Incredibly talented and straight-talking. There really isn't anyone else of the same caliber.

Amazing, spectacular! Dave at Cal Native is the BEST, hands down, no comparison. His guys, are second to none, the work and the vision is top notch, and i could not be happier. The absolute best. When i saw the completed product, all i could say was holy s$&t! this is beyond.. Expectations exceeded. I should not fail to mention that Dave is a great guy read more

Dave at Cal Native's team did a great job of turning our so-so yard into what I believe is the best yard in the neighborhood. And that includes Dave's place who lives down the street! Once Dave took over and worked his magic using his creativity of 40 plus years, the project bloomed into something spectacular! Having him and his people work hard to create something special for our family's home was more than we could have expected. Thanks Dave. See you around the neighborhood! read more

Have not used or inquired about their landscaping services but one of there trucks with license plate number 6N6529 was driving on the shoulder to pass traffic of highway 101 and almost hit numerous cars trying to re-enter the freeway when they saw CHP. Shady Business read more

Cal Native just completed a major redo of our front and back yards. The results are beyond our expectations especially our sloped back yard which includes a grove of oak trees. Dave is truly an artist and works with the topography of your land to create stunning results. No boring terraced slope in our backyard! He also improved our drainage, lighting and irrigation. He installed a variety of plants each fitting the location. His crew was great. 4-6 people each day and easy to communicate with. We are looking forward to enjoying our new landscape. read more

I was so annoyed to find out this morning my neighbor had hired this landscaper after we recommended that they not! A couple years ago, when times were good, we had him out to do an estimate for landscaping our entire backyard, a big project that I thought most landscapers would welcome. I had seen his signs around town and liked his work. I own a successful graphic design agency with huge fortune 500 companies as clients and can appreciate good design when I see it. We had a lot of money to spend, and were excited to hear his ideas. When he came out to look at our project I was utterly shocked to find that he would not even give us an estimate and said, "I only do beautiful landscaping for big mansions" and referred us to someone else. He implied that our project was beneath him and did not give us the time of day! This experience really bummed me out, and I found him very offensive. He made me feel like I was trash in a trailer park. Granted, I don't live in a large mansion, but I do live in a wealthy neighborhood, my house is worth close to a million bucks and our landscaping project was no small peanuts. Now that times are tough, I find it funny that he is willing to slum in my neighborhood now. He has found that he needs us little people to stay alive in this economy. I think this landscaper does good work, and that is why I had called him for an estimate in the first place, but no one should have to suffer his snooty, bad, higher-than-thou attitude.There are MANY other talented landscapers in the area that are far more DESERVING of the work and your hard earned dollars. read more

Dave is an artist. His work is spectacular and stands the test of time. He completely redid the front and back landscaping of our PA home about four years ago, and we still love it. Hardly a week goes by without someone stopping to admire the work and ask questions. Amazingly, Dave still drops by from time to time to spruce it up a bit - move or replace a plant or complain about the way I am trimming "his work"... :) In fact, he dropped by last week and put a few new plants in. He said he would be back to do a bit more as it warms up a bit. In truth, I never expected him to show up again after the work was done years ago. But, he has kept his word. As far as the concerns about his brashness or ego, I wouldn't want anything else. He is a complete "no-BS" straight-shooter, with a great, dry sense of humor. He knows what he is willing to do, and he says so - directly. My wife and I found him a pleasure to work with. He treated my wife with the utmost respect and even did a fair job pretending to tolerate me.... If you are thinking about landscaping, do yourself a favor. Drive by some of his work... The proof is in the pudding. We will never go anywhere else for our landscaping needs. read more

