A man with a vision! Hiring Keith Stover, (Nature's Design), to beautify the front area of my house was an amazing experience. He already works on my mom's garden, which is breathtakingly beautiful, and for my birthday she split the cost with me to have him work his magic at my house. I know very little about such things so I really trusted him and his vision, and I am so grateful. He was very attentive to my tastes and listen to my ideas. He often gave me options to choose which I liked best. Very quickly we were on the same page about all of the little things that would make me happy. When the first estimate was a little higher than my budget, he pared it down and we focused on the most important areas - and he was still able to make it totally beautiful. Keith was a pleasure. He has a quiet demeanor. He and his assistant were super respectful and it was clear right away that they really care about doing everything right. He stuck to the schedule, he worked super hard and it was immediately evident that he is someone who is very proud of his work, regardless of the size of the project. I'm actually saving money so I can hire him again to add some of the things that were outside the scope of last year's project. They installed an irrigation system and showed me how to program the timer, but honestly I haven't had to touch it. It just works. Everything grew. Everything still looks healthy and gorgeous. It's really the gift that keeps on giving. I'm really proud of my garden, and it really is the result of Keith's vision, Keith's design and Keith's implementation. He's SO GOOD! You should call him and get on his schedule because I imagine he's pretty busy making magic happen :-) read more

Keith diagnosed my sprinkler problem through troubleshooting and promptly fixed it. He was friendly, professional, and clean. And followed up the next day to check in on the fix and offer guidance if it were to break again what steps we could take. Highly recommend. Thanks Keith. read more

I found Nature's design when I was looking to have my landscaping done in preparation of selling my house. I chose Nature's design because of the reviews and pictures. I cannot be happier with my choice. Keith really worked to understand my needs and my budget. Keith is very communicative and was able to come up with suggestions when I wasn't sure what I wanted. He and Claudio made the process seemless. In the end, what was delivered was actually quite a bit less expensive than I had imagined and it looked amazing. It made me not want to sell my house so I can enjoy the landscaping myself. Ill definitely be working with them in the future if I need landscaping services again! read more

Keith asked for pictures of the problem before he came out and came prepared to fix my issue. He did a great job.

I found Nature's Design online when I needed a landscaping overhaul for my back and side yard. It had been dead grass due to drought and I was in need of a drought tolerant area that could be used for relaxing and entertaining. Keith and Claudio did such a great job on the collaboration design and irrigation that I asked them to do some additional work on my front yard as well. Once that was completed, I have continued to use them as my yard maintenance team. They are always a pleasure to work with and I highly recommend them! read more

