The Garden Detective

As a Master Gardener myself, I knew the best person to put in charge of my property. Alison is the «go to» person for the rest of the Master Gardeners in Contra Costa County! She is the person I trust to take care of my ancient oaks, watch for and advise on problems and basically allow me to live in Singapore without worrying about my hilly Orinda landscape.
Because I was so aware of her expertise, I offered her more per hour than I was planning to pay just an ordinary gardener. This has paid off incredibly. Because of her vast knowledge, she knows when things need to be done and when they don’t. She will honestly tell you when you don’t need her.
Alison has been in charge of our landscape for over a year, and we are extremely happy. She communicates well with us in Singapore and with our tenants in Orinda. As an ex-​pat halfway around the world from my home, she makes my life easier.

I reached out to Alison as I am new to the area and was unsure if anything in my yard would be dangerous for my dogs. She arrived at my home on time and proceeded to assure me there was nothing I needed to be worried about. She also trained me on all of the trees and plants and how to make sure I maintained a healthy and sustainable space.
To top it off she followed up with additional details later and continues to check in. Alison truly has a passion for this and it shows. You cant go wrong with The Garden Fixer!

The Garden Fixer is aptly named. Alison is a Master Gardener with a wealth of hands-​on experience in the many microclimates of the Greater Bay Area. With a quick look around she can tell you what kind of soil you have, what weather issues you face, what bugs and animals to watch out for, why your plants aren’t doing well, and what will! She can whip a sad landscape back into shape and give you lots of long-​term maintenance advice.
Prune a tree? Roses looking spotty? Weird bug eating your tomatoes? Allergic to bees? Weeds keep coming back? Prefer non-​chemical solutions? Is that making me sneeze? Can I eat that? She can help!
My tiny yard was a dry, mostly-​barren waste of weeds and rocks with only a few plants that bravely withstood my neglect and the scorching sun. I saw some of her prior work in a similar yard and asked for her help with mine. I’m so glad I did. Her investigation and advice is largely responsible for my neighbors no longer hating me. I now have living, drought-​tolerant plants that won’t attract bees that can kill my husband. I have a maintenance plan, but everything is already low-​maintenance.