Great to work with. He explained things all along the way. Most importantly our yard looks amazing.

Sad to say I cannot recommend Arborealis. Arthur is a nice guy but doesn't seem to pay attention to detail. He kept recommending plants that were not suited to particular areas because of the light (or lack thereof). He wasn't really thinking big picture or applying any kind of creativity - it felt like he was doing the bare minimum to get to the next phase. He was also slow to respond (but very fast to invoice). And we just discovered he put a highly toxic plant in a central spot without clearing it with us. He charges a lot for plans and I don't think we're even going to end up using them. Real bummer. read more

My husband and I loved everything about our new Alameda "storybook" home...everything but the awful front yard and center courtyard section. When we moved in, it was nothing more than half-dead grass trying unsuccessfully to cover a lumpy lawn. The pièce de résistance was a scrubby bush, alive but barely. Not exactly the English "cottage" garden look that our 1931 home deserved. We tried to landscape ourselves, to no avail. Encinal Nursery and Thomsen's Garden Center in Alameda as well as Regan's Nursery in Fremont answered all of our stupid questions, sold us great plants, and gave us helpful advice to keep them alive. That said, we (as novice gardeners) had no business designing a garden. It was just sad. After a couple of years of (mentally) apologizing to our neighbors, we sought action. Enter Arthur of Arborealis. Arthur was one of four landscape designers we met with. He was by far the coolest and really understood our budget, our vision, and our (time/talent) limitations. After we contracted him for the job, he met us at the East Bay Nursery in Berkeley, where he spent time helping us select plants, playing one part landscape designer and one part marriage counselor. My husband and I had different tastes in plants and trees, and somehow, someway, Arthur kept us focused on the End Goal: a beautiful yard with low maintenance plants that would end up looking like a rich and colorful tapestry. You can see from the photos I've uploaded, what a lovely job Arthur did. I hesitate to upload a "before" photo, for fear someone will think that is his work, but suffice to say, our yard was awful...and now, it is lovely. The roses that we purchased and planted "pre-Arborealis" were happier after Arthur relocated them, and now we have many roses, enough to float in the fountain. As lush as it is now, we did lose a couple of plants to our lack of skill and inability to acknowledge that living things require attention, but Arthur buoyed our spirits greatly when he talked about a garden as a journey, a process. Some plants will thrive and others will need to be replaced. We didn't fail, we just learned. Also, Arthur helped us choose plants that would attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, so now we can to look out the window and enjoy more magic than we paid for. In summation, if your yard does not make you happy, call Arthur. Life is too short to live with lumpy grass and scrubby bushes when you could enjoy color, texture, and delicious-smelling flowers. read more

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We worked with Arthur for landscape design with the expectation he put forth of him being able to bring in 3 bids. He delivered one contractor who followed through with contacting us to bid. We did not like their approach, so we did not follow through and found a contractor ourselves. We also have him a budget for the project. The bid came in 4x more expensive. Once we paid final payment for the design, he took weeks to respond about reverse engineering potential. And now we have not heard from him in months and won't follow up with us about releasing the CAD drawings to the contractor for the project to begin. It has become a nightmare. Was fine during design but don't expect anything else and be sure to get your CAD files before you make final payment. Completely regret going with Arborealis. Word to the wise. Go design build. read more

