beds, roses, and many other beautiful plants from a color palette of white, purple and pink (and our house is in the middle of a city!). Recently a friend visited for lunch and said she felt as though she were in Tuscany. TC's partner Keni possesses great talent as a stone worker. We have a beautiful wall made of recycled cement, as well as a stone patio. Finally, TC's easygoing manner makes it a pleasure to work alongside her. She listens well, and responds quickly to problems. My family and I have been delighted with her work, and recommend her highly Andrea

We have excellent plans (construction detail) for a large landscape renovation job on a 1.5 acre property. The job will include concrete work; building new retaining walls; constructing a floating deck; and installing irrigation, plantings and lights. Can anyone provide a recommendation for a professional firm that can follow plans, do top-notch work, and can stay within budget? Thank you!

I would like to add a recommend for Matt Hornby Landscape Design and Construction. We decided to use him after reading another recommendation on BPN and had a very pleasant experience.

Matt did our garden on Rose Street in Berkeley and he did a wonderful job. We had a good idea of what we wanted for the site: flagstone and gravel pathways, stone walls, irrigation, some drainage and of course planting. Matt was very quick to make our vision his own, explained what was possible and what wasn't and also helped us achieve what we wanted within our budget. He is very knowledgeable and helped with the right plant selection We were particularly happy that he broke down all costs for us which gave us a good overview on where the money went. We are now enjoying a beautiful garden thanks to Matt
R. K.

We had a pretty major amount of work to do to our front yard but kept getting really expensive bids. We knew what we wanted but didn't know who could do the hardscape work we needed. ISIDRO GONZALEZ came to our rescue. He and his crew not only did all of the earthmoving and retaining wall work that we needed, he ended up putting down a beautiful walkway (we used pavers) that we were going to have someone else do. We couldn't be happier with the work. He also has a garden maintenance business which our friends use and they are very happy with his service. I cannot recommend him enough for landscaping/hardscaping work. ISIDRO 510-776-4634

I also can't say enough about Mike Mulholland at THORNHILL NURSERY. Mike spent a great amount of time with us, helping us work through our project and then plan and plant the plants and groundcover we needed. He also led us to a really great and reasonably-priced fellow who did our irragation work. Mike Mulholland/Thornill Nursery 510-339-1331 Feel free to e-mail me with any questions Jennifer

We are looking for recommendations for a landscape designer, to draw plans and possibly manage a project to rebuild a patio area with various steps and walls. We have called and emailed a number of designers recommended by BPN in the past, but none have returned calls. So we would prefer someone who may be genuinely interested in the opportunity vs a very experienced and busy landscape architect or designer hayden

I would like to recommend Julie Dawson for Landscaping and gardening. She has done work for me now for over 7 years, and is hard working, efficient, reasonably priced, and has an incredible creative vision for what to do with the yard space. Her work is whimsical yet practical, and she is great at making things beautiful!! She LOVES what she does, and I can't say enough good things about her!!! She is now taking new clients and can be reached at (510)409-7001. lila

I used the services of Matt Horn Landscaping in San Anselmo -- excellent work -- know-how for French drainage fix, beautiful tree trim in front of picture window with artful openings for views, plant knowledge and recommendations. They were reliable, fast, and left the place looking great. Carolyn

I'd like to recommend a landscape designer we consulted whose name is Sequoia, at 510-306-0087. We are beginners at gardening and needed help making a plan to transform our nasty dead front yard area. For a very reasonable price Sequoia sat down with us and explained the basics of gardening and drew up a timeline of what we should do and when. Since then she has been very conscientious about answering our crazy questions whenever we call her. Now we have the beginnings of a lovely garden! Sam

Matt Horn has done extensive landscaping & construction on my football-field size lot in Alameda. He removed & replaced a badly damaged lawn, installed drip & sprinkler irrigation, built from scratch a custom fence & arbor. He did extensive design and planning with us. He & his crew were professional, reliable & honest. At the end of the day he left no mess. We could not be happier with his work and will use him in the future for the construction of a garage & renovation of our dock on the Alameda lagoon. You can reach him at Matt Horn Landscaping 510 658 6088. Mark

1. Get multiple bids no matter how much you are constrained for time or how nice the contractor might seem.
2. Be very clear and write down the agreed upon project scope (i.e. what is to be done).
3. Be there when the work is being done to make sure what you agreed to in writing is actually done how you want it. Now you can read what you want into the above common sense items (and I knew better), but that's not why I am submitting this review.

