Janet Moyer Landscaping

They are OK place looks good !!

Janet Moyer and her excellent project manager, Charlie Heimbuch-​Skaley, designed and installed our front and rear yard landscaping, our watering system, and our outdoor lighting system. From beginning to end, it was a pleasure working with this team. The process was easy and very well executed: they met with us to get a sense of what we wanted and what our budget was, they came up with a plan that contained a few alternatives so that we could adjust where we spent our money, and then they made it happen. They were consistently responsive to emails and phone calls and promptly resolved any issues. The administrative people in their office communicated in a timely and helpful manner. The workers who installed the landscaping were efficient and courteous. And, most importantly, we love our new yard! I highly recommend Janet Moyer Landscaping to anyone looking to improve their outdoor space.

Positives: Joe and Tyler were friendly, open and hardworking in some unusual logistical conditions (having to lug planters and potting soil up many stairs, working in very rainy conditions to complete the work). Joe always showed interest in what we wanted, and made some changes on the fly. They were tidy, also under challenges of coming in and out of doors constantly. The wooden platform they constructed around our hot tub looks great. There was also a four-​level installation of irrigation that was probably more than they bargained for, but they installed it and addressed my concerns.
Like other reviewers, I found the communication about when they would be on site lacking, and I also didn’t like the automatic billing of my card. In hind sight, I would have asked for another method of payment, so that I had some leverage over how the project was progressing. It might have resulted in better communication. Michael, the other principal with Janet, was somewhat unpleasant in a gruff, arrogant way. Janet gave guidance in the planning stage of what plants could work where. I’m not sure of her other behind the scenes involvement.
The plants put in are doing fine (job finished 2 months ago), but don’t expect your garden to look ‘grown and lush’ right away. I accept that plants must have time to progress and get fuller, but I must say I had the impression they brought whatever they had on hand sometimes, to see if it would work for us. Some plants were obviously not healthy when planted, and two have died. Happily they will replace them because of their 30 day guarantee, but quite sad after all that money to look at sad looking plants. Also an old woody rose bush was put into a planter (definitely not in the approved plan) but Joe happily removed it when I asked him too. But why is that even happening to begin with?
There are some business-​model practices happening here that put me off a bit. That’s why the 3 stars. We are trying their
Maintenance service, so I’ll follow up on how that goes. But the first visit (besides looking at dead plants to be replaced) we mostly talked about what other plants we wanted (more herbs in the herb garden, tulips and annuals to make the beds look nicer). Why wasn’t that part of the design service, thinking through how to make the garden look it’s best now AND into the future? Was I supposed to point out that we would have liked a bigger variety of herbs?
Bottom line: We hired Janet Moyer because we wanted the landscaping for our brand new house to be «done up!». Now that the project is done, we feel we have a good base to work from, with lots of room for additions and plant-​editing, and with a good irrigation system to help us conserve water and keep the plants alive. But unfortunately we don’t feel like we had the Blue Ribbon level of landscapers.

We have been trying for 20 years to get our mother to put stairs in our backyard and Janet Moyer finally got it done. They were definitely worth the wait. They even put in a copper pipe to get water up the hill, but that’s not all the pipe doubles as a handrail. Genius!

The Janet Moyer Landscaping team made what once was an overgrown, poorly space-​planned yard into a well designed outdoor space that we and our condo neighbors enjoy as an «additional room». Peter’s team was excellent to work with, providing suggestions and on the spot modifications when the unanticipated arose. We really appreciated the way everyone helped us stay within budget, explaining our options and being conscientious with materials and time. We would recommend JML!

We bought our house five years ago thinking we would pretty much live in the back yard. But five years later we had only used the backyard once or twice. Now, after Janet Moyer worked their magic, we are outside eating, playing, reading and napping every single day.
They helped fix our usability problems with a simple and ingenious design, they were communicative and addressed all of our concerns during the design process. During installation Joe and his team were efficient, clean and reliable, and even worked around our baby’s nap schedule and played with our dog. At the end of the project they were very flexible with our last minute changes (hanging a hammock, refinishing some deck problems).
Best of all, when Janet Moyer’s initial bid for the work was too high for our budget, they worked with us to cut the bid almost in half.
Look no further. If you want a usable, beautiful, safe and welcoming outdoor space, go with these folks.

