Martha did a wonderful renovation of my yard, the flower recommendations were perfect, the work…read moreitself was easily scheduled and done very quickly. It's exactly what I was looking for and I'm so happy I made the decision to hire Bluestar. See pictures for the amazing before and after.

I was referred to Bluestar Gardens by a friend in 2017, soon after we had moved into our brownstone…read morein Boerum Hill. It was my first time owning a proper house and I knew nothing about landscaping or gardening. Martha designed the gardens in the back and front of the house and helped me to realize my vision through the selection and placement of variety of lovely trees, plants, and flowers that provided color and interest throughout the year. For the seven years we lived there, Martha and her team also maintained our gardens skillfully, ensuring that our home was always surrounded by natural beauty. Our whole family derived a great deal of joy from Martha's efforts. She created a beautiful backdrop for so many happy memories that we made in that home.

I highly recommend Jennifer at Laurel Garden Designs! As a NYC-based mid-century modernist, I…read morewanted to integrate some plants onto my apartment balcony to help create a "Palm Springs poolside but on an urban balcony where there are winters" kind of vibe. Not only was Jennifer up for my quirky challenge, but she delivered wonderfully! I absolutely ADORE the plants that she chose for me, and they totally capture the look and spirit of what I was going for. Additionally, Jennifer was super-responsive and a pleasure to work with. I can't recommend Jennifer and Laurel Garden Designs enough. Thank you, Jennifer!

Working with Jennifer at Laurel Garden Design was an absolute delight from start to finish. I hired…read moreher to redesign my front yard in Brooklyn after receiving an enthusiastic recommendation from a neighbor a few blocks away. I'll admit that, initially, I wasn't sure I needed a garden designer (I like plants! I know how to garden! How hard could it be?) but I am SO glad that I hired Laurel Garden Design, because she really knows what she is doing, she has great taste, and she is kind, communicative, smart, and fun to work with. After a couple of initial conversations, Jennifer presented three hardscaping plans for my building. We chose one, which she further refined with detailed plans. She drove out with me to a stone and paving supplier to look at samples and organized a curated selection of equipment (trash bin containers, bike lock fixtures, planters) from which to choose, with thoughtful pointers on their relative price points, aesthetic fit, etc. Jennifer helped select the contractor and was there in person to advise before, during, and after the hardscaping construction. She simultaneously created a beautiful and cohesive landscaping plan, which she further refined as spring approached and we could confirm what the local nurseries had in stock. Jennifer ordered all of the plants, soil, and other equipment, organized their delivery, and participated in the planting/installation. Her proposed landscaping design was a "palette that mixes warm colors--red, orange, yellow--with pops of white for emphasis, and purple for depth." She delivered in spades. I've now witnessed our front yard live through all four seasons, and there is something new and wonderful to see with each passing month. Even in winter. What's more, she created a booklet/annual schedule for ongoing maintenance, with images identifying each of the plants. Laurel Garden Design is an unqualified 5/5 for me. Definitely reach out if you're thinking of renovating your yard, garden, or terrace.

made my house look really beautiful!!! susan and her crew are a pleasure to work withread more

Yet another summer when Susan created magic on our terraces. She always listens to my requests,…read morewhich I found to be a rare occurrence among landscape designers. A real lovely person to work with,

I've been an Upper East Side resident for years and have admired Lisa's work at Bella Gardens from…read moreafar for a long time. As someone who now spends roughly half the year in Scottsdale and returns to the city each spring, having a designer who is not only talented but also reliable from a distance was incredibly important to me. When I finally had the opportunity to work with her after gaining access to an outdoor terrace, I reached out without hesitation. Despite my seasonal schedule and being away for extended periods, Lisa was consistent, responsive, and completely dependable throughout the entire process. From the beginning, she presented a clear, thoughtful concept that felt tailored to both the architecture and how I wanted to use the space. What also stood out was her integrity, her commitment to ethical sourcing was a key factor in my decision to move forward, and she was transparent and intentional at every step. The finished result is a beautiful, organic, and private terrace that feels like a true urban retreat. It's rare to find someone who can translate a city outdoor space into something this calm, layered, and livable, but Lisa absolutely delivered through Bella Gardens. I couldn't be happier with how it turned out.