When Matt gave me a bid, he said it would take 3 hours to do the work. The work he did was at a property where I am having a remodel being done. The contractor's foreman doing the remodel was gone for about an hour. In that time Matt came, did his work, and left. The contractor's crew said Matt was there maybe 30 minutes. When I asked Matt about this he claimed he was there for over 2 hours. Matt's bid was not cheap. However, I went along with it because, while expensive for 3 hours of work, I was kind of in a bind and needed the work done. I felt that he misled me in a (successful) effort to sucker me into giving him the job at a higher rate. An ethical contractor will give you a fair price regardless of your situation. Matt did not do that, rather he took advantage of the situation. Part of the reason he finished so quickly is he did only half the work I expected.

If you read the review, you'll recall the client objected to the amount of time I spent on a small tree job. For the record, I don't work by the hour. I made that clear to this client, as I do with every client. I bid jobs and if a bid is accepted, I do the job professionally and completely. The only reason I mention the time a job might take is to give the client and other workers onsite information for their planning and safety. My bids are reasonable and competitive with those of other local arborists.

Tree work is somewhat a matter of interpretation, and miscommunications about the scope of work can sometimes occur. Ultimately, what matters is the quality of the job and whether the client is happy with the result. In this case, when the client called with a concern, I immediately went back and worked with him until he was satisfied. I was paid for the job, and left apparently on good terms. Imagine my surprise when his review was forwarded by a friend. I can only assume he wrote it the first night, before giving me a chance to respond and address his concern.

I sincerely hope this review has not damaged my credibility with this network, as I've been happy to serve this community for many years and look forward to many more. Matt Horn, 510-658-6088

I have just had such a great experience with re-doing my garden that I wanted to share this information. I had an uninspiring small backyard, partly covered in cement with which I thought I couldn't do much. Andrea of Mariposa Gardening & Design designed and installed a complete garden overhaul for me which has made the space vastly more inspiring, useful, and beautiful. She did a wonderful job of figuring out how to use the space to look fantastic and be useful. I have 3 garden roomsn in a really tiny California Courtyard. I have the morning coffee break area, a dining area, and a lounge. I also have a 6 year old daughter, and Andrea has a way of incorporating play spaces into the overall design that are seamless, and don't interfere with the way I want things to look. She has a great sense of the plants, and is extremely knowledgeable. She has a terrific design sense, and reasonable rates. She will craft a drawing, as well as do a majority of the installation herself.! She hires helpers on an as needed basis. You can check out her website, www.mariposagardening.com. Andrea's many years of experience designing gardens really shows in her craftsmanship and attention to detail. I recommend her to anyone ready for a change in your garden. Ann

We recently hired Matt Horn to do some landscaping and deck work for us and were very pleased with the results. We originally got his name from BPN, so I wanted to update the archives to say that Matt Horn continues to provide high quality work and great service. Matt is a licensed landscape contractor and certified arborist. We hired Matt in Summer 2005 to build terraces in our steep lawn, provide an irrigation system, and build a new deck behind our house. Our job was turned down by a couple other landscapers who considered it too "small" (ie. less than $70,000). Matt was the only landscaper who returned our calls promptly. He visited us right away to give us an estimate, which was VERY accurate and was EXACTLY what we ended up paying. When he decided to add some work to improve the overall quality of the job, he did not charge us for it. Specifically, he was going to simply resurface our old deck because we were adding a ramp. But when he saw that the new surface wouldn't match the railings, he replaced all the railings as well, giving us a whole new deck at no extra charge. The quality of his work is excellent and he is a pleasure to work with. My only criticism is that he can be a bit absent-minded. For example, he forgot that we had requested a gate on the back deck - luckily we noticed and were able to remind him (by showing him the contract). He apologized and immediately had the gate built. I would highly recommend Matt for any outdoor work you are considering. Matt can be reached at (415) 460-5225. cclocke

