Sacred Space Garden Design, Inc.

Karen was highly recommended to us by our neighbors who were impressed by her professionalism, on time performance and satisfaction with the results. Our wants were to improve our curb appeal, drainage and water usage.
Karen developed plans with us through a iterative process based on design alternatives which were costed out, resulting in a final plan and budget.
We relied on her good judgement to finalize our decisions.

Results: Work was done on time and within budget. The workers were polite, skilled, and unobtrusive and lead by a very competent foreman. They cleaned up thoroughly at the end of each day.
Karen came by many times to inspect and oversee results and to seek our input regarding any interesting plant choices and their placement in our yard.
Now that the job is done, Karen comes by to inspect the plants and revise the watering schedule.
We really love our new garden and the neighbors say our curb appeal is great!!
We highly recommend her.

Posted 08/04/08 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Karen, Omar and their team did a great job on our landscaping project. We continue to get compliments from friends, neighbors, and passersby who have stopped to ask for Karens contact information! Our project was fairly large in scale and involved the following elements:

- new driveway (pavers)
- new irrigation, lighting and planting in front and backyards
- used brick entry steps, path and porch in the front yard
- used brick patio with wood pergola in backyard
- new kitchen entrance with landing, extended overhang and stairs to backyard
- new electric driveway gate
- wood trashcan enclosure

The project took about 3 months and actually finished slightly ahead of schedule.

Our situation was a bit unusual because, before meeting Karen, we had already developed a preliminary design plan with another garden designer who moved out of state before we could start the project. Since both my husband and I work full time, we knew we needed a project manager to coordinate all the different vendors and elements of the project. Karen helped us refine the design plan and she identified vendors for the specialized parts of the project (e.g., new electric driveway gate, new gas line for BBQ).

Karen provided detailed budgets and schedules which we really appreciated given the scope of our project. When we had changes, she sent us change orders to track the modifications to the budget and timeline.

In addition to her skill in managing the overall project, Karen is a very talented designer. She has relationships with nurseries that carry unique plants and she introduced us to a lot of new plant varieties that have quickly become our favorites. We are very visual people, so Karen brought over sample rocks and bricks and worked with us to map out path layouts before they were set in stone. Karen also provided us with catalogs and websites to review lighting fixtures, gate hardware, etc.

Karen and Omar are straight shooters who are easy to work with. Perhaps most important for anyone who has worked with contractors in the past, THEY SHOW UP ON TIME AND RETURN CALLS!! You can tell that Karen and Omar genuinely like what they do and want to do a good job. During our 3 month project, there were only a handful of times when we had miscommunications or something was not done quite as we had envisioned (which is expected given the length and scope of our project). In each instance, Karen was quick to respond to our concerns and she worked with us to reach the best solution.

Most importantly, we are very pleased with how Karen and Omar transformed our home. We enjoy our new outdoor living spaces and we entertain guests more frequently than we did before the project. We highly recommend Karen and Omar and wed definitely hire them again.

Posted 02/18/08 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Karen and her team did a wonderful job converting our ugly hillside to an incredible terraced garden. She paid attention to the light and created beautiful pockets for sun and shade plants.

Everyone was patient and listened to our needs and wants. After they finished the hillside garden with its paths, lush greenery, flowers galore and points of interest they transformed our patio to a true escape haven.

We were very happy with the efforts and results. We have and will continue to recommend them to our friends. Our real estate agent said the transformation was incredible and would add great value and pleasure to our home.

M. Stevens

Posted 02/18/08 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Karen has been working on our garden for 2 years now- we keep calling her back to add new features. She redesigned our yard, added lighting features, stone walls and paths, and turned it into a magical, sacred space. She inspired our children to become more interested in working in the garden and always included them in her work here.

Karen is an absolute pleasure to work with- she is creative, accommodating, reliable and always met our expectations. Karen comes with our highest recommendation!!

Posted 02/18/08 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

I enjoy working in my yard but when I loss 3 pine trees to the bark beetle, I knew I needed help. Without the trees, my yard went from a lovely shady area around the pool to a hot blazing inferno in the summer. What remained were very old and somewhat neglected plants that didnt look bad with the pine trees but now needed some serious rethinking. Plus, the trees' roots had pushed on some low brick walls that needed to be repaired and I needed a new lawn.