Simply put: Dave of Cal Native is a landscaping genius. He has an innate and uncanny ability to look at a yard and envision, then execute, the most visually stunning and interesting designs without drawing up a single plan. I'd driven by his yards in my neighborhood and found them breathtaking--you can always identify his landscapes, as they look like works of art. He came to look at our yard, which was basically a wasteland of dead grass and gravel, which he transformed into a magical land of beautiful and unusual plants, flowers, and trees, complete with a lovely stone patio and walkway that we enjoy every day. He never showed me a single photo of a flower or plant and I never asked for one. If you like to be in control and make all the decisions, Dave is not the guy for you...if you want to open your backyard one day to a stunning, organically flowing landscape, then call him! read more

I'm impressed!!! If you're looking for an incredibly talented and amazing landscape designer look no further, Dave Raphael is all that and more! Although Dave and his team did not personally work on my property, I had the pleasure of interacting with them and seeing the project being worked on from beginning to completion. They were able to transform a neglected backyard into a beautiful garden. I'm simply amazed at the difference from before and after. I was around to witness how haggard my family was during their selection process. They were calling several landscapers and they were either hard to communicate with or the quality of their work was in question. My family decided to go with Dave, because after talking to him, they could tell that he knows what he's doing. I never really gave thought to the process of landscaping and I was impressed to see Dave and his crew in action. He was very straightforward and was able to look at a neglected piece of land and envision the potential beauty. He was able to convey his ideas to us and best of all, everything looked great when they were done. Dave has a terrific crew, they work well together efficiently and effectively to get the job done on time and on budget as promised. I personally thought his budget was reasonable for the amount of work done, and to address one of the other reviewers, the yard that was worked on was not part of a mansion, and I did not witness or hear about any attitude towards the size of the house. Anyways, I wanted to give a big thank you Dave and crew for a doing such a fantastic job, you went well above and beyond my family's expectations. When I'm ready for landscaping, I'll definitely be calling up Dave again. read more

I must acknowledge Joraine G. for this recommendation!! *** Dave Raphael and his crew did a fantastic job landscaping our back yard. We found out about his design approach from a friend and liked it very much. Not the same ol' some ol' landscaping. Creative use of rocks, plants, borders etc. On our yard he put in a natural flagstone patio, lawn and plants, and it turned out beautifully in just a week. We were very impressed with his team, especially those installing the patio which looks amazing. Our expectations were high, but Dave still exceeded them. I'd give him six stars if I could. read more

I love Cal Native, Dave and his team are the best on the Peninsula! I actually connected with Dave after being pressured to "give him a call" by my daughter. For 15 years I have driven by homes that have used Cal Native and always commented that "one day" I would be able to have landscaping as amazing as that...So, when it came time for us to landscape our large back/side yard, I called several firms but not Cal Native because I didn't think our project was big enough. Well, I was wrong! When I finally called Dave (after not being happy with the 4 firms we had already spoken with), Dave came over himself right away and talked us through all of the possibilities. I LOVE the fact that Dave looks at every property as a unique canvas and creates a vision for the end result by spending time in the environment. He did everything he said he was going to do and more and was amazing (fun) to work with the entire project. The end result is spectacular and one-of-a-kind. Everybody comments on how amazing our yard is. I cannot say enough great things about Cal Native, Dave and his team. They are the best of the best, landscaping royalty here if you ask me. Every day i look out I am SO HAPPY that my daughter challenged me to call Cal Native! read more

Cal Native I thought did a great job landscaping out back yard. It was a pretty big project and they did it in 2 phases. They started on time and got the job done quickly and used very nice plants. I will say that Dave the owner maybe doesn't have the best communication skills but I wasn't paying him to communicate I was paying him to landscape and he did a great job. My wife and I are looking to have him come back and help us with our front yard driveway area in the near future. Several neighbors in our area saw his work at our house and have had their yards done. I can usually pick out the yards he has done when I drive around - they all look great. So yes I would highly recommend him but be forewarned he isn't cheap and he's not a salesman or great communicator but he does a fantastic job. read more

