Writing this review as I sit barefoot in my tranquil new outdoor space. Tristan gave me the magical little yard of my dreams! He was very thorough and thoughtful when it came to listening to my ideas and turning them into a very peaceful, healing design. He walked me through the process and communicated well. The artistry, visual appeal, execution, and problem solving cannot be beat. Tristan is an absolute gem and a pleasure to work with. Thank you Tristan! read more

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I had a great experience with Solstice Landscape Design. Tristan, the owner, is a mind-reader - whatever I wanted or was thinking of having, it was included in my design plan. He not only reviewed my response to his questionnaire (which is really thorough) closely and listened to my every request/desire, he also helped me walked through my idea when I wasn't even sure what I wanted. He offered great ideas, and gave thoughtful feedbacks which I truly appreciate. No matter how late my email was sent, I would receive a feedback from him in the morning! Tristan works hourly but when I went to him for advice on the color of our exterior paint, he was more than happy to help, for free. And he checked in with me from time to time even after our design was complete. We didnt have a contractor so Tristan recommended his partner, Don. Don is such a warm person, and so easy to work with. He is flexible, resourceful and very experienced in his field. They help make my dream into a reality. Before i had a yard, now I have a beautiful garden. read more

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Working with Tristan was a fantastic experience, and our landscape finally looks the way we'd dreamed when we bought the property almost 6 years ago. The detailed questionnaire we filled out prior to meeting Tristan allowed him to start with a strong understanding of what we were aiming for in redesigning our 2.5-acre property. He took care to confirm what he'd learned from our responses, and our initial consultation was a really fruitful discussion about the scope of the project. After the initial consultation, Tristan spent A LOT of time on site, taking notes, sketching, and evaluating different elements of the landscape from different angles. The landscape design Tristan presented was just what we were hoping for. The plan was beautiful, functional, and within our budget. The elements were strategic and thoughtful, working with the strengths of what already existed. We appreciated how carefully he'd thought out each piece (e.g., selecting plants that were native to the area and would be both beautiful and drought-tolerant). He responded quickly and positively to the few small changes we asked for. With this exciting landscape plan in place, we were concerned about finding someone to do the installation well and at a reasonable price. And Tristan delivered again! He recommended we contact Brian Boals at Lawn, Land & Liquiscapes. Brian has done an incredible job of installing every aspect of the plan (irrigation, hardscaping, lighting, etc). We truly couldn't be happier with how it's all gone. We are so glad we decided to go with Solstice Landscaping. Tristan was wonderful to work with. Newly finished, our landscape already looks amazing, and it will only look better as it fills out in the coming years. Thank you, Tristan! read more

When I first emailed Tristan three years ago, I described the style of our landscaping as "a witch who had given up." Having just purchased our first home, we were eager to fix it up. The yard was overgrown, mossy, crumbling, and dead. It contained home poured water features and a pond lined in trash bags. I hated everything about it. We had Tristan out to do the landscape design and fell in love with what he drew. He was very considerate, taking into account not only the people who currently live in the house but also the pets - and even unborn children! He helped me see what my yard could become. Over the course of three years, he dealt with us getting quotes from other people. Being upset with the quotes other people gave us. Giving us a quote himself. Us agreeing. Then, us pushing it back a year. And finally, wanting to do the back yard one year and the front yard the next. My point is - we weren't easy to work with. We had emergencies, a new child, unexpected expenses - all sorts of stuff. After much waiting and anticipation, my yard was finished a few weeks ago. During the last year, I went in the backyard... maybe three times. Now, I come home every single day excited to spend time in my yard. The grass is still growing in and the plants are still adjusting, but it's awesome. I finally have the back yard I've always wanted. I'm looking forward to next summer when we finally tackle the front yard. read more

Solstice Landscape Design - After - Landscape Architects or Designers Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Tristan and his lovely crew put in path lights for me in November. They were able to squeeze me in between larger projects. I am starting a short term rental and wanted the path well-lit for guests. Tristan recommended lighting a few trees. I was hesitant at first but tried a few and then had them come back for one more. I am so glad he did because they provide additional indirect light which is not overdone. The path is not only well lit but the yard glows with a warm welcoming ambience. I no longer need to use the harsher porch lights. My neighbors love it. Tristan is an artist, has great intuition, and did not oversell. His crew works hard and do a great job. When I can, I will hire them for my larger landscape projects, and lighting for the backyard. I recommend Tristan highly!! read more

