Farallon Gardens in Berkeley

Absolutely love Farallon Gardens. They reimagined my property and were so creative in doing so! Mathew is so easy to work with and listens to your concerns and questions. They are a pleasure to work with.

Incredibly professional. Great ideas for a new front and back-yard for our home. Began project on time and was completed as requested. A few changes were completed as requested. Our yard is now the talk (positive) of the neighborhood.

Matt is a true artist! I knew I didnt want a cookie cutter front yard, he helped make my dreams a reality. He listened to what I wanted and added valuable input all while respecting the budget. We had a lot of fun and you can tell Matt loves what he does. The garden is only days old and I am already receiving compliments daily and one person even stopped their car to look at everything. His crew was very respectful and worked hard to make everything come out perfect. We are already asking Matt about our back yard projects and have hired him to carry out the maintenance. So glad to have found him!

My experience with Farallon Gardens was fantastic. Mathew brings a wealth of experience and knowledge about all things landscaping along with a keen artistic sensibility and kind demeanor. He came up with a beautiful design that was deer resistant on our front and back yard of our hillside home. He is a great listener as well as designer and worked with me to come up with a very adventurous, sculptural landscape design. He brought so many plants that Id never even seen before, so its been a great learning experience as well. We are thrilled with all the beautiful plants that we get to live with everyday. I enjoyed working with Farallon Gardens and will look forward to working with them as our garden grows. I highly recommend Farallon Gardens for a sculptural, exciting, adventurous, exotic garden!

Farallon is great for both design and maintenance. Mathew and David are very professional + keep our yard looking beautiful. I also love how proactive they are, making suggestions to swap plants out as needed and helping to tackle unexpected things that come up - i.e. tree removal, pest removal, etc. Highly recommend!

Matthew and his wonderful crew at Farallon Gardens created the front and back yards of my dreams. Matthew was able to work within my budget to create amazing gardens of native, sustainable plants with a tropical flair, a tiki oasis. His expertise and creativity brought beauty with irrigation, lighting, ground covers, and unique touches to the project. Hanging out in the backyard is like being on a vacation now! I also appreciate the continued maintenance of my gardens, ensuring they will remain beautiful for the future. I highly recommend working with Farallon Gardens! Mathew and his crew are experts, courteous, on-time, and fun to work with!

We are extremely pleased with our beautiful new garden. Matt and his crew did a wonderful job. They were organized, friendly, professional and Matt had a great vision as to how to design our yard. We saw his company s sign at a neighbor s house that we had been admiring on our walks around the neighborhood. Our front yard has been transformed into the most beautiful spot around and we couldn t be happier. Matt is a pleasure to work with-we would totally recommend him to transform your yard.

I selected Farallon Gardens for a complete makeover of my front yard and was not disappointed. The service included; removing the astroturf, restructuring the irrigation system, selecting plants that were underutilized and suitable for my yard, adding a fantastic hardscape of steps and a trail, and selecting a suitable mulch covering to soften up the compacted gravel. The completed yard project is one that I believe will last me a very long time.

I would give Mat and his crew 6+ stars if I could! Over the last few months he has transformed our large street plus terraced gardens into a gorgeous, dramatic, and lush succulent-rich garden that is nonetheless colorful and creative. First he repaired and upgraded our irrigation system that previous gardeners had poorly installed, and he was mindful of only charging us for work that truly needed to be done. Similarly, he redesigned our gardens with an eye to saving us money by relocating plants whenever it was viable, and was masterfully able to incorporate many existing plants with his new beauties. We collaborated closely on our visions and aesthetic goals, and this has continued as Mat keeps a watchful eye on how our gardens thrive. He stands behind his beautiful work both financially and aesthetically, allowing me to relax and not worry about how the plants are doing. THIS is a wonderful, needed change that s worth so much to me! Thanks Mat for your artistry and expertise.