Nature's Design - Landscaping Near Me - Oakland, California

Keith @ Nature's Design has the esteemed distinction of being my greatest Yelp find yet. After many years of failed DIY landscaping attempts, thousands of sunk dollars, and endless frustration with my dry, weed-happy, Oakland Hills Mediterranean-climate upslope, I found him on Yelp. I read his reviews, checked out his before and afters, and researched his philosophy on landscape designs, prompting me to schedule a consultation with him (and 3 other potential landscapers). That was about two years ago. Immediately upon our first meet, I loved his affable personality and artistic, yet practical approach to my then-destitute backyard (un-affectionally known as "Manifest Destiny"). He really listened to what I envisioned in my yard, and totally didn't bat an eye or point and laugh at me when I told him my strict budget. I felt that his expertise was always given with my needs in mind - not his pocketbook. e.g. ... *I had several dying Lavender and Salvia plants that I told him to just rip out and replace; he said that they were revivable and we should keep them (we did, and they fully re-blossomed, brighter and lovelier than ever). *I told him about my perpetual dilemma about sod; keeping it alive, mowing it, extensive water bills - I wanted artificial grass instead (again, he didn't laugh at me. Well, maybe just a little on the inside). He researched various options and concluded that the price would be too high and that the aesthetic would be less than pleasing. His suggestion: chamomile turf (used everywhere in Britain)- which has turned out, two years later, to be the singly best thing I've ever done to my yard: it's drought-resistant, inexpensive, never needs mowing, feels wonderful on bare feet, and smells incredible in the Spring. Every house should ditch their grass in exchange for chamomile. Keep Calm and Plant Some Chamomile. *I had several pieces of firewood in the yard that I instructed him to haul to the dump - he said it would be cheaper (free) and more practical to keep them - so he built a simple log holder to hold them and stacked them against a wall. Not only did this turn out to be quite an attractive back-drop, but we've burned those logs in our fireplace on many chilly evenings. *I had a seriously ugly retaining wall that reminded me, quite distinctly, of a prison yard wall. I think parts of Shawshank Redemption were filmed here. It had mortar splattered on to brick (a failed attempt to "age" the brick). My ideas included painting or tiling over the brick ...all of which were not very cost effective. His idea: simply remove the mortar, which he did at a very reasonable cost (sure, he shorted out a circuit with his little machine thingy, but he came back to fix that right away). Result? My retaining wall looks great. *He told me that I should really put in a drip system, because my cycle of buying plants, watering them by hand and replacing them when they inevitably died was costing me much more money in the long run. I acquiesced, although it was more upfront that I wanted to spend - but he was right - it's saved me tons of money in the long run because my garden is alive, thriving, and simply put: a beautiful outdoor space that we spend almost every sunny day outside in. We also added several drought tolerant plants, dealt with a rapacious mole colony, mulched and mulched and mulched, and brought to fruition my vision of having a blanket of California poppy plants in the Spring. Most recently, I had him install a flagstone patio and small garden space in my front yard. He sketched a design, met me at the stoneyard, helped me choose the best stone I could get with my budget, and created a modern, no-maintanence space that is not only visually striking, but has added much equity to my home as well. I can't wait until Spring to see my bougainvilleas and Japanese maple in full bloom. He also has a wonderful work mentality - he's timely, communicative (although not much of a texter, 2 bad 4 u), and always working with me to save money in every little detail of my project. At the end of a day, he's a botanical artist who's intimately attached to his projects - he checks up on my plants to make sure they're healthy and thriving, he commits extra time to ensure that I'm happy - he's sort of like a father to my garden. I really can't extol enough how awesome he's been to work with. read more

Keith came up with useless plans that were 20% over the maximum of the budget range that I stated we could spend (and which he stated was doable). For these squiggled plans (indicating two mounds without elevation or other dimension given, indications of where trees would be planted, and a few other items, none of which were among those I'd talked to him about), I paid $700. His estimate included a projected 10 hours for selecting (not transporting, not planting, just selecting) 10 trees from a local nursery. Rather than throw good money after bad and endure who knows how many additional cost overruns, I ate the fee for the plans. The capper came several weeks later, when Keith emailed me a request to pay the deposit for the plans. I emailed him back to remind him that he had already received payment and did not appreciate the attempt to double charge me. I also requested my money back, since his slapdash plans (which looked as though they took an hour to draw, rather than the 10 hours for which I paid) were useless. He responded that he didn't know what I was talking about, despite his email requesting payment being part of the body of the email, and did not address my request for a refund. Being charitable, I'm inclined to think that Keith is merely inattentive to details such as what his clients/prospective clients say, how much he charges, and his billing. Nonetheless, inattentiveness is not a quality that I think is desirable for his profession. Update re Keith's comments: "The real issue I believe and as mentioned by him several times in e-mails were my sharing with Michael of both my recollection and written documentation (notes) taken at the time of our initial meeting." My issue is that he shared his recollections with me? No, the issue is that his recollection is incorrect: I stated a budget of $5,000-10,000 at our initial meeting, which Keith said was possible. He did not share any of the notes that he took at the initial meeting - again, his memory does not serve him well. He may well have written down $10,000-$12,000; if he did, it was because he took the high end of my budget and added 20%. Note that Keith admits that he then made an estimate for $14,000. We had to pay $700 for plans just to get this estimate (40% over our maximum budget). It did not incorporate anything we asked for, and it is too expensive to implement (the steps and deck were completely his own idea - I wish he'd been able to incorporate at least one of ours). Hence, useless. (He did suggest the mounds, which we agreed to). Yet Keith doesn't seem to understand why we "decided not to move ahead with the design implementation." Further, I think paying $700 for such rudimentary plans should get one plans that could be implemented by any competent professional. Finally, Keith emailed me an invoice for the plans and requested payment long after he'd already received payment for those plans.This email was sent back to him with my reply that expressed my general dissatisfaction and suggestion that a refund would be appropriate. He's the one who tried to double bill us - why this is confusing to him is a mystery, but I'm glad that he acknowledges that it was paid in full at the time of delivery (Keith probably knew that, had he tried to bill us for them after I'd studied them, I would have probably refused). Keith made a very easy $700, so I don't know why he's complaining. Claiming facts to be " libelous allegations and exaggerations" shows his regard for his potential customers.Good luck to his business. read more

