Avant Garden

From our first contact Galen was a delight to work with. He listened well, amplified my ideas into a wonderfully workable design for a garden courtyard in San Francisco and oversaw the installation. Could not have been more pleased with Galen's expertise and workable manner.

We hired Avant Garden to do a large landscaping project and couldn't be happier with the way everything turned out. It's no wonder he came so highly recommended. His knowledge of plants and design capabilities were outstanding and he was very easy to work with and quick to respond and get the job done. We can't wait to use him for our next project.

It was great working with Galen of Avant Garden, and his team did a fantastic job using the Handmade Fireclay Tile. I worked with the homeowners on the design of the backyard's tiled areas. Galen was clear and concise with what information he needed and made placing the order easy breezy with is quantities. Once the tile was onsite, his team was patient while Fireclay Tile sorted out the final details and product. The installations look amazing, especially the corners that they mitered! I would/will recommend anyone in the area to use Avant Garden for their landscaping projects!

I have used Avant Garden on several projects and I am very pleased with the results. Galen is both an horticulturist and an artist. His vision is full scope: practical and beautiful. I recommend him without reservation.

Galen was recommended by Tom, from West End Nursery, so we knew he would be good. The design, work and completed garden exceeded our expectations. The crew Galen uses, headed by Ruben, were a delight to have here. They were always prompt, polite, efficient and a pleasure to deal with. It is with pleasure that we highly recommend Avant Garden. Gary & Mary Lou

Galen/Avant Garden is a very knowledgable professional who has many years of experience with landscaping design, plants types and construction issues associated with garden design. He is available and helpful and you will not be disappointed.

We believe we have found the best garden designer in Marin! My wife and I have used Galen several times to redo the front and back gardens of our Mill Valley home, over nearly a 20 year period. We have always loved the results. He is extremely knowledgeable and imaginative with plants, trees and artistic with their layout. Another landscape designer whom I met recently confided that Galen is the one competitor to whom she would feel comfortable referring her own clients.

The garden possibilities were what drew me to purchase this 1945 vintage cottage. I wanted a space in which I could be renewed, refreshed, inspired. Galen understood my wishes and designed an informal garden that matched my expectations exactly. He is intuitive yet grounded in a great knowledge of his craft. He designed and supervised the installation of plantings that surround a sitting area, a raised vegetable garden, grilling and eating areas. Not to mention plants that attract butterflies, humming birds and bees, creating an environment that is dynamic and beautiful. Galen always was on time and responsive - a pleasure to work with. He has lived in and loved this area for years. He has excellent resources for all aspects of landscaping and maintenance and I know, now that the project is finished, that Galen will always be there for any future garden needs.

We had a huge 1/2 year project with Galen and his excellent crew. Galen was local to our area (Fairfax/San Anselmo) which was a big plus. He was on-site quite often and was quite pleasant to work with. He is very knowledgeable and friendly and listened very well to our requests. His quotes were very in-line with the actual work that was done. He had done a wonderful job on a neighbors property, which was how we first came to hear about him. I can't say enough about his work and the work of Ruben and his large and very hard-working crew. Great job and thanks!

Galen is extremely easy to work with. It is nice to know someone you can feel confident about referring your own customers to.

Galen helped transform our yard from a barely usable concrete jungle to a functional, wonderful space for our family to enjoy. He has a great knack for listening to a ton of "wants" and picking out what works best for a space. We enjoyed working wih Galen very much and would highly recommend him!

I am a plumber, and I found Gaylan twelve years ago, when I admired the landscaping in front of a customer's house, and asked who did the design and planting - the customer gave me Gaylan's number and my wife and I used him to landscape our entire property. Gaylan was a pleasure to work with and did an amazing job of picking and placing plants, and helping us find a paving company to do our driveway and patio. We just took out three invasive trees, and have hired Gaylan to design and replant several large areas of our garden. The first stage is done, and is spectacular. And once again, Gaylan was terrific to deal with, and created a gorgeous area. We give him our highest recommendation.