I have been very happy to work with Mathew on my front and back yard project. He conducts his business in a professional manner with clear scope of work and pricing. I converted my traditional front yard with a lawn into a drought tolerant style. I didnt know how to start but he guided me and gave me advice. It has been only a few weeks after the completion of planting but I have been getting quite a few compliments on my yard. Most importantly, I am delighted to see my yard everyday and excited to see my yard grow. Thank you, Mathew.

Our experience with Farallon Gardens couldnt have been better. Matt and his team were thoughtful and attentive to the plant selection and design of our landscaping. They were quick to respond to an unexpected irrigation issue and promptly resolved it. Theyre great communicators as well. Farallon Gardens were on time and on budget, too. Thanks for everything, Matt and team. We love the yard, its absolutely beautiful.

I am so happy with my new garden which was designed and installed by Farallon. I have drought resistant plants, a new deck and the look that I wanted. Mathew was easy to work with and very reliable. He showed up when he said he would and completed work on time and within my budget.

Mathew and the Farallon team are great! They ve been landscaping my home for years and I couldn t be happier with their service. With great design ideas & an extensive knowledge of plants, Mathew is a joy work with, bringing my ideas to life and using them as inspiration for his own great creations I highly recommend their work!

We are thrilled with the outcome of the design and look of our yard. Mathew and team were responsive, professional and have significant expertise in this field. A pleasure to work with.

Mathew and his team did a great job, from consultation to implementation. The design process was great: he listened to our preferences and made excellent recommendations about design and plant selection. Work was done on time and efficiently. We couldnt be more pleased with the results!

We have had a wonderful experience with Farallon Garden design. Matthew came out for a consultation hour to help us with a landscape design we had started to conceive. We found incredible value in his ideas, plant recommendations and gardening and maintenance expertise. He is a joy to work with. Wether you hire this firm for a full project or, like us, get a consultation, I think they are fantastic!

We moved into our home right before the pandemic, and got a local gardening business to help us with our front yard landscaping. At first, everything looked great, but within 6 months, all the plants were overgrown and our front yard looked like a MESS. We tried contacting the original landscaping owner several times, and NEVER heard back from him. It seemed like he had taken our money and we had to start back at square one. This time around, we had enough experience to know what NOT to look for, and more intentional in our search and questions. I did a lot of research and came across Farallon Gardens and contacted Mathew. He was professional, certainly knew his plants, and had a vision. From start to finish, everything was done exactly as Mathew had said it would! It looks so so beautiful and we are so happy with our front and backyards Mathew designed and get compliments all the time! When things have come up, and we needed Mathews attention, he always quickly responded and there to help us. If youre looking for quality and professional landscaping design and maintenance, you can rest assured Mathew has your needs covered!

Matt is a landscape genius and if you are looking for a lush succulent garden, hes your guy. He brought to life my front yard, which had been neglected, while the home was undergoing a massive renovation.

I didnt really know what I wanted out of a garden redesign so I just shared my general vibe and let Mathew have creative freedom over it. He created two different biomes: a beautiful desert scape in front and a tropical oasis in the backyard. Farallon Gardens transformed my outdoor space into something I truly love!

Farallon Gardens created a gorgeous front yard for us in February 2020. We were able to sit back and let Matt take the lead - we trusted his vision completely. We appreciated that Matt was completely upfront about his style of working, his passions, as well as his boundaries. Better yet, Matt keeps up with our annual watering schedule, and anytime we have a question or concern about a plant in the garden hes happy to answer it. One day he even stopped by to plant a few clippings from another yard that he thought would look nice in ours. Were so grateful to have chosen to work with Matt / Farallon Gardens - and to watch our beautiful yard grow in and explode with colors as we were trapped at home during the quarantine. Our yards all the rage on the block. Matts good people - weve already recommended Farallon Gardens to inquiring neighbors.

Mathew McGrath and his staff at Farallon Gardens installed a beautiful front yard garden for me. They did the work efficiently and still maintained high standards while ensuring that every area around my house that they touched was left clean and in many ways better than they found it. Mathew listened to my concerns about the types of plants he was planning to use. I am thrilled with the variety of plants, the color of the foliage and the color of the flowers that will be produced as the plants mature. Mathew and his crew take pride in their work and it shows.