Solstice Landscape Design just finished up a complete backyard remodel for us and we couldn't be happier. This was our first major project with our new home and the owner, Tristan, made it so easy! He was thorough and detail oriented when walking us through the entire process, leaving no questions unanswered. Tristan not only is an amazing artist that will draw a beautiful design, but his attention to detail and open/honest communication during the installation is a breath of fresh air. The same can be said for his team of laborers, they were all diligent to ensure the yard looked exactly the way it was designed, without cutting any corners! We are so happy we selected Solstice Landscape Design for both the design and installation of our backyard remodel, we can't recommend them enough! read more

Once upon a time, in a little Snohomish suburb not so far away, a husband and wife despised their front and back yards...with a passion. I can't even begin to count how many times they would pull into their driveway and think, "Oh my gosh...this is just so NOT us! Ugh. We need some major help with this landscaping. Where do we even start?? Should we do this ourselves? Should we hire someone??" Just thinking about the whole thing made their heads hurt, their wallets cringe and their hearts sink. That is...until they met Tristan...the owner of Solstice Landscaping! We were very much in search of a landscape designer who not only could capture the look of what we wanted for our front and back yards, but also the spirit, energy and flow as well. We wanted to make sure that from start to finish, the project would be as seamless as possible and capture all of what we wanted. Tristan of Solstice Landscape Design delivered...and delivered beyond our expectations. We couldn't be happier with how both our yards turned out...everything we had hoped for and more. Tristan is in demand...and for good reason. He is an expert...a creative, unique, knowledgeable & artistic landscape designer. You will probably have to wait for his services (as we did) ...but, let me tell you....it is definitely WORTH THE WAIT! He will listen, discuss, and produce a design for you that is exactly what you envision and more. To start, we completed a detailed questionnaire for him to ascertain exactly what we wanted and he got back to us within a reasonable time-frame. He spent hours with us going over plants, grasses, flowers, trees, hardscapes, landscapes and water features! Tristan and his amazing, artistic team (Marisa & Seth) installed the most beautiful landscaping and backyard water feature we could have ever hoped for. They transformed both our front and back yards into a beautiful, peaceful, relaxing oasis flowing with life, spirit & positive energy...and both look absolutely fabulous. We get constant compliments! We could tell instantaneously Tristan is a knowledgeable professional who puts his heart and soul into his work...and it shows. He is thorough, detail-orientated, creative and bent over backwards to give us what we envisioned for our yards. He is easily accessible and returned our calls/texts super quickly...most often the same day! Even with how busy he is, Tristan always seemed to have time to talk, answer questions and most importantly, listen. We can't recommend Tristan with Solstice Landscape Design enough. There are not enough stars to give him and his creative, artistic work. He is truly an artist and created a masterpiece in both our yards. We couldn't be happier with his work. Thank you so much, Tristan! Now, when we pull into our driveway, we ask ourselves why we didn't hire Solstice Landscape Design earlier! read more

Tristan did a phenomenal job designing our landscape! His process is focused on your needs and wants. For our initial consult, he sent us a thorough questionnaire that got us thinking about what we wanted from our landscape. A few days later, he showed up and spent a substantial amount of time walking through our yard with us. What impressed me was he had printed, highlighted, and made references to the questionnaire we had filled out. The final design was impressive, and exactly what we were looking for. As DIYers, we're excited to have a framework and overall concept to follow as we gradually install the landscape over the next few years. Thanks again, Tristan! read more

