--- title: "Verde Fine Gardens — Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/verde-fine-gardens-pfvwus-pf~917777252 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~917777252.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "Verde Fine Gardens" category: ["Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/fe43fbd10cd3704e_6938-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "Santa Cruz, California 95060, United States" phone: "(831) 216-6240" website: http://www.verdefinegardens.com rating: 5 review_count: 3 best_of_houzz_awards: 1 followers: 6 last_updated: 2026-09-03 --- # Verde Fine Gardens Original Houzz profile: [Verde Fine Gardens](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/verde-fine-gardens-pfvwus-pf~917777252) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers - **Location:** Santa Cruz, CA - **Serves:** Santa Cruz, Los Gatos, Scotts Valley, Soquel, Capitola, Ben Lomond, Opal Cliffs, Boulder Creek, Felton, Bonny Doon, Mount Hermon, Brookdale, Pasatiempo, Lompico, Davenport, Paradise Park, Zayante, Twin Lakes, Holy City, Redwood Estates - **Houzz rating:** 5.0 out of 5 (3 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 1 award (2024), for Design. ## About ### Houzz Badges - 10,000 Ideabook Saves ### Services Provided - Landscape Design - Garden Design - Hardscaping - Landscape Plans - Patio Design - Drought Tolerant Landscaping - Site Planning - Custom Fire Pits - Design Consultation - Outdoor Lighting Design - Project Management - Drafting - Organic Gardens - Edible Gardens - Potted Plants - Planting - Tree Pruning ### Areas Served - Santa Cruz - Los Gatos - Scotts Valley - Soquel - Capitola - Ben Lomond - Opal Cliffs - Boulder Creek - Felton - Bonny Doon - Mount Hermon - Brookdale - Pasatiempo - Lompico - Davenport - Paradise Park - Zayante - Twin Lakes - Holy City - Redwood Estates ### Typical Job Cost $20,000 - 300,000 ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | Verde Fine Gardens | | Address | Santa Cruz, California 95060, United States | | Phone | (831) 216-6240 | | Website | http://www.verdefinegardens.com | | Followers on Houzz | 6 | **Social profiles:** - Blog — www.verdefinegardens.com ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [Verde Fine Gardens](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/verde-fine-gardens-pfvwus-pf~917777252) - **Website:** http://www.verdefinegardens.com - **Phone:** (831) 216-6240 ## Credentials - **Best of Houzz:** 1 award (2024), for Design. ## Reviews **Overall rating: 5.0 out of 5 — 3 reviews** *Aspect averages:* - Work Quality: 50.0 - Communication: 50.0 - Value: 50.0 ### All 3 reviews **★★★★★ — HU-160221339, March 2026** > I hired Verde and was not disappointed! Thoughtful, creative design that incorporated local materials and native plants while considering the specific soil and hydrology of my property. Clear communication throughout, timely completion, and beautiful results. 10/10 would recommend **★★★★★ — Jane Fisher, April 2020** > Our garden was professionally landscaped over 12 years ago. We take care of it on our own, and it was in need of some makeover. We were looking for professional help to change out some plants, remove those that weren't doing well and replace with more suitable options. It was hard to find the right person to work with us on this project since it was small but important to us. Hallie (Tierra Madre Gardens) was doing a big job for family members, and they suggested we call her. Hallie was wonderful! She was extremely responsive with calls and email, and was happy taking on our job, and doing it in between other projects. Hallie listened to us and made excellent plant suggestions, and when the plants were delivered Armando and the crew did a great job installing them. This was last Fall (Nov-Dec). and I waited until now to write a review because I wanted to see how all the new plants were doing. I am very glad to say that every single one of the plants Tierra Madre planted for us are thriving!! I highly recommend Hallie and her team - they were a pleasure to work with and we are really enjoying the results. **★★★★★ — Jared Ruger, April 2020** > We can not recommend Hallie and Armando highly enough. We unfortunately neglected our landscaping over the past few years and it had gotten a little depressing, so we were looking for a partner to reinvigorate our property. We met with several companies but chose Tierra Madre for a few reasons: Hallie is a horticulturist at heart - she has an incredibly deep knowledge of all plants and their pros/cons and she really does a great job balancing aesthetics, working with/relocating the plants that we had and loved and selecting new plants that will truly thrive in our environment and, in our case, require modest maintenance and care. We also loved Tierra Madre's entrepreneurial, small-company, local feel. We loved working directly with the principals. > > The design process was really seamless - Hallie quickly produced designs that were very much in line with our guidance and delivered them in a really easy-to-visualize software platform. We quickly agreed on a plan and kicked off the work. > While we naively thought that replanting would be relatively simple, there was a ton of work that went into the job and Armando and his team were working at our house for a couple weeks. They were all incredibly hardworking, nice and respectful - our dog fell in love with them and spent most of the day outside with them. They felt like part of our family and we were honestly disappointed and sad to see them leave once they were finished. They did a great job planting the new additions, rebuilding our irrigation and adding new fencing. > > Ultimately, we are extremely happy with the end product. Like mentioned in another review, we needed a few months to see the plants truly mature into their full beauty. The plants have grown materially and are really blossoming now and everything is beautiful. Hallie has kept in close touch and is happy to provide feedback/assistance as questions have arisen about