Judy is a joy to work with! She's knowledgable, friendly, flexible, and a caring person…read more She and her crew have done my monthly Fine Gardening for over two years now, and the garden has really bounced back! She's especially skilled at her aesthetic pruning of Japanese Maples. Mine look beautiful, and are very happy. Judy brings the design and horticultural knowledge--that true care of gardens--that are far beyond typical mow and blow. Organic products and green solutions, which I value, are part of the service. Her foreman, Jesus, is great to work with... helpful, positive and very accommodating of the additional pruning, irrigation work and adjustments that a small garden like mine needs. Just give her a call. I'm glad I did!

I am a huge and enthusiastic fan of Judy's Gardens & Design…read more Landscape designer Judy Maier generated and executed for me an aesthetically pleasing, thoughtfully imaginative, and economically practical re-design plan for front, side and rear yard spaces of my Old Palo Alto home. Judy's landscape design--faithful to but not confined by my 80-year-old home's Cape Cod architectural style--delivered an enormous breath of fresh air to the property as well as reducing water consumption needs. Two impressive examples of Judy's magic were her (1) locating and reserving for me a raft of huge hard-to-find camellias and (2) artfully pruning and trimming two sizable flowering trees, contributing to the transformation of the front yard. Her capable crew expertly and expeditiously implemented Judy's designs. I'm using Judy for landscape projects on rental units I own.

RB Landscaping is hands down one of the best in the Bay Area! Nate and Jesus, along with their…read moreteam, were incredibly upfront, professional, and understanding of our needs throughout the entire project. We contracted them to build a 50-foot CMU retaining wall, and we were extremely impressed with how fast, efficient, and hardworking the entire team was. They kept us informed throughout the process, paid attention to the details, and made sure the project was done right. If you're looking for a landscaping company that's reliable, honest, and takes pride in their work, I highly recommend RB Landscaping. We couldn't be happier with the results!

RB Landscaping did a fantastic job with my front yard, walkway and driveway project. From the fast…read moreresponse from Nate and endless patience answering my questions plus guidance on materials, to the actual work from Jesus and team I couldn't recommend them more. The quality of their work and attention to detail was clear each day, from arriving on time to their professionalism, and how fast they were able to do so much I was honestly impressed. I also appreciated how they diligently cleaned up the area every day, no dirt on my neighbor's sidewalk or driveway from my project. RB not only came in overall under budget from 4 bids I received, but also did the work twice as fast as the "big" competitor as well, in total taking 5 days to complete. My neighbors keep giving me compliments as I pass them on the street now, saying how great our yard looks. Will have zero hesitation to engage RB for my future projects.

We tried to schedule a 60 minute consultation with Matt with the intent of gauging whether we…read moreshould engage his full design service. We ran into some difficulties at the start due to a last-minute cancellation by Matt and some unresponsiveness through email. When we voiced our concerns, Matt really stepped up to ensure our concerns were met. He immediately refunded us for the cost of the service, and he offered to meet with us at no cost. We ended up taking a 30 minute video chat with him, and Matt was super helpful in explaining various options. When we realized that his typical project scope was a bit bigger than what we wanted to spend, Matt was very gracious in connecting us with other contractors and designers. Despite the early hiccups, we got the sense that Matt is a genuine guy who is more interested in doing the right thing rather than making quick buck. We really appreciate his thoughtfulness, and we will definitely consider engaging with his services again in the future!

We did a 75 minute Virtual Design consultation with Matt at Water and Earth earlier this year. Our…read morebackyard project wasn't quite large enough in size or scope for his full in-person design services. The virtual call was perfect for our project, we provided Matt with pictures of the backyard space as well as a video walkthrough. He took this information as well as our preferences for how we envisioned the space to be used to come up with a 2D design. He also recommended materials and local contractors. We contacted one of the contractors a few weeks later and finished the project with them in about 2 months. I highly recommend the Virtual Consultation for smaller projects with Matt. His feedback for our questions and experience with similar projects were very beneficial to starting this backyard project for us.

We hired Ricardo and the Precision Paving team for a full backyard redo including concrete,…read moreartificial turf, and rock. We're really happy with how it turned out. The crew was professional and finished everything to a high standard. Ricardo is very easy to communicate with. We changed a few things partway through and the team accommodated it without any fuss. We also didn't know much about turf, and we wanted something dog friendly that drained well so odor wouldn't build up and it would be easy to clean. Ricardo brought us samples to look at and walked us through the options. We were also picky about the rock, and he drove out to the rock yard himself to track down exactly what we wanted. One thing that could be better is that the timeline. The original estimate was about a week and it ended up taking closer to two. The extra time wasn't a dealbreaker for us, but a more realistic estimate up front would have helped us plan around it. Overall, we'd recommend them. Good work, easy to deal with, and willing to go the extra mile on details.