See all

I've been meaning to write this review for quite some time. Dave and his team finished our front yard, patio, and stairs a few months ago and we could not be happier! Not only is his design approach fantastic (just drive around and see his work throughout the peninsula) but what really sold us on him was the complete package approach and committment once the job started. He set our expectations as to when the project would start. He started very close to that time, but more importantly, his team was at our house, focused on our job, until it was done. Every last detail. They were not juggling three other jobs at the same time. Once our job started we could tell that they would not leave until it was done. That alone was a great feeling. The other key advantage (besides beautiful design) was the fact that the entire project was handled by his team. There was not need to coordinate other trades, timing, overlap, etc. Instead, Dave's team handled all removal of old trees, bushes, concrete, etc., laid the foundation for new concrete, poured it all in one day, laid the gorgeous flagstone stairs themselves, graded the hilly front yard for natural, flowing retaining walls, stacked the stones themselves, planted all vegetation, laid pipe work for drainage, and even installed the complete sprinkler and lighting systems with automatic timers. They did everything! Every last detail (even a brief tutorial on the sprinkler and lighting systems) was done by Dave and his team in a little over 2 weeks. Amazing! We have been enjoying the front yard, steps, and patio for a few months now and I almost always pause on my way up or down the stairs to take in the beauty. Countless neighbors have come paid us compliments as they walk by. Truly beautiful work. The best part is that I did't have to become a landscape architect in the process. Having seen Dave's work in the area I was confident that the design in his hands would come out beautifully. The fact that the entire project was handled by Dave, and that they focused on my job until it was done, was just a huge bonus! Can't recommend them highly enough! read more

I just had my gardens redone by Cal-Native. All I can say is WOW!! Dave Raphael and his team built a beautiful front and back garden for my house. Dave does not work from plans; instead he intuitively hand sculpts each garden to fit the shape of the yard and the architecture of the house. For our pie-shaped property, Dave modified our hardscape; brought in boulders, rocks, and dirt to create different elevations; selected and placed a mixture of trees, shrubs, and other plants; designed the lighting; and of course did irrigation and much more. He took our out-of-date yard, and morphed it into a lovely one-of-a kind and very functional garden that complements our house. My neighbors are in awe... and have said that the new garden has raised the bar for the entire neighborhood, and more than one person has said that the garden is spectacular. I give my deepest thanks to Dave and his team for creating a garden that I will love and enjoy for many years to come. read more

See all

I recently discovered Yelp had a message box feature and saw that Dave had left me a response, calling my review "a derogatory comment" and proceeded to give me a sob story about his house being under renovations for four months as the reason for his lack of response, and might I consider changing my review? For a minute, I actually considered it. After all, it was just a ghosting, not the end of the world. Then I read his totally obnoxious and grossly unprofessional response to Christina, and changed my mind. The difference between a capable professional and a total jerk is that the professional will retain his decorum when faced with a difficult situation, and the jerk will lose his dignity, as seen here. I don't think this person even realizes how badly he's humiliated himself. Such behavior is utterly shameful. read more

Dave, owner of Cal-Native Landscaping, is the creative genius responsible for our current and gorgeous front yard masterpiece. Approximately 15 years ago, both our front and backyards were done by Cal-Native. The transformation was unbelievable that people, just seeing the front yard, were blown away. We wanted to refresh the front and backyards with a more drought tolerant landscape and wanted Dave's perfection once again. His artistic creation of rock boulders, terraced elevations with rock walls, choice and detailed positioning of plants, layout of beautiful hardscape, lighting, drip system, etc. is nothing less than perfect. We are once again ecstatic with the outcome of our landscaping which has definitely increased the value of our home! read more

If you want a detailed plan in advance of your project, Dave is probably not the guy for you. He creates as he goes along and often yanks stuff out when it doesn't fit into his vision. If you don't like a particular plant, he might ask you to wait until he's finished and most likely you will love it when completed. If you still don't like it...out it goes. If you don't want people stopping their cars in front of your house taking pictures, knocking on your door with questions, bringing their own landscapers by to try and duplicate Dave's work or (kinda disturbing) sitting uninvited on the various rocks in your front yard, maybe Cal Native is not the way for you to go either. But if you want exquisite results, Dave Raphael and Cal Native will not disappoint. I am thrilled with his work and never get tired of looking out upon our beautiful yard. One of the best decisions we ever made! read more