Wow ... "this one goes to 11!" I wish I could give 11 stars!! After the addition of a patio and pizza oven to our backyard, we realized our landscaping was in serious need of an upgrade. After much internet searching, we chose Tristan based on his rave Yelp review and pictures of his completed projects. We really did not know what we wanted; we just had a vision in mind, likely influenced by too much HGTV. We started with an extensive questionnaire that covered aspects of the proposed project which we had not even considered. Did we want to attract birds or butterflies? Did we want any edible plants? Did we want to incorporate any spiritual or philosophical ideals? I believe it is the depth of the questionnaire that allowed Tristan to create a plan that uniquely suited to what we wanted. His attention to detail and our specific design requirements are what made the final outcome so amazing. His mastery of design was evident in his ability to take our random ideas and mesh them together to create the manicured, yet whimsical look we knew we wanted, but did not know how to achieve. Once work commenced, it just got better from there. Tristan was extremely receptive to my input, (i.e. multiple changes) as the design implementation progressed. In fact, as the plan unfolded, he took it upon himself to make changes to improve the appearance and quality of the outcome. His skills extend far beyond plan design and plant installation. He built and installed a trellis. He installed outdoor lighting, pavers and a 6' Bigfoot statue. And assembled a fairly complicated outdoor fountain. Upon completion, he took the time to educate us on the on-going health of our new landscape and provide suggestions for the maintenance of our new backyard. If you are looking for someone to transform your yard into a magical sanctuary for you and your family, Tristan can make that happen for you. I have no doubt you will be as thrilled as we are with the outcome. He is a true artist, and besides that, just a really nice guy. We cannot wait for next summer to enjoy our new backyard with our family and friends. Like his website says, this is truly "landscape alchemy!" Thank you, Tristan! read more

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We hired Solstice Landscape Design to design and install a pave walkway around the side of our house with landscaping. Tristan carefully listened to us and came back with a design that far exceeded all our expectations. The paver walkway was simple but thoughtfully designed to beautifully curve around our home and tie seamlessly into our already exciting paver porch. The landscaping was simple, colorful, and all native to the PNW. Tristan is an artist and a pleasure to work with. read more

We had Tristan of Solstice Landscaping over for an estimate/landscape plan in the beginning of April 2011. I immediately liked his approach to the project. Of all the landscapers we interviewed, Tristan just seemed to really love what he does. He also recognizes the spiritual connection we can have with plants and the earth (there's a great section of his website called "Spirituality"), which resonates with my values and the relationship I want to have with my surroundings. Anyway, we signed a contract and work began April 27. While we were waiting for work to begin, I studied the landscape plan and asked if we could make some minor changes regarding plant selection. Tristan was super easy to work with and some of my "wish list" plants were available and included in the final product. I am thrilled with how the project turned out. It's beautiful and functional and has become even more amazing as the plants got established and grew a bit. In the first 24 hours after the last plant went into the ground, I'd gotten compliments from five different people. Also, the number and diversity of birds living in/around the neighborhood has multiplied. Having native food sources, as well as a dish rock "bird bath" has attracted birds who otherwise would not have started hanging around our place. (And I don't mean just pigeons and typical "city" birds, but several species of native birds. We've even spotted a few hawks and eagles.) As the landscaping matured, I've gotten more and more compliments from neighbors and strangers just walking by. I can't say enough nice things about Tristan and I would enthusiastically recommend him to anyone. read more

Tristan is fantastic to work with and I give him the highest possible recommendation possible. We engaged him to redesign a small-Seattle backyard that looked like a cement parking lot. That parking lot drove me nuts. He delivered a gorgeous backyard redesign that included trex decking, an imperial slate patio, all the landscaping, new fence, water feature, new pathways, lighting, irrigation, etc. He also recommended the contractor, followed-up repeatedly to make sure the project was executed as intended and to our satisfaction. He's extremely talented in landscape design, and a wonderful human to work with. You are lucky to work with him - if you can get him! read more