We live in Berkeley near the Claremont Resort, and have been looking for someone to demo and level our small front yard (currently ivy), and to build a rock retaining wall. I have contacted everyone recommended on the site, and no one will respond to my emails or calls. Does anyone have a reliable company/contractor who has reasonable rates that they can recommend for a rock retaining wall and landscaping? Heather

2005 Recommendations

I would like to heartily recommend Nancy Sale Landscape Design to the BPN. Nancy and her staff are very pleasant to work with and surprisingly affordable. They came in and reworked our rock retaining wall, built a gorgeous set of steps, and embedded a flagstone walkway. They also put in a large sitting area "paved" with decomposed granite. They were speedy, always on time, and (again, surprisingly) under budget. We were able to communicate our vision to Nancy and her team took it from there with very little input required from us. We didn't use them for irrigation work, but I know they do this too. Call Nancy at (510) 655-4625 or email her at nancysale at sbcglobal.net Becky

Patrick Cearley is a great landscaper. He recently did a major renovation of our garden that included beautiful stone walls, a flagstone patio and path, new irrigation, new plants and trees, and more. Patrick is a great communicator and a very nice person with whom to work. Patrick is very skilled at "hard-scape" and has a great knowledge of plants and gardens. He completed our project on time and within budget. I highly recommend Patrick Cearley. He can be reached at (510) 569-7959. Bonnie

Is there a class, maybe through Home Depot or through a comm. rec center or some place else, that would help me learn the basics of landscaping? I'd like to fix up my front yard and I'd like to have a plan before I start tearing things up. I need some pointers and thought attending a class might be a good idea, since I don't really have any experiencing gardening above weeding, mowing the lawn, and watering now and again. Any help is appreciated. Jen

I looking for someone to help with plant placement and selection. My husband and I have been slowly renovating our front yard, but we could use some advise with what to plant where. We also need ideas to help create privacy without that hedge look. Ideally I would love someone to go shoppping with me for the plants and then arrange on site. Any recommendations would be appreciated, alot of firms I contacted only wanted huge jobs. Would love a beautiful yard. shannred

We redid our entire yard, transforming it from a dank swamp to an awesome family yard. A summary may benefit others.

People constantly ask for "cheap" referrals. Going cheap or Craig's List is a huge gamble. We did save a ton of money by having my husband serve as project manager and do some of the work. It is a huge time commitment and you must have the skills. If you have neither, and want it done well, you have to pay--no way around it.

We used a designer and a ballpark budget but I did not ask if the designer was capable of designing within that budget. She came up with a design that exceeded our budget by tens of thousands so I wasted the money and had to scrap it because it was too expensive to install. A veteran would have come up with something within my budget. I regret not using Lawrence Fleury.

Tree service: The Forestree Company is competent, has good prices and customer service. Drew was a pleasure to work with.

I cannot say enough good things about Andrew Packer with Acorn Landscaping (915 3720). This guy is honest and competent. His subcontractors are top notch. He is not "cheap" but will do your yard done right.

Shirley Jowell (525-7012) has been a godsend for plant selection and gardening assistance including weeding and other maintenance and planting. She is not a landscape professional but someone who is great at helping busy people keep their yards in shape. For lawn installation, we were very happy with Mello's Nursery (223-1093). Eddie is an honest guy and he knows lawns.

Peter Mack built our outdoor kitchen and we were very happy. http://www.petermackconstruction.com/ We bought the components from BBQs Galore in Walnut Creek which was great. Hope this is helpful! Elizabeth

I would recommend Mark Roberts, Roots & Shoots Landscaping 510-482-3236, who just installed an irrigation system in our front yard in Upper Rockridge and put in a new lawn. He and his team also replaced the main water line (from galvanized to copper) while they were trenching. They were flexible as the job changed, expanded, and got more complicated (water line presented problems), were diligent and friendly and priced the job fairly. Natasha

Landscape architect/stone mason recommended
I am writing in response to several posts in the April 22 Digest about landscape architects and garden construction teams. We have recently landscaped the side area to our house in Alameda, and Matt Hornby, based in Berkeley, was an incredibly good landscape architect to work with. He is timely, reasonably priced, and a very good communicator. Matt also has extensive experience as a stone mason and has worked on projects big and small througout the East Bay. He is willing to take on small projects as well. He can be contacted at matthornby72 AT yahoo.com. If you would like more references or to take a look at the brick path and cement driveway he did for us, give me a call. Thanks! Anna

