D.Smith Garden Consultation -

deborah dart

We moved to California from Florida and needed help identifying plant varieties and the care they require. A consult with Dawn gave us exactly that and so much more. We understand the plant materials so much more and are ready to tackle refreshing the gardens and caring for the fruit trees. So, so wish we had had this consult before we planted anything!!

Don LeBuhn

Dawn has been working with us on our 3 acre property in Sonoma for about 6 months and has transformed our landscape and gardens. She has designed new planting areas, transformed existing areas and overseen plant selection and installation with our landscape crew. Her depth of knowledge comes from years of experience and she is a pleasure to work with and learn from. We highly recommend her whether you are looking to have a new garden designed or just want to discuss plant selection and how to make your gardens beautiful.

Suzan Hampton

I know of Dawn's horticultural and design talent from her years spent as the head horticulturist and grounds manager at Cornerstone Sonoma, a large public gardens. For three years, I observed Dawn manage a crew of workers to maintain the 7-acre landscape, troubleshoot plant problems, work with architects and artists to design and install new gardens, manage public access and human interface in the gardens, and design her own installations. The gardens were lush, perfectly tended, inspiring and beautiful and the plants simply thrived.

Now I consult Dawn whenever I have plant issues. Her expertise was thankfully able to save a 10-year-old, large potted Meyer lemon from the ravages of Midwestern winters, among several other plant emergencies.

In addition to her expertise, Dawn is personable, responsible, intelligent, and ethical. She also has connections with several contractors as needed for any required heavy lifting. Highly recommend!

Kelly Halligan

Dawn is not only an exceptional landscape designer, she is an exceptional person as well. Dawn has truly transformed all of our outdoor areas and created a wonderland. Dawn's knowledge creativity are beyond compare and we are continually impressive with her work and attention to EVERY detail. Dawn is professional, visionary and an incredible a pleasure to work with.
I highly recommend Dawn and would refer her to everyone. Dawn is a dream come true!

Naomi Ansbergs

Dawn is an absolute goldmine of horticultural knowledge. Not only is she a delight to work with, she’s truly an expert in her field with an impressive background in revitalizing and beautifying gardens for year round enjoyment. I highly recommend her if you want to transform your gardens from just an average backdrop into a lush, vibrant wonderland that will become the crown jewels of your estate.

Javan Smith

Dawn is awesome! She has such a wealth of knowledge and really cares about crafting a space that fits our personalities as well as the native landscape. Our initial consultation was wonderful. We are looking forward to working with her. What an exciting project!

Kristen Hipp

We feel so lucky to have found Dawn! We bought a new house and needed help with the landscaping. We had no idea where to start and can't imagine having done it without her. She is a real pro with a wealth of knowledge and we knew we could trust her to put together a beautiful yard for us, which she did. It's thriving and we feel so grateful! We can't wait to use her again for our back yard!

Sally Zimmerman

Dawn helped me so much in selecting trees for my new house and in evaluating my irrigation system.
She has wonderful ideas and is very knowledgeable and patient. It was a pleasure to work with her.