We have used Golden Gate Gardens multiple times, they have been honest, affordable and provide…read moregreat results.

I want to give a big shout-out to Brett Begbie, owner of Golden Gate Gardens, a Benicia landscape…read morecontractor who recently did an extraordinary job putting in our new backyard. When we first met with Brett, we explained that our goals were to completely re-do our existing yard and to transform it into a garden that would be beautiful, drought-resistant, low-maintenance, and safe for the two resident seniors - my husband and me. Brett and the hard-working crew at Golden Gate Gardens fulfilled these goals and exceeded all our expectations. We interviewed several contractors before selecting Golden Gate Gardens. Several things impressed us about Brett's bid: First, Golden Gate Gardens is a full-service contractor - they handle everything including demolition, hardscape, plants, irrigation, lighting and gazebo construction. Second, the bid was extremely complete so there were no surprise charges at the end of the project. Third, the pricing was competitive and fair. The crew at Golden Gate Gardens did a fantastic job. All their work was performed to the highest standards. They started the project on the agreed-to date and completed the project on time. They were flexible enough to also complete several add-ons that we requested. The crew was on-site nearly every business day for approximately six weeks and were always hardworking and professional. With the job complete, we feel like we have a beautiful park in our backyard.

Great affordable prices! Not a wide variety of selection but still enough to know you'll find…read moresomething you'd like. Went ahead and bought plants from his nursery and was also able to purchase his landscape services to plant them in my yard and home! Now has turned into my bi-weekly gardener!

We met Susan from Creative Exteriors Landscape Design when we were enjoying the Walnut Creek Garden…read moreTour a few years ago. She was very friendly and engaging when we met her and we subsequently saw a few of the gardens she had designed while on the tour. When we finally made the decision to update our front and back yards from grass to drought tolerant plant, we met with Susan to discuss what we were looking for. I wanted to have a "desert-scape" look, with a gravel mulch or base, in the front yard and my wife, Mary, wanted a colorful backyard filled with all the color and all of the flowers that we could plant! We were also adding a large 15' x 20' covered patio area to our existing covered patio area and adding additional aggregate patio under the new covered area. We also wanted to add a circular brick patio and fire pit to the back yard in an area that was currently lawn. Susan definitely understood the assignment and went right to work! She took photos of the existing front and back yards and produced a beautiful plan that met both of our desires. We tweaked a few things along the way and Susan helped us make our dream backyard a reality. She recommended a couple of landscape companies to bid on the job and we chose, Steve Gardell of Gardelle Construction to do the job. They were great to work with. Their entire team was amazing! Susan remained in contact during the construction and actually was onsite the day that the plants were delivered to make sure they were placed correctly. When we had concerns a few weeks later about a few of the plant choices we had made, she cheerfully guided us in replacing three or four plants with new varieties that she and my wife picked out. It's been a few months now since everything was finished and we could not be happier! I'm attaching some before and after pics for your review. All of the pictures that have lawn/grass in them are the before picks. If you're contemplating a landscape project, we could not recommend Suan any higher. Please contact her. You will not be sorry!

Confessions of a design snob: those strong opinions extend to garden and landscape design. So, in…read more2005, when we had enough of the juniper and pyracantha dominating the landscape of the original ranch home we had purchased a few years earlier, we started searching for a landscape designer. Of course, landscape architects and designers abound in our neck of the woods. Most were uninspiring. Many offered a "signature" design that they rubber-stamped upon every garden. As if gardens can be purchased off-the-rack. I can't quite recall how we found Susan, but I am so glad we did! She was collaborative, listened carefully to the vision of my land plan, and introduced a sophisticated plant palette that not only worked with my preferences but also the unique conditions of our property. The plant palette flowered and peaked throughout the seasons, introducing visual variety all year long. She helped us select a landscape contractor, showed up at important milestones to ensure that our collective vision was implemented, and helped me spend our limited budget wisely (we acquired a few 15-gallon trees, splurged on key 5-gallon anchor shrubs and 1-gallons; but saved money by purchases dozens upon dozens of 4-inch plants that I installed myself ... after after work, in the dark, with a headlamp on). The prior property owners never installed drainage and therefore caused the soil to be a sodden, stinky, clay-ey mess devoid of nutrients. So the new plants took a few years to establish. Five years later, the garden was drop-dead gorgeous and extraordinary - not only to behold but to enjoy. More importantly, Susan and I had such a fantastic time working together that we've kept in touch for the past 14(!) years ... and adapted the garden (through "garden refreshes") as our needs changed. Our continued collaboration allowed us to enjoy the garden as it evolved from the pristine weekend destination of a gardening enthusiast to a relaxed outdoor space that accommodates family gatherings, a play structure, games, and soccer nets. I have and will continue to recommend Susan to any one who will listen!

I wasn't going to leave a review but the more I thought about the conversation I had with Alison,…read morethe more I thought I should write a review. My husband and I love gardening and want to put in a greenhouse and fire pit seating area in our front and side areas (we are on a corner lot). We both are professionals who work in SF and have different taste so we thought we would hire a professional landscape designer to give us cohesive design. I got a referral from Vince's Landscaping (great company) to Alison from Simply Perfect Garden's. I gave her a call and she was lovely at first until she found out I live in Rodeo, CA in Contra Costa County. She instantly said, "I usually work in Walnut Creek, I mean, I barely have time for my family. I don't have the time, I'll find you someone more suitable for you". I was blown away at her response. We were on the phone for only a minute and a half when she says all this. Rodeo is closer to Benicia than Walnut Creek and is in the same county but this is know as a blue collar town. I'm sorry to hear she doesn't have enough time for her family but this is her business, no one was asking her to do it for free and as a person who represents workers like gardeners in Golden Gate Park and Silverado Country Club, I respect people who work in horticulture and know their value. To me it sounds like she has a problem with being able to control her own schedule but a larger problem with stereotyping and bias. Mind you, it's Martin Luther King Day. So if even you have a million dollar home, if it is in an "undesirable" zip code, don't bother calling this company.