I'm writing to recommend Lisa Ray of Lisa Ray Landscapes Garden Design. Lisa is an absolute artist, and can do all aspects of the jobs - design, advice, building, planting, maintenance. I've been lucky enough to be a neighbor of hers in the Berkeley flatlands, so I have watched her transform her garden into a palette of colors, textures, scents, and flavors (vegetables and fruits), and I have also appreciated her generosity in sharing her knowledge with those in the neighborhood as we did community projects and individual home projects. tia

I would like to highly recommend Tomi Kobara for landscape design. Tomi worked with us last year on a complete redo of our back garden and deck. Her design transformed our backyard into a unique, lush and beautiful garden spot. Tomi is an experienced landscape architect with many years of experience and a great knowledge of plants. She was great at listening to our ideasabout the feeling we wanted for our outdoor spaces and then knowing how to make it work. She was super flexible with our process and always attentive. Tomi is very personable and respectful. Her estimates were right on and she did a great job of helping us create just what we wantedand stayed within our budget. Our garden has grown in beautifully and QUICKLY. You can reach Tomi at 510-420-1197. Mary

I recently saw a recommendation for Lori Palmquist, a landscape contractor who does garden design, installation, and care, in the Berkeley Parents Network. I ended up using Lori for my backyard garden project, and I couldn't have been happier with the process or the product! Lori listened well, was easy to work with, has a great crew, and showed up everyday! on time! until the project was complete. She's an irrigation expert--and just basically did an amazing job with the whole project. She also is very eco-conscious, for instance re-using the large pieces of concrete from my torn out driveway to form paths and raised beds, as well as using the left-over rubble in the underground drainage~ Nothing was wasted that could be used, and nothing was bought when recycled items were available. Lori Palmquist can be reached at 528-3638. Ivy

We live in the piedmont pines area and are planning to add a ground level deck to the back and both sides. One side will be both a deck and dog run. I hope to build this myself in stages. We are looking for some one to design the deck,and deliver working plans. Should I look for an architect or a designer. We are at the information gathering stage, any recomendations and advice will be very much appreciated. Thanks Gordon

Goodluck with your search.
Local landscape architect

I wanted to post an unsolicited positive review for my friend Tomi Kobara who is a talented landscape architect. I recently saw her garden, which she designed and installed herself, and it is just beautiful. She does design and/or installation and I've heard that she's reasonably priced. She's a nice person who would be easy to work with. Her phone number is 420-1197. andrea

In addition to landscaping work, Chris gives permaculture courses at Merritt College and Ecology Center so he had a lot of helpful advice as far as beneficial plants, which veggies would be easy and difficult to grow, methods to keep weeds in check without using pesticides, composting, saving your own seeds for planting the following year, among other things... I am very happy with my vegetable garden and he also planted some native plants in the front yard which are a big improvement over the boring junipers that were there before. I wholeheartedly want to pass on the recommendation to others - you can reach him at 510-594-4000 x138 and his website is www.wildheartgardens.com

2004 Recommendations

I'd like to recommend my friend Victoria Yager, who owns and operates Avant Gardeners Landscape Design, based in El Cerrito. She did a consultation for me yesterday and I was really impressed by her care and attention to detail. She really listened to what I had to say about my personal needs and preferences regarding how we use our outdoor space, and she gave me some wonderful ideas on how to improve the space. She knows about Feng Shue and also decks and patio materials, etc. as well. Being a mom, she understands about making a garden kid-friendly too! She is available at 510/528-2219. Colene

I cannot speak highly enough of Hugo Schmidt from Claremont Landscaping. He finished a job for me this spring. He was referred to me by a Berkeley parent when I posted a message requesting landscape contractors. Last November, I began the process of deciding whether I wanted a landscape contractor, designer or architect. After interviewing several people, I decided to go with a contractor. I selected Hugo because he was always punctual for our appointments and had lots of experience. I checked out a couple of his references, and they were glowing. It also turned out that he had the lowest bid. His crew is very hard working. He was very responsive to my requests. They worked on my job 6 days a week, including rainy days. I have hired a lot of household contractors, and Hugo is by far the best.