We had a great experience working with Matthew and his team. He really listened to what we wanted and we love the garden he created for us. They have done a wonderful job maintaining the garden and continually adds new and wonderful features. We highly, highly recommend Farallon Gardens.

Working with Mathew at Farallon Gardens was amazing. Not only is he very knowledgeable, but he really listens to what you want. Then he makes suggestions building upon your preferences. People stop and admire our front garden all the time. And it just makes my day every time I walk up the pathway to our front door. I would highly recommend Mathew.

We were lucky enough to find Mathew and Farallon Gardens and luckier to be able to work with them. Mathew and his team transformed our overgrown bamboo laden front yard forest into a beautifully landscaped and tranquil garden using drought resist plants and installing a wireless irrigation system. He used many of the rocks and boulders that were already in the yard and placed them in strategic places making them look like they had always been there. We are glad to say our home now has curb appeal and plenty of it! Afterward we also learned that a few of our neighbors also used Farallon Gardens so it seems the secret is out!

We have been very fortunate to have worked with Mathew and his team over the last 7 years. When we purchased our home in the Oakland Hills, there was practically no landscaping just erosion, mud, and lots of weeds. Mathew created a beautiful low-maintenance, low-water garden that we enjoy every day. Mathew s team designed and built a large combination retaining wall/planter bed that holds a magnificent combination of succulents. Besides this retaining wall planter, Tomas also built a number of trails around our yard which happens to be very steep. We also have a creek that runs through our property, and the landscaping is the perfect complement to the creek. Whenever we are out in the yard and someone walks by, they always stop to appreciate the beauty and share their compliments. We love our yard are feel very fortunate to have had Mathew and his crew create and maintain it.

Our experience with Farallon has been outstanding from the start. Unlike many home-service contractors, Matthew has been responsive and professional at every turn. We had the initial garden installation work done two years ago, and it included planting the front yard and installing a new irrigation system. But what has impressed us even more than our original experience has been Matthews incredible service ever since. This has included replacing plants that did not take at no charge and most recently, responding in under an hour (and showing up at our house within another hour) when a portion of pipe broke off connecting the irrigation system to a pipe leading to the house. Despite having done the original work over two years ago, and the issue having more to do with the pre-existing pipes than with the work done by Farallon, Matthew capped the pipe on the spot, and was back within a week to completely rebuild the connection with new brass fittings that he would not take any money for. This level of service is simply not something weve experienced with any other home-service contractors in thirty years of home ownership (which included a major remodel, and many, many small projects and maintenance over the years). Cannot recommend Farallon highly enough!

Matthew and the Farallon team is great, and they are a top notch focus on service and support. We have had our landscaping for about six months and it has really grown in beautifully. They were very good at evaluating our home and designing a garden that fits well with the neighborhood and does not require too much work. They were great about listening to what we wanted, and making suggestions about what we can do. They made us feel like we were part of the process, and helped us learn a lot without making us feel dumb. Not only was the initial work great, but they have been really good about follow-up and additional consultation. Matthew has been great about responding to our questions, and helping us learn a lot about our plants, and how to take good care of them. We are looking forward to working with them on our next project in the backyard. Its been a truly great experience and they are highly recommended.

Excellent design work, sustainable and beautiful specimen selection, quality workmanship, great company overall. Low maintenance garden is spectacular- so say all my guests. They also do the maintenance and that work is also top notch....

Mathew McGrath has an extension knowledge of plants, a creative ability to visual what plants works well in the desired location, and is very responsive to requests. We are most appreciative of his and Daniels help with the patio stones when our contractor needed them removed. Farallon Gardens maintains our yard on a regular basis, doing the pruning, weeding and cleaning that it needs. Daniel is meticulous in his work.

It always amazes me that so many people stop and admire our front yard. It is especially stunning when the poppies and iris show their colors. The succulents are beautiful.

