--- title: "Mystic Water Gardens — Landscape Contractors | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-contractors/mystic-water-gardens-pfvwus-pf~1099030479 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~1099030479.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "Mystic Water Gardens" category: ["Landscape Contractors"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/28c348ed0f0b3b15_0326-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "Los Angeles, California, United States" latitude: 34.0434 longitude: -118.2716 phone: "(818) 424-6836" website: http://www.mysticwatergardens.com rating: 5 review_count: 10 best_of_houzz_awards: 4 followers: 96 last_updated: 2026-09-24 --- # Mystic Water Gardens Original Houzz profile: [Mystic Water Gardens](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-contractors/mystic-water-gardens-pfvwus-pf~1099030479) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Landscape Contractors - **Location:** Los Angeles, CA - **Serves:** Los Angeles, Pasadena, Burbank, Culver City, Studio City, Beverly Hills, Malibu, East Pasadena - **Houzz rating:** 5.0 out of 5 (10 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 4 awards (2018–2022), for Service, Design. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Star Houzzer - Recommended on Houzz - 1,000 Ideabook Saves - Best of Houzz winner - Locally owned - 16 years in business Award Winning and nationally recognized designer, Steve Sandalis of Mystic Water Gardens creates one of a kind, handcrafted water features that are 100% eco-friendly. Mystic Water Gardens designs, builds, and maintains custom-crafted waterfalls, lakes, ponds, pondless waterfalls, and streams. In addition to building award-winning and innovative landscape creations, Mystic Water Gardens water features are designed to be low maintenance and 100% eco-friendly. Located in Southern California, Mystic Water Gardens has designed and constructed custom water gardens, lakes and high-end designs for many high profile celebrities. ### Services Provided - Landscape Construction - Hardscaping - Garden Design - Pergola Construction - Retaining Wall Construction - Custom Fire Pits - Pool Landscaping - Custom Water Features - Outdoor Lighting Installation - Outdoor Fireplace Construction - Drought Tolerant Landscaping - Gazebo Design & Construction - Landscape Lighting Installation - Planting - Sod Installation - Pond Construction - Drip Irrigation Installation - Sprinkler System Installation ### Areas Served - Los Angeles - Pasadena - Burbank - Culver City - Studio City - Beverly Hills - Malibu - East Pasadena ### Typical Job Cost $3,000 - 250,000 ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | Mystic Water Gardens | | Address | Los Angeles, California, United States | | Phone | (818) 424-6836 | | Website | http://www.mysticwatergardens.com | | License Number | 855653 | | Followers on Houzz | 96 | **Social profiles:** - Facebook — http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn\_tnmn\#!/MysticWaterGardens1 - Blog — http://www.mysticwatergardens.com ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [Mystic Water Gardens](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-contractors/mystic-water-gardens-pfvwus-pf~1099030479) - **Website:** http://www.mysticwatergardens.com - **Phone:** (818) 424-6836 ## Credentials **Certifications & Awards** - \*Certified Aquascape Contractor\*Member of California Landscape Contractors Association\*California Licensed landscape contractor - **Best of Houzz:** 4 awards (2018–2022), for Service, Design. ## Reviews **Overall rating: 5.0 out of 5 — 10 reviews** ### All 10 reviews **★★★★★ — liv4art, May 2021** > Expertise, Integrity and Artistry. Mystic Water Gardens will give you a great experience and an outcome to die for. We love our back yard stream! The day after our pondless waterfall/recirculating stream was finished (the whole project only took 2 days) I called Michelle at Mystic Water Gardens to let her know I was so happy with the results I didn’t even know what to do with myself! Truly, what they were able to do in such a short period of time was amazing, and the outcome exceeded our highest expectations – so much better than what I had originally envisioned. Trust Steve, he will not let you down. Owner Steve Sandalis and his crew are absolute professionals who know what they are doing, and then some. This company has no weak links, which helps explain its well-deserved success. They know what they are about, they are experts in every aspect of providing an extraordinarily natural looking water feature in any environment, they worked within our budget and gave us far more than we were expecting. They treated our