I cannot recommend Keith highly enough. My wife and I bought a remodel in the heart of East Oakland and there was virtually no usable landscaping and only leftover, old, and mismatched concrete which was crumbling all over the place. Since we were already working with a handful of contractors, we wanted to find someone who could do BOTH the design and the work, and we lucked out on Keith! He happened to have some time right in the middle of our work schedule, and we pitched our dream. He came back with very practical and wise recommendations, and, together, we worked hard to limit what we could do within our budget and still create an oasis. Keith and his crew really came through. He was extremely careful with our budget and broke down every single cost. He worked timely, communicated well, and was very deliberate and intentional about his craftsmanship. Since Keith is such a visionary, we have decided to break our project into several phases, but that just means we get to have the privilege of Keith returning to put the finishing touches on our long-term dream! Finally, I got the impression that Keith really treats his workers well. He's out there using his own elbow grease, but in talking with his guys, then seemed content and loyal, and that was very important to us. Thanks, again, Keith! read more

This review is long overdue. We highly recommend Nature's Design. Keith did a fantastic job with our front yard about 6 months ago. It was a huge mess of old bushes and dirt when we moved in. Initially, we had grand visions for what we wanted but quickly realized that our vision far exceeded our budget. Keith was really great and patient with walking us through our options and working with our budget. He has a great vision and creative eye for what works from an aesthetic, spacing and seasonal perspective. He also went out of his way to find the specific plants and trees we hoped for. Now that some time has passed, our front yard has really flourished and looks better than we could have imagined. Our neighbors compliment it all the time. You will not be disappointed! read more

I found Keith on Yelp and, after meeting him and enjoying his passion for plants/friendly personality, decided to hire him. In short, Keith and his crew took on the challenge of working with my backyard, which was a monstrosity, and brought it to life in the way I had been dreaming of. After a few years of wanting to cover my windows so that no one could see outside, I'm spending the summer inviting friends and family to outdoor dinners and enjoying the space every day. If you look at his work, he has a real way of making a space flow naturally. His ability to create long-lasting and colorful plants to accentuate fluid hardscape is what drew me to his portfolio. And he does know his hardscape just as well as his plants. In detail what I like about Keith: 1)He's very careful with your budget: I was working with a very specific budget, one that's lower than probably most people who redesign a backyard are working with. Keith was constantly in communication about where my costs were coming as the project went along and open to all ideas of what costs more, what costs less, cost/benefit of each choice, etc. I saw one negative review on Nature's Design because Keith had a line item for planning his client's plants. I think this is more a product of Keith's detail in his planning process than anything else. Unlike some contractors who don't plan for time and supervision, Keith plans for all his billable hours and events going into a project. I don't think it's because he's trying to be greedy but trying to be accountable and not coming back later with unforeseen expenses. 2) He has an opinion, but he wants each choice to be yours: Though Keith definitely has a vision for your yard, he advocates for his choices, explains his practical and design incentive for the choice, and then ultimately leaves it up to you. There's no wrestling with a designer's idea of your own property. In most cases, you will end up going with his idea because you too think it's the right choice. 3)He's invested in his work: Keith has finished phase 1 of our garden project, and he's very excited to finish phase 2. He clearly does this because he loves it, and he's just as excited to finish it as we are to enjoy it. I am sure he doesn't do a project unless he can stand behind it. read more

