Tomi Kobara - Landscape Architect

We had such a wonderful experience working with Tomi on a complete renovation of our front and backyards in San Francisco. Our yard was a complete disaster with weeds and overgrown plants after being neglected for years, so Tomi had to completely start from scratch with her design. She designed a beautiful space that works perfectly for our family with a huge variety of plants and a large redwood deck. She was super easy to work with and really listened to our ideas, incorporated our input, and revised her design as needed to really work for us. I am Architect so I have a lot of experience working with Landscape Architects and she is truly one of my favorites that I've worked with because of her ability to propose creative ideas but also incorporate feedback from the client. We actually had fun working on the project together and we were sad when the project was completed just because we didn't get to see her regularly anymore! We selected a Contractor who she had never worked with before and she did a great job managing him and pushing him (which sometimes required re-doing work) to get exactly the design that we had agreed we wanted. She was even out there on a terribly cold and rainy day placing plants to make sure they were in the exact right locations. Our garden was finished over 6 months ago so Tomi came out recently to do a check-up, which was really helpful because everything has grown in and she taught us about proper pruning, watering, and maintenance to keep everything healthy. The garden is now my favorite space at our house and it makes us so happy to look out at it everyday and spend time out there with our daughter and our dogs on the weekends. We couldn't be happier with Tomi or recommend her more highly! She is truly talented and a pleasure to work with.

Tomi completely transformed our front yard/entry from a concrete eyesore into a thing of beauty, that gives me joy every time I see it. I loved her ability to listen carefully to our wants and needs, while mixing in her own great taste, design sensibility, and deep knowledge of plants and materials. She's kind, easy to work with, organized, detail oriented, and a clear communicator. She has a well thought out phased process which she takes the time to explain in full up front. Her rates are reasonable. She works closely with the contractor to ensure the vision is truly executed to plan. And she thoughtfully includes a followup visit 6 months after the work is complete. Next time we have any landscaping needs, we'll definitely be giving Tomi a call!

We hired Tomi to design our back yard a while ago. She did such a great job, we hired her again to do our front yard the next year! Tomi has a wonderful eye and is very sensitive to her clients' needs (entertaining, drought tolerance, deer resistance, etc.). Our back yard now integrates a lovely, well-lit deck and stone patio for cooking and eating while enjoying the flora and fauna. Tomi also did a fantastic job coordinating with the general contractor who installed her design and made sure we knew how to maintain our new plants. Every day we enjoy looking at the wildlife attracted by the plantings and fountains and monitoring the never-ending stream of pups from our succulents. I truly did not anticipate how much pleasure we would get out of our landscaping, and highly recommend Tomi and her team for all your landscaping needs.

Had a very challenging project...landscaping our very steep upper hillside. Found Tomi Kobara when I posted a message on NextDoor seeking recommendations for a designer that can tackle hillsides. Tomi was great in hearing our needs/desires and balancing them with what is practical and sustainable given our terrain. Tomi is detail oriented, but also highly creative. She is a good listener. She keeps you informed and captures key agreements in writing. One also benefits from local contacts she has and can coordinate. We were very pleased with the final product and would not hesitate in hiring Tomi again.

We hired Tomi to help transform our damp, grassy back yard space into a more usable and modern patio space. It was a pleasure working with Tomi on this project, and we are very happy with the results -- so much so that we have continued to work with Tomi on other projects in the upper portion of our sloped yard. Tomi took the time to understand our design aesthetic and our goals for the revamped space. She presented several good design-alternatives and worked with us toward implementation and selection of plants for the perimeter of our patio space. Tomi's solution for our 20-year-old, 8 foot tall, retaining wall is a standout -- the pressure treated boards were replaced and then covered with horizontal redwood slats, giving the wall a modern look. Tomi's work was well thought out and, importantly, within the budget estimate provided. To complete the project, Tomi partnered with a contractor that was a pleasure to work with and added value. We highly recommend Tomi!

Tomi transformed my very uninteresting front yard into a delight! She took time to listen to what I wanted, what plants I like, what overall look I was after, and what my budget was for the project. She is knowledgeable about plants and very skilled in landscape design. She drew up a detailed planting plan that was easy for me to execute. I now have a front yard that draws a lot of compliments and admirers! Thank you, Tomi.

Tomi is a warm professional who will creat what you are looking for in your garden. She offers many ideas and listens carefully to what you are saying. She is creative and always on time. I have hired her for two projects in my garden and both are still looking great. She is wonderful to work with.

Tomi has a great sense of design, she listens to clients, she is patient, and she pulls together the team to make the project happen. She initially developed a master plan for our front and back yards. One of her suggestions was to build out the connection between the house and the back yard, which required a major renovation. We did not pick up the project again for several years as we saved money for the project.(The date below reflects when the project started. We completed it in 2014.) When we were ready, Tomi was there. She did a great job selecting plants, overseeing the crew, and making suggestions along the way. We receive many compliments on our yard, and have referred many people to Tomi.

Tomi transformed our yard, exceeding our expectations. Her design ideas, follow-through and implementation were of the highest level. Our yard is now functional, aesthetic and water-wise. Her pricing was competitive with the project completed within budget and on-time. Working with Tomi on every facet of our project was such an enjoyable experience and I would highly recommend her!

Tomi and her team designed and implemented landscaping for our small backyard. Our yard was completely overgrown with random cement slabs. We were operating on a limited budget because we rent the home, but wanted a place to be outside with our young children. Tomi created a wonderful design, including all of the elements we wanted, including a flagstone patio area, drought tolerant ornamental plants, and an area of artificial grass or turf for the kiddos to play on. Tomi's team completed the actual landscaping work in a week! The entire team was super nice and a pleasure to work with. I really appreciated Tomi's willingness to work within our budget. We love our yard!

I first saw Tomi's work when she did the design and planting in a friend's backyard. I liked her work so much, I hired her for my project, and she did not disappoint. She listened to what I wanted and made my backyard look beautiful. Her knowledge of plants is impressive and her designing skills are wonderful.