Arthur is the best! We have a strange, old home in Alameda which features an ugly cement block building in the backyard. This building was an auto shop from the 1940's through the 1970's. Behind the auto shop is a 16 x 30" plot of ground which is simply dead space and weeds. The auto shop dumped old parts back there. In Victorian times, it was used as the trash heap. I almost killed two rototillers trying to turn the rock and junk filled ground back there. Aside from the old cement block garage, we don't have much of a backyard. My wife and I always hoped we could turn the "junkyard" into a usable area. Arthur did more than that. He transformed this black hole on our property into an award winning, Sunset magazine-style patio. (To be clear, it has only won imaginary awards from the neighbors and Sunset has never featured it in their magazine but they should!) Arthur is very relaxed but methodical in his process. From the first meeting, my wife and I knew we were in good hands. Arthur had an extensive talk with us regarding what we were looking for and our budget. My wife and I had very strong ideas but we don't know much about landscaping. Arthur was very patient, showed us many different ideas and types of plants and took extensive notes. It was almost like working with a design therapist. He was able to divine from me and my wife that we wanted a casual but lush patio and BBQ area. We wanted some areas for gardening (which was sort of silly since we have never kept a plant alive longer than a few weeks inside or outside our house) and, most of all, we wanted super low maintenance, hard to kill plants that looked nice. Arthur went away for a few weeks and came back with three very different designs. We melded two of the designs together to come up with a café style, paver patio complete with fruit trees, trellis', raised rusted steel planters and multiple seating areas. During the design and building phase, Arthur was very responsive with any questions we had. It fit the period of our Victorian home, it looks great and it is super durable. The kids play back there and after three years it looks just as good when it was first installed. All of the plants are drought resistant but are set up on a super basic drip system. We haven't killed one plant! The lemon tree is actually growing lemons and this is our third year planting a garden! In all fairness, we are still awful gardeners but Arthur designed a pretty fool proof system. We plant flowers and vegetables in the spring, they grow throw in the summer (the drip system keeps everything super healthy) and then when everything goes kaput in the winter, we rip it all out, put in new soil and start over fresh in the spring. The kids love it and we probably spend a couple Saturdays all year gardening. That's it! We can't sing Arthur's praises enough. The last thing I want to compliment him for is his competitive pricing. My wife and I are not some rich, Bay Area family with a ton of money to throw around. We need to spend every penny wisely. Not only were Arthur's services well within our budget, but he was very conscious of creating a design that we could actually afford a contractor to install. Because he didn't over design, we were able to keep every detail in his plans and he even helped us upgrade from redwood to steel planters at no added cost. Overall, our experience with Arthur was top notch and we can't recommend him enough. read more

Arthur's portfolio speaks for itself. Check out the web site. After viewing his beautiful designs I knew I wanted him to design for our home. In addition to his gorgeous designs, he really listens to his clients and easily modifies his ideas to suit your needs. His flexibility accommodates budget constraints as well as aesthetic and practical requirements (dog run, play structure, etc). Highly recommended. read more

I'm so glad we hired Arthur to work his magic on our backyard. Arthur took our vision of an industrial modern entertaining space filled with decomposed granite, succulents and serene features and made it a true reality. His drawings are beautiful with amazing attention to detail, and he made creative use of every inch of space so that our water feature, natural gas fire pit, sectional, dining area, all fit beautifully. We have a small house so needed our backyard to be a true continuation of our living space, and Arthur made that happen. He also referred and worked hand in hand with the landscape contractor we chose. Arthur takes feedback, responds quickly and implements immediately. He is excellent to work with and I have referred him to others whole heartedly. We love our new space! read more

He does wonderful work when you ask him to do it but is not a self starter. Perhaps he has too much work to bother with the smaller jobs and abandons them unless you prod him into action. Our job was lost in the process. read more

The design Arthur gave us for our back and front yard was amazing. He took my needs and a few ideas and turn all of it into a beautiful and highly function yard. We don't have much space and love to entertain and he was able to really plan the use of the small yard we have. It's been over two years and we still love it! read more

Arthur's designs have transformed a patch of land into a gorgeous terraced orchard and garden, buzzing with possibility and beckoning for engagement. Nearing the end of manifestation/creation, I'm thrilled beyond belief with the ease of working with him, the depth of his knowledge, the breadth of his creativity, and his sheer professionalism and flexibility​. SO happy I had the opportunity to partner with him to make my slice of the Bay Area even more heavenly than I could have imagined. THANK you, Arthur! read more

I wish I could give Arthur more stars. He went way way above and beyond what we expected of him. Not only did he create exquisite plans for our yard that were way better and detailed than anything we'd seen from other landscapers, but he also worked with us and our contractor, Robert Cruikshank, through the project to completion. When we found out mid project that we had too much lead in our soil to plant edibles, he replanned for non-fruiting. He went to the city for us frequently to talk to the permit office and pick up permits. He adjusted plans when the city was being super particular. He's absolutely incredible to work with. There are zero negatives to working with Arthur. read more