When I bought my house a year ago, I couldn't wait to do a major make-over in the front yard. I've always hated the old hedge, tired shrubs and dried out sod. I purchased several drought tolerant plants from the San Francisco Botanical Garden's Annual Plant Sale for future landscaping. I knew I wanted a drought tolerant garden but did not know how or where to start. A friend contacted Keith to ask if we could visit his garden. I love Keith's garden and asked if he would be interested in landscaping my postage stamp sized front yard. Keith took on the project and we talked about how to incorporate my ideas into designs. Keith researched the plants that I had purchased for placement, growth and color. He designed an awesome garden for me and he also installed a nifty sprinkler system. I admire Keith's detail to produce quality work. He has a pleasant personality and fun to work with. I feel that he gives me just as much personal attention to my tiny yard that he does for his upscale clients. He comes by to check on the garden because I know he cares. I am very happy with my garden and I am proud of Keith's work. Neighbors love the garden and passer-byes express their admirations, people shout from their cars, "it looks great!" One man told me he took some of Keith's cards (which are included with his sign) because he is going to pass them out, he thinks Keith did a wonderful job! Keith, thank you for giving me this beautiful garden. I enjoy it very much and look forward to seeing the plants mature and change in the years to come. read more

Keith is a delight to work with. He listens, he plans, he communicates. He did a massive job on my rear patio. All hardscape. And it was a bitch. Keith and his team were patient, hard working and kind. The work is beautiful (and reasonable). I would not hesitate to work with him at any time. read more

Keith Stover of Nature's Design has taken care of our garden for over 20 years. Over that time, he has helped us maintain our plants and trees, advised us on changes needed in the yard, and recommended arborists. He is very knowledgeable about plants, and what plants would do well in our San Francisco garden. He is also unafraid to admit that something he recommended is not thriving and offer a substitute. He has maintained an interest in our garden and worked with us on how our space could evolve. Recently, we wanted to change the look of the front garden, removing the lawn to conserve water, and to incorporate more drought tolerant and native plants. Keith designed a garden that gave the front of our house a new look (i.e, not the same garden now without grass). It incorporates the water conserving plants, along with some low walls that enhance the lines of the house. He not only designed the garden, but with his two assistants did the stonework, the planting, and installed the irrigation system. He is patient and precise and the garden reflects this meticulous attention to detail. I have been thrilled with the result of this new garden. I would highly recommend Keith for anyone wanting professional garden design and landscaping. read more

We've been clients for over 20 yrs.! Keith has a wonderful knack for listening to what you envision and translating it into a beautiful landscape. Our home (in SF) is on one of the main routes taken by people touring the staircases of the city, and our front yard is regularly admired by passers-by. I have a tendency to demolish plants with a single look, so Keith (and Jose) deserve all the credit for our lovely garden. Also, when one of our 50+ ft. Redwood trees in the back yard was blown over in a storm last year, Keith came to our rescue, arriving within hours to deal with the problem. We heartily recommend Nature's Design! read more

Keith and his crew do a fantastic job with both design and execution for landscaping, fence-building, planting, stone wall building, and irrigation layout. I hired Keith and his considerate workers to help with a difficult slope that was eroding and that required careful planning due to shade/sun dappling and windiness. Many plants I had tried there had died, and a previous contractor's stonework was rolling down the hill. In addition, I needed a rotten fence replaced. Keith analyzed the slope, the water situation, the materials that could be salvaged, etc. He and his crew had to hand-carry all the stone up and down steep steps, because there was no other access to bring machinery to the site. They had to dig down several feet by hand to realign the slope from 2 angles. They stacked new stone, shored up my patio, and moved and replaced a number of plants. They installed drip irrigation and added a bench made from rescued stones. I found Keith and his workers to be careful, neat, and considerate. They went above and beyond what they had to do. I also visited Keith's demonstration garden and saw first-hand how creative he is with both stone and plantings. He consults with the client at all times and is always willing to make changes if needed. I highly recommend him and his crew. read more

