Landscape Architects & Designers Near Oakland

“So many times I arrive at our family Ranch and feel so much gratefulness for the beauty of the landscape. Such a gift. This property is very special to us and has been in the family for generations, so I knew it mattered deeply who we hired to design the first ever landscape plan on this land . R&J Construction, who had just completed our beautiful Ranch house, told us about Montgomery Robbins. Their recommendations have always been trustworthy and solid. The collaboration mattered so much to us, knowing this land carries our family's history, and the team took that seriously from our first conversation. Watching everything bloom and thrive has only deepened our gratitude for the work. We couldn't be more pleased with the way it turned out and love sharing it with friends and family.”

“Monica's eye for detail is unparallel and impeccable. It can be overwhelming at times putting a thoughtful design together, but Monica's expertise, leadership, and calm and thoughtful demeaner assures that no detail is overlooked. The final outcome of her work is an aesthetic that is timeless, appealing, functional and very creative.”

“We've been in our house for many years and have lots of experience interviewing, selecting, and working with landscape architects. Without a doubt, our most successful landscaping undertaking has been the recent rehabilitation of our front yard. This project's design was the work of Andrea Sessa of Studio M Merge. It included, among other things, solving the tricky slope issues and upgrading all of the hardscape to eliminate sagging steps, broken pavers, and other problems. We also requested a planting plan with (i) an interesting variety of textures and colors--but not so much variety that it would look fussy or cluttered and (ii) drought-resistant plants that didn't look like desert plants. We could hardly believe our good fortune in finding Andrea. She is in a class by herself. She combines her technical expertise with an exquisite sense of design. (She designs interior spaces as well as landscapes, no doubt contributing to her sense of proportion and attention to detail). She subtly and seamlessly incorporated architectural detailing of our 1926 house into the landscaping. She cleverly arranged the space so that it doesn't feel like you've climbed 22 stairs from the sidewalk to the front door (although you have). During construction, she made regular site visits, making minor (but important) adjustments, as needed. She worked well with the contractor and subs. The result far exceeded our expectations: we could not be happier with our beautiful, fragrant, and inviting front yard. A significant component to Andrea's success was her approach to working with us as clients. She listened carefully and took notes. We had as many meetings as it took to work out the details. She welcomed input from us throughout the design, construction, and installation phases. She was respectful of our ideas and preferences, she did not rush us to make decisions and always, always maintained her sense of humor. It was a pleasure working with her.”