Arthur took my parents' sad little patch of a backyard and turned into a colorful and joyous oasis. I'm not overstating this transformation. His work continues to flourish 10 years later and every summer the scent from the fragrant flowers always gently wafts through the house. I couldn't imagine our backyard any other way. From small and dingy to great-wide expanses, Arthur designs with your needs in mind. He's easy to work with and will take the time to make sure you as the client are satisfied. read more

Arthur does very creative landscapes that match the needs and wants of his clients. His many years of experience, attention to details and the big picture, as well as extensive knowledge of plants and their environmental needs, sets him apart from others. You can't go wrong with Arthur and he will keep you smiling. As an acupuncturist who is sensitive to energy, I know that Arthur is attuned to the energy of your outdoor space and will create a feel that will suit you and be inviting and comfortable for your visitors and family members. read more

Arthur Brito at Arborealis has the solution to your backyard atrocity and entertainment needs. It is no surprise that he has won awards for landscape design after seeing his work. From the Urban Oasis to the Formal Entertaining Space, Arthur's designs are unique, user-friendly, and stunningly beautiful. If you want to have "the Jones's" over for the 4th of July, it's time to call Arthur! read more

As a local Real Estate Agent I have referred Arthur several times and my clients always have glowing reviews. His designs are detailed, well planned, and always beyond expectation. I would not dream of sending my valuable clients , friend and family to anyone else. read more

We put off getting our backyard done for more than five years because our space in the Hayward foothills is so challenging -- hilly, irregular shape and grade, privacy issues, etc. We tried coming up with a design on our own several times, but did not succeed. Landscape design software programs did not help. We finally decided to throw in the towel and hire a landscape designer. Thank goodness with found Arthur. Arthur helped us come up with a perfect design within our budget. He also helped us find a reputable contractor and pretty much acted as our project manager. It was a pleasure working with him and we cannot recommend him enough. We went into this thinking that we probably could not afford to hire a landscape designer, but are now convinced that we could not have afforded our backyard without Arthur's help. read more

I had two smaller patios that are narrow but long and needed creative thinking on how to change them from bark chips and concrete to amazing outdoor spaces. Arthur did an amazing design and transformed both areas. He also helped me get a contractor to do the project and kept in touch with the contractor to ensure the project went well throughout the process. read more

I met the crew from Arborealis Landscape Design at the 2010 San Francisco Home and Garden Show. I was blown away by Arthur's design! I had him come out to my new homestead in Walnut Creek to see if he could do anything with my neglected backyard. Arthur took my backyard specs and budget and turned a grungy patch of dirt and turned into a wonderful space for fantastic summer barbeques and entertaining! I get so many compliments!! As a person with a so-called "black thumb" I was especially pleased with the way that Arborealis was able to take the types of flowers and plants that I loved and help integrate them into the design as well! You won't be disappointed with Arborealis for all your landscaping needs! read more

It was a pleasure working with Arthur. He was professional, honest, and walked me through the entire process. I felt he truly listened to what I asked him to do and the finished product was exactly what I had envisioned. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Arthur to my friends and family members. read more

There are plenty of landscape designers out there that will do a pretty good job for you. Some even a great job. What sets Arthur apart is that he is really easy to work with. He does a fantastic job understanding his clients and creating an outdoor space that is what they are looking for. Thanks Arthur! read more

Arthur's creative vision and attention to detail make his landscape designs truly unique as well as functional. The examples of his work at the San Francisco Flower and Garden show were stunning and demonstrated an artistry that is accessible to all people looking to transform their outdoor space. He is extremely knowledgeable and takes care to listen to the needs of his clients to create a design that is unique to them. Check out his portfolio, you'll be happy you did. Highly recommended!! read more

Awesome customer service! Arthur designed our back yard was able to find a perfect solution for our odd-shaped yard that I thought was un-usable space! He stayed with us during the whole construction phase as well and when we had a few hitches with our contractor, Arthur was able to quickly solve the problems and put us at ease. Our back yard is beautiful and now we spend more time outside than in! read more

We have worked with Arthur Brito on a major renovation of our backyard. He is very creative and can come up with elaborate and interesting designs, or will simply assist with a basic plan if that's what is needed. He is very knowledgeable of the local climate and soil conditions as well as a wide range of plant types. He is also very creative with hard scape design. We highly recommend him. read more