I completely agree with those who have given Cal Native 1 star. In addition, I find Dave extremely arrogant. His landscaping lacks creativity. You see one, you basically see them all. Same use of plants and rocks. Nothing special. The fee he charges is way beyond what is worth. Call if you are willing to spend $25,000 for a few plants and rocks. read more

I too called this place a couple of years ago when the times were great. The assistant whom answered the phone politely informed me that "Cal Native" only does jobs over 25 K in the most desirable neighborhoods. I was so disgusted with this statement. I thought how pompous, impolite, and condescending. Little did she know that my house is in Atherton. I will never forget such disgraceful behavior. Promised I would never do business with them and told my as many friends as I could about their unprofessional and greedy attitude. Now that times are a little bit harder, I see that they take jobs located right on busy Ralston Avenue. In the long run, I am pleased it worked out this way.. When ever I see jobs completed by Cal Native it is the same design used over and over again. They just rearrange plants and rocks! read more

I sure wish I could have the same review as the others. My experience was just the oppsite.. Seeing some of the work that was completed by Cal Native. I thought I would give this company a call. First, I was greeted by an unfriendly scecratary that informed me Cal Native only takes jobs at the beginning rate of $25,000. Granted this was when the economic climate was much different than today. I was put off by this remark and did not proceed to go any further than a phone call. public-all those other long winded reviews are his family. read more

Yea Yea, Cal Native did a wonderful job at our place, a billion times beyond our expectations but we expected that. I find the negative reviews here strange. The administrator who answers the phone was a little coarse, but so what? Frankly if the job is smaller then their minimum, wouldn't you not want to waste your own time. We were first exposed to Cal-Native's work when we were at a cookout down in San Mateo. Even before the rain, the yard was lush, tasteful, and unique. It looked like it was installed yesterday, but the owner told us it was three years old. After seeing this, and the size of job we wanted, there was no question who we would call. This was the best decision we ever made for our home. Our house and area are modest. read more

Dave and his staff are terrific! They took my Mom's ho-hum front yard (that hadn't changed much since the house was built in the late 40's) to fantastic in a week. The best part is, the plant and rock choices suggested by Cal Native are so wonderful with the house - the landscaping really looks like it "belongs" there, and my Mom is thrilled with the results. read more

Dave Raphael has landscaped my yard not just once, but twice. Frankly, I am very picky when it comes to landscaping and Dave is the only one who has exceeded my expectations. Quite simply he is the best, hands down. There are a number of competitors who try to imitate him but you can't top the original. There's Cal Native, and then there's everyone else. If you want to transform your yard and increase your homes value, there is no one better. Ken N. Redwood Shores read more

As you pass through neighborhoods up and down the Peninsula, certain yards arrest your attention, make you stop to admire the lush beauty of the plants and the natural placement of the stone. Cal Native gardens stand out; Dave Raphael's artistic landscaping is immediately recognizable. I've taken great pleasure in my Cal Native landscaping for the past 6 years. I look forward to the fiery red of my coral bark maples in the gray winter months and the heavenly scent of daphnes on the earliest spring days. Whether your garden is in sun or shade, Dave can completely transform it from bland to spectacular in a few short days, with minimal disruption. He studies the grounds and develops a vision for the space with creative placement of rocks, pebbles and boulders and with an eye for color, texture and plant shape in all seasons. He personally selects high quality plants in generous quantities and scours nurseries for unique and unusual specimens, so no two gardens look alike. Because he starts with full-size plants, your garden will look beautiful immediately and will not deteriorate over time because plants outgrow their locations. He is committed to your long-term satisfaction. Dave is an artist. Trust him to make your garden extraordinary! read more