I hired Precision Paving install pavers and decomposed granite including the removal of a lot of…read morelarge weeds. Ricardo's team produced what I had requested; everything is graded well away from the house, pavers and dg all feel stable and well packed, and they properly bordered the features I asked for. I would say there was room for improvement that the skid steer used to move materials deeply scraped the bitumen on the street. A strange area, maybe 6" in diameter, under a section of DG also bulged up and left a weird hole with a cap. After informing Ricardo, he sent his team to excavate a bit and fix that section, all is well. Its very good that he stands by his work.

We recently renovated our backyard with Black Diamond to fix our drip lines, add paver stones over…read morea dead grass area, and beautify our edging. We also decided at the last minute to add a retaining wall. Manuel was our go-to person throughout the entire process. He was incredibly patient and accommodating, answering all of our questions quickly via text and email. He really understood our vision and made sure every requirement and price quote was accurately reflected in the contract. His crew was led by Jose, who did a thorough and beautiful job installing the pavers, retaining wall, lighting, and drip lines. Though a minor language barrier caused a few quick miscommunications, Manuel was on-site almost every day of the 1.5-week project to keep everything running smoothly. We are so excited to start adding plants and accessories to our gorgeous new yard! We highly recommend Black Diamond. (Note: We chose Belgard Quarry Sandstone for a rugged, multi-color paver look, and Belgard Catalina Grana in cinder block gray for the retaining wall.)

I had an outstanding experience with Gasim and his crew at Black Diamond. I came to them with no…read moreclear vision for my backyard, and Gasim had incredible attention to detail. He worked through my ideas, helped me land on a finalized plan, and even created a rendering that made everything click for me. He then walked me through different options to keep the project within my budget, and we landed on a plan we were both happy with after a great back-and-forth. The execution was flawless. Mario, the head landscaper, and his crew finished the entire project in just 10 days, while every other quote I'd received estimated three to four weeks. The quality of work was excellent, and the team was incredibly professional, arriving at 8 a.m. and working until 6 p.m. every day, with materials always on time and no surprise changes to price or scope. Gasim himself showed up every single day, taking photos and helping the crew course-correct whenever needed. It was clear he genuinely cared about his team too, making sure they were comfortable and taken care of throughout the project. I'm thrilled with how the backyard turned out, and I've gotten so many compliments on it. That's a direct result of the trust Gasim built with us. I'll absolutely be calling them for future projects.

This will be my second review of this company. I just had Pazmany Brothers "refresh" my pavers…read more They started by power washing the area and then filled in with new polymeric sand. After a week or so, I had them seal the pavers on the driveway and my porch. Julian was the one to start and finish this project. He was communicative and kept me up to date on his progress. Always had a smile on his face and displayed a true desire to do a good job. Very pleased with Pazmany Brothers and I'm sure you will be too!

A friend and fellow Los Altan recommended Pazmany Bros to us for a French drain project several…read moreyears ago. Their team did a fantastic job, reasonable expense, worked hard over the course of a week, and we ended up with a drainage system that resolved a major standing water issue we had dealt with during some of the atmospheric rivers. One year later, Frank Robles with Pazmany helped us do a big project in our front yard, where we shrank our large circle driveway, added a fence, gates, and arbor across the front yard, added a lawn, redid all our flowers/plantings, planted several trees, new irrigation, new electrical and lighting, new mulch, added new gravel to the driveway, added a new brick walkway system and patio, and even replaced our century-old main water pipe. The team worked really hard, and Frank in particular is very detail-oriented and cares just as much as us that the project turns out perfect and we're all happy with the outcome - which we are! Frank is also an expert on native California/Bay area/drought-tolerant plants and has great taste. I would highly recommend anyone in Los Altos/the South Bay/Peninsula consider working with Frank and Pazmany for any work you want done on your property, especially if you want the work done right and want someone you can trust. We now have a yard we expect our kids, dogs, neighbors, and everyone else to be able to really enjoy for many years. Thanks Frank and Pazmany team!

It's rare to come across a team as responsive and thoughtful as Antonio and Erica. We reached out…read moreto several landscapers for our project, and they stood out from the very beginning. Erica was incredibly responsive, and Antonio was knowledgeable, flexible, and genuinely wonderful to work with. We had a drainage issue in our backyard, and they took the time to create diagrams explaining their recommendations, which made the options easy to understand and gave us a lot of confidence in their approach. They did the same when helping us choose our gates - taking the time to understand our needs while offering practical options and guidance. These details really showed us how much they care about getting things right for their clients. We truly appreciated all the time and effort they put into helping us. If you're looking for a landscaper, just reach out to them - you'll see exactly why we were so impressed!

Antonio and team turned a lack-luster backyard into a fantastic venue for children, pets, parties…read moreand more. The work was high quality and has remained the same to-this-day, 4-years later. Whenever there was an problem or issue, Antonio was highly responsive and returned to our site to address our concerns. Exceptional work, quality, and customer service!