We had a wonderful experience with Tristan of Solstice Landscape Design and highly recommend him. We found him to be creative and have a highly refined vision and we feel that he was able to deeply understand and channel us in the design he created. It doesn't feel like a generic design, but something that is very specific to our property, our family and our budget (we can't wait to get it all installed!). We spoke with many landscape designers before deciding to go with Tristan, and the main reason we selected Tristan was his no-frills process. He knows the steps he needs to take to get the design done quickly. After a long interior remodel, we didn't have the stamina for a drawn-out process on the landscape design and Tristan got it done fast. We didn't need bells and whistles (e.g. full color renderings), we just needed a plan from which to work, and that's what Tristan delivered. We found Tristan to be extremely knowledgeable about plants. We had our consult and design session in the winter, when essentially no plants had leaves, and he identified each existing plant correctly. That gave me a lot of confidence in his knowledge-base. Also, he's just a really nice guy: very easy to work with and a very good listener. It was clear from the first interactions that he was keen on understanding us and truly wanted to respond to our desires, and what he delivered is beautiful and pushes the landscape design in directions we hadn't even considered and totally love. Finally, I love supporting a small business. None of his fees go to agency costs such as maintaining a fancy office or throwing big parties, and personally I love supporting people with the guts to work independently. read more

We couldn't be happier about our experience working with Tristan and highly recommend him for help with landscape design. Our project was a complete overhaul of the backyard space so that it would be more functional (area for kids to play, adults to entertain, etc.), incorporate edible plants/trees, native plants, and garden space - all while being relatively low maintenance for our busy household. Tristan's advice is deeply rooted in experience and design knowledge while his approach was balanced to incorporate our thoughts and vision. We greatly appreciated that he could both hear our requirements and also make his own recommendations that incorporated a deeper professional understanding - true partnership! We were then easily able to take his final design and plant list out for bids. I mostly appreciated that Tristan has stayed in touch to make sure that we're still happy with the design as we've moved into the build stage. Don't hesitate!! He is the one you've been waiting to work with for your PNW landscape design. read more

I couldn't be more pleased with Tristan's knowledge and responsiveness. The city asked us to have all of our trees documented on the site plan for our coming renovation -- a strange request as we're not doing any work outside of the existing footprint. Tristan was kind enough to read the city's request and set up time to swing by the house to put the required documentation together. He was also kind enough to charge us a VERY reasonable amount for the work. I'd recommend him in a heartbeat for similar work. read more

My husband and I couldn't be more pleased about our experience working with Tristan. He did a full plan for both our front and back yards and then did the installation in the back...we're holding off on the front until we have a better idea of how the city's new storm drainage plans will impact us. I've worked with a lot of contractors in the past and this experience by far exceeded my expectations. Tristan was thorough, responsive and timely throughout the process and is a fantastic communicator which is extremely rare in this business. Couldn't be happier about our experience and the final result! read more

I own Riggins Construction LLC in Seattle. Solstice has done absolutely beautiful work for countless clients as well as providing me with job leads for their clients to complete fence and deck contracts. I am very impressed with their quality and design. I am also very thankful for the job referrals over the years. read more

TLDR: Tristan provides an excellent design process, wonderful use of native plants and helped us create a space that we love. Our project would not have been as successful without his help. He has a true passion for the work that he does. We highly recommend his services for your landscape architecture needs. Detail: My wife and I used Tristan's services to plan the landscape design and purchase and placement of plants for our backyard. Our backyard was in need of some updates as the patio had a large setting crack, the flower beds had become overgrown and we had some areas of the yard that seemed to have some drainage problems. We wanted to replace the patio and fix some plant issues. After contacting multiple contractors, we found that the project was going to be a more significant cost than we had expected for what we thought was going to be a simple patio pour. We had used interior designers before and found them to be very helpful for planning our interior space and given the expense we didn't want to have a big mistake carved in concrete. We looked for a Landscape Architect and found Tristan. He sent us a questionnaire that my wife and I took less than two hours to work through. It really helped us to know what we wanted and what we didn't want. Then we had Tristan over for a meeting. Sometime in the following week Tristan came over and spent much of a day in our backyard creating a landscape architecture drawing. We then met with him after he had completed the drawing and he discussed his thoughts, the drawing, plant selection and lighting. We really loved his use of native plants and he even put in a water feature that we would not have thought about on our own. He kept the drawing since he was going to stay involved in the project, but sent us a scan of the drawing. I use the drawings and did much of the work myself with some help from friends and a contractor to pour the patio. We had Tristan back to select purchase the plants and place them for us. We are very happy with the results and will likely to try and get his help when we start working on the front yard. :) read more

