Landscape Design

Plant Whisperer: Sara Chairez

A Bounty of Botanical Knowledge and Care

Sara is a force of nature, and she is often found talking to her friends in the flora kingdom. She loves plants and they love her back. Her passion for plants is a superpower. Sara’s 30+ years spent working at nurseries in Santa Cruz County has given her a depth of knowledge and expertise that provides great value to our clients. She possesses a special ability to choose the best plants for a landscape.

Sara Chairez has a nuanced understanding of the micro-climates in Santa Cruz County, and she also knows which plants work well together. This is because Chairez has learned over time what plants want and where they will do best in a landscape.

Designing a Landscape that Sings

Sara is expert at selecting the best specimen for a site, because of her experience. She can explain to clients why certain plants will make more sense. Many people want flowers that will bring hummingbirds and butterflies to their yard, and Chairez knows which of these attractor plants will work best in your specific environment. Sara is also highly skilled at design, and upon request she will produce a hand-drawn landscape plan. For some interested clients Sara will even take the homeowner plant shopping at the nursery to show them some of their best options.

Understanding the Evolution or our Landscapes

We are experiencing a regional warming trend, and water continues to be a scarce resource. As our climate changes, it is important to evolve with it. Chairez has a well developed understanding of the effects of drought on a landscape, and she draws upon this wealth of knowledge when designing a landscape.

If you want a landscape with the most interesting and attractive plants, our resident Plant Whisperer is happy to help. Contact us today to begin the process of designing your dream landscape.

Our Reviews

Scott Pierce

November 16, 2023

Phil, Laura, and the team at The Landscape Company are amazing! We have been working with them on landscaping a large hill in our backyard. They recommended prepping it for winter rains by installing a waddle system and laying down erosion control netting and straw. They noticed a storm system was arriving early so they prioritized the work and got everything installed before the rain arrived. Can't thank them enough!

Rosemary Sarka

October 4, 2023

I had a leak in an old irrigation system and a plumber told me they would need to dig up my yard and walkways. I was panicked and had no idea where to go for a solution. I cold-called 3 different companies and The Landscape Company was the only one that called me back on a timely basis. They came out early the next morning, and, despite my old system being a unicorn, fixed the leak promptly and gave me an idea of how my system could work. I continue to be so grateful for their prompt, professional, creative help.

Andres Flores

May 9, 2023

Paul, Efrain and Thomas were great partners for a new homeowner! They helped us understand what we needed and were very transparent about process, materials and costs associated. We had them come in for a full day to get everything back into shape and I couldn't be happy with how everything turned out. Looking forward to having them come by on a bi-weekly basis to keep things looking manicured and (more importantly) healthy.

Sarah Murphy

July 27, 2020

This is a company that strives on professionalism, attention to detail, and connecting to their customers. Phil takes pride in giving his customers the small mom and pop business feel , but has the team and business knowledge to support a large business operation. I love the fact that the business owner works directly with his clients. He provides custom packages for each of his clients if needed. His team is really friendly, trustworthy, and always arrives on time! Phil has a kind heart. He is a really great guy who cares about his customers. I honestly do not like being one in a million of customers in the corporate world. You feel like you are lost in the shuffle of things. I never felt this way when working with this company. Not only did I receive outstanding customer service, I got direct calls from the owner to check on how my services were going. now if that's not customer service I don't know what else is! I highly recommend The Landscape Company for your landscaping needs!

CRAIG Minshull

November 2, 2019

Professional, friendly and skilled service. Joinery work was excellent and all snags that were brought to their attention were fixed straight away with no issues. Definitely recommend.

Kristen Faris

December 4, 2018

Phil and his team did an amazing job on my front yard remodel. His team was a pleasure to work with, very tidy and friendly. They executed perfectly on our vision! I would highly recommend the Landscape Company.

ian jonson

June 3, 2018

The Landscape Company came to our rescue! Phil and the crew found a way to build an enormous gate to our backyard. TLC had clear communication through out the entire project, very professional people. Everyone was on time, cheerful, and cared just as much ( or more ) for our project. These people are into doing the job right, no shortcuts on quality or craftsmanship. What more can we say? If you have a project that you want done right, call The Landscape Company. Thank You All,

Anita Connor

December 14, 2017

With great enthusiasm I applaud the work product created by The Landscape Company, thanks to its owner, Phil Dundas, and his competent crew. My Santa Cruz Gardens front yard was transformed from 1,200 square feet of lifeless turf to a spectacular display of drought resistant plants, providing a variety of texture and color and accented with three new trees. The backyard was renovated with drought tolerant red fescue and perimeter plants as well as mulch. The experienced crew pruned existing fruit trees, created a flagstone pathway, restored a cracked sidewalk, installed a drip irrigation system, reinforced a retaining wall, and corrected an eroded sided yard with a French drain and river rock. I recommend The Landscape Company because of the owner’s prompt response, accurate estimates, flexibility with plant selection and budget, sense of aesthetics, knowledge, practical considerations, and relationship with the landscape community. Anita

Suki Woodward

June 14, 2017

The Landscape Company provides all my properties with outstanding A+ service. Professional and quality, it's what I've come to expect. Thanks Phil for raising the bar. I would recommend your crews for any landscape project, big or small.

Plant Whisperer: Sara Chairez

A Bounty of Botanical Knowledge and Care

Designing a Landscape that Sings

Understanding the Evolution or our Landscapes

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Our Reviews