smaller job with exceptional personalized care, regardless of the much larger projects they had going and are known for. Mystic has an incredible, exceptionally talented team, and they excel at clear communication from the first phone call, to the detailed estimate, throughout the project and completion. In a fun coincidence, one of my business clients sent us a video of their new waterfall and stream, absolutely ecstatic about it. What do you know, it was done by Mystic Water Gardens. We will never go anywhere else for our water feature projects. **★★★★★ — Susan D, Sept. 2019** > Steve, the owner, is an honest person and easy to work with. He created a breathtaking pond which I have enjoyed even more since covid19 **★★★★★ — Fix It Masonry, May 2019** > I have worked with Mystic Water Gardens for a few years, every time they build a fountain and or pond for one of my clients I am left so impressed by their workmanship and expertise. They are good at making something that I know is hard to do look so effortless, even with the moving of boulders and excavation. The teamwork and organization of these experienced craftsmen are evident from the moment they arrive. **★★★★★ — Jeremy West, July 2018** > I worked with this team for 5-6 months while they gave my back yard a complete upgrade. These guys know what they are doing - it's been 7 months since the project was completed and I couldn't be happier with the results. The plants are coming in nicely (although some didn't make it but they came back to help replace), the waterfall they installed is amazing as it comes on as soon as we get home from work and the fire pit is the icing on the cake when friends come over for a nice backyard BBQ evening. They follow up with their work and will support you as time goes on and things change - they truly want you to have an amazing experience and love their work - it shows. Would highly recommend Mystic from the top down to everyone on their team. Keep up the good work!! **★★★★★ — paralee king, May 2018** > I had a team of 3 men and they finish in 4 days. I was very happy with their work, and they cleaned up after them self and they listen to me want I wanted the pond to look like, when it was completed. Love the pond to this date, it has been almost 2 years now... **★★★★★ — Edward Alexander, May 2018** > We were moving into a new home in Buena Park, California from Northern California. There was an ample backyard in the new home we were moving to. We contacted Mystic Water Gardens and spoke with Michele, the Office Manager who led us to the owner, Steve. In describing to Steve what we were looking for, he immediately understood. Upon arriving in Buena Park we immediately contacted Steve, he came, and we were on our way. The full Japanese Garden with a water fountain, lanterns, walkways and many plants turned out beautifully. The work done under the care of an ultra-conscientious foreman Jacinto with a super-cohesive work staff ensured that the job was done perfectly and on schedule. Steve had put a lot of imagination into the landscape that was administered by Jacinto. A dynamic duo of specialists created a most beautiful garden. We also had a simple front landscape placed on the premise and this too looks great. I am looking forward to working on a project with them again for a homeless shelter we are assembling. Thank you for the great work and your friendship. It was super!! The coordination done by Michele was very professional and timely. **★★★★★ — Robert Frank Interiors, June 2015** > I have had the pleasure to work side-by-side with Steve Sandalis of Mystic Water Gardens for the past two consecutive years at the Pasadena Showcase house. Steve has an amazing crew and he is a true visionary. He had the ability to create a tranquil water garden that appeared to have been on the grounds for years. His selection of local hardscape materials and native plants were in keeping with architectural integrity of the historic home and neighborhood. I continue to admire Steve's design work and his professionalism. As a designer myself, it is refreshing to work alongside truly professional colleagues since it raises the bar for the quality of design in our community. **★★★★★ — Shannon Ggem Design, May 2013** > INCREDIBLE NATURAL LOOK > > These aren't your grandma's water features. Steve Sandalis and his amazing crew create crazy-gorgeous water features of all sizes . I first encountered Steve's work on a very large scale luxury sector residential project and was blown away by the result, an enormous water feature that looks as if it's part of the watershed, just a little body of water on it's way to the ocean. The rocks and plants they select, the fish in the ponds and