Mathew and his team worked on our front yard and took it from a dirt slope that was previously filled with ivy and juniper into a lovely front yard with native plants and japanese maples. They were timely, respectful of our budget and did an amazing job, we continue to get compliments on our yard on an almost weekly basis and its been over two years! I would highly recommend Farallon Gardens.

Mathew designed a wonderful low-water garden and has been exceptional at keeping it maintained and healthy. I also really like his invoicing system, makes it very easy to pay for his maintenance services online.

Finding Mathew McGrath of Farallon Gardens was a gift. in 2016 we decided we needed to get our front and backyard landscaped with more indigenous plants and to have an irrigation system installed. Because of Mathews palette and knowledge of plants and his artistic sensibilities our garden is gorgeous, with interesting and healthy native plants. I get compliments on it regularly. The other awesome thing about Farallon Gardens is that they offer regular maintenance which means that the garden looks beautiful year round.

Mathew is an amazing landscape designer. I marvel every day at the two gardens he created for us. He totally understood my predilections, and found plants which capture all the structure and color I had in mind. Year round there is always something in bloom. He and Daniel also maintain the gardens beautifully for us. We use very little water and almost everything has lived and thrived. A terrific company!

These guys are the ones you want. Extremely knowledgeable and easy to work with. Very efficient. Came in right on budget on our big lot re-do from a lovely, but old and high-maintenance collector s garden to a low-maintenance, drought-tolerant garden with a cohesive look. Talented with hardscape too. Put in a patio, stone paths, stairway and widened an existing brick path for us. Maintenance is conscientious and highly skilled. Highly recommend.

Mat was recommended by the designer I had employed to redo my entire garden to do the the installation of his plan. Mat, an excellent designer himself, and I made some changes to the design and Mat and his team did the entire installation in four days. He did an excellent job and has performed monthly maintenance since that time. I would highly recommend Mat to design and install unique and drought resistant gardens.

Mathew was wonderful to work with. He took out the old and put in the new, and worked around the established which was in good shape - into a garden that I now love. The new look is exactly what I hoped for. He was responsive and professional from start to finish. And he provides maintenance which I think is important so he can follow through on any adjustments that may be needed, altho at this point, I dont see a thing I would change and the plants are developing well. I feel so fortunate to have found him.

So happy I chose Farallon Gardens to redesign our Berkeley landscape. I loved working with Mat and his team. Mat has a deep knowledge and love of plants. He introduced some beautiful, colorful, and drought-resistant new plants to our garden and brought many of our old plants back to life. My lemon tree has never produced so many lemons! It s actually just as I hoped it would be: fun, full of color and a bit unusual (read: not run of the mill). Mat also has a keen eye for vintage and sculpture, so you d do well to let the imagination run wild. He ll also work with you to incorporate lighting as an added dimension. I would not hesitate to recommend Farallon to anyone!

Several years ago, Mathew McGrath of Farallon Gardens designed and replanted our (somewhat foreboding) front slope with a beautiful array of drought-tolerant succulents and wildflowers. He also replaced our irrigation system so that its now 100% drip, which is significantly more efficient and eco-friendly. Additionally, he made our greenway look both welcoming and elegant and has done a fabulous job maintaining our property. We get a lot of compliments on our slope from passersby and derive much enjoyment from it ourselves. This past fall, Farallon redesigned our front yard garden with plants, trees, shrubs, a new path and lighting and the process was fantastic. Through a few simple exchanges of ideas we agreed on a vision/plan and Mathews team jumped into action. The new garden is exactly what we had in mind and we are enjoying watching it grow and take root. We also are enjoying the new path and plantings on a side of the house that had long been ignored. Mathew has enhanced our entire home and we look forward to working with him for years to come.

Matthew and crew stablized my steep hillside after 2 other landscape failures! Not only functional, but now I have a beautiful, peaceful space to view from my living space. In the ensuing months, they have added pathways and additional plants to create a meanering green space. Decks have also been enhanced by collections of colorful foliage--and all low maintenance!

Beautiful Work, Beautiful Person.

