What Our Customers Have to Say About Their Landscapes
These are letters our customers have sent us after we finished work on their yards. Each of these testimonials talk about the work Cal-Native Landscaping did…and how they're the envy of the neighborhood now!
Dave Raphael has landscaped my yard not just once, but twice. Frankly, I am very picky when it comes to landscaping and Dave is the only one who has exceeded my expectations. Quite simply he is the best, hands down. There are a number of competitors who try to imitate him but you can't top the original. There's Cal Native, and then there's everyone else. If you want to transform your yard and increase your home's value, there is no one better.
If you are looking for an incredibly talented and amazing landscape designer, look no further. Dave Raphael of Cal Native Landscaping is all that and more. Dave and team just finished our landscaping project and they did an outstanding job. They have transformed our plain old backyard and front yard into an immaculate heavenly garden. We never thought our backyard and front yard could look this beautiful. It's truly breathtaking. The first thing we do every morning before going to work, and right after we get back, is go outside to enjoy and appreciate our new enchanted gardens created by Dave. We absolutely love it. We interviewed many landscape designers, and we didn't feel like any of them could deliver on their vision and get even close to what we wanted and envisioned. We wanted to get our landscaping done, but needless to say we were getting really frustrated with not finding the right person. Then Dave came along. He is not like any other landscape designer you'll meet; a true artist, straightforward, knows what he is doing, and has a vision that he can confidently deliver on. He immediately saw the potential in our backyard and gave us a glimpse of what it could possibly look like once he is done with it. We hired him right on the spot. Best decision made! Dave has a terrific crew, they work well together efficiently and effectively to get the job done on time and on budget as promised. Thank you Dave and crew, for a doing such a fantastic job. You went well above and beyond our expectations.
Dear Dave, I cannot thank you enough for the beautiful garden and stone work you did for me. I knew it would be beautiful because I have seen some of your work. But I never dreamed that you could take a small, mostly flat front yard and turn it into an enchanted garden. It is absolutely more than I could ever have imagined. I am glad that I gave you a free hand to do what you thought best, because I could never have suggested anything close to what you have created. I really love all of the texture you added by creating different levels of ground with stones, and with so many different types of plants. Your men were wonderful. They worked very hard and accomplished so much in a small amount of time. They took time to answer my questions. They cleaned up at the end of every day. I also appreciated the fact that you spent so much time on the site while the work was being done. Hiring Cal-Native was the best landscaping decision I have ever made.
Dave, We are very pleased with the landscaping performed by Cal-Native and Dave Raphael. Weeks after the completion, cars are still stopping or slowing down as they drive by our new front landscaping. The selection of rock walls and plants is almost magical, and beyond what we had expected. Most of all, we enjoy both the uniqueness of our yard and the Cal-Native look that has caught our attention for years. Even our landscaping-knowledgeable friends and neighbors were impressed by the end product. I am glad you are easy to work with and thanks for consulting us on a few key decisions. Your landscaping crew was very courteous. We are very happy with the new look your design has given to our home. Dave, you are a magician.
As you pass through neighborhoods up and down the Peninsula, certain yards arrest your attention, make you stop to admire the lush beauty of the plants and the natural placement of the stone. Cal Native gardens stand out; Dave Raphael's artistic landscaping is immediately recognizable. I've taken great pleasure in my Cal Native landscaping for the past 6 years. I look forward to the fiery red of my coral bark maples in the gray winter months and the heavenly scent of daphnes on the earliest spring days. Whether your garden is in sun or shade, Dave can completely transform it from bland to spectacular in a few short days, with minimal disruption. He studies the grounds and develops a vision for the space with creative placement of rocks, pebbles and boulders and with an eye for color, texture and plant shape in all seasons. He personally selects high quality plants in generous quantities and scours nurseries for unique and unusual specimens, so no two gardens look alike. Because he starts with full-size plants, your garden will look beautiful immediately and will not deteriorate over time because plants outgrow their locations. He is committed to your long-term satisfaction. Dave is an artist. Trust him to make your garden extraordinary!
Talk about extreme make-overs—our front yard just received one from Cal-Native! We couldn't be happier with the results. At first we were a little nervous not having a plan to look at but Dave was generous with his time and showed us several of his previous jobs. All, needless to say, were remarkable. Dave has a true artist’s eye and knows how to turn an eye sore into an eye pleaser. Also he has a fantastic crew. Salvador and his team are the most efficient, considerate, hardworking people you'll ever have the pleasure of coming across. If you want your yard transformed into a living piece of artwork, you must call Dave and his miracle workers. Many thanks for our beautiful new yard. Thank you so much.
As I have said to you many times, the changes you have made over the years in our landscaping have done a great deal to improve my life. Seeing color, greenery and textural elements as only you can arrange them, has given me a palette of living art. Because we have invested so heavily in the improvements you have made I am concerned that we do all we can to protect that investment. I will never forget how stunning our backyard looked the day you finished it. The front yard has been the topic of much discussion, many enquiries, and endless joy. Your novel creation, making two levels where there had been only one, makes our little corner of the world totally and completely unique. The definition created by the rock and other hardscape wowed me. There was a crispness and pristine quality which one could almost hear as well as see. Thank you so much.
I have been a Major League baseball umpire for the past 34 years. Having made calls in over 4300 games, 6 World Series, 4 All Star games and numerous playoff games. One of the best calls I made was calling Dave Raphael at Cal-Native Landscaping. Although Dave is not as bad to deal with as Billy Martin or Tommy Lasorda, I still came close to throwing him out of the game. (I mean yard!) I found that Dave has an excellent eye for detail and is a perfectionist when it comes to beautifying the home. I have now retired and Dave has transformed my yard into a beautiful place to enjoy and relax. Dave's work is never done, as he continues to check up on his work, making sure the plants and trees are flourishing. This is one of the best calls I ever made.