There's a yard in my neighborhood that caught my eye as I drove by. It is gorgeous. My yard was not. I called the number on the sign and Dave said he could come over tomorrow and check out my (small, overgrown, completely neglected) yard. 1) He showed up when he said he would. He looked around, listened to what I wanted, and said he would come up with something and get back to me in 3 or 4 days. 2) He did. He came over with a contract, described what he would do, what plants he would use, how much it would cost, where lighting and irrigation would go, and who would do the work. It all sounded good--his vision of the space, his ideas for plants, rock walls, trees, flagstone, etc. all good. His crew has worked with him for years. Cost was just within my budget. Are you waiting for the other shoe to drop? I was. "I can't get to it for a while" he said. Damn. He saw my reaction, then he said 'well, it will only take 2-3 days (!?!) so we do it in between jobs and could start tomorrow if you give me a 50% deposit. I handed him a check. 3) He showed up the next day at 8 am with 9 guys. They were done 21/2 days later and it looks GORGEOUS. Not just good, but GORGEOUS. He had me come by after they started planting to make sure I was happy with the plant selection. He changed out a couple things at my request, no drama, no issues. He used large mature plants and trees, flagstone to replace old brick, rock retaining walls to replace falling down wood- it is great. I'm 10000% satisfied. Actually, I am more than 10000% satisfied and have recommended him to several friends already. Regarding another reviewers comment- I can't imagine him saying anything about only doing large yards or houses (mine is certainly not). He does have a minimum fee, which maybe wasn't what another reviewer had in mind? The value for the price was beyond compare. (And I didn't know him from Adam until last week.) read more

As a Major League Umpire for the past 34 years, I have made many calls & I do believe that the call to Cal-Native was a great one. Dave Raphael was "a little easier" to deal with than Billy Martin or Lou Piniella, but as they did, He also played his game to win! Dave has a keen eye for detail and artistry & treated the job as it was his own house. His crew was great, clean and fast and I feel like I hit a Home Run after they were done. Eddie Montague Major League Umpire # 11 read more

Our property, near Edgewood Park has it's share of challenges. The soil, while amended routinely, has a lot of clay and acid in it. Adding to the challenges, we are routinely attacked by both gophers and deer. The advice of the local nurseries didn't seam to be working, as many plants that are considered by nurseries to be 'deer resistant' are not. Dave's extensive experience with plants in this area, guided us to a solid solution. It's good to ask and expert - and Dave clearly knows his plants. read more

Dave, Salvador and the rest of the crew did a fantastic job on our project. Our job included the front with a circular driveway in paver stones and the back/side yards which included 2 flagstone patios, planting beds and lawn. Separately we had installed a pool and Dave worked his magic to smoothly integrate the hardscape/plantings and the pool structure. They show great attention to detail to get it just right. Yes, his style is to utilize rocks/boulders/terraced beds, but each one is a unique combination of interesting plants and placement and results in a one-of-a-kind landscape. His artistic style relies on natural curves which instantly transforms postage-stamp lots and square/angular houses into works of art. Lighting, irrigation, drainage...they pulled it all together. And yes, they just came back to give my front yard a spring spruce up! Contact Dave and come by to see his work. read more

Dave and his crew did our frontyard and as expected it turned out beautiful. Salvador and his crew completed the job in four days and left the worksite neat and tidy each day. It has been one year since the work was completed and it still looks wonderful. People still stop and admire and take pictures of the landscaping. He took our flat boring frontyard and turned it into something pleasing to look at with the contours, mounds and plantings. Although Dave can be a bit quirky, I don't understand the negative comments people have written. We found all of Dave's employees friendly and helpful. If you want landscaping that is beautiful and will stand the test of time hire Cal Native Landscaping. read more

