We had a wonderful experience working with Vijaya and her crew. We had a limited budget and a lot…read moreof work to do in both the front and backyards, and she made sure that we stayed within budget without sacrificing quality. We finished a home extension remodel project a year ago, and our front and back yards were in great need of work! Our project with Hortus involved making a backyard patio, demolishing the front yard including removing old fence posts, making a path to the front porch, and daylighting our downspouts. The most challenging part of the project was to extend a preexisting portion of our brick-flagstone pattern, and they perfectly matched it! When we did the home remodel a year ago, we hardly saw the contractor and the crew left a mess. Not so with Hortus Designs. Vijaya was on site most days, and made phone calls and texts on days she couldn't be on site. She made herself available to discuss and explain throughout the entire project progress. And her team was careful to clean up after the long days of hard work. On a more personal note, my kids and I loved chatting with her. She is a fountain of garden knowledge and is passionate about plants and the outdoors. If we need landscaping work done on our property that we can't DIY, we know that we can trust Hortus Design to do the job well!

This is a long overdue review for Hortus Design. We've been a repeat customer for a decade. I'm…read moreusually cautious so we started with a smaller front yard landscape planting project. Followed in the next year or two by a fairly big landscape project in the backyard. We replaced the long rectangular straggling poorly sunlit lawn by a beautiful bean shaped two step paver patio, with downlights and also a firepit. With additional butterfly friendly plantings. Vijaya listened to my design ideas, we brainstormed over my Pinterest boards. She gave very good suggestions as well. She was very receptive to breaking up the project estimate in parts so i could skip parts that broke my budget. Ofcourse as in any landscape project our ideas of budgets and real professional costs are different. That is reality. So it worked out best to understand the real costs that Vijaya proposed in a written proposal. Based on that we were able to break off pieces of the project that were absolutely desirable now versus pushed out to later. She was on site daily and that really helped us with any questions that might have arisen. Later another few years later we worked with Hortus again for a lovely frontyard project with a custom circular seating and driveway. We love our backyard and frontyard and have enjoyed it over the years.

I hired Oscar (and Veronica) to install a drain system (two downspouts, a sump pump, and drain…read moretoward the street). The positive is that Oscar is very friendly in person. This is the only positive piece I can comment on. He did quick work; but not to the specifications we discussed. My impression is that he tries to squeeze in as many projects as he can into a week and cuts corners to complete work within his condensed timeframe. For example, the drain system was supposed to include a water backflow stop. I learned today after heavy rain that this was not installed. This is a big deal! The backflow caused my sump pump to cycle constantly. Which isn't great for the longevity of the system. I have experienced the same issue as other reviewers - Oscar ignores every call or text I send him. Towards the end of the project, he promised to return with my sump pump lid. He scheduled dates, then rescheduled, and eventually ignored me completely. Although I'm disappointed by the results of his work. I am most disappointed by the lack of integrity in his business practices. He wrote me off as a good paying customer, leaving me to feel like a fool for choosing him. I'm not surprised others have had a positive experience with him. As long as the project and timing are convenient, he will get it done. But the moral compass Oscar and Veronica operate under is questionable. This is the biggest mistake I've ever made with a contractor. I do not recommend Oscar or Veronica.

V&M recently landscaped our front yard and did an amazing job. Veronica and Oscar are great to work…read morewith. We had some ideas of what we wanted to do, but they also made some great suggestions that go with the style we wanted. They made a beautiful flagstone pathway, built a fence, repaired a gate, added a raised bed, and plants and mulch to our front yard. They are very knowledgeable about plants and have been checking back to make sure the plants are doing well and adjusting the irrigation as needed since the plants went into the ground right before a heat wave. We have asked them to do some additional work in our backyard since they did such a wonderful job in the front. Great value and quality for the price. The final product is amazing! I highly recommend their landscaping services.