Here's an example of his willingness to assist: A few days before he began work on my house, a small fountain of water suddenly appeared in the middle of my backyard law. I suspected it was from a leak in a pipe. I was distraught because I had to have the water to the entire house turned off and it was the Saturday of a three day weekend. Not sure what to do, I called Hugo and he happened to be in his office. I asked him if he could send someone out on Monday to try to fix the problem. I expected to live without water for two days. He said that it was unacceptable to live without water for two days. (I have two small boys.) He said he would send someone over right away. Literally 10 minutes later, I got another call and it was Hugo asking where the water valve shut off was. His crew was already in my backyard and trying to fix the problem. I have never had such service from a contractor.

His number is 510/524-0500. I would be happy to talk in greater detail, if you are interested. Esther

I saw in the archives one recommendation for Andreas Flache (landscape design). Has anyone else used him? Any comments helpful. Thank you! Ellen

We are a N. Berkeley family that needs a good landscape design that can be implemented in stages (for cost reasons) and that needs to take two factors into major consideration: we are a gardening illiterate couple w/o time or interest to really learn how; and we have two young children so play space, and the realities of family life and wear and tear need to be considered. We can mow and trim -- but spending more than 1-2 hours/weekend is too much; and we could invest our time in 2-3 big weekend clean-ups through-out the year, but we also need help learning what to trim when, and how, etc. I have talked to some designers -- and although I think they could create beautiful designs -- I don't think they really ''got'' these limitations. I'm sure the right person is out there.... bryson

When he worked with me I was pleased that he felt that creating a landscpe in phases was actually a very good way to do it (I'm doing my own in this way for financial reasons and he gave me good inscruction abou how to do this!).

His training is originally in the arts, so he has a great eye for form, color, space, texture, etc. He is also VERY knowledgeable regarding plants that are suited to our local climate. He strongly beleives in creating gardens that are really new ecosystems that help sustain themselves rather than depend upon lots of artifical maintenance effort. He told me that coosing the right plants for the right places is far more effective at reducing resource consumption and maintenance costs than any other approach.

He also serves as chair of the local branch of the Mediterranean Plant Society, and speaks around the Bay Area. You can also look at the web site he does for the above society www.mediterraneangardensociety.org. I hired him after hearing him speak at the garden show in San Francisco - now I am converted to gardening according to our wonderful mediterranean climate (the reason we moved to the bay area in the first place!). Sean A. O'Hara sean[at]gimcw.org www.hortulusaptus.com

Good Luck! Louisa

We would like to completely redesign our landscape, which includes a very large deck, with a small pool built into the deck. The deck is old and needs to be completely rebuilt. Since the house is on a steep slope, our deck is our only outdoor living space and our only access to almost 1 acre of land. The current design is a nightmare as well as a safety hazard for our 1 yr. old daughter. There is a small level side yard that we would like to make more usable too. We are looking for a landscape architect who has tackled awkward lots like ours before. Thanks for your recommendations. skhiar

I did, and used Tamar Carson Landscaping and got a superb backyard. I have a beautiful brick and mexican tile patio, great plantings, an attractive low wall with blue bottles incorporated into the wall itself (it looks very cool). I would call the theme ''Mexican/Mediterranean''

Tamar is fun to work with, very creative, has a fantastic eye for color and is happy to work with your vision. Her husband and business partner, Rogelio, is intelligent and technical--they make an excellent team. She gave me a back yard that was even better than I had hoped for. Tamar Carson Landscaping, 654-8242 denise

We used Lawrence Fleury to design our front and back yards, and they are both beautiful and functional for everything we wanted to do (kids play area, vegetable garden, wider paved driveway, etc.) I often stop to admire how good the design of my yard is. His number is (510)452-9161. Feel free to contact me for a reference. Karen

I'd like to recommend Andreas Flache (Berkeley, tel 845- 4129) for landscape architecture and design. I'd searched for almost a year, interviewing various people, looking at different gardens, until I found someone as excellent as Andreas. Andreas has a masters degree in landscape architecture, is very professional and knowledgeable, is very reasonably priced (we got a lot for our money), and was very easy to work with. He designed a gorgeous courtyard garden for us in a challenging/difficult space that was otherwise unusable. Though he works on huge estates in napa and elsewhere now (his work is in magazines also), he didn't mind working on our smaller project. His high quality work included a set of detailed plans, including a to-be sketch from different angles, detailed plant, drainage, and lighting design, etc. It turned out absolutely amazing, and we couldn't have found anyone with a better eye for blending garden with our home's architecture and making our space usable and beautiful. Sandra

2003 and Earlier

Hugo Schmitt from Claremont Landscaping will help you envision your backyard plan. He also will separate costs out, so that you can decide what you do or don't want to do, based on price. Also, if you decide you can do some of it on your own, he will help you with that. He can be reached at 510-524-0500.