I have worked with Janet Moyer Landscaping over the past 20 years. I have met with Janet and Michael a few times over the years to plan changes in the gardens. They set up a dog run area, and have installed additional drip systems, new plants, and pavers over a previously grassy area. They have maintained our front and back gardens with regular maintenance visits. The maintenance staff is wonderful to work with; I am able to tell them in advance by email what I want/​need to be done, and they in turn communicate with me about the health of the gardens and what might be needed. When my large Meyer lemon tree was listing after a windstorm this winter, they were able to come by the next day to stake it up. I recommend them highly.

If you’re looking for a company that will take all the shortcuts possible and poorly install low quality plants this is the company for you. As long as you have the time and the knowledge to oversee the project and require they correct their work (and don’t mind arguing about it), you are more likely to get quality work. My project was installed several years ago and has been maintained by them. As I watch my tallest tree die because it was damaged during installation, I can see the same trees in my neighbors yard thriving. They have arrived on maintenance days and not done the work we requested, yet we are billed for work we didn’t request. I have replaced several other plants myself. You can pay much less and get the same quality work. I wish we had listened to the other Unilocal reviewers.

What a gem. I reached out multiple times to Janet Moyer Landscaping — emailing, leaving messages, speaking to an assistant. I was told that someone would get back to me. I’m still waiting for that response 2 ½ weeks later. Great way to treat a prospective client! Take your business elsewhere, apparently Janet Moyer is so busy, she doesn’t need your business.

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.

They are incredibly professional– timely, organized, clear, and they have great design sense and welcome feedback at every stage of the process. They want you to LOVE your garden! We have SO enjoyed working with them, from the top (Janet and Michael) to the crew that came to do the installation (headed by Charlie and Joe) to the subcontractors– everyone was respectful, skilled and just people you felt comfortable having in and around your home. They have a very well-​oiled machine so there is no mystery in the billing or timing– true professionals. They are expensive, but worth every penny!

We have done sidewalk landscaping as well as back yard renovations with JML and have had the most fantastic experiences. Every contact point and JML employee is a pleasure to work with, so professional, and either has the knowledge I need or knows who does. I don’t know of a company in any field that has a more solid base of employees on every level. Janet and Michael are very hands on and easily reached by phone and email. The maintenance team is warm and friendly and does meticulous work. The installation team is incredible – hard working, knowledgeable, and communicative. The office staff is precise, friendly, and happy to support by passing on messages/​questions, or clarifying billing statements, etc. The professionalism at all levels is amazing – and we never stop getting compliments on our front garden. And for both front and back, I really appreciated their environmentally-​thoughtful approach in terms of suggesting plants with low to moderate water needs and with excellent irrigation choices and maintenance. They even worked with our contractor company who was building a back deck and new patio on creating a complimenting vision for the landscaping. We couldn’t be more thrilled with our choice to hire Janet Moyer Landscaping!

We had/​are having a wonderful experience with Janet Moyer Landscaping.
Janet and Michael came over on the initial visit/​pre bid meeting and gave us a lot of good information about our yard. I was personally dead set against removal of a couple of trees and the old hot tub in our yard, but Michael explained the reasons that they probably should be removed. They were very thoughtful and understanding about our preferences and tastes and very informative regarding our options.
Janet took all of our plant ideas and managed to work them into the design quite well. We specified that the yard needed to be dog friendly and boy did her design deliver on that front!
The installation took a couple of weeks. Their installation crew did a fantastic job of turning the design into reality with a minimum of hassle.
Now we have a fantastic yard and a happy dog. These kind of transformations are a big step, but we felt that the team at JML did a wonderful job.
All in all a great experience for everyone at our house.

First of all let me say that I am a very calm, rational and reasonable person, and that my experience with JML was 10 times more painful than my 2.5 bathroom renovation that had just been completed.
I needed my very small yard here in Noe Valley «fluffed» A friend and neighbor referred me so I was dumbfounded by the «two star» experience I endured.
My «individualized» design proposal was (erroneously) cut and paste from their previous jobs. Really? $ 500 for cut and paste?
Given the size and scope of my project, the contract was confusing and overbearing, so much so, I almost felt I needed my attorney to review it. Complete with addendum’s, additional terms and conditions, and an arbitration clause. Really? I thought planting a small garden was supposed to be a happy experience.
The kicker came w/​the actual installation. The plants looked like they came from the garden department at K-​Mart (and the work was equally as sloppy). One plant clearly had a fungus, while others had torn, tattered and/​or brown leaves. I was shocked. Janet told me that sometimes the plants are wind damaged from being on the truck. «Well why are you planting them in my yard?», I asked.
I gave them a second star only because they corrected all of the issues that I raised. But for the amount of money they charge… there should not have been these kinds of issues.
Lastly, don’t give them your credit card number. They act as though they are making your life easier… the problem is, they will charge your payments the very second they step foot out of your front door, regardless of whether or not you are satisfied with their work.
There are plenty of landscaping services in San Francisco… I encourage you to keep looking.