I just had my front lawn redone and Alison created the plan. I had a pretty small budget and…read morerelayed the number on her answering machine. I wasn't expecting a call back... Happily, Alison did call back! Alison was awesome to work with! She created a beautiful lawn for us within our budget.

I have been a very happy customer for well over a year!…read more I use them to maintain my backyard on a regular basis. I have many plants in my backyard, and they always clean them up, trim them, make them look nice, adjust my irrigation/drip system as needed, plant new plants for me, move plants around, and other various landscaping projects I request. sometimes I ask for last-minute service when I know I'm hosting a party or having people over. They have always been very accommodating and I've always been able to help me last minute! They are very responsive, professional, easy to work with, and very affordable for the wonderful quality of work today offer - I highly recommend them for landscaping needs!

I hired Cristofeer a few months ago to fix some issues that the person who had installed my…read morelandscaping refused to take care of and he was able to correct the issues in one visit. I have since brought him on to do regular maintenance of my yards and couldn't be more pleased. He is polite, honest, reliable, professional, reasonably priced and will pretty much do whatever I request of him. If you are looking for a great all around landscape person, whether it be regular maintenance, cleanup, pruning or installation, I would highly recommend Cristofeer.

We had a great experience with Linda, owner at Sunrise Garden Design. She patiently listened to our…read moredreams and desires, and helped us land on a backyard design that was practical and beautiful. She clearly communicated her expertise and when our questions drifted to the actual execution of the work, she would always say "that is for the contractor to decide". While some may think this response abrupt or uncaring, Linda is clear in what she does (design) and does not do (installation). We did end up tweaking some design elements to lower installation cost but overall followed her plan. Even when we asked for different plants after her main design was completed, she helped us out at no additional cost. It was a good learning experience for us and we are happy with the final result. Thanks Linda for your great service!

My husband and I are so happy we enlisted the services of Sunrise Garden Design and had the…read morewonderful opportunity to work with its owner Linda. Linda's design process from beginning to end is extremely effective! It involved friendly communication and relationship-building to ensure we provided her with our plant interests and overall desired garden outcome that helped her with designing our front yard. Linda's expertise in plant knowledge and garden design resulted in a drafted plan that was very detailed and informative. In addition, Linda's contractor referrals helped to seamlessly complete the project process. About six years ago, we had our front yard transitioned from lawn to drought-tolerant plants, but it hadn't been thriving. With Linda's help, we were able to keep the healthier plants and incorporate their place in the yard into Linda's plan. We appreciated that as well as her suggestion to transplant many of the existing plants that didn't really fit the front yard's plan to the backyard area where they can still be enjoyed. Linda's gardening love and enthusiasm is infectious! With our newly completed front yard and improved backyard, I'm looking forward to increasing my own gardening skills and enjoying the therapeutic benefits it can provide.

This nursery was beyond amazing and the staff was very helpful, patient and knowledgeable from the…read morebeginning until the end of my project! The weeds in my front yard were overwhelming and not very attractive, but I was indecisive about what to do. The one thing I DID know was that I wanted something low maintenance and didn't require water. My neighbor suggested that I try landscaping rocks in my front yard. And recommended that I call Macalvey's Nursery because he had a great experience with them as well. Upon arrival, I was greeted by Juan, the manager and his staff and shared my ideas. They gave me a lot of great ideas and showed me different types of gravel and rocks and offered their expertise about how I should handle all the prep work. I would give them 10 stars if I could! So if you're looking for a nice friendly place with good ideas and service and lots of different gravel, rocks, and landscaping options----- THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOU!

Warning: Be very cautious if you order from Macalvey's Nursery on Alhambra Way in Martinez…read more We ordered and paid for 5 cubic yards of paver base. We moved it ourselves using 3-gallon buckets -- exactly 225 buckets total. That equals about 90 cubic feet, which is only 3.3 cubic yards. For comparison, 5 cubic yards should be 135 cubic feet. We were almost 2 cubic yards short. When we tried to resolve this, my husband even went in person and was willing to pay again for the missing amount just so we could finish our project. Instead of making it right, they told us we'd also have to pay another delivery fee and completely denied that they had shorted us. When I called to follow up, I was brushed off. This was very disappointing. Not only did we not get what we paid for, but the company refused to take responsibility. As I can see there are similar issues reported by other customers here.

Angela took great care of me. I am so happy with my new Zen Garden and waterfall. The stone around…read morethe fire pit looks amazing! Highly recommended!

Wow! We were so VERY impressed with Angela and her work! Beginning with meeting and gauging our…read morebudget and interests, to designing a beautiful layout, to implementing our project, every step was taken with care and expertise. Angela created a new front yard design for us which included demolishing existing concrete and a full makeover of irrigation and planting. We met to review design and adjustments at our home, shopped for plants together at a local nursery, and then sat back and watched the amazing transformation! Angela worked within our budget, was reliable and prompt with communication, and very hands-on from start to finish. The landscaper she suggested was dependable, efficient and very organized in every aspect of the process. She continues to be available to monitor plant care and maintenance of other new components of the design. It is clear that she takes great joy in her work, which is reflected in her attention to detail and the beauty of the results. We are so happy to recommend Utopic Gardens to anyone looking for a positive experience in whatever your landscaping needs might be!