We live in San Marcos and had a really great landscape experience working with Brian and his crew. Very professional and knows his stuff. He did a complete design for us. Ours is a small front lawn area and it was transformed from a gravel pit look into a nice desert appearance complete with the right plants and bushes and a first class drip irrigation system. We will be doing more work with Garden Spirit later on. read more

We bought a distressed property on one acre lot from the estate sale and needed a fair amount of landscaping work, which included creations of backyard patio and frontyard drive way. There were various ways to achieve these goals, and indeed figuring out the best way to do this was half the battle. We called in several landscapers, most of whom we chose due to their positive Yelp reviews. Brian came up with the idea of moving the dirt from front to back, thereby substantially reducing the cost of the work. The other contractors, even after we told them Brian's idea, could not match his bid, so we went with Garden Spirit. By the time they completed the work, we were thoroughly impressed with not only the quality of their work (Andy built a beautiful patio fence!), but also their integrity (always on or ahead of the promised time), responsiveness and flexibility (when we requested it). In fact, as Gerry R alluded, we literally got more than we bargained for. During the course of moving the dirt from front to back, they created the path and large useable space between the two areas, for no additional charge. On the scale of 1 to 5, we would give Garden Spirit 10. read more

There are so many excellent landscaping companies in the area, but this one of the lesser ones (though the prices are as high, if not higher than better competitors) . Kelly Green, Offshore, and C&H are all MUCH better options in the area. This company lacks in professionalism, performance, and value. read more

I called several landscapers, including one recommended by a friend, and not one returned the call! So I turned to yelp and found Garden Spirit. Brian actually answered his phone so I thought we're off to a good start. Our landscaping just got out of control over the years and we needed professional help. Brian met with the wife and I the next day and felt he could work in his ideas with my wife's ideas to come up with a reasonable, medium cost solution for our front and back yard. I'll tell you, Brian and his crew did a super job! We ended up with a super landscape job one would think cost a small fortune. Brian stayed on budget but exceeded our greatest expectations. I highly recommend Brian for any landscape needs you find yourself in need of! Thanks Brian (and crew). read more

I first met Brian Best of Garden Spirt Landscape a few years ago when I was practicing Landscape Architecture and was searching for a Landscape Contractor that truly used sustainable approaches to building a quality project. Since then, I have discovered that Brian and his company has been an extremely unique and rare find. I don't think of Brian as a 'Landscaper' but rather a Master Garden Designer / Builder. Brian transforms exterior spaces into lush, vibrant, tranquil and beautiful outdoor rooms. His gardens are enjoyed from viewing from within the home or building, viewing from adjacent streets or properties and even better, when being within these garden spaces he creates. Brian goes the extra mile when creating a garden, he does what is right for his clients, the property and the environment. His site design, irrigation design, design and selection of regionally appropriate plant material and soil preparation is some of the best I have seen! Brian uses holistic, sustainable and organic approaches to designing and building his water efficient gardens but most of all...he does it with passion! I highly recommend Brian Best of Garden Spirit Landscape to design/build your dream garden or renovate your existing landscape. If you do, not only will your curb appeal increase but so will your property value! read more

I have known Brian personally for many years and he is one of the most honest, professional and friendliest guys I ever known. He is very passionate about his work hence all the awards he has won landscaping eco-friendly yards and estates. I would highly recommend him. Believe me, as soon as you see the results of his work, you will recommend him to all your friends and family. read more

Did you ever get more than you bargained for and have it be a good thing? I did. Since 1998 I have lived in Oceanside in the same house. Drab backyard landscaping was the best way to describe our rear view. Since Garden Spirit removed our old, drab landscape and replaced it with a water feature, natural landscaping that is drought tolerant, and accent lighting our yard is now the envey of the neighborhood. It is a pleasure to bring clients and friends into this space. It has a "Zen Feel" which is what we wanted. With automatic timers for the lighting and the water falls Southern California is truly a step away from my back door year round. I highly recommend Garden Spirit and their team. They are fast and efficient providing complete satisfaction. read more

We had the only house in our entire neighborhood with no landscaping. Brian listened to what we would like, and then designed from there, making unique suggestions along the way. The result was a creative and unique front yard and driveway we are immensely proud of. He designed and built a unique water feature for our side yard, and added plants to compliment already existing pots spread throughout. The hardscape was perfect, but Brian's knowledge of plants and trees was really impressive. He even did the lighting and irrigation perfectly. We could not be happier with the end result. Letting Brian's creative genius work was the key. He is really an artist, and this client was totally appreciative of his work. read more

I wish I could say I had the same positive reviews as the other customers. I was referred to Brian by my neighbor and the initial meeting was great. Brian appears to be professional and seem to understood what we wanted for the yard. However, after the initial meeting, Brian became less responsive and he always had an excuse that he is busy on another job. At first, I thought it was understandable since I didn't pay Brian for his service. So I decided to pay Brian for his design service assuming that he would be more responsive after the payment. However, his lack of response has gotten progressively worst. To this date after 2+ months, Brian has not delivered the design that we paid for. I have not heard from Brian in over 3 weeks since my last email and text. read more