ongoing care/pruning/fertilization/etc. > > We get frequent compliments on our landscaping and always recommend Tierra Madre. We will absolutely turn to Hallie and Armando for any future landscaping projects. ## Selected projects - [Electric Eclectic Tropical](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/electric-eclectic-tropical-pj-vj~7029198) - Location: Santa Cruz, CA - Photos: 30 - [West Coast English Retreat](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/west-coast-english-retreat-pj-vj~7029183) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 21 - [Habitat Garden](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/habitat-garden-pj-vj~6203520) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 10 - Description: We transformed this generic front yard from ho-hum lawn to a delightful bird and butterfly habitat haven. Colorful salvias and dramatic firecracker bushes are an eye-catching magnet for hummingbirds, butterflies and bees, and the fruit of the coffeeberry will draw birds while providing a drought-tolerant and evergreen backdrop year-round. A stone wall provides rustic charm as well as erosion control on this sloped property. Just a few months post-install the owner reported a resident hummingbird… - [California Ranch - Bocce Court](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/california-ranch-bocce-court-pj-vj~6113919) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 11 - Description: This large country estate contained a horse corral and an asphalt road that were no longer used. The long and narrow section was the perfect location for a bocce court that is now a gathering place for this multigenerational family. Avid bee keepers, the family wanted their property to have a native-plant focus to attract bees, butterflies, birds and other pollinators. California native plants including Coyote mint, Yerba Buena and Sweet Box provide a fragrant backdrop to the welcoming patio are… - [Modern Farmhouse](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/modern-farmhouse-pj-vj~5720727) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 23 - Description: Plantings of drought-tolerant lomandra provide a year-round meadow that requires very little maintenance. A custom fence at the property boundary provides a structured backdrop for breezy white and lavender blooms. When the perennials go dormant in winter, cheerful daffodils come back year after year for early spring interest. We created multiple outdoor "rooms" in the backyard. Stepping stones serve as a bridge between the covered porcelain-tile patio and a grassy play space for the client’s tw… - [Elegant & Intimate Refuge](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/elegant-and-intimate-refuge-pj-vj~6113905) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 18 - Description: Our goal was to integrate the sections of the property that weren’t working into a cohesive design that complemented the clients’ classic craftsman home. We reduced the size of the brick patio, installed new plantings to create a more intimate and inviting space and built a pathway anchored with arbors to connect the once- disconnected patio with a new cut-flower garden and the rest of the yard. We replaced the wooden benches on either side of the paver and brick upper patio with an outdoor kitc… - [California Native Inspired](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/california-native-inspired-pj-vj~6113911) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 11 - Description: This San Bruno front yard mainly features plants from California's flora chosen for fragrance and attractiveness to pollinators, while a few drought-tolerant non-natives balance the yearly interest. Carefully placed boulders and stones give the feel of hiking the nearby hills. - [Contemporary Cottage](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/contemporary-cottage-pj-vj~6113915) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 7 - Description: This front yard features a soothing palette of cool colors to match the existing blue of the house and new walkway. We added fun pops of contrasting pinks and a wide variety of evergreen texture for year-round interest. Path lights highlight the new walkway and a row of stones along the sidewalk echo the home's style while providing a buffer between the garden and neighborhood dogs. - [Crisp & Minimalist](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/crisp-and-minimalist-pj-vj~6113897) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 14 - Description: Colored concrete slabs floating in hama pebbles and tufts of mondo grass lead to the front door; natural basalt stone edging along the narrow driveway create more space for getting in and out of cars. A mix of wispy evergreen and perennial grasses in blue-gray, chartreuse and silver, bold agaves and New Zealand flax and a delicate Japanese maple stand separated by clean, negative space. This striking and clean design is highlighted at night by gentle uplighting and angular path lights that echo… [See all 9 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/verde-fine-gardens-pfvwus-pf~917777252) ## Ideabooks - [Seascape](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/166359307/list/seascape) — 3 ideas - [Mediterrenean Spa](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/164571052/list/mediterrenean-spa) — 1 idea - [Palo Alto Farmhouse Cottage](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/157229789/list/palo-alto-farmhouse-cottage) — 2 ideas - [Backyard Meadow for entertaining](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/154558411/list/backyard-meadow-for-entertaining) — 1 idea - [Ting Backyard](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/152214975/list/ting-backyard) — 17 ideas - [Burlingame Cottage](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/143115383/list/burlingame-cottage) — 30 ideas [See all 6 ideabooks](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/verdefinegardens) --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-09-03.*