Melissa Baron Landscape Design

My husband and I bought a home prior to completion and were given the opportunity to completely design the yard from beginning phase– in essence a blank, dirt canvass. We hired Melissa Baron to design a landscape for our property that would complement and enhance the extensive renovation on our mid-century home, moving it towards a more modern feel.Melissa was very easy to work with from the beginning. She brought great ideas but also listened to our wants and needs for the project and was able to really define and create a vision for the space. Melissa was professional and responsive throughout. She acted as not only the designer but also as project manager. There were various elements, subcontractors and tradesmen on site that Melissa was able to coordinate and liaise with. From initial rock placement and yard grading and leveling, to defining unique and separate spaces around the property. She was also able to refer and bring in different trades throughout, including a woodworker who built a fantastic wood structure that Melissa had designed around our backyard fire pit, as well as a gardener with amazing rock experience who was able to design a gorgeous and very intricate rock formation within our driveway. These extra design pieces went above and beyond and really exceeded our expectations on what we had hoped for the outcome of the project.The planting process was very intricate and required much planning and careful consideration based on our desire to have something low maintenance, but also private. Melissa has an incredible knowledge of plants and the different environments that they should be placed in to allow for optimal growth. Our kids were also very excited and wanted to help with the process. Melissa came up with the idea of including some interesting varieties of edible plants. Our boys were very excited to be able to watch the plants and fruits grow in throughout the summer all while being able to sample the berries and other edible plants.Our yard transformation was absolutely incredible. From the back yard entertaining patio with custom concrete fire pit and hardscaping, to the rock placed patio on the side of the house where we can sit and enjoy the evening sun, to the intricately designed rock driveway along the side of the yard. Obviously landscape is one of the things that tends to fall short on the list in terms of budget as a project nears completion. Melissa was able to conceptualize an amazing space for our family all while keeping things in-line with our budget and dealing with various time constraints. The entire process was very exciting and we are very thrilled with the yard transformation.Jamie and Jesse GoughOak Bay, British Columbia

Melissa designed a beautiful new garden for us. She took all of our needs into account and was very responsive and thoughtful in her advice. Our garden is less than one year old and because of her expertise and plant knowledge it already looks amazing. She is very professional and flexible to deal with and I can't recommend her highly enough!

Over the last few years, I have consulted Melissa on a big commercial project. We have had countless changes and asked Melissa to come to the property numerous times, and she has been so accommodating. It is awe-inspiring that she can name every plant and flower on the property and talk about the features and benefits of the seasonal growth of each. She is a visionary who thinks about a concept built to last, is beautiful, and is environmentally conscious. The designs that she provided are incredible.I look forward to our continued relationship with Melissa Baron Landscape Design and all we can dream up together

I have worked with Melissa on several projects with excellent results. I highly recommend her!

Based on our experience working with Melissa on three large-scale garden projects, we couldn’t be happier with her work. Knowledgeable, courteous and timely with excellent design skills. Melissa works with first-class contractors. We are happy to provide personal references on request, and giving her a 5-star rating is a no-brainer.

We had a backyard area that was completely under utilized and we reached out to Melissa to get some ideas for the area. Melissa was so great to work with and she had solid ideas for the space. Her team was so great to work with and they turned our backyard into an absolute oasis. We could not be more happy with Melissa's company and feel very fortunate that we found her for this project. Would highly recommend and would definitely use them again!! Although you can't tell from the picture....this was just dirt and brush a few months ago!

Melissa is a wealth of plant knowledge! I especially appreciate her skill set in permaculture and edible/medicinal plants. She has lots of great experience and has been super helpful in deer deterrent ideas.

My husband Greg and I have had the pleasure of working with Melissa for the past 3 years now, creating an extensive series of botanical gardens at our eco retreat on Salt Spring Island, Lightwater Cove. Melissa has been a beacon of plant knowledge, beauty and impeccable attention to detail. From inception to implementation, Melissa has been a steady and resourceful team leader in the creation of several sizable and uniquely themed gardens. Her excellent knowledge of herbal medicinal, native and more exotic plants has been a treasure for us to delve into. Her practical expertise in climatically appropriate plant choices and placement has been a reassurance that we have come to gratefully trust. We are now basking in the fruition of Melissa's careful work.....our botanical gardens are truly exquisite, giving great pleasure to us and our guests. We highly recommend her services.

Melissa is excellent and professional to work with. She is our first choice for design work on many home landscaping and renovation projects. From new driveway designs, to fencing and back patios, Melissa's 3D artwork helps to build confidence and clarity for our customers, and our workers.

In writing this note, we fear that we will not be able to adequately express our thoughts and feelings about this singularly stunning place that Melisa and Matt crafted for us. We had long imagined a very particular outdoor space – a notion inspired by dreamy visits to the gardens of Italy, France, Britain and our own Gulf Islands - which they captured wonderfully.Our garden respects the West Coast's natural beauty with stone, rocks and water and a winding screened pathway interspersed with vignettes of paving stone. The floral plantings, shrubs, and trees integrate into the natural environment, showing dainty to robust blooms throughout the season. Food is integral to the landscape - with vegetable beds, fruit trees, and berries. Birds, bees, butterflies, and dragonflies are regular visitors.The problem now is that I don't want to leave on warm summer days!