I did not have a pleasant experience. Neighbors walk by and comment, "The yard looks beautiful. The…read morecontractor did a good job." I am writing this review because the casual observer does not know the struggle. The people who stop and ask for my thoughts, I respond by saying on a scale with craftsmen on one end and laborer on the other, I rate them closer to the laborer end. The contractor said he has in-house 3 teams. I got the C team. Their inexperience showed. I understand the best way to gain experience is to be hands on. But to learn, supervision and mentoring are needed. The supervision was very minimal. The owners were not on site daily. When they did appear, it was mainly to deliver supplies, take away debris, or pickup equipment. Not my job, but I assumed the role of Onsite Superintendent and Quality Assurance / Quality Control (QA/QC). If I had not, I am not sure what the project would have ended up looking like. To their credit, if something needed to be corrected or changed, they did it with no resistance. Their motto is "what makes you happy." I say their motto is "we do it nice because we do it twice." Progress was slow. The contract was signed at the beginning of December, and it was completed at the end of March. I was told at the time of the initial site visit it would take 2 weeks to complete. After the contract was signed, there was no communication for over a month. I was left in limbo wondering on the start date. Would it be before Christmas? After Christmas? Before the New Year? After New Year? Start was not until mid-January. There were many days where no work was being done. In my opinion, a month's delay could be attributed to the holidays and weather. Overall, communication was poor during construction. Days and weeks would go by with no update leaving me to wonder if they were even coming back. In the beginning, communication was adequate. But as time went by, it felt like my project was no longer a priority. To date, I have not heard from them. There has been no project completion follow up. Examples of my frustration: Gutter Downspout - They attached an underground drainage pipe to the end without cutting the angled outlet off. This made the pipe protrude out to such a degree it was a trip hazard. I brought this to the contractor's attention, and he agreed. He even provided me with a picture on his phone saying, "this is how it should be done." The sad part was the job he showed me was also performed by the same work crew on my project. They should have known better. They corrected the error with a fitting I provided, but it was sloppy work. The fitting was not straight and too low to the ground. I ended up redoing it. I connected a 2nd downspout to save myself from further disappointment. This would be a common theme during the project, doing things myself. My neighbors would see me in the yard and ask, "isn't the contractor supposed to do that?" Front Entrance Joint Sanding - The front entrance originally consisted of a concrete pad. Instead of removing the concrete pad, they laid the pavers directly on top. Ever seen a vibrator vibrating pavers laid directly on concrete? It is not a pretty sight. Those pavers were jumping! Many pavers were damaged. I was so shocked and angry; I had to lock myself in the house after witnessing the carnage. What really made me mad was prior to this incident, I spent time replacing chipped pavers they had laid with nicer looking ones. But in short order, all that was undone. They fixed the damage, but the replacement pavers they used were the ones I had previously rejected. Later, I went back through the unused pavers to pick the better-looking ones, and had the contractor redo it. Side Gate and Gravel Path - Last day of work, what could go wrong? Well, they removed and repositioned my side gate. When I realized what they were doing, I was LIVID. It was unnecessary. They should have removed the earth a few inches and backfilled with gravel to the former finished elevation. But no, they placed the gravel on top of the existing ground and decided to move the gate higher to clear the gravel path. When the weather moved in during the night, I could hear the gate banging from my bedroom. In the morning, I inspected their work. A snapped bolt, improperly installed latch, and a damaged gate stop. Once again, it is up to me to remedy their poor workmanship. To top it off, they used my neighbor's yard to store their materials. These are just some of the struggles I encountered. Did I mention the multiple times they had to pull up and put down pavers at one section? I lost count after 4 times. Plenty more follies occurred. There were many smaller issues. All those small issues add up and become a pattern of ineptitude. To end this review, let me say my dream was to step out my front door, look out at my front yard, and experience joy and happiness. Instead, what I feel is disappointment and anger.