the overall shape of the feature all conspire to give it a fully integrated, natural feel. > > I had the pleasure of working with Mystic Water Gardens on the 2013 Pasadena Showcase House and got to see another side of their work. A smaller feature that looks perfectly natural, as if a underground spring pops up for a while. Mossy rocks, wildlife supporting plants, and just the right design make this version of their work perfect for anyone's yard! On top of all that the work was done quickly and neatly. Really amazing stuff. Mystic's work is the perfect fit for city and valley dwellers who need a little piece of nature in their lives! It was a pleasure to work with them. **★★★★★ — mitzirob, April 2013** > We've recently had the pleasure to work with Steve Sandalis and Mystic Water Gardens in the building of a stream/pondless waterfall. My husband and I built our house 9 years ago, and contracted it ourselves, which means that we worked with all kinds of builders, contractors, etc. Many left a bad taste in our mouths and it was a very stressful experience. The one thing that we didn't do at the time, that we always wanted to do, was to build a water feature on our property. After building our house, we just didn't have it in us to continue. So we waited. Nine years later, we decided we were ready to bite the bullet and try it again. We found Steve and his company and decided to go for it. And I can honestly say, that it was the BEST experience we have ever had with anything house related! Not only did they do an incredibly beautiful job, but they were there from beginning to end to answer our questions, help us with the planning stages, and come back to attend to any issues we had afterward. His team was outstanding, very knowledgeable, the hardest workers we have ever seen, and cleaned up after themselves every day. They were pleasant to have around, and made the entire experience a joy rather than a nightmare. > We are beyond happy with the finished results. We not only put in one water feature, but ended up putting in a second one because the price was right. Both turned out better than we even planned! Everyone who sees our water features has been absolutely speechless, and immediately said they wanted one, too. I wish every experience with home remodeling could be as pleasant as this one. We can't recommend Steve Sandalis and Mystic Water Gardens more highly. > Mitzi Spallas and Robert Connett **★★★★★ — perkup71, March 2013** > Mystic Water Gardens and crew created a stunning and calming pondless waterfall for us. It is just incredible how peaceful it feels. It's hard to believe that they transformed our small backyard in less than 2 days! What originally attracted my wife and I to Mystic Water Gardens was Steve Sandalis’ design esthetic. When we first met with him, we had no idea what we wanted because we couldn't visualize our empty yard with a stream running through it. Steve shared his vision with us and made it so easy for us to picture. We knew we wanted something natural looking and that is exactly what Mystic created for us. We are so impressed by how talented Steve is. His enthusiasm and attention to detail comes through in his design, which made our waterfall even more beautiful and unique than we could have ever imagined. The crew was professional, accommodating, clean, and knowledgeable on construction. Steve's customer service is exceptional. I had so many questions and his willingness to take his time to educate us allowed us to feel comfortable, not to mention the fact that he invited us to his home where we were able to see his gorgeous backyard. Once we saw his work, we booked the job! ## Selected projects - [Chatsworth Water Wonderland](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/chatsworth-water-wonderland-pj-vj~5786518) - Location: Los Angeles, CA - Photos: 8 - [Putting Green with Pondless Waterfall](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/putting-green-with-pondless-waterfall-pj-vj~6311167) - Location: Los Angeles, CA - Photos: 7 - Description: In the very back of the client’s property, there was an area with a lot of brush and down trees. Client wanted us to clear the area and possibly create a putting green. Being a water feature designer, we cannot have a putting green without a water feature hazard! After presenting the idea of the putting green, a little 15-foot pondless waterfall was integrated into the putting green, which also creates a nice point of interest in the back of the property. During parties and large gatherings, gue… - [Calabasas Lake](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/calabasas-lake-pj-vj~189810) - Location: Calabasas, CA - Photos: 2 - [Pasadena Showcase