Mystical Landscapes - Novato, California

Lauren X

I was very pleased with the work done by Mystical Landscapes. We had a project with retaining walls, a drainage system, stone pathways, a small patio, and some tree planting, as well as repair and programming of our irrigation system, among other things. It completely transformed our yard and improved our living space, due in no small part to Dane's artistic vision and his meticulous management of his staff.

He gave a very clear breakdown of costs in the beginning that was above what I received from other landscapers. He gave options to reduce cost as I saw fit. He gave suggestions that improved the visual harmony of the yard, instead of simply meeting base requests. I ended up adding other improvements as the project went on because I was so pleased with the ongoing work and his transparent cost breakdowns.

I particularly liked how we were able to repurpose elements of the landscaping to other areas of the yard, instead of simply throwing things away. It made me feel like we made the best possible use of our budget. Overall, I'm very pleased and will be contacting Dane again for future landscaping projects, as well as recommending him to friends.

Katy Leonard

Dane and crew worked with us on an extensive home back and front yard remodel project that included the removal of a large fountain and koi pond, hillside planting, and pool tiling work. Dane’s priority is client satisfaction from beginning to end. We did not know what we wanted or what was possible with our project. He helped us hone our design aesthetic and came up with a plan that was both beautiful and practical for our needs. When challenges came up, as they always do, Dane pivoted design changes as needed while keeping us on budget. Dane also reuses materials as much as possible, such as using excavated dirt from the backyard in the front yard to save us money. Dane's crew is reliable and easy to work with, and we were happy to have them at our home. One of our main priorities was good communication. Dane and his team were always reachable. Even a year and a half later, we could contact Dane with any questions about our project and know he would be happy to help. We love how our project turned out and enjoy it so much whenever we look out our windows.

rodrigo sandoval

Hired me to do a concrete job he couldn’t handle and gave me a terrible base to work with a lot of work for only 4 guys he requested and payed me less then half I charged and said he would get police involved since there was no contract , also his workers poured 1 inch over sinking brick instead of tearing out brick , he complained that I left a broom finish in the driveway claiming he wanted it smooth on a 50 degree slope , extremely dangerous for vehicles especially since smooth concrete only gets smoother, also he did not communicate with me the day of the pour until 4pm and he showed up in running shoes with his dog , also has the small dog unsecured while operating a big excavator I’d never expect him to be a contractor, also very rude towards his workers just because they don’t speak English I’m Shute he hires illegal immigrants to underpay he didn’t have any water for them either

Courtney Butowski

We hired Dane after reading his book "Successfully Landscaping Your Marin Home" and realizing we might benefit for his input. And, yes, he's a landscape wizard. Dane made practical adjustments to design ideas my husband and I had which turned out stunning. He thinks about every detail and offered great suggestions which has made our property much more functional. Also, Dane was finished on schedule and budget! We had a wonderful experience working with Dane and highly recommend him.

Michael Sitver

Hiring Dane was like taking our hopes for our landscape and pouring on time and talent we don't have. The result was a design that reflects how we live in our space and some really great surprises. Dane planted a tough, steep slope with a great variety of deer and drought resistant plants without sacrificing color and texture and he created a vegetable garden and mini orchard in a limited space.

He is a fountain of good ideas, some of which saved us a lot of time and money by letting us refinish and reuse certain elements of our landscape that I might have torn out. He reconfigured an existing dry stack wall and paired it with some timber steps that look like they've been there forever, and he refinished an old fence giving it a new life.

Dane is a good collaborator who truly designs with the character of the client in mind. I highly recommend him for landscape, garden and hardscape projects of any size.

David Island

I contacted Dane with the goal of having my dull, ordinary, small condo patio turned into something special. I wasn’t sure what could be done, given all the condo regulations. But Dane assured me that my patio space could be greatly improved. He was right, and I was not disappointed. The result was far more than anything I could have imagined and has resulted in rave compliments from family, friends and neighbors, as well as plaudits from my friends all over the world. As for me, I’m truly loving the remodeled space, spending quiet times reading, having lunch, and relaxing on the patio as well as some casual entertaining. The work was done on time and for the agreed-upon price, always a pleasant surprise when dealing with contractors. I’m sure Dane was tempted to steal my extension cord, but he managed to restrain himself! And one more thing: A few plants were damaged in the unusually hard freeze this winter. Not Dane’s fault, but he took care of them at no charge – as part of his one-year warrant. The project was a resounding success. My condo patio is now a showpiece.

Wendy Sadeh

Dane is a mixed bag. He has a wonderfully creative mind, but his execution was lacking. He brought several unique design elements to the project, where if executed well they would have been amazing.

We had several large communication failures. We wanted a colorful garden and got a fairly average succulent garden. His lump sum contract means that you have to just trust that you will love those high level line items. In actuality you have no idea what you are getting till it is done, if you love it then you will be happy, if you don't you are stuck. In our case lump sum meant if he went over in one area he skimped in another to even out costs. So we paid a huge premium for a potted plant area that was poorly executed. Even though his contract is lump sum he will itemize costs. Where I could confirm the costs he listed, they were 50-150% marked up and he "charged" tax on the marked up value. I found this to be a poor value.

Here is my review on a scale of 1-10:

Finished Job on Time 10
Creativity 8-9
Small Equipment Operator 8-9
Execution of Ideas 4
Quality of work 3
Communication Skills 3
Attention to detail 2
Value relative to results 2

Alastair Orr Ewing

Dane Rose has acted as my consultant for a fairly large landscaping project as well as personally undertaking some parts of the work himself. Dane provides very practical and creative advice. He is efficient with time and to the point and delivers straightforward advice without waffle. As someone without experience but with enthusiasm to do it myself as much as possible, Dane was the perfect professional to have on hand, able to step in and demonstrate a technique or a design, able to answer ad hoc questions.Dane has a great eye for the finished dream and draws out of you what you want out of your landscape. On my project we have worked with mid sized machinery, grading and the construction of a pond in all of which Mystical Landscapes have been a critical component.