Change of Seasons - Gary Kernick

Gary did a significant backyard and front yard remodel for us and he was awesome. He made hugely helpful creative contributions while at the same time listening to and incorporate our feedback. He was the consummate professional - the project finished on time and within budget. He has made himself available to us post-project to answer questions and address our further requests for assistance. All around you can't wrong with Gary!

Gary came to our new home landscape design project highly recommended, and he did not disappoint! He seemed to have an almost intuitive understanding of what we wanted, and was very responsive to questions, and kept within the confines of our H.O.A. requirements. He employs the most up to date irrigation (linked to weather reports, etc.) to get watering just right. His philosophy of soil building, conscious landscaping, water conservation but with beautiful greenery is now being enjoyed! As I was sitting out in our yard on this lovely fall evening enjoying our water feature (custom made from reclaimed plow parts), beautifully lit plants, I knew the enjoyment would grow along with the plants!

We recently worked with Gary Kernick on a complete redo of our backyard, and have been beyond thrilled with both our experience with Gary and with our new beautiful yard. From the start of the project through to the end, Gary was patient, thoughtful, professional and creative. It was clear that he was dedicated to creating both a beautiful space, as well as one that was functional and worked well for our family. We ended up doing a complete demo and putting in a new pool, new concrete patios, a fire pit, a kids’ play area and garden boxes, and new irrigation system and lighting, and he coordinated it all efficiently and smoothly throughout the entire process. His team was professional, dedicated and friendly, and his great relationship with the pool and concrete companies allowed everything to run smoothly. His communication was clear, and he was happy to take the time to update us on the process and next steps. The project stayed on budget and timeline. When it was time to choose plants, he took us on a tour around Green Acres to really understand what we were looking for and what we liked/disliked, and came up with a beautiful garden that we are so excited to watch grow over the years. The entire process was not only smooth, but so fun and collaborative thanks to Gary! He is a true professional and is skilled at both the creative and practical parts of his business. We would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone~ he’s just the best!

We highly recommend Gary Kernick and his team. We had him fully design and redo our front and back yards, including adding a pool and repaving all new walk and drive ways. From start to finish, the project went off without a hitch. Gary is creative and collaborative in the design process and throughout planting, lighting and installation. He has a professional and easy-going style that was a great fit for us. Gary managed the entire process through his strong relationships with excellent demo, concrete, and suggested a great pool contractor. When it was time to discuss which plants to use, we spent an afternoon at Green Acres to see what we would like or dislike. He then chose and designed the planting, confirming back with us on his selections. His follow-up after the project has also been great, he comes by to check on how things are going, replacing plants if necessary.

We have used Change of Seasons for two large landscaping projects- backyard then front yard. Gary is an excellent designer, listens to client’s input, and has a vast knowledge of plants. His crew is top notch- punctual, professional and always do things the right way. Gary is also excellent in following up after the project is complete. Always willing to answer any questions and come back to fix issues that arise.

Gary has helped us with landscaping design and installation for both out front and back yards. He has always been responsive, a great listener, and excellent at following through. Moreover, we love how our landscaping has matured over time. We'd highly recommend him to anyone looking to do a project.

I recently did a full overhaul of my front and back yard--only kept two trees--and after attempting the design on my own, Gary's expertise saved my sanity. How often do you work with a contractor that finishes a project on time, within budget, all while making the process stress-free and even fun? One of Gary's many strengths is his knowledge and experience with how plants perform in the Valley heat. I have a modern aesthetic and thought that I may want to employ someone from the Bay Area, but realized that they may not understand our climate as well. I don't regret my decision. Gary is a great listener and was very willing to adapt to my style. Admittedly, I am picky and have a hard time making decisions. He was perfect at guiding my decisions but still letting me feel in control by allowing my input. I actually can't believe how patient and flexible he was. He managed to move things along, pushed me out of my comfort zone, but still kept it fun. Since my yard was pretty much just concrete hardscape and dirt, I was eager to jumpstart the landscaping with larger trees. He was able to procure the most beautiful specimens of mature trees, and after a year in the ground they are flourishing. I couldn't have found such healthy large trees in our local nurseries. Gary also installed a smart irrigation controller and a cool water efficient system that waters through a series of tubes beneath the soil. It was so helpful that he knew the latest and greatest technology. The installation process was seamless. Gary was in constant communication on the status of the project and he followed through on commitments. If he couldn't execute something outside his expertise, he was honest and would tell you so instead of making promises he couldn't keep. At the time of my install, he had two longtime employees who did all the work from start to finish in the extreme summer heat. They were so friendly with my young boys, entertaining them and giving them little jobs to do. By the end of the project, we were sad to see them go. Gary really exceeded my expectations in his follow up. He has been great at checking in on the irrigation system, helping with areas that were struggling, and correcting things that didn't work out. It's a breath of fresh air to employ a contractor that follows through with tasks without dragging their feet. I cannot recommend Gary and his team enough. They went above and beyond in so many ways and I think of them often while enjoying our new yard. Gary is honest, respectful, personable, and experienced. You will not be sorry you hired him.