I contacted Cal-Native last year after driving by and admiring two corner jobs he had done in the Atherton area. I have a very large and rustic property in Woodside and wanted something that was beautiful but also able to compliment the rustic nature of the property. The first area Dave designed and installed was amazing. It looked like a small park! It sold us on the idea to do more and we proceeded with 3 additional areas. Out of the four, I would say I LOVE three, and only like the fourth. I think Dave is an artist and has his own signature style which is the sign of someone who is truly a standout in their field of expertise. There were a couple issues with small things which Dave promptly addressed. He also recommended a gardner who comes out periodically to tend the gardens and keep the deer away. People who come up our driveway often comment on the beautiful landscaping. Our neighbors think it is spectacular and I know it has added tremendous value to our property. If you want Cal-Native to do a project, I suggest you hire in the off season as they become very busy in the Spring. Although we ended up spending a lot of money, I felt it was reasonable for the value it added and for the unique and beautiful result. Dave is a kick and if you have a sense of humor, he will be fun to work with! read more

Before hiring CalNative for your landscape project you absolutely want to know about our recent experiences. I say "recent" because, if you notice, the majority of CalNative reviews on here are 8-10 years old. We are posting our experiences in a combined review but we are two separate clients with two completely separate jobs. We both contracted for landscape work with Dave/CalNative. We had very similar experiences, both of which were unprofessional, of extremely poor quality and overall were a complete nightmare. It would take up way too much Yelp space and your time to go through every detail of Dave's lacking landscape skills and unprofessional conduct so we are going to break it up into multiple posts. Per this post, please consider yourself to be "on notice" that Dave has some very serious issues. In this post we are merely warning people interested in using CalNative that they need to be very cautious. Subsequent posts will be divided into categories; hardscape, irrigation, lighting, grading, fencing, safety, drainage, water features, technology, disruptions, overall property damage, Dave's personal conduct, code violations, threats and verbal abuse, "untruths", broken commitments, quality of work, CA Contractors License Board and whatever else we feel is important for you to know before you work with CalNative. All reviews will be accompanied by photos. We encourage you to contact us with any questions you have. If you would like to personally visit either of the properties to see for yourself we welcome and encourage you to make arrangements with us to do that. A few months ago, by sheer random coincidence facilitated by the sale of an item on the Nextdoor app, I encountered a third and completely separate previous client of Dave's. The subject of remodeling came up and we discussed interior vs landscape projects. This client had used CalNative and had a similarly awful experience as we did. And he told me he always regretted not posting a review to Yelp. He said to me "maybe if I had done that it would have saved you". Yes, maybe that's true. We have decided to take this step and post on Yelp because we don't want to have those regrets and we want to give you the opportunity to save yourself from an encounter with CalNative. read more

Before consulting with Dave, we had seen 4 of his older landscapes, done more than 5 years ago, and 4 completed in the past 2 years. They are all impressive and the older ones have matured beautifully. Dave's team was just great to work with: courteous, on time, and most of all, efficient and experienced at their work. We and our neighbors were amazed each day at the progress. Last year we consulted a landscape architect to develop a conceptual drawing. She told us that it was unrealistic to expect that we could 'install' her plan for less than $100,000. We thought seriously about doing it ourselves and also had estimates in consideration of hiring out each job (stone work, planting, irrigation, lighting, drainage, etc.). It's hard to find any one landscape company that does it all and does it with artistic vision. Dave, did not see our architect's conceptual drawing, (he refuses to work someone else's plan so we stayed quiet about it). But he created a magical landscape far superior to her drawing, at a fraction of the $100,000+ she predicted! We decided to "let go and let David do his thing". Working with Dave is like working with any real artist. Don't try to tell him what to do. Look at his work then decide if it's for you. Temperamental and a perfectionist, he relies on his vision and his team. There are no sketches, drawings, measurements, picking of plants or lights, etc. But what we got was worth all of our patience and every cent! read more