I approached Janet Moyer Landscaping about designing, building and maintaining a garden on our 800 square foot deck behind our condo. What was a concrete slab surrounded by a concrete wall became an Italian inspired retreat. Our garden paradise is adorned with an apple tree, a lemon tree, an olive tree, rose and lavendar bushes plus a fountain and a fireplace. Reliable, dependable and friendly, we are thrilled with our 7+ year association with Janet Moyer Landscaping.

Thought I was dealing with Janet and instead discovered her surly husband runs the show.

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.

Our backyard is transformed! It is beautiful beyond expectations. The crew was a delight to work with, and I almost didn’t mind that they were walking through the house every day. The attention to detail and care that they put into everything was surprising, but then again, you do pay for quality. I have no doubt that we have added value to our property, not to mention that I simply love living here even more. I highly recommend them.

The best thing about working with Janet is that she understands how families use their outdoor space. How the space needs to grow and adapt as toddlers grow into young children and into teens. Also, she listened to what I wanted, and designed a space that fit all my requests:
Meandering pathways, a way for the kids to use their bikes, space for a play structure (and when the play structure is no longer needed, the overall design of the space will not be impacted at all), and edible plants.
I said I wanted the garden to have new things to discover at every turn, so I could be inspired just by taking a quick stroll through the space. The variety and beauty of the plants she picked and their placement really satisfies my request. She made sure to choose plants that are child friendly (ie non toxic when eaten), and used some plants with soft, velvety leaves to increase the child friendliness of the space, and encourage the kids to really get down and explore the plants, and mixed those with some rubbery leaves, prickly leaves, and a few other textures.
I really love our garden. It works for all of our outdoor uses — play time, relaxing, party hosting. Very versatile.
So why 4 stars instead of 5? Well, the other Unilocal reviews are not completely off-​base. While Janet is a great designer, eco-​conscious, and always learning about new landscaping techniques, the crew that works on the hardscaping could use more experience and training. I had quite a few issues with a fence and deck they built. Some of the people on her crew seem to lack a certain attention to detail. The good news is that they do what they can to correct the mistakes once you call them out (but what a drag it is that there are mistakes that have to be called out, should have been done right in the first place). The bad news is that sometimes the mistakes would be too much work/​time/​money to correct.
They do stay on top of billing — which I actually consider as a positive. Then I know right away what I’m being charged for, rather than receiving an invoice a month later and having to ask a lot of questions to understand the charges. Why is it a bad thing to have a good business office?
Oh, and I love the automatic irrigation system they installed. I’m too busy with my kids and managing my house to remember to water the plants. The system they installed is totally worry free and very high tech. The system receives satellite readings that tell it how much moisture the ground received the day before so that it can water just the right amount. They also set it up so that different areas of the yard receive different amounts of water — only the amount necessary for those particular plants. What a great way to conserve water! Precise irrigation. Love it. There is a small annual fee for the satellite readings, but it more than pays for itself by how much water you save.
Another good thing about Janet Moyer Landscaping is that they are willing to work with subcontractors outside of their own pool. I had wanted to look into grey water irrigation, something they are not too experienced in yet, and they were happy to meet with me and a grey water consultant to discuss the idea. (Turns out grey water would be really difficult to do in my situation, but at least they were open to the discussion!)
I would, and have, recommended Janet Moyer Landscaping to anyone looking to beautify their backyard in a family friendly, eco-​conscious way.

Janet’s involvement with the business seems to be limited to the fact they use her name. Her male partner is rude. We had an easy enough project all planned out and needed them only to implement our plan. Male partner couldn’t handle this and seemed to have to do everything his way or not at all. Also there was a total lack of communication skills. The workers were here unexpectedly and not here when they were supposed to be.
I would not recommend them.