The Garden Route

I hired The Garden Route for a complete remodel of my Noe Valley terraced yard, including design services: - Demo existing concrete steps and retaining walls, and create two new retaining walls to make more usable flat space - Cover two patios with bluestone - Install fire pit connected to gas line - Remodel garden shed into kids playhouse - install lighting - install irrigation - new plantings to replace plants that couldn’t be saved in the demolition Plus a few other small things They did an absolutely incredible job. The crew was meticulous at following the design plans and doing high-quality work (the bluestone looks awesome). Access to my yard is through my house, so all the debris from the demolition and construction materials had to be carted through my entryway and kitchen, and throughout the project the crew was so great about keeping everything as clean as possible. All the crew members were super nice. They send the same guys every day so they know what is going on and are on top of the project management. Richard was also respectful of my budget and gave me multiple options to keep things to a reasonable price. They were not the most inexpensive option, but it was worth it to me for the quality of the work and general service / communication. I did not have to do anything except align on designs and choose materials, everything else was completed on schedule and exactly to the plans without my involvement. I would definitely hire them again for other yard projects.Read More

We highly recommend The Garden Route Company for your landscape project. Richard and his team are highly knowledgeable landscape architects. They did an excellent job, starting with a stellar front patio and landscape design. They collaborated with us during every step of the process in the details and design so that it worked perfectly with our house, personal taste and lifestyle. Once the design was approved, the build process went smoothly and efficiently as they manage the entire project from start to finish without having to bring in outside vendors or contractors. They are able to control the quality of the work in this regard and their team was professional and respectful of our property throughout the project. After the project was finished, there were a couple little things subsequently that needed fixing or changed. They responded right away and took care of the fix/change - no problem! We are extremely pleased with the final outcome of our front patio and landscape. The contemporary design worked beautifully with the aesthetic of our older 1930's home. We have created additional functional living space and enjoy it every day! We are thankful for Richard and his team for the excellent work they did. Added benefit......they were fun to work with!Read More

The Garden Route did a fantastic job designing and building our yard. They came up with a beautiful, imaginative, and sustainable plan involving many components—a fire pit, pergola, outdoor kitchen, patio, decks, trellis, vegetable boxes, lighting, etc.—as well as an amazing array of plants, vines, and trees. Richard Radford and his staff are treasures. They have extensive knowledge, skills, and experience; they are easy to work with; and they have extensive relationships with plumbers, electricians, metalworkers, and so on. We were especially glad that Garden Route is a design/build firm: dozens of creative adjustments were made in the field during construction, ones that greatly improved our project but could not have been foreseen in the planning stage. The results are a unique and magical garden that we love to enjoy in every season. I highly recommend them.Read More

Rich and his crew have implemented an incredible transformation on a very disfuntional jobsite in Sea Cliff. His creative process takes in his many years of experience, but he still listens to the client, with regard to thier likes and dislikes. He is as good at hardscape as he is plants, and does railing, water features and accessory features. I will use him again on my future projects.Read More

After looking for over a year for a design-build firm that would fit our needs, we are so happy to have found The Garden Route Company. Rich and his team have delivered exactly the garden and backyard landscape we envisioned. Rich took our crazy vision and napkin sketches of an aesthetically beautiful, yet easy to maintain, yet dog-friendly backyard and converted into reality. He helped value-engineer it to keep it within our budget. On the build side, the professionalism and skill-level of his crew is beyond compare. Unlike most contractor experiences we've had, they required minimal oversight and their attention to the smallest detail was apparent (and they are genuinely nice people). Our backyard had complex and steep grades and the project involved large boulders, concrete stairs, built-in benches, decking, a fire-pit, built-in planters, decomposed granite pathways, appropriate plant selection for our local micro-climate, lighting and irrigation. All issues we had during the process have been quickly resolved. Highly recommend!Read More