Dave and team are great. We just finished a renovation and our yard was wrecked. We have a great view and spend a good amount of time outside so wanted to make our outdoor area comfortable and inviting. We checked out several landscapers and were just not excited about anything we'd seen, everything seemed the same. We searched the web for some good options and came across Dave - went to look at the designs from his website and were really impressed. They all have a similar feel, but are well matched to the homes they surround. We called Dave and he came out the next week to walk our property. We were a little apprehensive when we first met (my husband met him first, then I met him separately - we both had same opinion). He seemed confident and was well able to articulate his vision during our visits, but it didn't seem like he was really interested in listening to what we were looking for (admittedly, we were not quite sure what we wanted either). My husband and I are both detailed, involved people who like a good amount of communication during big projects like this, but we quickly realized this was not what we would sign up for if we went with Dave. After some thought, we both decided we liked Dave's end product and design vision for our yard enough so decided to sign up with Cal-Native. It took about 6 weeks to get worked into Dave's schedule, but once his team arrived, they worked faster than we had ever expected. I work from home and was able to shoot short videos and send to my husband throughout the day to show him how things were progressing. I expected to have intermittent adjustments with Dave and the crew throughout the project, but I never ended up having anything better to add. It was pretty amazing how quickly everything transformed! At the end of the three day project, we happily have a beautifully terraced yard that couldn't be more welcoming and serene. In the end, the whole project turned out incredibly well and we love sitting outside at the end of a long day among the fragrant, colorful flora. There's definitely something to be said about being able to trust the expert. As it turns out, my husband and I are better suited to our day jobs and are very lucky to have found Dave, who is definitely an expert in his field! Update: we signed up for the ongoing maintenance option and had our first service today. Salvador (the project lead on our landscaping) is heading up the charge and was meticulous in his care. In addition to the regular mowing and maintenance, he freshened everything up so that it looks just like it did at the end of the landscaping project. A positive reinforcement of our Cal-Native decision and a great testament to Dave's team! read more

Dear Dave, I cannot thank you enough for the beautiful garden and stone work you did for me. I knew it would be beautiful because I have seen some of your work, but I never dreamed that you could take a small, mostly flat front yard and turn it into an enchanted garden. It is absolutely more than I could ever have imagined. I am glad that I gave you a free hand to do what you thought best, because I could never have suggested anything close to what you have created. I really love all of the texture you added by creating different levels of ground with stones, and with so many different types of plants. Your men were wonderful. They worked very hard and accomplished so much in a small amount of time. They took time to answer my questions. They cleaned up at the end of every day. I also appreciated the fact that you spent so much time on the site while the work was being done. Hiring Cal Native was the best landscaping decision I have ever made. read more

I love Cal Native! I asked for a garden setting in my backyard, and this company went above and beyond. We had to start fresh with our San Mateo Backyard, a very large pine tree needed to come down, the grass had started dying. I asked Dave to take the reins and work his magic! Cal Native Landscape team came in and worked at 100% and transformed my backyard into a beautiful "secret garden". Beautiful plant, shrub and tree choices...along with a drip system that will definitely save water. I also thought it was amazing that the butterflies and and humming birds were attracted to my new garden, loved that! I was extremely happy with the daily clean up during the landscape work. I never felt that we were under major reconstruction. I also greatly appreciated the friendly simple tips in keeping this garden looking beautiful. My advice is if you call Dave at Cal Native, trust his judgment in design and plant choice. He is truly an expert in his field. read more

It took us months looking around for the right landscaper who can do our front yard until I drove by one day in a corner house in Norfolk neighborhood, whose landscape I thought was beautiful. I don't normally knock on some stranger's door but I had to know who did the job. Called and got to know Dave. There was a lot of trust factor involved since he doesn't do any sketches, but reassured us that we're going to love it. All we said was that we didn't want any grass, low-maintenance/drought-tolerant plants are much preferred & so on. He was such an artist that when his crew cleared out the whole yard as if it's his blank canvass, Dave would stare/contemplate at the empty lot, and start to order his crew which plant goes to what place. In a matter of just 3 days, TADDA! What a transformation he did. From blech to, I'm not kidding, the most beautiful front yard in the Village (: We felt like we were on a home makeover show. His plant selections were incredible. Color contrast was fantastic. Flagstones were laid out perfectly. This project was touching because we saved money and waited for this for a long time. To see it finally came through, it was so great. Dave and his crew were all efficient and really good at what they do. Dave was straight-forward, odd in a funny way, and extremely talented. Mind you, his price was expensive. But at the end, you'd totally understand why. He's worth it. read more

