Landscaping reviews in San Francisco, California

I can't heap enough praise on Brian Ott and Zenscape. Brian's design instincts, professionalism, and demeanor were the perfect combination of talents to see through a total transformation of our very outdated backyard into a beautiful, alluring, comfortable garden. Brian listened to us and comprehended what we wanted as essential elements for the re-created space, and delivered them with ingenuity, wonderful materials, and timeliness. He knows hardscape, he knows plants, he understands how to relate to his clients throughout the process. His crew, likewise, were capable, professional, and friendly. Thank you, Brian!

Would give 6 stars if it was possible. Brian was incredibly knowledgeable and tailored the project 100% to my requests. The value in what you get vs. what you pay for is remarkable.

Brian’s eye for design, ability to come up with creative/ beautiful aesthetics is simply awesome. I had an idea of what I wanted done with the front yard of my home and he took it to the next level. Also, wanna leave positive feedback for his support staff member Noe who was extremely helpful/hardworking.

Next time around I need a landscape designer or a friend asks for a recommendation; Zenscape is the only call I’ll be making. Cheers!

Brian Ott's Zenscape reflects a wonderful sense of landscape work for tranquil, restrained and beautiful energies: all in your own backyard. Brian listens and joins with your own vision to patiently create something akin to magical. What was once my struggling backyard setting is now a meditative space for calm and reflection. Both he and his workmates are professional and respectful of the site to be developed. bringing it forward into a calming work of gifted design. I feel fortunate to have found Zenscape.

Brian and his team were all set to install some hardscape in our yard when the Shelter in place orders came down. The minute they lifted for construction, Brian and his crew started up again without missing a beat. Brian listens, asks questions and comes up with fantastic, often super simple (and not crazy expensive) solutions for the tricky parts. He is very responsive and easy to communicate with. His crew is terrific. They were very respectful of the existing plants while they worked. Our tiny yard is so much nicer to quarantine in now! Thank you Brian from the tiny yard in Albany

We absolutely love Zenscape who just completed a total renovation of our back and front yards. From the start Brian who runs the company was very responsive to my initial emails, we got a quote quickly and he is approachable and flexible and we really enjoyed working with him. He has an amazing and creative approach and we sat down at the start of the project and visualized the end result together. I have to say the end result absolutely exceeded our expectations and we can't wait to spend more time in our beautiful new garden once the weather improves.

The key here is trust, Brian absolutely knows his stuff, is an excellent communicator, and when he says he is going to do something he does. He knows where to source the best plants and materials and has great partnerships with electricians and turf companies to ensure those aspects ran super smoothly. We agreed on an overall look and feel at the start and of course, the budget but also left room for minor changes and updates once work was underway which turned out to be the best approach and we never felt like there were any surprises with Brian or his crew. Our backyard required complete demolition and basically starting over and he also refreshed our deck and stairs down to the garden, laid new pavers and turf, brand new beds, a fire pit area, irrigation, and put in a lovely water feature.

His crew are very trustworthy, polite, and absolute craftsmen too, we didn't feel any disruption, and they were able to let us know when noisy work would be happening (we had a concrete pad that needed breaking up before we laid down some nicer looking pavers) so we could adequately forewarn our neighbors and one of our neighbors loved our new fence so much they had Brian replace theirs too. They also cleaned up after themselves and ensured the street outside wasn't left messy.

All in all, we had an outstanding experience with Brian and Zenscape and we wouldn't hesitate to work with him again or recommend his services to others. A++++

As I look out on my new yard, I can't believe that what I see is what existed there when we first bought the house in the '70s. This is truly a reincarnation into a landscape that far surpasses anything I could ever have foreseen. It is indeed, a work of art!

My small backyard area was always nothing more than an eyesore. It had some lovely plantings but they were definitely overshadowed by the boring and disintegrating brick patio that had been laid down years ago, and was being broken up by roots and erosion. This was not an area anyone wanted to spend much time in.

Enter Brian Ott, and Zenscape. I knew I wanted something different, but my vision was definitely not a professional one, nor well thought out.There were ideas, but none fully developed. I had had many bids and proposals, but when. Brian showed up, he was in a class by himself. He listened to my ideas and vision, and then literally expanded upon them to show me my dream. It wasn't a straightforward plan, but one that involved soft curves, lovely pavers, rather than DG or artificial turf. There was moss rock, rather than cement with facade, and plants that would integrate with those that were already established in the yard ; beautiful and viable .He immediately envisioned this area with highlighting. . No one else had even considered this. His vision was one that I felt he would have developed for his own home. I was completely on board.