Gary Kernick was one of the most creative landscapers I have had the pleasure to work with. We were looking for a front yard that was a "show-stopper" but had limited funds with which to execute our dream. Gary worked within our budget, gave us a yard that went well beyond our dreams. The front yard is now a serene place that we actually use and garners so many compliments that Gary has made us look brilliant. I recommend Change of Seasons for anyone who wants a truly fabulous yard.

I have been working with Gary for over a year. Being a small company you have to have to be patient. He is very busy and so you have to wait for your time to have your project completed. It is certainly worth the wait. I love the way my garden looks. He is also very helpful and understanding, as I found out when my husband passed away shortly after the project was completed. He also helped my to fix the sprinklers in my backyard which had nothing to do with the original project. He is extremely knowledgeable and understood I meant low maintenance.If you work with him you will be completely thrilled with the finished project.

Couldn't be happier with Change of Seasons. Professional, good communication, followed through on commitments. But the biggest differentiator was the creativity and care taken in designing and building my garden. I highly recommend this company and Gary.

How many times do you hire a contractor and have everything—from scope to schedule to budget—go exactly according to plan and the end result exceed your expectations? Hardly ever, right? That’s what we thought, too, until we hired Gary Kernick at Change of Seasons. We moved into our lovely home two years ago. It had been completely remodeled from the ground up except for the yards. Aside from two beautiful mature oaks trees in the back and a maple in the front, the yards were little more than uninspired square patches of lawn. We wanted a total makeover. We admired Gary’s work from around the neighborhood, so we met with him and asked him to draw up plans. He came back with three different designs, one of which, in the parlance of our times, nailed it. He broke our complex project down into phases with schedules (realistic ones that allowed for weather delays) and estimates. Our project involved: &#149 Removing lawn and unwanted plants in the front and backyards &#149 Adding 5,000+ cy of topsoil and regrading &#149 Installing new drip irrigation and lighting in the front and backyards &#149 Building a bioswale to maximum water capture and groundwater recharge &#149 Pouring a concrete patio and installing steel posts for a large shade sail &#149 Sourcing and Setting up three large galvanized steel vegetable gardening tubs &#149 Installing an above-ground hot tub and building a small Trex deck around it &#149 Pouring decomposed granite pathways and redwood bark infill and adding decorative boulders &#149 Building a custom redwood catio (open air cat shelter) &#149 Planting nearly 50 different varieties of plants, vines, and trees Every phase of the project went smoothly. His own team and his subcontractors did outstanding work—total professionals. Gary communicated with us continuously. He was patient and helped us arrive at the best decisions for us. We really appreciated his meticulous attention to detail in selecting plants. He spent hours himself on site (in the rain, no less) arranging plants for the best effect. Everything was delivered exactly as we wanted, on schedule and budget. Our yards now do our house justice. We’re thrilled with the results. The backyard is a peaceful oasis, and the front is a show stopper (judging from the number of people who stop to look and take photos). We can’t recommend Gary highly enough. He does Arden Park proud.

Gary was a joy to work with throughout the entire process from design to installation. He listened thoughtfully to our wish list and came up with three unique designs. We mixed and matched his ideas to come up with what we wanted. He was respectful of our time and budget and we now have a spectacular garden. We have rediscovered the outdoors. We wanted a lush, low-maintenance back yard with distinct areas for dining, lounging and we even created a hammock hide-away. His knowledge of plants and trees ensures that our garden will thrive and grow even more beautiful in the years ahead.,