Wow, as a new homeowner, Tristan was the right guy to go to to overhaul our landscaping. It started with an awesome survey that my wife an I filled out so that Tristan could get a feeling for what we like. Then we spent $1000 for Tristan to draw up a design, which was a WORK OF ART. Full color, computer rendered, printed large as well as delivered electronically so that we could brag on facebook. We liked everything so much that we barely changed anything on the design. We decided to work in phases since we couldn't afford everything at once, and started with the hardscaping. I wanted really large slate pavers, and Tristan really delivered here. In fact, we paid for smaller pavers and he threw in some enormous table sized pavers that blew my mind. The quality level was incredible with the curving retaining wall and the carefully laid pavers. Tristan doesn't cut corners, which is what I wanted. You pay for quality and its worth it. One minor complaint was that the patio design planned for a hot tub placement that was too close to the electrical for code, and we didn't learn about the code issue until after the patio was built. Had we known this ahead of time, we might have planned the patio differently. Tristan was up front and didn't claim to be a hot tub expert, but it didn't occur to me to check for code issues. Anyway, everything else went so well that we'll definitely use them for the other phases. After we completed the first phase, Tristan consulted for free on how to get mulch blown in without using him as a middle man. Integrity and professionalism are to notch here. Oh yeah, and Tristan threw in the portipotty. read more

I had Tristan draw plans for a total makeover of our back yard. We completed a very detailed questionnaire to help him figure out exactly what we were looking for. We met for an initial consultation and agreed to have a scale drawing and plan done. He drew us a very detailed plan that took into account all of our preferences and was much more creative than I would have come up with. I had specified that I wanted to do the work myself, so Tristan provided detailed information about vendors for materials, plant types, etc. All of his recommendations were spot-on. Over the course of several months I installed two paver patios and a lot of plants. Our backyard that was essentially unusable is now our favorite place to spend time. Tristan was very professional, listened carefully to what we wanted, and his fees were quite reasonable. I have recommended him to a number of friends and will use him again for my next project. read more

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Tristan and team were both responsive and professional. We were very pleased with the process from beginning to end. Tristan listened carefully to our requests and concerns and quickly created a plan that fit well with our needs. He was also quick to respond to our questions or make recommendations as needed. All in all, this was a very good experience with a super team. Our backyard area was awash in nasty ivy, weeds, ancient and unattended roses, blackberries and about 100 old tires that someone used to shore up a slope. None of this seemed to phase Solstice, and the result isa graceful, easy to care for, and beautiful back yard area. We may call them again when it is time to redo the front yard. read more

A friend of mine used Solstice to do a large landscape job and recommended that we contact Tristan for our smaller yard project. We have a small backyard and desperately needed some landscape design - Tristan spent a ton of time thinking about our yard and our needs, taking into account our super vague likes/dislikes, and came up with a wonderful design. When Tristan was finished our yard looked like a new place, so put together and beautiful. Tristan really loves what he does and it translates directly into his work. His knowledge of plants is unreal and I would highly recommend him to anyone. On top of it all, he's also extremely professional, always communicative and on time! read more

Tristan recently designed and installed a perfect, beautiful back yard for us. We have a small townhouse yard, and Tristan was able to help us take a variety of vague ideas and shape it into something that is both functional and relaxing. He brought a high level of professionalism to all aspects of the process, from initial design to final steps, and made everything so easy for us! I'll definitely be recommending him to friends and neighbors in the future. read more

Solstice Landscape Design - Thanks, Tristan! - Landscape Architects or Designers Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Tristan is a wonderful landscape designer and an excellent person. He listened to our often conflicting requests for our backyard and created a plan that addressed everything. It was striking to me that he recalled all of our requests months after our initial meeting and commented on each request as he explained the final design. He let us know how he was accomplishing each of our requirements and was clear and honest about anything that wasn't possible in the way we initially requested, and he gave us alternate solutions in those cases. He was also instrumental in helping sort out an issue with the contractor who did the carpentry and stonework. Without going into the entire saga, the contractor made a mistake and initially refused to correct it. Tristan volunteered his own time and energy to rework the design in a way that would correct the mistake and then negotiated with the contractor until he came around and made the appropriate corrections. Tristan is a fundamentally good person. He is passionate about his work, cares about his customers and their happiness, and works to complete the job to his and his customer's expectations. Due to his efforts, we now have a beautiful, bountiful and accessible backyard that our entire family can enjoy. I recommend him without hesitation. read more