Once the project began, his crew was amazing. They arrived when they said they are going to and worked full days with care. The schedule was as they proposed. There were no surprises, nor was I ever left hanging. Very different from so many contractors I have dealt with before. Every member of his crew was excited about what they're doing, and definitely let you know they were invested in what the outcome would be. They were professional beyond belief; true artisans. The craftsmanship of the pavers themselves was awe inspiring. They were so much into my backyard, that I have actually hired one of them to be my gardener from this point on.

As the project progressed, there was constant conversation between Brian and I regarding how we would like things to look, with changes made as things progressed. He had ideas for plants, I had ideas for layout. Between the two of us, we developed the backyard. I have never felt so involved in a contracted project before. It felt as if we were truly doing this together. Brian was completely in tune with what I was asking for and worked to make that happen. He was always open to any changes or amendments I might consider. Best of all, the project was completed in the time frame projected.

I can't even begin to describe what the finished product looks like. If I was excited by what he had proposed, I was completely enamored with the end result. My backyard garden is a work of art! It is worthy of appearing in a magazine. My friends can't believe this is the same yard they have visited for years. I look at it from multiple angles and at all times of day and night, and I just smile.

I cannot recommend. Brian Ott, and Zenscape enough to anyone who would like to transform their world.

Not only is the outcome unbelievable, but he and his crew/ craftsman, are like none other I have ever encountered. If you are looking for quality, and a cooperative effort in putting together your dream yard, look no further than Zenscape.

I would be happy to talk to you about him or even have you look at this project. If you're interested. Contact Brian and he can give you my contact information.

Go with Zenscape! You will never regret it!

We’ve had a great experience with JML Landscapes. Our yard is relatively large and sloped, and we started with what was essentially a blank, weed-filled canvas. We wanted to create an outdoor space that truly felt like an extension of our home, and JML absolutely brought that vision to life.

We initially chose JML because of the beautiful landscapes featured on their website, and from the very beginning of the design phase, the team was incredibly attentive to our goals and the overall feel we wanted the yard to have. They were collaborative, thoughtful, and helped guide us through the process while still making sure the final design reflected our vision.

The installation went very smoothly, and the install crew was incredibly professional, skilled, and detail-oriented. They were always willing to take the time to explain different aspects of the project, including the irrigation and lighting systems, which we really appreciated. They were also very accommodating of new requests and responsive to any questions or concerns along the way.

The end result exceeded our expectations, and we’re so happy with how the space turned out. Our photos don’t quite do it justice yet since many of the plants are still young and we still have a few additional projects planned, but we’re incredibly excited to continue enjoying and growing into the space for years to come.

Best landscape designers in SF.

Janet Moyer landscaping replaced our front and back yards, which had lawns, with a beautiful water wise garden, with a dry creek bed, and a couple little fountains, a natural looking flagstone patio area, all set in redwood mulch and irrigated and lit. Their staff was very helpful throughout; the installation crew consisted of people who were knowledgeable about plants and irrigation and lighting, and collaborated well with us. They were very hard workers as well. We look forward to their continued maintenance of our new yard.

When my partner and I bought our home in Noe Valley a year ago, one of the selling points was the extraordinary garden. While the garden was breathtakingly beautiful, the previous owner who had designed, installed, and cared for it was a professional landscape designer--and he had included over 200 varieties of plants we had no idea how to care for. Not wanting to destroy it, we called Janet Moyer Landscaping to maintain our garden on an ongoing basis. In addition to recommending and installiing a GPS-guided automatic irrigation system (so we never have to think about watering), Janet Moyer has since been responsible for total maintenance of our garden, including planting, pruning, feeding, shaping, maintaining lighting and irrigation, etc. Caleb is the lead landscaper who cares for our garden. He is a really smart, hardworking, and conscientious guy who is very thoughtful about how he spends his time on each visit, focusing on the most value-added activities. He is an excellent communicator, checking in with us before each visit to understand any special needs since his last visit and align on where he should focus. He always follows up with a brief written progress report after his visit, detailing what work he did, why, and the general condition of things. We really trust Caleb's expertise and judgment, and everything he has advised us about regarding our plants has been spot on. We really appreciate the team's follow up and attention to detail and their flexibility and openness to our ideas and preferences. If you have a great garden and would like to protect your investment, I would recommend Janet Moyer Landscaping.