House 2012](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/pasadena-showcase-house-2012-pj-vj~189820) - Location: Pasadena, CA - Photos: 3 - [Custom Yard Remodel](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/custom-yard-remodel-pj-vj~6311158) - Location: Los Angeles, CA - Photos: 7 - [Sherman Oaks](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/sherman-oaks-pj-vj~315591) - Location: Los Angeles, CA - Photos: 3 - Description: Before photo of Sherman Oaks backyard. Client wanted a pond in his backyard instead of a swimming pool... - [Malibu Swim Pond](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/malibu-swim-pond-pj-vj~6311156) - Location: Malibu, CA - Photos: 5 - [Burbank, California](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/burbank-california-pj-vj~498749) - Location: Burbank, CA - Photos: 3 - [Newport Coast](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/newport-coast-pj-vj~695293) - Location: Newport Beach, CA - Photos: 4 - [Streams](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/streams-pj-vj~198314) - Location: Burbank, CA - Photos: 6 - [Thousand Oaks, California](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/thousand-oaks-california-pj-vj~206578) - Location: Thousand Oaks, CA - Photos: 2 - [Pasadena Showcase House 2014 \| Creekside Spring House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/pasadena-showcase-house-2014-creekside-spring-house-pj-vj~557849) - Location: Pasadena, CA - Photos: 6 - [Pasadena Showcase House 2015](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/pasadena-showcase-house-2015-pj-vj~1069776) - Location: Pasadena, CA - Photos: 4 - [Del Gado](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/del-gado-pj-vj~2329494) - Location: Los Angeles, CA - Photos: 2 - [Pasadena Showcase House 2016](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/pasadena-showcase-house-2016-pj-vj~1739632) - Location: Pasadena, CA - Photos: 1 - [Pasadena Showcase House 2017](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/pasadena-showcase-house-2017-pj-vj~2715214) - Location: Pasadena, CA - Photos: 3 - [Dry Stream Beds](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/dry-stream-beds-pj-vj~1223669) - Location: Los Angeles, CA - Photos: 3 - [Small Fountains](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/small-fountains-pj-vj~1223651) - Location: Los Angeles, CA - Photos: 3 - [Hidden Valley House Lake](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/hidden-valley-house-lake-pj-vj~199137) - Location: Hidden Valley, CA - Photos: 4 - [Rock Stairs](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/rock-stairs-pj-vj~1223635) - Location: Los Angeles, CA - Photos: 3 [See all 31 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-contractors/mystic-water-gardens-pfvwus-pf~1099030479) ## Ideabooks - [Mystic Water Gardens](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/4057903/list/mystic-water-gardens) — 7 ideas - [Brentwood Castle](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/7770290/list/brentwood-castle) — 4 ideas [See all 2 ideabooks](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/1sandalis2) ## Community Q&A **Q: Love the decomposed granite path! Question...** *(in Photo Questions)* What material is the edging on the path? A: Hi! The material around the edging of the path is called benda board! **Q: approx.cost per sq.ft for Decomposed Granite?** *(in Photo Questions)* A: The material costs approximately $75.00 per yard. You get approximately 80 square feet of coverage. This is the material cost only, does not include labor cost. This is also DG with stabilizer additive. The stabilizer is a binding agent which makes the DG harder. **Q: Table** *(in Photo Questions)* Where did the table come from? A: whoislilycruz The table in this photo is from Cleveland Art. It may have been a one-of-a-kind table that was hand picked by Shannon Ggem of Ggem Design Co. but I am sure that she could tell you more! Ggem Design Co **Q: What is your tread & riser measurements on the stairs. Thank you.** *(in Photo Questions)* A: We tried to stick within the general rule of a 7" rise and 11" run, but because the stairs are made from natural stone, the measurements fluctuate. **Q: Sofa** *(in Photo Questions)* Could you tell me where the sofa came from? A: The vintage sofa is from Barker Brothers and was reupholstered by Family Ayala Upholstery in a Sunbrella velvet fabric. They used a special foam so that it could stand up to the outdoor elements . If you have more questions, you can always contact the designer of the outdoor space, Shannon Ggem. You can find her on Houzz, too! --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-09-24.*