DO NOT use Bella Garden based on our experience. She took money from us and stopped responding and…read moredidn't do the work (aka stole money). See below for full story. Lisa had a medical emergency, and I genuinely understand that unexpected health issues happen. However, that does not excuse what happened to us as customers. Bella Garden took a significant amount of our money for work that was never completed. We also paid for a significant $10k+ project that although completed, was completed neglected after her medical leave, crews were not sent to properly care for our property. The result is that work we paid thousands of dollars for has deteriorated because the garden was not maintained. A business that only operates if one person is available cannot properly care for customers. Even when Lisa was not on leave, it was always difficult to schedule care and maintenance of our property, emails would go unanswered and it would take weeks to make any progress. Now, Lisa has stopped responding to requests to send maintenance and to return the money for work that we paid for that was never completed. At this point, we feel completely abandoned as customers and are out a substantial amount of money that she has essentially now stolen from us. Whatever the circumstances may be, customers should not be left paying for unfinished work with no communication or resolution. Based on our experience, I would strongly advise against hiring Bella Garden unless you want your money stolen and your garden to fall apart due to their negligence.

John, Whitt, and crew thoughtfully designed and created a beautiful garden in our brownstone's…read morebackyard. Their passion for horticulture and impeccable detail in their work is evident each and every day as the garden continues to grow and change week by week. They also installed a breathtaking rock wall, completely made up of materials found buried on our property - most likely decades ago. Considerate, punctual and friendly - we're so thrilled to have found John and his team.

I have worked with John and his team for the past couple of years. They re-created our small front…read moregarden which was a plot of dirt when we bought the house. They also helped us to create a more enjoyable backyard on a budget with planters. John is very reliable, and his team is very efficient. They set up an irrigation system for both the front garden and the planters, since we knew that we couldn't rely on ourselves to manage the watering of the garden. John and his team were great with coming up with different ideas and also were able to collaborate with me on what I was interested in. I highly recommend Design by Plants!

Amber is fantastic to work with. We had Amber create & install our balcony area, in the NYC…read moreapartment, where there was no soil/yard area. Amber created a beautiful sanctuary within the concrete skyline of Manhattan. Our garden balcony has become the entertainment capital of lower Manhattan! She is reliable, professional and creative. She knows her foliage! We now use Amber for regular maintenance visits. She has made the garden more than we could have ever imagined possible.

AF is just finishing up a job at our large terrace garden…read more from the start the communication was clear and easy. I'm giving them five stars for the professional way they handled everything from the load-in to the power wash was done well. a very good company. I will do business with them again

Johnny and his team just finished our backyard this morning and I can't say enough good things!…read more For starters, I reached out to them and found them to be responsive and available quickly. The initial consultation was thorough, and they prepared the quote quickly. The quote was detailed, it was easy to discuss/implement any changes - it felt like a truly cooperative process to come to a plan that we liked, was practical for our lifestyle, and within our budget. We were really looking for a company that could come in and take care of everything without the need to subcontract anything out, or organize additional vendors on our own and they fit that bill. They installed turf, removed 2 old rotting tree stumps, cleared out and replanted 2 areas of the garden, replaced a broken/rotting fence and set of steps, carted away any junk from the yard that didn't belong, and even repaired a hole in the cement left by the previous owners. The other thing that I really appreciated was that they listened when we said we wanted to keep things very low maintenance. Plants were chosen in a way that doesn't require us to fuss over them and allows us, our kid, and our dog to actually use the space without being worried about things getting ruined. During the work they required access through an apartment and were respectful of the space (and everyone's time), and left everything clean. The job took a touch longer than anyone initially expected, but that was caused by weather delays and a few extra items that came up as they were working. Communication about any changes was prompt, the additional work that came up was explained clearly, and I found any additional charges to be more than fair. We're so excited to get to use our garden and watch it grow as the weather improves, and I look forward to having Johnny and his team return for any regular maintenance. I'll try to remember to update this review with photos in the spring once things settle in and bloom.

We had such a good experience with this team!…read more From day 1 they were friendly and easy to work with. We loved the design they put together, they helped us make decisions to maintain high quality and stay within our budget, they were communicative throughout the process, and my dog loved the whole team which is always a great sign. Probably most importantly... the results are amazing. They were on time and under budget (first time that's happened for any house projects!), and I love being out in the yard now. Everything is done just right. Definitely would work with them again! I wish they did interiors too!

Tim deserves all the superlatives there are. We had a backyard that was just sad and gross--poorly…read morelaid pavers, detritus from past renovations and owners, drainage issues, etc. In just a few weeks, he gave us a beautiful oasis that feels peaceful, clean, and comfortable. Tim was a complete joy to work with. He is smart, experienced, kind, calm, and incredibly hardworking. We actually miss having him around!

Scheduled an appointment, which the owner had to reschedule. Then he had to reschedule the…read morereschedule. You would think that would it, but 20 minutes before the 2nd reschedule Zoom meeting, he couldn't make it but said he could like 2 hours later and never did. Maybe it was a bad week, but my experience was not good!