I contacted Karen Miller because of the positive reviews she had online. And its true, she really did transform an old, broken down yard into a truly beautiful spot. I had interviewed other landscapers but they only saw their vision and didnt really hear what I wanted. Karen was the exception. She listened and worked with me to make my yard spectacular. She understood my budget and worked with me so there were no surprises.

I have had several people over to my home and they always comment on how gorgeous and peaceful they feel in my yard. Because of her background as a photographer, her grasp of plant colors and outdoor lighting is exceptional. At night, when I gaze at my illuminated yard, I am rewarded over and over again at how lovely it looks. Im afraid if my husband and I had done the lighting without Karen, we probably would have made it look like an airport runway!

Finally, because I like to do the upkeep myself, she took the time to teach me how to take care of the new plants, a critical step to keeping your yard looking great!

Give her a call if you want the yard you always dreamed of. She does make wishes come true.

Posted 06/22/07 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

I am writing this review five months after Karen finished landscaping our back yard, and I am as enthusiastic now as I was when it was brand new (keep in mind this is after the damaging California freeze). Though the garden has evolved as well as taken some hits due to the unlikely weather, most of it is thriving and beautiful even in January, which is a testament to Karen fabulous plant choices and combinations.

Our backyard makeover was challenging, to say the least. It is on three levels, and required brickwork, railroad tie walls and planters, stairs, decomposed granite area, containers, irrigation, electrical as well an artistic eye to pull it all together with the existing elements. Karen met that challenge beautifully by first creating a groundplan and budget based on our initial consultation, followed by a comprehensive plant meeting, and then went to work bringing the whole vision to life. She brought in Jesse, the king of tree trimmers, who elegantly and seemingly effortlessly shaped a massive and sad looking sycamore tree as well as sculpted the rest of our trees. He and his men also set up an irrigation system and did the planting. Omar and his men did a marvelous job on the brick paths and stairs, railroad tie planters as well as stuccoed an old ugly retaining wall. All of Karens loyal subcontractors were real pros, passionate about their jobs, hardworking, paying attention to detail, as well as inconspicuous and self-sufficient. In fact, when the garden was finished, my husband and I were so happy and impressed we had a wrap party for Karen and her collaborators to celebrate everyones work and our beautiful garden.

On the artistic side of this makeover, Karen really impressed me with her great eye for composition, essentially painting the garden with color through her plant choices (She is a professional photographer as well, which explains her sense of color and composition). The final result is vivid and magical. Also, adhering to my wishes that it not be a high maintenance garden, Karen used a variety of sculptural succulents in focus areas, and filled in the rest with a cornucopia of shades of purples, reds and greens, in leaf and flowers to create a wonderful marriage of color and textures that would develop well on their own without too much babysitting. And on the money side, there were no great budget surprises any changes and/or additions were discussed and implemented fairly. Karen always remained very conscious of our needs and budget limitations.

Last but not least, on a personal level, Karen was always calm, knowledgeable, flexible and helpful. She was here overseeing her guys practically every day, and stayed very involved in the process. One can tell this was not just a job to her, but rather a calling. A landscape artist who is scrupulous, collaborative, professional and fun, what more can you ask for?

Posted 01/30/07 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

It was my great pleasure to employ Karen Miller for my backyard landscape project. I had no less than four "landscapers" look at my space over the spring and summer, and those were just the ones that returned my calls and made it to our meeting! That's not to say that they were on time, professional, or organized... just that they were breathing! I specifically expressed my vision to each one, only to be disappointed as they returned with a plan to make my yard look something like a supermarket or service station parking lot.... not that there's anything wrong with that, it just is not what I was looking for.

When I vented my frustrations to friends, they would reply, "That's just how contractors are". I felt like my expectations were too high, and I was almost ready to give up and simply settle... Thank goodness, that's when I met Karen!