I had Cal Native design our backyard and I was blown away by the results! I will hire them again to do the front yard! They were professional ,on time, and very creative. Our yard looks fantastic all year round. I love how they use native plants, no vines and no straight lines. :-) Our yard has built up areas to showcase plants and/ or flowers, a bench in a shaded spot for resting, curvy pathways, stone wall with lighting, area for BBQ, not to mention my favorite part, the water feature. There is nothing like the sound of a gentle stream, surrounded by a beautiful garden. Cal Native has increased the value of our home by giving us an outdoor living space. My favorite days are the ones spent outside, relaxing in a comfy chair, listening to the water flow, and enjoying a beautiful view. Thank you Cal Native! read more

Our yard was dry and dead for a long time and we live next to a house where our neighbors built a hideous wall fortress. We were pretty depressed about the look of our front yard and Dave has completely transformed it. He is a true artist! People come by now and stop and stare at our property whereas before they never looked twice. He created a space with elevation and depth and your eye is really drawn to all the intricacies of the design. We gave him artistic license and I highly recommend anyone using him do the same - you won't be disappointed. I thought his prices were reasonable for the quality of the work and his team worked fast and was professional. While anything would have looked better than what was there, our space now is truly a wonder. I recommend his work without reservation. read more

Our front yard was in all honesty ugly. It had cactus and junipers everywhere. Even our kids were embarrassed by our front yard. When it was time to break down and get the landscaping redone my husband did not bother contacting any other landscapers because he had for years admired the work of Cal Native. He knew he wanted the best. They had transformed other neighboring yards and he wanted the same. We had no idea what we wanted we just wanted it to look really nice. Luckily Dave was the perfect guy because he is a creative artist and likes to have freedom with his creative masterpieces. Our yard is a huge corner lot and we were going to have Dave just do the front half. His crew arrived and each day we could not get over how great our yard was looking and it wasn't even finished. Dave used plants that we have never even seen before that were unique, pretty and lush. Dave is such a perfectionist that he would remove and exchange a plant or tree that he felt did not bring out the best in his work. When he was done I could not believe that this was my house that I was pulling up to after work! The stone paved driveway, the flag stone walkway, lush lawn, stone and plants were unbelievable! I wanted to just sit outside and admire my yard every day after work. When we did, we would get compliments from people walking by. It was a no brainer that we decided to let Cal Native do the rest of the front yard. Now our yard looks like a park or the grounds of Disney Land. It is just a site to behold. Cal Native's work is just outstanding and their work runs circles around the others. Thank you Dave for your creative genius and hard work! read more

I have lived in my home for 25 years and there has always been a very plain, hard to maintain lawn in the front of my house. Because I am a walker, I have logged literally 100s of miles up and down San Carlos and Redwood City streets and recently started to notice Cal Native signs dotting the landscape (no pun intended). As more and more jobs were completed, it was clear that this company's work stood way above the rest. They seemed, quite literally, to be transforming our neighborhood. Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I noticed my lawn turning brown once again (even after record winter rainfall!) and that was it. I called Cal Native and asked Dave Raphael (owner and chief designer) to work his magic for me. The job has just been completed and I couldn't be happier. It only took three days for Dave and his wonderful crew to completely transformed my front yard. It's gone from a C- to an A++. Dave is an artist in every sense of the word., and he gets an unqualified 5 stars from me! read more