The Farallon Gardens team is extraordinary. We met with Mathew to create a landscape plan and he and his crew exceeded our expectations in spades. They were professional, prompt, consistent and a pleasure to work with. Mathews patience and knowledge of plants is impressive. He contributed a lot of ideas and recommendations on what would work and made our landscape plan even better. We were on the same page every time, which made us very comfortable working with Mathew. Tomas and his team built an amazing fence, a gorgeous retaining wall, poured and completed a concrete pad and patio area. Their work ethic is solid. All of this was done within our goal date. Farallon Gardens exceptional dedication to their craft is unparalleled and we will not hesitate to call on them again and recommend their services to our friends and family. Thank you, Farallon Gardens!

Mathew is very nice to work with and was very prompt and attentive right from our first communication. We met with Mathew on several occasions to discuss the vision we wanted for our garden a fairly low maintenance, drought tolerant one with flowering plants, grasses, and succulents. Mathew provided his vision yet was very open to our ideas and worked with us every step of the way in choosing which plants and colors we wanted for our garden. After our meetings he sent pictures of his plant suggestions to make sure we liked his choices. His knowledge of plants and best placement for them in our garden was amazing! Mathew also handpicked six boulders for the front garden that truly enhanced the natural beauty of it. Mathew and his friendly team of workers were very efficient and completed our front and back yard within a few days; and our garden turned out more beautiful than we had imagined and is even more spectacular a year later! Mathew has been very pleasant to do business with and has been great with any follow-up questions and guidance we have regarding how best to maintain our garden. We really made the best choice in choosing Farallon Gardens and can recommend Mathew and his team 100%!

A pleasure working with Mathew and Farallon Gardens and my back and front gardens that was planted in April is coming along beautifully and I love coming home after maintenance has been done often on a monthly basis. Love their work and highly recommend them

Mathew created a beautiful succulent garden for us that we love!! It was so easy working with Mathew. He is responsive and knowledgeable, and he took care of all of the details. All I had to do was pay the bill! I would gladly recommend him to anyone looking for help with their garden!

Mat and his team are so talented. We love the fact that they come to our garden with the knowledge of plants and how to care for them.

Mathew and the whole team at Farallon Gardens are incredible. He completely redesigned, landscaped, and irrigated our front and back gardens, built a new beautiful fence (shout out to Tomas who built a perfect fence and is a consummate professional), and is carefully and thoughtfully doing all the maintenance for us. Working with Mathew is a dream he is extremely knowledgeable about plants, and maybe equally importantly, he works like an artist. We can t wait to watch our garden fill in over the years and couldn t be happier to be working with FG! Oh, and Mathew is extremely kind, responsive, fair, honest all great qualities in a person you re working with to build your dream garden.

I was referred to Farallon through my garden designer to do maintenance on my yard. My understanding is they generally only maintain gardens they have designed, but over the past year they have been doing monthly trimming and clean up and the yard looks great and is thriving. Dependable quality work.

Weve had the good fortune of working with Mat on our new garden for coming up on a year now and we have been so impressed! He has the perfect combination of horticultural expertise, creative talent and a passion for working with plants. We trust him implicitly with both our garden and our budget. Mat is a pleasure to work with and we always know that he has our best interests at heart. He is a treasure!

Quality experience with Mathew and Farallon. Gave really good advice on how we can gain some quick privacy from our neighbors, fast install, and they cleaned up when they were done! Who could ask for more? Also, replaced on plant that mysteriously withered after a couple weeks with another that has been thriving since.

I have worked with Matt for going on ten years now. He initially designed my front yard literally transforming the space into an area that I relish each day I come home. Since then I have worked with Matt in redesigning other areas around the house, all with the same stunning transformation. I believe that Matt has the ability visualize design possibilities that others simply can not. Plus, he returns calls promptly and is always attentive to my concerns. Thanks Matt.

Mathew and Farallon Gardens do amazing work, and completely transformed our front yard with low-water landscaping. Weve gotten many compliments on the plant selection and landscape design, and wed definitely recommend Farallon for future projects!