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Gardening
Exterior wall construction
Retaining walls
Walkway construction or installation
Driveway construction or installation
Interior wall construction
Patio, porch, or terrace construction …
Irrigation construction
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About the Business
Small Spot Gardens is a San Francisco based outdoor design firm that imagines, creates and cares for intimate gardens in city-sized spaces. We love working with clients that are excited about the natural world and want a richer outdoor space at their home or workplace, whether they're relaxing, playing, entertaining or simply enjoying the view from inside. We believe living alongside nature, even a tiny bit of it, can help our clients and their loved ones relax, re-prioritize, refocus and generally be healthier and happier. These small spots of nature are also part of a bigger picture so we design and care for gardens with an understanding that our actions affect, and can contribute to, our local environment.
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- Barbara P.San Francisco, CA103426Apr 29, 2013
Our backyard was a jungle: overgrown weeds, large rotting planter boxes, complete lack of privacy, fruit trees threatening to take over and more...
We were are so happy with the beautiful work that Elisa and her team did transforming our weed-filled jungle into a wonderful cozy urban oasis! Not only did they create a serene and comfortable space; they tackled our privacy issue with creative solutions (large open trellises), added many interesting plants, a small water feature and a much needed irrigation system. Her solutions were creative and unusual and she was able to stay on budget re-using many of our existing materials in the landscape. Elisa is more than just a gardener, she is a true artist!Helpful 2Thanks 1Love this 1Oh no 0 - Emily G.San Francisco, CA330243Jan 10, 2024
Elisa and her team helped me and my neighbor (two people with very different personalities and aesthetics who share a yard for the long haul) renovate and renew our garden over the past few months.
She stayed on budget, skilfully helped us mediate/come to agreements when our opinions differed on looks and plants, and overall communicated thoroughly. She has a quiet presence but listens, cares deeply about her work and our satisfaction.
I appreciated Elisa's response when we expressed that some of what was planted did not match our expectations. I thought it might prove a challenging conversation, but it was a simple misunderstanding that she was quick to acknowledge that and fix it without the extra charge for a change.
I appreciate Elisa's matter-of-fact approach and direct communication about business policies, etc. There's a lot of proverbial fine print, but I think that's wise and necessary for small businesses. I'd always rather have too much info than not enough.
Looking forward to continuing to work with Small Spot as they maintain our garden going forward, and pleased to be supporting a woman-owned small business.Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Convict T.San Francisco, CA012724Oct 27, 2021
We're so fortunate to have found Small Spot Gardens to help redo our backyard. Elisa and her team were the only company we spoke with that didn't shy away from our request for a "messy-looking" garden. They also embraced our parallel deck re-do project and were able to incorporate the deck-to-be into their planning.
Designing the garden layout and picking the plants was the best part! We effectively looked at a catalogue of different plant options and stone options for the new patio, and even were able to join Elisa at the nursery to look at things in-person. She was extremely receptive to adding our favorites, even if they weren't exactly cohesive to the rest of the yard. She also answered all of our questions and was kind enough to provide some plant care 101 information both before, during, and after the entire process, effectively teaching us how to work with our space, our local weather, and our new garden. Small Spot also was able to work in our favorite plants that were already there, instead of tossing them.
For our project, Small Spot redid our entire yard space, with a new irrigation system, new weed guard, and new plants. They also built for us a patio space and planted a tree at our request. They were also kind enough to recommend teams that could help us rebuild our fencing after it toppled during the storms.
Overall, it looks AMAZING. The plants have grown and filled in since they were planted. We also set up a schedule with the Small Spot team to come by every few months to assess and maintain the yard while the plants are settling and the weather is changing. It's a nice peace of mind to have them help figure out what's working and what's not, and adjust accordingly.
We love our yard now and are so glad to have worked with this group. Highly recommend.Helpful 2Thanks 1Love this 3Oh no 0 - Rebecca A.San Francisco, CA616May 15, 2020
We adore the gorgeous garden/seating area Elisa and her crew created for us. It has been a god send during shelter-in-place for my 2 year old twins. I'm constantly amazed how low maintenance it is!
Helpful 1Thanks 0Love this 2Oh no 0 - Melanie D.San Francisco, CA081Mar 6, 2012
I live on a busy street and have a large deck facing out into traffic. On top of it, I probably live in the windiest spot in the city.
I wanted to build some kind of 'privacy garden' that would allow me to enjoy my deck, but figured it would be impossible given both the crazy wind in my neighborhood, coupled with a tight budget. Along comes Small Spot Gardens!
Elisa wasn't phased at all by my constraints. After listening to my likes/dislikes and settling on a theme for my garden (Northern California Meadow), she came up with a huge list of plants that would thrive and complement eachother in the harsh wind tunnel that is my home.
Acknowleding that the planter boxes/pots themselves had the potential to be the most expensive part of the project, Elisa offered to construct them herself! She used re-claimed redwood and cedar (extra points for sustainability) and painted small elements of them so that they would blend seamlessly into the design of the exterior of the house. They look absolutely fantastic.
End result is exactly what I was after. So far (two months in) it's been super easy to maintain and the plants are thriving. Highly recommended!Helpful 6Thanks 0Love this 1Oh no 0 - Mary W.San Francisco, CA026May 2, 2012
I highly recommend Small Spot Gardens for many reasons: excellent work ethic and initiative, courtesy, clear communication, knowledge and enthusiasm. Pricing is also very comparable, and invoicing is a snap.
Small Spot Garden does our yard maintenance. It has been a pleasure to have this gardener come to our home every two weeks. Elisa has been coming to our place for over a year. The yard, trees and flowers are tidy and very well cared for all year long. Right now it's all in bloom, and looks terrific!Helpful 2Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Joe R.San Francisco, CA49333Oct 4, 2017
She was booked up, but incredibly helpful in recommending other qualified gardeners in the city - thank you, Elisa!
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 1Oh no 0 - Tim T.San Francisco, CA28Dec 27, 2013
Elisa and her team at Small Spot Gardens are rockstars. They have done an amazing job on my backyard, transforming it from a thicket of rocks and fennel into a lovely garden. Elisa does excellent work not just with her gardening but she also rebuilt a section of collapsing fence and built some gorgeous planter boxes as well as doing some great irrigation work.
She is very creative, has excellent ideas, and really listens to the client and understands what they are looking for and makes great suggestions for planting based on your needs. She is very cost-conscious, courteous, and efficient.
I interviewed lots of gardeners before making my choice and I'm really glad I went with Elisa and her team at Small Spot Gardens.Helpful 2Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Mel B.San Francisco, CA03May 26, 2011First to Review
Elisa at Small Spot Gardens is great. I had a small project that I needed help with ASAP -- Elisa returned my email immediately, squeezed me into her schedule within a couple of days, did a great job, and the price was totally reasonable. I highly recommend her.
Helpful 3Thanks 0Love this 1Oh no 0
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