HDH Design Group - Orangevale, California

Laurie P

We moved into our home just short of 3 years ago. Since the garden was overgrown and the plants were not in good health, we decided to let everything go brown and wait until we had a good water year to re-plant. We hired Randy Gove, Gove Landscape Construction, who engaged HDH Design Group on our behalf to do the landscape design. (We have posted a separate review for Randy and his team.)

Harlan came to see us to get a sense for what we would like done. We were so impressed by the unusual level of attention he paid to every little detail: (a) he took very careful measurements, and (b) he listened to what we wanted (we both have allergies so didn't want anything with fragrance; also, we didn't want plants that would grow too fast - we like to watch them grow; and of course, we wanted to be sure that our plants were drought resilient and appropriate for the Sacramento climate).

Harlan then prepared some outstanding drawings of our yard, capturing every detail with precision. He recommended plants that he believed met all of our criteria, taking into account details about which we are oblivious, such as the height and breadth of each plant at full growth and the color palette. He also organized the plantings and sprinklers by hydrozone, spec'd a drip irrigation system throughout (no sprinklers), and recommended a state-of-the-art weather-based irrigation controller that metes out water and determines the length of time the drip system will operate by hydrozone in accordance with real-time local weather conditions. (Among other things, the system assures that the irrigation system doesn't turn on during wet weather.)

We were thrilled with Harlan's thoughtful attention to detail, the beautiful drawings that he prepared, and the tailored selection and placement of plants that he custom-created for us. The plants are lovely now and will be even more lovely as they continue to grow and fill the space.

Shubha Narayan