Dave Raphael and his hard-working, talented team just completed our landscape project and they did an amazing job. The flagstone work is far superior to any others we've seen. The team handled the cutting, shaping and placement with masterful skill. The landscaped areas are stunning. Dave's signature style of weaving natural rocks and stones establishes the garden bed and provides a backdrop for harmonious plantings that combine texture, shape and color. The beauty that this creates distinguishes him from all other designers. We've come to believe that Cal-Native Landscaping is the best design firm in the area, not just by the finished product, but by the entire process. My purpose in writing is to recommend that anyone thinking of hiring a landscape designer save time and spare themselves the aggravation by calling Dave Raphael first. I began my search for the perfect designer by interviewing several and letting them make suggestions. It became clear that their design sense was not a match with what I had envisioned. Some of what they wanted to do didn't make any sense and they wanted a lot of money for very little work. My search became an arduous task. I admit I am picky. I have a degree in Art and didn't want cookie-cutter. I combed through a list of 60 or 70 landscapers, checking their work, licensing, etc. on the computer, and one by one crossing them off the list. My husband was getting impatient, saying that it can't be that difficult and to just find somebody. I could find ones that were nice enough, but very boring. Landscaping is an investment and I didn't want to settle. Just when I began to give up hope, up popped Cal-Native Landscaping, which somehow I had missed. I looked on the computer expecting to see the same crap and was instantly blown away. My first reaction was, whoa, who is this guy? I was stunned. The relationship between the planting and stonework...the play of textures with unusual plants was mesmerizing. Dave gets it. He has an artistic eye and works magic, making his work come alive with personality. See for yourself... check out his website. He does what few can do. Did the drive-by thing to confirm what I already knew. Met with Dave and worked out the details. He doesn't use a plan which is fine with me as it tends to give the garden a paint-by-number look. Instead, he lets each space dictate what it needs and creates as he goes. Our backyard needed to be terraced. When I asked how many retaining walls there would be, his answer was, whatever it needs. Great answer. Others recommended CT Bluestone or Arizona flagstone even though they didn't compliment my house. In two seconds, Dave suggested the perfect stone that looks fabulous with the house. He had solutions for everything I felt was a problem; he worked within our budget, and promised he wouldn't leave the site until we were happy with the job. I had found the perfect landscape designer... what a relief. When the job was done, the transformation was incredible. The whole team worked so hard, and was so courteous that I can't thank them enough. To me, the success of the job would be measured in seeing my husband's reaction. He had been on a business trip and, being a scientist who is usually in a hurry to get to work, I wasn't sure what he would say. Well, my husband arrives home and gets out of the cab, and upon seeing the yard for the first time says, "H-o-l-y S-h-i-t" three times as he slowly walks around the house in total amazement. After touring the yard he said, "This guy is big time... it's so worth the money." After receiving countless compliments, I have only one thing to add, call Dave.
Dear Dave, It's been 6 months since you transformed our front yard, and I still smile to myself as I drive up our driveway. You've done such an amazing job. The colors, even in the dead of winter, are gorgeous! There are so many places to look that bring us immense joy. Dave, you truly are an artist! When we first met, you told us to "trust" you and that you'd promise to make our yard "look really nice." Well, you definitely delivered on your promise! You and your crew were always prompt, professional, attentive, and very easy to work with. Once the work began, your crew worked tirelessly every day and always cleaned up before leaving. The amount of time it took for the transformation was amazing. Only 2 weeks from the start and you were moving on to your next lucky client. We had other companies tell us it would be 4 to 6 weeks. Not having a driveway for a good portion of that time was not what we wanted to hear. One of the primary reasons we chose you was the speed in which you said you could get the job done. And, we were only without our driveway for one week, which included 2 days of demolition. We still get comments from people walking up the street as to how fast the work was done and how beautiful it looks. Your price came right in at what your quote was, and you even did a couple of additional things as you got into the job. Unexpectedly, you created a flagstone walkway to get us around the lawn. Everything just flows so nicely, we couldn't be any happier. We have already recommended you and mention your name whenever people ask. We look forward to working with you again!
Dear Dave, It's been 6 months since you transformed our front yard, and I still smile to myself as I drive up our driveway. You've done such an amazing job. The colors, even in the dead of winter, are gorgeous! There are so many places to look that bring us immense joy. Dave, you truly are an artist! When we first met, you told us to "trust" you and that you'd promise to make our yard "look really nice." Well, you definitely delivered on your promise! You and your crew were always prompt, professional, attentive, and very easy to work with. Once the work began, your crew worked tirelessly every day and always cleaned up before leaving. The amount of time it took for the transformation was amazing. Only 2 weeks from the start and you were moving on to your next lucky client. We had other companies tell us it would be 4 to 6 weeks. Not having a driveway for a good portion of that time was not what we wanted to hear. One of the primary reasons we chose you was the speed in which you said you could get the job done. And, we were only without our driveway for one week, which included 2 days of demolition. We still get comments from people walking up the street as to how fast the work was done and how beautiful it looks. Your price came right in at what your quote was, and you even did a couple of additional things as you got into the job. Unexpectedly, you created a flagstone walkway to get us around the lawn. Everything just flows so nicely, we couldn't be any happier. We have already recommended you and mention your name whenever people ask. We look forward to working with you again!