Verdance Landscape Architecture - Palo Alto, California

Diana Powell

In late 2014 my husband and I sold our home of 30 years on the mid-Peninsula and settled in a brand-new home in Morgan Hill. Though we loved our new neighborhood, I had no idea how to turn our small rectangle of dirt and weeds into a welcoming garden.

I had admired John Black’s work for some time but didn’t know if I could talk him into coming south to look at my small parcel of bare land. I will always be so thankful he accepted the challenge. My lot had heavy clay soil, drainage issues, no shade, no privacy and no views. And it’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Oh, and I wanted to create a cottage garden.

John asked me lots of questions so he had a better idea of how I planned to use the space. I told him I wanted to create an environment for birds and bees and butterflies, and I wanted to hear the sound of water. One of John’s many strengths is that he truly listens to his clients; he wants them to enjoy the process as well as the result. What’s more, John is fun to work with; he is a thoughtful and caring person.

John initially drew several sketches showing possible ways to develop the yard. I was especially drawn to one plan that established a strong “backbone” to the garden through the use of different hardscape materials. John then introduced me to a wide variety of drought tolerant plant material that would achieve a cottage garden feel but thrive in the heat. He helped me appreciate design elements I’d never thought about and encouraged me to consider color choices that wouldn’t visually disappear in the bright mid-day sun. John was patient with my never-ending questions – I felt he truly cared about every step of the project.

A newly planted garden does not immediately reveal itself. Plants need to fill in and take shape. But as we moved through the seasons John’s talent was obvious in so many ways, from the interesting foliage textures to the variation in flower sizes and shapes, to the gentle sounds of cascading water. The stucco walls of our neighbor’s homes now provide texture between the plantings rather than overwhelm the yard. We find ourselves drawn outside in a way we never were before.

The result of John’s creativity and attention to detail is a garden that brings my husband and I great joy whether we are enjoying the view from the windows on a cold winter day, tidying the blooms on a rosebush in summer or soaking up the morning sun with a cup of coffee. John’s tremendous talent created a happy balance of colors and textures, shapes and sounds. As I’ve told him several times, the garden speaks to me – it makes me smile.

Ann Wong

It has been 4 years since John designed my beautiful backyard landscape which was installed in 2014. It’s my pleasure to say that I still love going out to my backyard every day. Whether I go out to do light gardening or enjoy a meal outside, the surrounding scene created by John is incredibly relaxing. My backyard has a special name “A French Garden” which was given by a landscape installer who absolutely admired John’s design. John is very knowledgeable of plants, trees, zones and landscape materials that would bring out the uniqueness of each desired landscape. He is an advocate for water conservation by using drought tolerant plants. In my garden project, he was very attentive in listening to what I liked or disliked in a landscape style. He took my vision and transformed it to a perfect, beautiful French garden. His design was well thought out in detail from the pathway, gravel size and color to the border stones, Provence fountain and planters. The outdoor grill area, the arbors, the pavers and the lighting was also wonderfully planned. Everything just tied together harmoniously. There was a lot of decision making but I wasn’t overwhelmed as John and his team helped me through the decisions and selections of landscape materials during the project. I am delighted to recommend John for your landscaping project. He is truly creative and talented in the landscaping design. If you would like to read my 1st review on John’s work, you can find it in Houzz under Verdance Landscape Design.

Jon De Feo

John Black and Verdance were amazing to work with. Not only does John and his team have amazing vision, but they were able to visually translate our thoughts and feelings into designs that were perfect.

On top of that, John helped us in taking bids and choosing the right landscaping company for us. Between Verdance and the landscaper, the end result exceeded our expectations! We HIGHLY recommend Verdance and will never use another Landscape Architect. Thank you, Verdance!

Eric Morse

John is a terrific designer. My wife and I hired John a few years back to completely re-do our front and back landscaping. He was given the challenge of designing something that fit into a small, oddly shaped footprint with a gentle slope towards the back of the house. The best compliment I can give John, outside of how happy we were ourselves, is what I saw when I returned to the house two years after we sold... The garden in the front yard not only remained exactly as John designed it but was absolutely flourishing! In the back yard, the deck that John artfully designed to flow from the second story down to the ground was untouched and still made the whole space come together; the fruit trees were either flowering or bearing fruit. The new owner had done absolutely nothing to change the design!! He cited the landscaping as one of the most pleasant elements of the entire home.

I would recommend John and Verdance to anyone who asked me!

Polly Berquist

California natural was our goal for our flat one-acre property. John designed a beautiful garden for us that is low in water use and high in ‘wow’ factor. It’s more beautiful than we ever imagined. Throughout the process from initial design to contractor selection, to permits, plant placement, and finally post completion follow-up; John, Ran, and Kaitlin have been on top of it all. Any questions or concerns were addressed promptly, even if it was a contractor or permit issue, they found the answer or at least kept us updated if it was out of their control. Their results exceeded our expectations, if we had another yard to do, we’d hire them again in an instant!

Kevin Brunner

Would give 10 stars if possible. We hired John to design a living space extending our mid-century remodel into the outdoor as an active escape and entertaining space. John not only gave us a beautiful solution; he studied us, and our values, delights and emotions to craft a space that not only exceeded our needs, but also our unrealized desires. It is rare to find someone that can fully wear your own thoughts and ambitions and materialize them elegantly. I could not recommend him more highly.

Robert Corona

There are so many reasons why John Black of Verdance should be your first choice when it comes to landscaping projects. His ability to translate your ideas and vision into a reality at a cost efficient point is unparalleled. Excellent style regardless of application, timeliness, and a willingness to be flexible and change as the project moves along defines the experience of using John for your project. Absolutely five stars all day long. Why would you go elsewhere?

Scott Bovard

John worked with me and the crew from the HGTV show Landscape Smart in the renovation of my yard. From the start John showed his creativity, expertise and willingness to go the extra mile. My wife and I really enjoyed working with John and appreciate the results everytime we look out our windows and into our backyard. The intensity of the filming process put us all under a great deal of pressure but John was always cool and easy going while being decisive and committed to the quality of his work. For anyone thinking of hiring John for landscape design...do it now.