Tristan is a fantastic designer and consummate professional. His communication style is relaxed and thorough. He takes time to understand who you are, what you want and your goals for your outside spaces. We are so pleased with the final result and would reach out to him with no hesitation in the future. read more

Tristan is a knowledgable person and is passionate about his work. Good with the details and the sketches are great. It gives you a visual of what the finish product will be. He's a great person to work with, makes sure you complete understand what you are getting and has ideas for other options to make sure you getting what like within your budget. He cares about his customers and their happiness, and works to complete the job to his and his customer's expectations. I get lots of complements and I have referred him to a couple of neighbors who are looking too update there yards too. read more

My husband and I had a great experience with Tristan and Solstice Landscape Design. He provided detailed designs of both our front and back yards, assisted us with solving a decades old problem we had with drainage issues in our back yard doing so by adding a great design feature to channel and hold the water using a dry pond. Overall I would highly recommend Tristan as a landscape designer and installer. Great to work with and very responsive to questions and change requests. read more

Tristan is great to work with. We got his name from another very happy customer of Solstice. He delivered a great design and was open to our direction and feedback. The install went very well and when a couple of curveballs came up, Tristan was very communicative and creative about the solutions. We would absolutely work with him again. read more

Worth the wait! I was initially interested in working with Tristan because of the number of sloped yards in his portfolio and the beautiful way he used native plants to bolster those slopes. Tristan is a busy guy, so we had a to wait a little while to have a consultation appointment with him. However, he is an incredibly creative and detail-oriented designer who created a plan for our outdoor space that blew our minds, and it is definitely worth waiting for him to be available. First, he listened carefully to all our needs and wishes for our outdoor space. He was very good about coming up with a range of suggestions that would accommodate different budgets, since at the time we weren't certain how much we wanted to invest in our landscape. He was excellent about trying to manage our expectations so we understood what we could and could not do within certain budget constraints. After the initial meeting, he spent a great deal of time reviewing our city's ordinances to make sure his design would not require permitting, especially give the fact that we live on a very steeply sloped lot. Finally, Tristan presented an amazing vision for our yard that we were able to adapt as necessary to fit our budget. Additionally, Tristan introduced us to a fantastic landscaping company and brought them out to make a bid on the project so we would have an idea of what the final costs would be. Now that all the work is done, we are so pleased with our landscape and love having the it as an extension of our living space rather than just a place to put the dog out! read more

The first word that comes to mind is 'professional.' These guys show up at 9, leave at 5. They even worked in the pouring rain! After dealing with a plethora of flakey contractors over the years, Tristan and his crew really set themselves apart. The driveway and walkway they built for my home are fabulous. The neighbors all want to know who did such great work! I am slowly landscaping the entire yard, section by section. The plants are gorgeous. The flowers are vibrant, the trees are lovely. Every neighbor that walks by complements me on Tristan's work. I can't wait to have the rest of the yard done. If it's a small project or a large one, they will work with you and within your budget and your time frame. Thanks to these guys my neighbors are suddenly much more friendly : ) read more

Tristan was awesome to work with and is a true pro. After seeing everything that went into our project, we are SO glad we hired a pro! Our backyard and front yard project just completed, and we couldn't be happier. We loved the plan for the project that Tristan drew up. He was very proactive and communicative throughout the entire project. He worked around our schedule, was very respectful with our space, flagged any issues that came up. When we discovered an issue with some posts in the backyard, he walked us through his concerns and our options and then gave a recommendation. And now that the project is complete, everything looks amazing! It was exactly what we were looking for and have already recommended Tristan to others. read more