We recently had Brian and team out at our house to rejuvenate our soil and landscapes. We had previously replanted our yard 3 times and spent thousands of dollars and the plants continued to struggle and die. Brian and team completely re-did our soil and brought his organic formula and compost to put the essential nutrition into our soil and yard. He also helped us to pick new drought tolerant and low maintenance plants also provided new dramatic beauty to our yard. They also helped us to do a check up and tune up on our irrigation system. Brain is also an expert on pruning and did a great job to do expert pruning for us. He finished on budget and on time and his team was very courteous and professional. They also cleaned up every day after themselves. We had an outstanding experience and Brian himself is a very kind man and was a pleasure to do business with him. read more

Garden Spirit and Brian Best, company and individual, are appropriately named. Brian approached my long-neglected backyard eyesore with energy and vision.He & his team transformed the space into a relaxing, functional, and energizing addition to our home that my family and friends look forward to sharing together. Two sketches and a few meetings got the project started. George & Andy with the rest of the team worked diligently to bring the landscape to life adding their own ideas and talents along the way. Done on time, within my budget, and beyond my expectation, my only regret is the project is nearly complete so I won't see the guys out back daily laughing and bringing beauty to a once barren site. If you want lasting beauty in your life give Brian a call to see what he & his team can create for you. Thanks so much for all your hard work and positive energy guys! read more

Stellar. That's where I can start. They are a top notch company that did amazing work for us. Brian was impressive in developing a design for us, and then they executed on a big job in just 2.5 weeks (once we were scheduled to start). We have friends and family that are absolutely raving about the work they did. Top notch, highly professional, quick work with significant progress every day. read more

I had lived for 18 months with a barren and sad backyard and being a Brit my garden is very important to me! I had a few folks round to quote for my landscaping project and by far Brian was most attuned to my wishes and what I ended up with was beyond my imagination and I have a truly beautiful and peaceful outdoor space. Brian and his team were great! Punctual, clean and tidy and Brian brought to the project, a keen sense of detail taking pains to make sure everything was completed to the highest standard and leaving me with a rejuvenated and healthy landscape including sensitive lighting and irrigation, which is now full of birds enjoying the fountain and feeders and all the green and vibrant plants! I can only highly recommended Garden Spirit Landscape and state that it was truly a pleasure to work with them! read more

I had the pleasure of working with Brian Best on large scale landscape projects within our community. His approach and passion comes from a deep understanding of the plant materials, their habit and water needs. Brian did an excellent job of explaining plant materials to our Board prior to the execution. Working with larger groups can be a "challenge" at times but Brian listened to the group and help guide us to the right decision. Brian also worked in collaboration with John Kensla, Landscape Designer to develop directional plans for key areas. They also developed upgraded irrigations systems to help in water conservation. One of the more unique elements he installed was a "living wall" of succulents/cacti in our pool area. The mix of colors and textures really had made an impact and is a favorite of home owners. I will continue to work with Brian and his team of long time employees as all were very good to work with. read more

Brian did a terrific job creating an organic herb garden for me. I found him on the Internet, searching for organic gardening services. What a great find! My herb garden is thriving, and his organic soil revived several of my sick trees. Brian's very easy to work with, rock solid, and his prices are excellent. Highly recommended! read more

I have done a few yards myself, but they were less than 1800 and 1500 square feet. My current home has over 6000 square feet and had been rented for 35 years of it's existence and left a complete mess. I couldn't figure out where to start and where to end so I called several landscapers in the area. Initially I thought he came in a bit high, but after getting other quotes, the pricing was fair considering the scope (drainage, irrigation, soil upgrade, patio/pavers, lighting, water feature, plant budget). His crew was great and the work organized beyond my comprehension. In the end my front and back yards were transformed from something that nobody would ever want to look at or spend time in to a magnificent creation of hard work, time, and creativity. Thanks to Brian, Martin and Mario for creating one of the most beautiful yards in the neighborhood!...and I only say that as every neighbor who has been through it (and there have been a lot) is completely blown away. read more

Very impressed with the knowledge, and generosity. I called inquiring about installing bamboo in my yard. I left a message, and immediately Brian returned my call and apologized for not answering initially. He said he would not be able to take my job, because he had a lot of large jobs currently, but proceeded to chat with me giving me an EXTENSIVE consultation, with a lot of ideas and referrals, even phone numbers. I was blown away by the 'old school' customer service! He was so kind and helpful! read more

After reading the other positive reviews on this site I thought I would give Garden Spirit Landscape a call for our yard. At first Brian was responsive and we met at my house to go over our landscaping needs. Our yard is not very large, but Brian was aware of this from the start. After getting a few quotes I let Brian know that I would like to move forward with him and he told me he would get back to me with a date. a week later and no response. I followed up with him again, and he just forwarded his email from a week earlier that only said he would check his schedule and get back to me. I let him know I was still waiting on a date to start the project, and another 10 days go by without any response. When he finally got back to me he informed me he wouldnt take my project, as the job was too small for him. My yard didnt shrink from when he first saw it...thanks for wasting nearly three weeks where I could have gone with someone else. read more