Julie is the consummate professional in every way possible! I interviewed 8 different landscape…read moredesigners, and Julie easily made it to my top two. I was incredibly impressed by how talented, thoughtful, and communicative she was throughout the entire process. We really hit it off during our Zoom meeting, and she followed up on every email quickly with great insights and thoughtful questions. While I ultimately went with another designer due to a unique project request, choosing between them was an incredibly difficult decision. If you're in the beginning phase of starting your research to find the perfect landscape designer, you absolutely must include Julie in your search. You will not be disappointed!

We were referred to Julie Orr by some neighbors of ours whom had worked with her in the past…read more Working with Julie was great -- she was quick to respond and helped us transform our yard into a beautiful hang out space for our family and friends to enjoy. Julie was fun to collaborate with, receptive to feedback, and she offered creative solutions as the design evolved over time. During the construction phase she visited multiple times to check that things were running smoothly. Selecting the plant material was also a lot of fun. Together we carefully curated a list of plants that not only met our low water desires, but also complimented the style of our home down to the color palette. Overall the entire project from start to finish took about ten months and were pleased with the final result as we wanted something relatively simple but updated, fresh, and modern. We are still getting compliments from neighbors as they pass by! We recommend Julie!

We needed to completely plan our backyard from scratch. We built an ADU in 2021 and it took up a…read morelot of space. Since we wanted to spend more time in the space and wanted it to be beautiful but uncluttered, we knew we needed help. We were referred to Kim and it was the perfect referral! She took our limited space and mapped out a plan that was perfect and incorporated everything we needed and wanted. Her process is pretty amazing; she spent a few hours with us in the backyard, asking questions and taking notes. When we were unsure about something, she'd make suggestions and help us reach a decision. She contacted us when she got to her office and we had a Zoom meeting where we reviewed a lot of details of the plan. That was a few hour process and we were exhausted when we got done but that same day we received from her a complete plan incorporating all the hardscape, landscaping, and plants, as well as a materials list. We were amazed! Her pricing is very reasonable and we felt we got much more value than what she charged. What's more, some of our design needed to change over the next few months as we were implementing the plan and Kim quickly responded to all of our questions and challenges with great suggestions. Kim is definitely someone we will recommend without hesitation to anyone looking for interesting, beautiful landscape design quickly and at a reasonable price.

She is a terrible designer and presents generic plans that anyone can find on the Internet as her…read moreown. There is zero effort, originality, or effort put into the work. And on top of that she charges premium prices. You are better off using Google, AI, or anything else for free. Your result will be the same as if you paid hundreds or thousands of dollars to this useless designer.

We couldn't be happier with the work Southbay Design and Landscaping did on our backyard. They…read moreexecuted the entire project flawlessly, from demolition and drainage to artificial turf, a 3-foot concrete retaining wall, concrete pads, lighting, and irrigation. Every detail was thoughtfully executed and finished to an exceptionally high standard. The crew was professional, reliable, respectful of our property, and consistently kept the project moving on schedule. What really stood out was the attention to detail--everything was done carefully and correctly, rather than simply getting the job done. The finished project looks fantastic and has completely transformed our backyard. Southbay Design and Landscaping did a world-class job, and we would hire them again without hesitation. If you're considering a landscape project, I would strongly recommend talking to Southbay. Their quality of work, professionalism, and execution are exceptional.

Ten Stars! We just completed a major renovation of our…read morebackyard with SouthBay Landscape and Design, and we could not be more pleased. Our new backyard is gorgeous, and the details of our experience tell the story. We worked closely with Danny, the on-site supervisor, who is a top-notch professional. He knows his plants and hardscape, pays attention to every detail, and manages his crew with great efficiency. The crew worked as hard as any I've ever seen, and they did everything--digging out enormous tree roots, setting flagstone for our patio, installing irrigation and lighting, moving boulders--you name it. They showed up every day and even worked several Saturdays to get the job finished on time and before we had to travel. These guys were terrific, and I can't thank them enough for the tremendous effort they put into both the demolition and the complete recreation of our backyard. Marcus, the office manager, was also great to work with. He took us out to select our patio stone, river rock, and boulders, and was patient and generous with his time as we made decisions throughout the project. If you need a concern or question answered quickly, call the office: they respond right away! As we watched the project progress over the weeks, my husband and I often commented to each other on the quality of the work and the care being taken with every part of the job. We are grateful to every one of the men who worked in our yard and deeply appreciate their hard work, skill, and professionalism. I recommend SouthBay Landscape and Design enthusiastically and without reservation. They do top-quality work, and they were a pleasure to have at our home. One additional note: we also used the landscape designer they recommended, Dawn, and she was excellent. We are thrilled with the beautiful backyard they all helped create.