Prem and Kevin did an outstanding job with our front yard driveway. It was a complex project…read morebecause of a steep slope. We tried to do a paper design but then decided to go with the project as it develops real time. We are so happy with the way Prem did the lights and landscaping. Setting up fountain on a steep slope is an engineering marvel and it looks amazing. Prem accommodated our constant incoming requests and provided good value for money. The work spanned more than two months and his crew were there even on Saturdays and days when it was above 100 F super hot days. There was a high degree of planning, coordination and aesthetics involved. Highly recommend them for any paving and landscaping needs as they have skilled staff who works tirelessly.

* = Wonderful hands-on owner (Robert) * = Fantastic designer…read more(Kristen) * = Competitively priced * = Prompt, detail-oriented service * = Provides insight and suggestions without any attached expectations Our experience with Pearman Landscape has been nothing but positive from day-1. Here's our story: My wife and I bought a house in Q4 2019. The house itself seemed turnkey ready, but both the front and back yards needed major work. The previous owners put a pretty good mask on them during the selling process... I'd guess that they hired someone for yard clean-up, then simply poured tanbark on top of weeds (without properly removing them). During the purchasing process, we learned that the irrigation system was original 1955 galvanized steel and needed to be replaced. The end result was: our new house looked great from the inside... but the yards turned into neighborhood blights after about 3-4 months. We needed help. After blowing our nest egg on a down payment, we saved for another year to be able to afford actual landscape/hardscape. We weren't sure where to begin and engaged multiple vendors. Pearman Landscape was among them. From our first meeting, Robert Pearman behaved more like a trusted confidant than a vendor. We had never purchased hardscape services before... and it definitely showed. Rather than lead us around by our nose, like the greenhorns we obviously were, he described the entire process like an impartial 3rd party. Multiple times, he gave us information while acknowledging "whether you go with me or somebody else." Robert immediately sent over his designer, Kristin Bailey. I had read the Yelp reviews from Jody and Bob and immediately got worried, as they both claimed she was unresponsive. Luckily, I had a totally different experience. Kristin was prompt, she was polite, she was helpful, and I ended up chatting with her for about 45-minutes after we walked through my yard. I found her to be an absolute treat and I can't imagine anyone having a bad experience with her. She was wonderful every step of the way. Listened to what we needed, asked us great follow-up questions, made sure she was including plants and trees that we wanted in our design... and finished our plan in less than 2-weeks. It was very reasonably priced and we fell in love with the plan immediately after viewing it. I can't speak highly enough about Kristin. Based on our positive experience, we decided to move forward with Pearman Landscape. Not only will they redo our hardscape/landscape/irrigation, but I intend to retain them for garden maintenance after the project is completed. I'll provide updates and pictures as the process unfolds, but suffice to say: we're having a totally positive experience so far and I wanted to leave a 5-star review for any potential clients who might be considering Pearman. My family reached out to 15 different landscape companies around the SJ/South Bay area and Pearman stands head-and-shoulders above the other 14 suitors, both in terms of promptness, responsiveness, helpfulness, and pricing. I can't recommend them highly enough.

I can't say enough great things about Pearman Landscape! I've used them for landscape design and…read moremaintenance and their design process was seamless - they listened and made expert suggestions and created a plan that perfectly fit my space and budget. Their attention to detail is incredible, from plant selections to stone work. Beyond the design, their maintenance service is top=notch. Agustin and his team truly take care, have expert knowledge of the plants that work in our area and the best care plan for them. They were even knowledgeable on my irrigation system that I've had such a hard time with prior landscape companies! After my investment in a relandscape, it's such a relief knowing my yard is in good hands. 10+ stars!

Martin and his team handle everything. From routine "keep it presentable", to "this huge tree…read moreneeds sculpting to keep it from splitting apart"... and everything in between Once. We went on vacation for a week and just told Martin to "use your taste" in remaking our front yard. Came back to a stone walkway, ground cover, trees, bushes, and irrigation. All perfect! Trustworthy, savvy, and thorough. What's not to like?

These guys were the best they were the greatest the greatest kind, considerate, hard-working. I got…read moremy moneys worth man. I really did. My name is Jeff and they're bad asses like.