I highly recommend Lilley Faurot Landscape Design. They did a wonderful job on a big project on my backyard. I get effusive compliments on it whenever I have guests over. Their website is www.lilleyfaurot.com or email maxi at lilleyfaurot.com. Jennifer

We want to redo our steeply sloped Kensington backyard. We have an ivy-covered hillside behind our backyard patio that we want to turn into a terraced garden with paths and a water feature. We need help with both design and installation. A landscape architect would probably be best because the retaining walls will definitely have to be engineered. Also, we have two young children so we want a design that's kid-safe and kid-fun. Any suggestions? Sally

Im refering my landscaper, Nirko. He is licenced. Contact him at 510-506-0508 He does anything from maintenence to building decks. He did our flagstones and garden. Highly recomended! Jessica

Andy Packer of Acorn Landscaping is currently doing for us pretty much exactly the type and scope of work you've described. A few years ago, he installed the irrigation system in our front garden. Once kids arrived in our lives, we realized we needed to tackle our back jungle, too. So Andy has stripped the existing weeds and dangerous plants (century plants and thorny shrubs do not a play space make); leveled large portions of the yard; built steps at each level of the newly terraced yard; built me a big redwood planter box; rototilled; brought in fresh soil; is now installing irrigation; will soon be laying sod and planting flower beds. Here's what Andy doesn't do: Create extensive landscape designs in CAD programs (for that you need a landscape designer or architect); cut down trees (for that you need a licensed tree person); electric work (for that you need a licensed electrician). For all the rest he is wonderful. Andy Packer: 510.531.8441 Darcy

I used David McGinnis (he's in the Berkeley area) and found his work to be excellent. Additionally, I felt that his bid was very reasonable given the quality of work and attention to detail. Unfortunately, like all contractors, everything took longer than expected. However, I highly recommend him and would definitely use him again. By the way, my project was quite extensive - we tore out all the old landscaping, put in new retaining walls, drainage systems, and had a fence built. Good luck! Elizabeth

For Christine, who seeks ''a contractor that is experienced and professional, but not super high-end'': Call Andy Packer, of Acorn Landscaping, at 510/915-3720. Andy installed the irrigation system in our terraced front garden several years ago, and he recently embarked on our large-scale backyard remodel (which involves tearing out retaining walls, building stairs, leveling the land, amending the soil, setting boulders, laying turf, laying sub-surface drainage, creating an irrigation system, following a complex planting plan by a landscape architect, building planter boxes, and more). Andy is sweet, smart, professional, talented, scrupulously honest, and great to work with (obviously!) There are certain things he will not do, because they are outside his area of expertise (these include deck rebuilding, tree removal, and electrical work) but he is often able to recommend other contractors/specialists to handle those portions of the work. Have fun! Darcy

I highly recommend David Ward, at Sticks and Stones. He is talented, professional, very competent and willing to work with you. He's also very personable which makes him easy to work with. He's a terrific landscaper. His number is (510) 658-5863. Susan

Many designers are poor at giving realistic cost estimates. Reasons include reluctance to alienate clients, excitement about unusual/complex plans, & lack of direct experience calculating expenses. Get a top contractor; don't compromise quality. It's more expensive to redo things than to do them right in the first place!

Consider scaling back your plans- simplify complicated elements, eliminate hard to find plants that add cost, size down large plants, use less plants etc.. Could your project be successfully kphasedm? Ask the first contractor who bid for feedback on the design relative to costs.

If you give the message to (good) contractors that you want a low-ball price, you may kill their interest. Or, you may get someone who gives you a low price & then comes up with ''add- ons'' after starting. Good luck!

