Design by Nature Studio

We had just moved into our new home & although the inside was coming together the outside was far from it. We found Design by Nature Studio through a recommendation because we needed the lawn mowed & continued the relationship into a bigger plan. My husband and I met with Merrill, talked through what we were looking for, likes/​dislikes & she came up with a complete & thoughtful design. Once she designed a plan, from what I recall, we had no major revisions because she had taken the time to gauge what we’d enjoy. The project recently wrapped up and it’s looking amazing! Merrill and her team installed & arranged irrigation, lighting, planting, concrete — they did it all.
The front of the house started before the back & it’s amazing to see how much growth there has been with proper care. I don’t have a green thumb and if this was left to me we’d have a very very sad outdoor space.
Merrill did a great job managing our expectations with transparent pricing and a clear understanding of what commitment we were making. We couldn’t be happier.

This is the first review I have ever written for Unilocal or anywhere but the circumstances are extraordinary enough that I really wanted to write this.
We came to need landscaping when seven (yes seven!) of our fully mature and cherished trees had to be removed from our property. (Long story.)
Peeling paint was revealed and a LOT of brown dirt. It was painful to drive by and admit it was our home.
We took our problem to Merrill and Design by Nature Landscape Studio and she took it from there.
She created a design that incorporated our needs and wishes and then took it a step further with her own ideas, many of which we incorporated.
Coordinating with our painting crew, Merrill had the hardscape installed within two weeks.
While painting and hardscape was underway, Merrill began advising us on the plants. She had them tagged in nurseries throughout Southern California so that on installation day, in time with the irrigation becoming operative, plants were going in the ground. We wanted mature plants and trees and Merrill made it her business to find them.
The crews were great. The follow up was great. She even got the property user friendly and serviceable for a wedding shower that came in the middle of it all.
Through everything Merrill was up beat and knowledgeable. The project was created with a sensitivity to budget AND it came in on budget.
We are sorry this all happened to us but thrilled we found Merrill. We love our new garden!

Merrill was the fifth or sixth landscape designer I interviewed a few years ago when I got serious about renovating my backyard. I had briefly worked with one other landscape designer, but after the third or fourth mention of a «bosque of trees» in my front yard, I knew I needed to keep looking. What the hell is a bosque, anyway? I’m so glad I did because I eventually met Merrill.
Merrill and I talked for a long time at our first meeting. When I said something about wanting very little or even no lawn, I remember Merrill rolled her eyes in exasperation and said something about what a water waster lawns are. I knew I had met my landscape designer! I also like to grow as many plants as possible from seed and Merrill completely supported my efforts and has been a terrific resource for websites that specialize in unusual plant seeds.
Merrill understood and interpreted my vision perfectly. I bought my home in 2004 and lived with my miserable backyard for seven years. Now that the backyard is hardscaped and landscaped, I spend much more time outside enjoying it. My dreadful eyesore is now my personal sanctuary where I relax and unwind. It’s my private paradise. Thank you, Mel!