He’s a master at combining color and creativity, and consistently enlivens his projects with imaginative and unexpected twists on the traditional.
—Joan Waters, Sacramento Magazine
Accolades
Gary was wonderful to work with, flexible, and had great ideas! We did a full landscaping demo and rebuild and Gary helped us through every step of our project. Gary has a gift with plants, an eye for detail, and great skill in creating beauty and ambiance. He also has a great sense of humor and you can tell he loves what he does.
—DeAnn Prior, Land Park
Before Gary and Change of Seasons, my backyard was an eyesore to be avoided. My backyard has been transformed into a garden paradise! Gary was a pleasure to work with. He was very professional and designed the landscape with an artistic vision. He listened to my thoughts so the backyard could be beautiful AND functional. It is beyond my expectations!
—Jodi Jackson, Sacramento
We’ve worked with landscape designers several times in the past at other properties, and this is the first time that we felt like we found someone who really listened to what we wanted and worked tirelessly to achieve that vision. Gary’s approach to design is collaborative and detail oriented. We can’t say enough about how wonderful our experience was with Gary, from beginning to end. If you’re looking for a landscape expert who can do it all, from design to complete installation, there isn’t anyone else in Sacramento who comes close.
—Amy Kelsey, East Sacramento
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.
—Chris Bodine, Arden Park
Gary was fantastic. He listened very carefully to what we wanted to do. Our project was a complete front and backyard overhaul including a pool remodel he stayed on budget and took time to educate us about each step in the process. We now have a usable and aesthetic backyard which has become an extension of our home almost like another room.
—Anne Wright, Arden Oaks
My experience was fabulous. My back garden is truly magnificent. It is an unusual and truly creative space designed with a Japanese bento box in mind. The plantings bloom at different times of year so that there is always something flowering. Gary Kernick was a pleasure to work with from the design through the planting. His crew was capable and careful, always cleaning up the space after working. I would recommend Gary Kernick to anyone who wants an excellent experience in planning and planting any garden.
—Susan Fleming, East Sacramento
Almost twelve years ago, Gary transformed our backyard from a pleasant but non-descript yard to a lush, inviting and low maintenance oasis. We absolutely love our yard and continue to marvel at the way it has matured and given our family so much pleasure. Loving our backyard as we do, a couple years ago we had Gary back to work his magic on the front. Eliminating our grass and adding a terrace with easy, beautiful, and water-wise plants created the look we wanted. From the response we continue to get from neighbors, friends and strangers passing by, we know it was a success.
Gary genuinely cares about his clients and their homes. He solicits ideas from his clients and then gently offers advice and direction. Gary is creative but very even-tempered and good humored making collaboration so easy. We were able to go with him to a couple nurseries to not only choose plants, but to help us get a feel for the size and number of plants we needed. In fact, as he set things out in the garden, we had a chance to make changes before planting. Gary encouraged us to be very active participants in the design and creation of our yards, and with his astute eye and creativity, he helped us create both front and backyards that are a source of ongoing joy, pleasure, and compliments. Gary is all about understanding a client’s desires and vision, and in the design process he really creates lasting relationships. We look forward to working with him later this month when we add a few new fun plants to our yard.
—Karen Brokaw, Sacramento
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!
—Gabby Neubuerger, East Sacramento
Gary’s work is top-notch. We did a complete redo of our backyard transforming it to a contemporary, low maintenance, and low water landscape. Gary is easy to work with, creative, and flexible. We particularly liked how we first agreed upon the hardscape and then went with Gary to the nursery to identify plants we wanted to include in the final product. And the water feature he designed is true art!
—Rona Sherriff, Carmichael
My wife and I hired Gary to redo our backyard. It was a complete mess before he showed up. Gary provided excellent design ideas, working collaboratively with us throughout the initial design process. He was then able to take the agreed upon design and make it a reality, while also making any needed changes we suggested along the way (he is patient). Gary was very available during the entire process, was a great listener, and we believe he was able to translate our ideas into the exact result we wanted at the end of the day. And, the work came at a very reasonable price given its quality. He has been absolutely a joy to work with, produces excellent results, and I would recommend him to anyone. His workers are also amazingly efficient and polite, and the subs he brought on also did fantastic work. We’d give 6 stars if we could!
—John Hall, Arden Park
My existing tired yard needed a makeover, and I wanted something I loved to look at everyday. Gary with Change of Seasons gave me that and so much more! My small backyard has been made into three distinct areas, each complimenting the indoor rooms they flow from. His artistic touch and choice of uncommon plants are like eye candy! In the front I now have a green and lush courtyard with a beautiful natural looking fountain. It is serene and zen like, and a place to relax and enjoy nature. Gary was very easy to work with and takes his time to make sure it is all perfect. I would highly recommend him!
—Becky Mesker, Sierra Oaks
Gary transformed a blank slate into a beautiful and peaceful garden! He went out of his way to know our likes and dislikes and created something creative and beautiful which was in our budget. He was a pleasure to work with; stayed in budget, easy going, came out ahead of deadline and also had a team who were easy to work with. We are so thankful that we used Change of Seasons!
—Kathy Schweissinger, Arden Park
So, about a year and a half ago I bought a small house built in 1939. Lots of charm, but the backyard, not so much. Small, nothing but a lawn, tiny little patio cover off the garage, and a big redwood at the corner. Oh, and my neighbors looked right over it from their second floor. I and my house guests would hide under the patio cover to get shade and privacy.
It didn’t seem like there was a way to fix all this, but Gary surveyed the yard, its problems and my neighborhood’s style. He then listened closely to my concerns and was diligent in understanding my particular likes and dislikes. He came back with three different plans and I liked all of them.
After I committed to a plan, he went to work and each and every member of his crew was friendly and professional during the work. Finished on time and in budget. And I love my yard!
—Michael Avriette, Sacramento
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.
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.
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.
—Jennifer Drayton, Arden Park