What a delight to find someone so professional and organized! She was busy with many jobs at the time, as she was obviously in high demand. But she took the time she needed to construct a proposal that was very detailed and incorporated all of my visions beyond my wildest dreams. She was worth the wait, and worth every penny! She worked within my budget and had great suggestions on ways I could afford my personal paradise. In the end, I decided to splurge on lighting after all.... the second best decision I made in the entire process (the first was trusting her implicitly)! With her background in photography, she masterfully placed each fixture to highlight the various focal points she created throughout the yard. It blows me away! Now my yard is a place I enjoy day and night!

Obviously, I can't say enough great things about her. She is honest, professional, returned every phone call or email, answered every question, was thorough, personally involved in the whole process, started and finished on time and stayed within my budget.

What more could you ask for! She is a one of a kind who truly exceeded my expectations and made my dreams come true!

I am so appreciative of all her hard work and It is a no-brainer to give her a world class rating!

Posted 12/18/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

We had such a great experience with Karen. Like others, we found her on-line and were really really happy with her work! She communicates effectively, hires good people, stays within budget and of course the end result is always impressive. We had her redesign our backyard and front courtyard in Oct. 0f 2005 and then had her return this spring to do the front yard. Her execution of our vision (and hers) was stellar and she works quickly and efficiently and her fees are totally within reason. She is great to work with and we would highly recommend her.

Posted 07/19/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

We are one of those customers that found Sacred Spaces via an online search. We met with Karen who was always prompt with appointments and returning phone calls. Her workers were also very hard workers and did a wonderful job.

Some owners of businesses, i.e. landscapers, painters, tree trimmers, etc., only come by maybe once during the work day to check on the workers, but Karen actually participated in hard work right along side the workers all day long. She listened to what my husband and I wanted and in the end went above and beyond.

Our backyard is gorgeous and we can't wait to spend warm summer evenings entertaining in our new lucious Sacred Space!

I would recommend Sacred Spaces without reservation!

Posted 05/05/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

I also found Karen Miller through this website and am very happy with the results. Karen was thoroughly professional throughout the process, while including me in all aspects of the landscape makeover. My garden is absolutely beautiful and it came in under budget and was completed in the time promised. All of the workmen, from masons to gardeners were not only skilled craftsmen, but were more than willing to extend their help with little extras and made changes without complaint. Karen is very talented, has a great eye for design and color, knows her plants and is present whenever she needs to be there to make decisions or supervise the project. I recommend her without reservation and, in fact, I hope that she will be working at my son's house in the near future.

Posted 03/17/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

A landscaper that is professional, promt, keeps her commitment to the client and the project best describes the owner/designer of this business. She is creative, flexible, realistic, and reasonable. More important, she stays focused on her work and provides her clients with a truly "Sacred Space" that they can enjoy and appreciate for years to come...no need to say more as her work speaks for itself!

Posted 03/10/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

I found Karen on this web site and feel very fortunate that I did. I have to say that this was the first time that I have ever hired anyone from a web site recommendation. I had trepidations about working with someone that had not been a personal referral - but Karen's warmth, knowledge and laptop presentation immediately put me at ease. Karen brought her artistic eye to my backyard project . The people that she chose to work on the job were all extremely professional. That being said , she is a tough taskmaster and expects punctuality and expert craftsmanship from the people she works with. She is a stickler for detail. She saw what I liked and enhanced my ideas. She had numerous resources for lighting, pots, plants and statuary that were completely new to me. We had fun rooting around all over Los Angeles! Karen completely renovated my backyard , a project my husband didn't think necessary, into a serene Asian retreat right down to two wonderful Buddhas, an Indian Archway, wonderful winding flagstone pathways and staircases, beautiful large Vietnamese pots and gorgeous tropical plants. I LOVE my backyard and so does my husband - - He just doesn't understand why she didn't come into our lives sooner.

Posted 02/22/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

We met Karen last year after reading the great recommendations on Insider Pages. She was very sweet, came out to our house to meet with us and give us a quote. She showed us some pictures of her work which was good. However, we were looking for some ideas for our garden and she didn't have much to offer us. Plus, when she tried to give us a ballpark quote, it was just a "guesstimate" and sounded way over what I had received from others. Basically, I didn't think she sounded very professional and for the prices she was quoting, it didn't seem worth following through with her. We met with several other landscapers after her that had alot more to offer in terms of ideas and pricing and just seemed to be more professional.

