Richard’s Garden Service

Used Richard’s services again this year. They’re great. On time, professional, knowledgeable. Same cost as last time to do the same job.
Thanks! Will be in touch again when our trees need trimming again.

Update ⁷⁄₂₀₁₅: about a year ago, with no notice, Richard disappeared. As in, we never saw him again and he never contacted us. Sold his business to one of the guys who used to work for him– nice guy but not a great gardener. Let several new plants die, lawn looked lousy, etc– a blow-​and-​go specialist, that’s all he was good for. Turns out Richard is a poor businessman, doesn’t care about his customers and was nothing more than a fly-​by-​night operator.

Chalk me up as yet another one who never got a return phone call, despite leaving two messages inquiring about hiring them for ongoing maintenance. Giving up and moving on.

Based on the positive reviews here, I called Richard’s Garden Service nearly a week ago to set up a time for an estimate. My inquiry was never answered.

Richard-​the answer to my prayers!
I’ve been in my house for 45yrs and I have never been able to explain to any gardener what my dream was. Richard understood me and executed the job to perfection. It’s so wonderful to have neighbors comment on my yard and to be able to enjoy being understood. Richard is so easy to communicate with and there is never a doubt that what he promises he delivers. He explains why some of my ideas will work and some will not and he always has alternate ideas that satisfy me when my ideas are applicable. My house is on a corner lot and Richard now takes care of the homes on all four corners of our intersection.
I would recommend Richard to anyone-​no matter how small or how large your garden-​Richard is a master craftsman.

Richard is a second generation gardener who has a great knowledge and appreciation for a broad range of flora and design. He and his team have helped us extensively over the past few months, including a completely new installation of hardscape in our front yard. Within two and a half days he and his team removed a thick layer of old sod, leveled the earth into tiers, installed two retainer walls running the length of the yard, and a drip system for three trees. He if fully knowledgeable about xeriscape and has a real appreciation for California Native plants. His crew are all very hardworking and are consistent, as is Richard who is a truly good person, and a pleasure to communicate with, he will do his best to fulfill your gardening goals, and I do recommend him to our family and friends!

I can’t say enough about Richard. After buying a home with about 3 years of deferred maintenance, I needed someone that would help me through it all. Richard knew the type of every single plant and tree I had (I didn’t even know I had a mango tree on my hands!) and knew how to care for each. At one point during the initial visit (before I opted to go with him), he took out his shears and quickly pruned a small lime tree that was in desperate need of attention. You can tell right away that he cares and loves what he does. He pointed out areas that needed attention — showing me areas that were currently getting damaged by roots and areas that would soon be damaged. He was able to recommend what I should focus on first, knowing my limited budget. He also mentioned areas where I’d be able to save money now and in the future (reviving the existing sprinkler system, planting grass seed, etc.).
As far as the first phase, Richard removed 7 palm trees, removed a huge pepper tree and all of its far-​reaching roots, removed a few papyrus plants and trimmed 3 palm trees. Couldn’t be happier with his work and his incredibly fair price! His crew, consisting of about 4 – 5 guys, spent close to 9 hours for the removal and came back a few days later to finish the removal of the pepper tree — it really was enormous — and to take care of the trimming. I will most definitely use Richard in my next landscaping phases.

I was really looking forward to working with Richard on my yard and using his services on a regular basis.
We had a meeting scheduled for Saturday, but an hour after our scheduled appt I hadn’t heard anything from him. So I sent a text to which he promptly replied that he was stuck in traffic and was running late. I replied that I didn’t mind waiting for a bit. By mid-​afternoon I had heard nothing from him. I texted two more times and never heard back and he never showed up.
Basically wasted my Saturday waiting for him. I’m sorry — but even if you’re running late, overbooked, family crisis — whatever — a courtesy notification is ALWAYS a professional way to handle it.

After firing my last gardener after 2 months of service, I turned to Unilocal to help me find someone decent. All I wanted was decent. I appreciated the reviews on Richard and gave him a quick call.
Richard is nothing short of a ROCK STAR! Right from the get-​go, he was quick to reply, attentive and easygoing. It seems small, but he even texts, which is perfect, because I can communicate with him during my LONG executive meetings. Ha.
He came out within 2 days for an estimate and I hired him on the spot for weekly service. One week later, we had him help us design and install some landscaping around our pool. He’s quick, detail oriented and completed the job for us by our deadline for our summer pool party. He really worked hard to make it simple, clean and consistent with the rest of our look. We are so happy.
I’m so relieved to have someone who is smart, truly understands the extensive landscaping we have and really cares about what he does. Our place looks so much better (after only 1 month) and we have a list of projects for him to work on next — from tree trimming to helping us landscape the front of the house.
Give Richard a call — he’s a pleasure to work with and is incredibly reasonable compared to the service and knowledge he provides.
Happy landscaping to Richard and happy enjoyment to you!!!

When I rate Richard as five stars, it is because that is as many stars as I can rate… I personally would crank the stars up to 11 or some such if I could. Richard is awesome. He is meticulous in his work. He is conscientious. He does an amazing job. He is smart. A really good guy… honest and honorable. His prices are reasonable and he is more than fair. He always goes that extra mile on a job. He and his crew were hired to basically mow the grass… but he knows everything there is to know about upkeep on a yard. He purchased for me and planted my beautiful flowers around my home… told me what to buy, which were the best investment for the buck, which would bloom the longest. And then he planted them. And the cost was so perfect that I actually got about twice the flowers I was planning. He has reseeded my yard. Fixed my irrigation system. And my favorite – when a water valve to irrigation system in my front yard ruptured on a Sunday and was watering the entire street basically to the Boulevard – and I had ZERO idea what to do to even turn the water off – Richard was at my house in less than half an hour to help me get it under control and fixed. Honest. Reliable. Smart. A true craftsman with lawn and garden work. A genuinely good guy. It is a pleasure to recommend him to anyone without hesitation.