Tristan was the perfect person to help us design and transform our front yard. He is very intuitive and was able to take our input and create a space that surpassed our vision and expectations. Whenever we come home now there is a sense of welcome, open energy but he also incorporated the perfect balance of privacy. The space now is so visually inviting and the design has a mystical quality to it. Every time we leave the house, we notice something new. It is a very peaceful way of coming and goingI We really appreciated Tristan's attention to detail. He is very thoughtful about his choice of plantings which were in line with our spiritual values in regards to the earth, the birdlife and the environment. The fence is amazing, enfolding the wonder of the garden. We also love how much diversity is in the design and even though it is a small space he somehow gave it a feeling of spaciousness. In terms of the practical aspects of the job we also greatly appreciated the quality of work and the consciousness and consideration of his co-workers, Jeff and Jordan. Overall it was a very pleasant and really non-obtrusive process. We would highly recommend Tristan and look forward to working with him on another project soon. read more

Tristan's design was amazing! He carefully listened to my needs and desires and applied them perfectly in the landscape design. The install proved to be even better - he kept me informed during the process, checking in regularly to be sure I was satisfied. I would highly recommend Solstice Landscape Design to anyone looking for a creative, artistic landscape design! read more

We had Solstice Landscape Design completely overhaul our once sad overgrown backyard into a beautiful sanctuary . From start to finish, Tristan and his team made the entire process enjoyable. Tristan's professionalism mixed with creativity and knowledge meshed exactly into our needs and lifestyle. He is a pleasure to work with and I highly recommend him for any project large or small. We'll definitely be using him again! read more

We just had Tristan come out for a consultation and we are extremely disappointed and underwhelmed. Tristan does not respect our time: 1. First he came 15 minutes late - not a huge deal I guess but was a bad first impression especially when we let him pick when he wanted to come and made our schedule work for him. 2. Before he came out, me and my husband took out at least 3 hours of our busy lives to fill out a lengthy questionnaire to the best of our ability, providing pictures, and images of our yard clearly explaining our issues and the slope issues. Via email he told us that it is possible to do what we want within our budget and agreed to come out. Then when he did come out he tells us that he doesn't want to do the main thing we wanted to hire him for. 3. When he was here, he wasted both me and my husband's time discussing things that he didn't want to do and provided poorer insight than free consultations I got from other landscapers. It honestly felt that he was too lazy and did not want to take on any work if it wasn't easy. What we wanted was not weird; we just wanted tile concrete but apparently our side yard was not big enough so he wouldn't do it. Keep in mind that my husband provided him a detailed drawing with how big our side yard is so if he spent anytime looking at it then he could have saved both of us money and time and just said sorry I can't do it. Not knowledgeable: 1. He said he would only take on fixing a drainage issue (which I would only trust a professional drainage person do anyways again based on his lack of knowledge when I asked him questions) and planting. I was extremely underwhelmed by his knowledge of plants, he could only provide two possible solutions off top of his head when a previous person provided me with at least 4 different ones off top of his head on a free consult. 2. On top of that he did not seem to understand the difference between pavers and concrete tiles. It may be that I am comparing him to the knowledge I received from a civil engineer and that's not fair but for $150 an hour from Tristan, I expected someone to be a wealth of knowledge and expertise. It was not clear at all from our discussion that he was going to be able to provide this sort of knowledge and expertise. Also whenever asking him about how much something would cost or if it's feasible, he kept saying 'I have no idea' and that he would have to ask some other contractors if they do this... Again, shows poor knowledge. And sorry what was the point of the long questionnaire we filled out again? We already told you that we wanted to build a retaining wall so why did you not say that you did not want to do this or that it wasn't within our budget instead of coming out to take our money then tell us that!! He is not efficient, dishonest and had no creative solutions: The thing that really drove me nuts was that he was making a design drawing at $150 per hour for just planting shrubs and plants!! You got to be kidding me; at that point, I just felt that he was trying to suck money out of us. I was willing to pay a lot of money to make our backyard beautiful but it seems like Tristan is not very good at finding creative solutions or providing good thoughtful discussion on topics regarding landscaping. I understand if he has to design and draw for a true landscape design like we wanted but when you are just going to plant a few things then I believe this is a true waste of money. I had to tell him frankly that we are on a budget and it makes no sense to pay someone that much to draw shrubs! I had to tell him no thanks but still paid him for the $300 consult though I feel that he did not deserve it whatsoever. I feel conned. Please don't make the same mistake I did and I am also questioning the validity of all these previous reviews or may be these people just didn't do ample research for other more competitive and more informative landscapers. read more