I bought a cosmetic fixer-upper last year which had a pretty frightening tangle of weeds, neglected landscaping, and a cement path that was buried under a layer of topsoil in the backyard, and an old oak in the middle of it all. Keith was one of several landscape designers that came by to take a look, and it was obvious that he'd be very creative, come up with great designs, and work around some of the things I already had in mind. He came up with the concept of digging up the old cement path (once we realized it was there) and re-purposing the pieces, along with some bricks from a wall he had just torn down for someone else, and created a patio that looks like it's always been there. Next, we decided to put in some meandering paths, and worked together to tweak his design. It created a number of very different rooms in my backyard. One of these areas runs along a neighbor's property, so he created a mounded privacy screen with some very thoughtfully chosen plants. One of his plant choices came from his wanting to mitigate the freeway noise by offsetting it with the sound of seedpods in the wind. Genius. He never complained when I'd show up with a random tree or succulents I had bought over the weekend and wanted stuck in somewhere. We agreed that I'd handle deciding on which drought tolerant plants (salvia alert) to buy and put in the rest of the yard. He followed that with drip irrigation, mulch everywhere, and filled my raised beds and barrels with soil. His masterpiece, though, would be the fence and gate he designed and built for me. His and the team's attention to detail gave me a fence and gate that will be in good shape for a very long time. I've had friends comment on the quality of the fence when they've only seen small sections of it in the background of pictures online. The opening and closing mechanism on the gate took some doing, but Keith kept at it and threw a number of options my way, and he continues to check in on it to make sure I'm happy with it. Now that we've gotten through the first spring and into the first summer, it's kind of amazing to see how it's all tying together. I recommend Keith to anybody who will listen. read more

We have been working with Keith now for 8 months. We met with a couple other local landscaping companies before deciding to go with Keith. We liked how down to earth and genuine he was compared to some of the other landscapers we had met. Right away Keith provided us with a drawing of our dream yard and has worked closely with us so that we could have a hand in every step of the process. Keith has a great ability to visualize the potential in a space and make it happen. We have appreciated the prospective he offers and love what he has done so far.. We are looking forward to working with him on future projects and we are comfortable in knowing that Keith has the knowledge, experience and vision that on our own we just couldn't replicate. My husband would say that he loves Keith's meticulous way of making sure that everything is done to perfection and also that when he and his crew leave, they do a great job at cleaning up after themselves. Thank you Keith! read more

I have had Keith help with my landscaping for the last 2 years. I found him thru my neighbor whose garden he totally redid and it looks great. He is talented, easy to work with and really listens to what you want and then makes a proposal that reflects your ideas/needs. read more

Keith did an outstanding job designing and building an outdoor dining area with water feature and landscape lighting. Keith has a superb eye for design and his team was a pleasure to work with. The end result was even better than we imagined and we definitely look forward to working with Keith in the future. read more

I contacted Keith after looking at reviews of many landscapers and immediately loved our initial conversations. He had great ideas and immediately scheduled convenient meetings to review my space and thoughts on the project. As I have a difficult time with"vision", Keith provided some creative and cost effective ideas to help spruce up the unattractive retaining walls that surround much of my Oakland hills home. He has made the areas around my home look "planned and designed" as opposed to just a weedy, tree filled lot. He went thru his ideas step by step with me and was extremely thorough in ensuring that the colors looked right and that I agreed with each of his choices. He was clean and tidy throughout the project and when I casually mentioned to him last minute that I was hosting a weekend event at my home-he took the initiative to move up finishing off the decking project and making sure everything looked extra good when my company arrived-way ahead of our original schedule. I enjoyed how down to earth he was and easy to talk to about plans and budgets. I look forward to doing some more work with Keith in the spring! read more