Eric

JML just finished up work on our backyard and it looks great! What a transformation! They were great to work with and really listened to what we wanted - a low maintenance, low-water-use yard that would be a great habitat for pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies. We appreciated their full-service approach which for us included building a retaining wall, repairing our deck, and upgrading a flagstone path along with the plantings. It was so nice to have a single point of contact coordinating all of the work. They provide great value and skill and I highly recommend them.

Last year, Ed transformed my backyard when we lived in the Bay. It was previously a mess after we had purchased the home. We then periodically hired Ed for routine maintenance after the transformation.. Both his communication and work were professional and transparent!

Provides great service to garden. Very knowledgeable and nice to work with. Helped us clear out yard and plant some nice new plants. Comes for maintenance and is very reliable. Highly recommend.

Eddy was very professional and courteous in my interactions with him. He got the job done and left my home garden looking beautiful. I recommend him to anyone looking to spruce up their yard.

I can’t recommend Ed highly enough. He’s extremely knowledgable on native plants and landscaping. We hired him to redo our yard and despite us not knowing what we exactly wanted, he was open to feedback, offered various ideas and solutions, and designed and delivered a beautiful solution. On top of that, he’s responsive, reliable, and patient which wasn’t our experience with other landscapers. I would recommend Ed to anyone wanting a yard refresh.

Ed has a deep knowledge of native plants and sustainable landscaping practices. I hired him to plan and execute the installation of a new garden on the slope behind my house; he did a very good job of incorporating the quirks of the site into his approach and delivered a beautiful final product. Would recommend his services to anyone looking for a garden upgrade.

Eddy completely transformed our front yard from an overgrown mess to a beautifully designed garden. Not only is Eddy easy to work with, he is very knowledgeable, patient and flexible. He helped guide us by offering his expertise as we were not always sure if what we envisioned would work. We could not be more pleased with the beautiful garden he created and continues to maintain. We recommend him without hesitation for all of your gardening and landscaping needs. Hire him! You will not be disappointed.

Ed is a wholistic gardener. In addition he can envision what your garden should look like and how to make that happen. It is a joy to work with someone who both understands plants and has a vision.

I’m so glad I was referred to Eddy and his gardening service. It has been an absolute pleasure working with him. Not only is he knowledgeable, but he brings genuine passion and enthusiasm to his work, and will treat your garden as if it were his own. If you're looking to transform your outdoor space and support the local ecosystem, definitely reach out to Ed's Garden Service. He offered multiple thoughtful options for our patio and was incredibly patient throughout the process! It’s only been a month, but the landscape is already thriving, and it feels like a whole new space! I am so grateful that Eddy was able to help us and now we can enjoy our outdoor space, just in time for the warm weather!

Our building hired Ed to do a makeover of the garden in our shared back yard, which had become overrun with weeds and plants ill-suited to the limited direct sunlight in our yard. Ed picked out a series of low-maintenance native plans and came up with a pleasing layout. He’s a delight to work with — knowledgeable, transparent, responsive, and kind. I highly recommend him for your outdoor gardening and landscaping needs!

Eddy completely transformed my property, front and back, and the results are absolutely stunning. What was once an ordinary yard is now a thoughtfully designed, beautifully executed outdoor space.
He redid the entire landscape with care and vision, built gorgeous stone steps leading down to the lawn, terraced a slope, and crafted custom redwood gates that are both functional and works of art—especially the gate with the arbor.
More planting is to come and Eddy’s extensive knowlege of native plants is so appreciated. I wanted flowers, fragrance, and pollinators and I am getting all of that. He is clearly passionate about what he does.
Beyond the quality of the work, Eddy and his crew were a pleasure to work with: professional, reliable, communicative. Eddy took the time to understand what I wanted and then exceeded my expectations at every step.
If you’re looking for a landscaper who combines skill, creativity, and integrity, I cannot recommend Eddy highly enough. This was a total yard transformation, and it came out better than I ever imagined.