If you are looking to start a backyard project, look no further than Better Landscape. This is a…read morewonderful family business led by Cecilia and Steve, and we couldn't be happier with the incredible outdoor living space they created for us. My wife and I joke that they should change their name to BEST Landscape. From the very beginning, Cecilia and Steve were incredibly friendly and patient as we developed our backyard design. We never once felt pressured; they completely avoided upselling and instead provided us with plenty of fantastic options to fit different budget ranges. Even when we requested late changes to the plan, they were always accommodating and happy to pivot. The execution was just as impressive as the planning. Their crew was exceptionally reliable--always arriving on time Monday through Saturday, and sometimes even putting in hours on Sundays to keep things moving. You can genuinely tell they take pride in the quality of their work. Every single detail, from the flawless concrete countertops and tile work in our new outdoor kitchen to the modern paver walkways, fire pit, and turf, was executed perfectly. Beyond their craftsmanship, they were incredibly respectful of our home. The crew made sure to completely clean up after themselves at the end of every single workday. The entire project was truly a joy to work on with them. Thank you, Cecilia, Steve, and the entire Better Landscape team! I highly recommend them to anyone looking to transform their yard.

Outstanding landscape contractor. Just completed a major backyard renovation. Steve and his crews…read morewere awesome from day one through completion weeks later. The entire project, which involved demolition of an old brick patio and overgrown planting, addition of new paver patio, retaining wall, water feature, cut stone path, lighting and of course new planting, was all ON budget and ON time. Daily check-ins and great advice was provided along the way. Highly recommend.

Ray and his team did a fantastic job building our new backyard patio and arbor. They are very…read moreprofessional and also easy and pleasant to work with. When we bought our house, the backyard was hideous, with some old concrete and a small rotten wood deck. We drew up some plans on what to build and called Evergreen to get a bid. They had been highly recommended by neighbors. Mike came out, carefully listened to our ideas and asked some questions. Then he showed us some options on what they could build and also came up with the perfect solution to provide the shade we wanted to have. He pointed out a project they had just completed in our neighborhood. We walked by there in the evening and frankly were blown away. I remarked to my wife, well they are probably very expensive. So we awaited the bid which came the next day already, and it was very competitive. In fact it was lower than another firm that we has contacted. So it was an easy call to hire Evergreen. A couple weeks later the owner Ray and his team came out to start the job. It was amazing to watch them: Every detail was professionally and meticulously attended to, you could see top notch quality work everywhere you looked. In all that they were also very efficient: It took them just 3 and a half days for the entire project to transform our backyard. And I could not be more happy with the outcome. At the end we had a request to change something to extend the shaded area. Before I even finished my sentence, Ray said: "I will do it", and they came out and completed it the same week. Where can you find contractors like these? I can highly recommend this firm for any landscaping work. In fact, I'm planning to call on them again once we get to our front yard project.

Raymond and his team really went the extra mile in helping us make our front yard and back yard go…read morefrom looking okay to absolutely amazing. We had hired a landscape designer to come up with a plan, and Raymond executed that plan beautifully, along with providing some great advice and knowledge. Yes, it cost a bit of money to do all this, but Evergreen's cost was actually a little lower than some of the companies we received bids from and they were completely professional. And both Raymond and Ricky (the lighting specialist) were so nice and willing to listen to both my and my wife's questions and concerns. Their guidance really helped us turn our front and back yard into something that exceeded our expectations and is just stunning! Thank you Evergreen!!!

We're so happy with how our landscaping project turned out! The transformation is incredible, and…read morethe before-and-after photos really show the difference. The team communicated with us throughout the entire process, listened to our ideas, and was professional and easy to work with. We love our new outdoor space and would definitely recommend them!

Just completed re-doing our front yard with Core Landscaping and are very pleased with the results…read more Chris came out and reviewed our needs, and Marc provided the quote for the work. Chris and team arrived on time, were very thorough, and cleaned up when finished. We made a few changes during the project, and Chris was very accommodating. All in all, great work at a reasonable price, definitely recommend.