Tristan transformed our yard into a magical garden for our children while also completing difficult technical work like hardscaping, irrigation revision, steps installation, and soil amendment. After three months of dedicated work, the end product is amazing. We have high standards and probably idealistic/unrealistic expectations ... I can safely say that this is the first time we have ever hired a contractor for any service (not just landscaping) that has truly gone far above what we could have dreamed. Normally, it's like you hire someone and this and that goes wrong or you compromise or you feel like you are coming up with ideas and they are out of scope etc; with Tristan it was an easy and creative process. he was the one proactively resolving issues as they came up. One of my favorite moments was when our regular lawn maintenance guy had been out of the state while Tristan was working, and when he came back and saw our yard completed he was appropriately slack-jawed and started patting Tristan on the pack saying "yousa pimp!" repeatedly. We agree. read more

What can I say other than Tristan is fantastic. He listened to everything my husband and I wanted and then injected it with his own artful style and eco-sensibilities. Prior to Solstice, my yard was an overgrown study in invasive species. And after? It's real sancutuary, not just for my husband and I, but for the birds and bees that linger in it as well. It's a garden that delights all year long and where every plant looks as though it is just mean to be. I love my yard! read more

Tristan's deliberate and experienced approach helped us figure out and articulate what we wanted in our front and back of house. The extensive questionnaire gave all of us something to refer back to and help facilitate clear communication. We were very happy to have Tristan do the work after presenting and revising his designs to meet our desires and budget. Of course "life happened" in this project and there were delays and unanticipated turns of events. However, at every step of the way, Tristan was professional, and always kept us in the loop regarding what was going on and what to expect. Even more important, he then followed-through on what he said he would do. He was fine with us doing some parts of the project. The fall/winter weather does not stop this guy from working hard and demonstrating a very impressive work ethic. Yes there was the usual paperwork and contracts but his handshake sealing our deal meant a whole lot more to me than the paperwork. Tristan does very quality work from start to finish! read more

We remodeled the backyard, rebuilding a retaining wall beautifully, makinhg a previous driveway a sanctuary of a place. He was lovely and absolutely understood what we were going for. He listened, developed, and created a beautiful space for us. We are eager to use him again. Tristan's stone work was an art form, as is his knowlege of native plants and what would create the look at what time of the year that you are going for. He was mindful of existing structures that we wanted to keep, which was sometimes difficult. He was conscientious and careful, always asking our thoughts instead of guessing in gray areas.We were always impressed at his vast array of knowlege of many trades. He was a respectful, enjoyable person to have around as well; someone you would want to share a beer with after transforming your space into a beautiful area. We would (and have) recommend him without a single reservation. read more

We called Tristan to help us figure out what to do with our much neglected backyard and instantly took a liking to his easy going manner, vast knowledge of plants and obvious love for what he does. We hired him to draw up a design for the yard. During the planning process, he made an extra effort to make sure he understood what our objectives were and spent a lot of time walking around the yard to understand the soil and basic lay of the land. The design he came up with was beautiful but we decided to proceed with a house remodel project first. A year and a half later we called Tristan again and, after a few tweaks to the original plan, he picked up right where he left off. After what turned out to be a hellish house remodel project, it was extremely refreshing for us to be able to work with someone as professional, conscientious and hard working as Tristan. There were no surprise "add-ons" or "didn't see that coming" and we paid what we expected to pay. He worked right alongside his crew, Kacie & Tom, every day and made sure every sprinkler, trellis, paver, light, rock, bench, tree, flower and shrub was placed perfectly before putting anything into the ground. His communication throughout the project was great and, after each phase, he made sure we were happy with the progress before he moved on. Now, when someone visits our house and walks out onto the back deck the first thing that comes out of their mouth is "Wow, this is gorgeous!" Simply said, Tristan and his crew work hard, take pride in their work and take pride in a job well done. They did a beautiful job and we wish we would have known about them 4 houses ago. read more