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!

Landscape/Patio Designer Needed

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

Someone to demo and level our yard, build retaining wall

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

Class for do-it-yourself landscapers?

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

Consultant for small landscaping job

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

A summary of our landscape project

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

Landscape Architect vs Landscape Designer

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

Down-to-earth landscape design

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

Need designer for landscaping project March 2004

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

More Reviews of Landcape Designers

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

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 @ 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

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@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 July 2005

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

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

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 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

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

Carol
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!

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