Posted 02/17/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Karen helped us with a design for a large back yard (~8K + sqft.) and did the following things really, really well:

- She is extremely knowledgeable about so many different kinds of plants and uses that knowledge to create a beautiful palette of colors
- Karen spent a lot of time with us before starting the design work learning about our style and what we wanted. She also did a great job of taking a pile of magazine photos I had collected and incorporating those into our design.
- Helped work within our budget and was very sensitive to staying within it (she'll ask your permission before going even $5 over!)
- Karen is also really patient with people like us who know absolutely nothing about plants and now need A LOT of help getting up to speed in the care of their new investment. Even after the job is done she's been great about answering questions and checking on the health of our plants.
- She manages her team of workers well.
- Last but not least, she's just really easy to work with. You definitely get a sense that she is working "with" you on your project.

We plan on working with Karen again on the front portion of our yard when we're ready and I would definitely recommend her to friends...

Posted 12/21/05 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

We actually found Karen on this review site about 6 months ago. Karen did three things really well:

Added her creativity to a difficult courtyard space.

Managed the project through some sub-contractor issues (our choice of sub-contractor).

Kept within the budget while adapting to our changing wishes.

This project required a lot of hardscape with many different materials. Karen's choices were eye catching without being outside the character of our 30's Spanish-style home.

We had waited years to tackle this space and we're so glad we found Karen to see it through.

Posted 10/12/05 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Where to begin? When Karen began with us we had a concrete backyard with a pool. Now we are visited by birds, bees, butterflies and hummingbirds in our ever-changing garden of Eden. Not just did Karen lay out a beautiful and unique garden design (complete with colorful tumbled glass pieces mixed in with DG, bird baths, rolling little hills and flagstone pathways) but she also drew from scratch a design for a fench and gate that our wrought iron guy built for us.

Many months later, after a home remodel, we called Karen again to do her magic on the front of the house. We worked closely together and she listened to all our suggestions. Somehow she took everything we said and made it all better, making even more sense of the design than we could have imagined!

The best thing I can say is that we love being outside, front or back! Nab her services before she has to turn people away - she's that good!

Posted 05/25/05 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Karen Miller of Sacred Space Garden design has an unerring eye for design and superb taste coupled with an excellent education in horticulture.

She is a consummate professional, on time, organized, reliable and offers very fair pricing structures.

Karen came up with an ingenious solution for a difficult and challenging space on my property. I will certainly hire her again in the future.

Posted 03/03/05 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

I got Karen's name from neighbor's whose garden I admired and she had designed. I was wary of working with a designer because i had strong ideas of my own about the lines and the hardscape as well as the overall effect. But I had no idea what plants would work with my space and create the feeling I wanted. What I loved most about working with Karen was her combination of professionalism and personal concern for my vision. So many designers want to impose their design ideas rather than work with yours. She was efficient, came on time, had creative solutions to problems that came up. and her prices were reasonable. I get a lot of compliments on my garden. Karen rocks!

Posted 02/25/05 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

As the business name implies, Karen Miller is a master at looking at a space, finding out what you're all about, and creating a garden beyond your dreams. My front and back yards are glorious. She used decomposed granite as the ground covering and mostly drought tolerant plants. Cut cobalt blue glass, red flagstone, and a mixture of pepples, small rocks and a few larger boulders were incorporated into the design with an amazing affect. Karen is super nice, extremely professional, and has fair pricing. She completed the garden in the specified time period and continues to check on its progress.

Posted 02/25/05 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Karen is great at utilizing the topography of the space and coordinating hardscape and plant materials. We especially like her use of native plants in our space. She took our needs and desires and incorporated them into a beautiful and functional space.

Posted 02/18/05 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Inexpensive, young, but has a photographers eye for plant layout. In fact, she is a professional photographer. Prices may be going up, but she's worth it. Redesigned our whole landscape.

Posted 07/14/04 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?