TESTIMONIALS
“Melissa helped turn my vision of a naturalistic landscape design into reality. Our renovated garden is not only beautiful through the seasons, but functional, edible, deer resistant, and offers a rich diversity of plants to host a variety of wild species. Melissa is passionate and knowledgeable about landscape design, particularly in integrating native and non-native plants with hardscaping suited to the site conditions. Her boulder work is stunning. She listens deeply to your desires and concerns while working respectfully and seamlessly with other professionals on site. Melissa was there for us from project start to finish. My once impoverished yard has come alive, offering us a deeper connection to the land. I’m thrilled with the result as are the pollinators!”
Sharon Daly, Victoria BC
“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 Gough
Oak Bay, British Columbia
“Working with a landscape designer was a new experience for me and I was nervous. Melissa very quickly put me at ease. She clearly loves what she does. She listens carefully to what I wanted to achieve in the garden and did not rush the process. Melissa knows her plants and offered some great suggestions for my sometimes vague plant ideas. The plan she delivered offered me a garden vision both satisfying and inspiring. I recommend Melissa for what she can bring to a residential landscape design.”
Elisabeth Westlake
Victoria, BC
“Melissa did an extraordinary job designing our edible and medicinal plant garden. When we began the project, we knew how we wanted the garden to feel and function. We wanted the feeling of a (somewhat tamed) meadow, where every plant had a value beyond aesthetics, and where our kids could play and explore. We also wanted our kids to be able to sample freely – nothing toxic. Melissa exceeded our expectations. The garden is peaceful, beautiful, and functional. We have found enormous joy in spending our spring and summer weekends weeding, raking, pruning, and harvesting. We have made teas, tinctures, syrups, salves, and preserves from our garden, in addition to harvesting fresh herbs, greens, fruits, berries, and vegetables. The space is a sanctuary for birds, bees, and humans alike. Melissa’s patience, knowledge, and genuine love for healing gardens were essential to creating our space.”
Daphna & Adam Mills
Victoria, BC
" I have found, through years of practice, that people garden in order to make something grow; to interact with nature; to share, to find sanctuary, to heal, to honor the earth, to leave a mark. Through gardening, we feel whole as we make our personal work of art upon our land. "