I'm a designer/landscape contractor & although I think that hiring a landscape architect is overkill for many projects, I'd suggest it for yours. Any leveling and containing of a steep slope needs to be properly engineered to last and to be safe. I recommend Chris Grampp, 428-1989- he is very experienced & skilled, personable, & happy to design smaller projects (unlike many loandscape architects). For the installation of a project like this, you won't get any better than Barry Friesen, 253-2551- not the cheapest but the best in all ways. cfl

I'm the one that posted the question about how best to show thanks/tip the great landscaper. For those of you that want his info, here it is: Gary Walters, of Walters Landscaping. His number is 925-689- 8119. His wife does great landscape design, if you're needing that too. Feel free to email directly if you have questions: bjlevi at msn.com --Josie

I would like to recommend a fabulous gardener and garden designer. She has an MA in Landscape Architecture from Cal, strong horticultural skills and a lot of hands-on experience. She is currently building her own small gardening & designing business. She has been working on our garden for some time and it is just thriving! She is so easy to work with and very knowledgeable. She has many other grteat references. Her name is Cate Westbrook and she can be reached at: 849-4807 Rachel

We used Prosperous Plants Landscaping to put in a small patch of sod and install a sprinkler system in our backyard about a year ago. The grass is thriving and has survived lots of raccoon and kid abuse. We were really impressed with the owner and the job and highly recommend them:(510) 569-2030. Nicole

I am writing to recommend a gardener...myself! I hope that is appropriate. I can supply references if you would like. I recently moved to the area and am in the process of rebuilding my garden maintenance service down here. I've been gardening in Sonoma County for the last 10 years. My garden care includes maintenance, installation, irrigation and edible gardens. Please give me a call if you are interested. P.S. I don't do lawns. Julie Baron 510.222.9441 jujobaron AT earthlink DOT net

I would like to recommend Ruben Camacho for all kinds of landscaping and yard-work, including terracing, rototilling, planting, irrigation, arbors, decks, general lot clean-up, etc. Ruben's home no. is 510-237-6153. He came recommended to me from some attorneys I work for and they were both happy with his work - and as they told me, they are both ''picky and cheap.'' One note of caution: make your wants and needs very clear to Ruben, as he often has he own ideas, which may or may not match yours (i.e., he put in some white gravel before checking with me, which I happen to dislike, but he was very agreeable about switching it to gray pea gravel when I asked him to). He is very reliable, responsive, hard-working, amiable and reasonable. Lisa

Tamar Carson is a landscape contractor and is available now. Her husband works with her and they have a great and very responsible crew. Tamar just had a baby and the very huge job she had lined up was called off at the last minute so she's quite concerned and eager to take upcoming jobs. Her number is 654-8242. She has a beautiful design sense and has been doing this work for many many years. -June

It's time to get serious about my yard! I'm looking for a reasonably priced Landscape Architect to do plans taht I can implement over time. A student would be ideal. Any and all suggestions appreciated. Thanks! Carol

A landscape designer who follows up, is prompt, and seems to know what he's talking about (based on my limited gardening knowledge!) is:
Donald McGuire
652-3162

Has a great sense of native plant landscaping, too, if that's what you want. Heather

Difference between Landscape Architect & Landscape Designer

Re: Looking for a landscape architect

Hopefully, you are accidentally referring to your landscape designer as a landscape architect, and he is not using this term to describe himself.

In California, the term landscape architect may not be used by anyone that has not passed through the examination process, nor may that person claim to practice landscape architecture.

I do not see this person's name on the Landscape Architect Technical Committee list of licensees. The list is current as of March 7, 2007.

http://www.latc.ca.gov/pdfs/licensee_name.pdf

5640. Unlicensed Person Engaging in Practice q Sanctions

It is a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100) nor more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) or by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment, for any person, who, without possessing a valid, unrevoked license as provided in this chapter, engages in the practice of landscape architecture or uses the title or term ''landscape architect,'' ''landscape architecture,'' ''landscape architectural,'' or any other titles, words, or abbreviations that would imply or indicate that he or she is a landscape architect as defined in Section 5615.

That said, there are many wonderful, talented landscape designers in the Bay Area, often with extensive knowledge of plants.

The LATC website explains in more detail the differences between these two professions, in California . landscape architect