Economical Landscape

We interviewed four landscapers, including a couple from Angie's list, but decided to go with Raul because he was the most knowledgeable, attentive to our needs, and fair in his estimate. He began by visiting the house, measuring the garden, and listening to what we wanted. He then gave us a sense of the design and a free written estimate based on the plants he thinks he might use. However, we only paid for the plants he used. We ended up buying more trees and fewer plants than we first intended and also chose more expensive colored river pebbles, but we never felt at any point we were being overcharged.
Once we decided to hire Raul, he drew up design plans that he discussed with us to make sure that it was to our liking. We determined a start date, at which point his crew of four worked every day, including Saturdays, to complete the job in a timely manner. We were very satisfied with their professionalism, efficiency, and state in which they left the property at the end of each day. We were also satisfied with the high quality of materials Raul used and having the opportunity to accompany him to select the plants and hardscape we wanted.
An added bonus is the California state's cash for grass program, which is now offering $3.75 per square foot of grass replaced with drought-resistant plants (at the time we landscaped it was $2).