Happy Earth, Inc. Review

"We encourage planting at least one fruit tree and installing at least one garden box for customers to grow their own healthy food."

- Ulysses

Happy Earth owners Ulysses Aban, Mark Stanner and Andrew Springer stand in a drought tolerant flowering garden
HANDPICKED
IN
2017

Progressive Team Creates Intimate Sanctuaries

By Mara Schoner


NAMEAndrew Springer
Ulysses Aban
Mark Stanners
LICENSE NUMBERC27 #1024568
PHONE NUMBER(310) 571-1500
EMAILinfo@happyearthinc.com
WEBSITEhttp://www.happyearthinc.com/
SOCIAL MEDIA
FORMS OF PAYMENT
SERVICES PROVIDEDLandscape Design, Landscape Construction, Vegetable Gardens & Raised Beds, Native Gardens, Fruit Trees, Decks & Patios, Hardscape, Landscape Maintenance, Irrigation, Sprinklers, Water Conservation Systems, Native Plants, Xeriscaping, Decomposed Granite, Drip Irrigation, Greywater & Rainwater Systems, Landscape Architecture, Berms & Swales, Biodynamic, California Natives, Drought Tolerant Landscaping, Eco-Friendly, Edible Gardens, Lawn Rebates, Pergola, Planters, Succulents, Sustainable, Turf Removal, Construction & Remodel, Composting, Gardener, Harvesting Fruits, Vegetables & Herbs, Masonry, Garden Design, Garden Installation, Garden Service, Landscape Service
SERVICE AREAS Central
Atwater Village • Baldwin Hills • Bel Air • Beverly Grove • Beverly Hills • Boyle Heights • Century City • Cheviot Hills • Chinatown • Commerce • Culver City • Dockweiler • Dodgertown • Downtown • East Hollywood • East Los Angeles • Echo Park • Edendale • Fairfax • Firestone Park • Gramercy Park • Griffith Park • Hancock Park • Hollywood • Hollywood Hills • Hyde Park • Inglewood • Jefferson Park • Koreatown • Ladera Heights • Larchmont Village • Leimert Park • Los Angeles • Los Feliz • Macarthur Park • Mid-Wilshire • Miracle Mile • Mount Olympus • Oakwood • Outpost Estates • Palms • Park Mesa Heights • Pico Heights • Pico-Robertson • Pico-Union • Rancho Park • Rimpau • Silver Lake • University Park • Vermont • Vermont Square • Vernon • View Park • Watts • West Adams • West Hollywood • Westlake • Westwood • Whitley Heights • Windsor Hills

San Fernando Valley
Arleta • Bell Canyon • Burbank • Calabasas • Canoga Park • Chatsworth • Encino • Granada Hills • Granada Hills North • Hewitt • Hidden Hills • Lake Balboa • Lakeside Park • Mission Hills • North Hills • North Hollywood • Northridge • Pacoima • Panorama City • Porter Ranch • Reseda • San Fernando • Shadow Hills • Sherman Oaks • Sherman Village • Studio City • Sun Valley • Sunland • Sylmar • Tarzana • Toluca Lake • Toluca Terrace • Tujunga • Universal City • Valley Glen • Valley Village • Van Nuys • West Hills • Winnetka • Woodland Hills

San Gabriel Valley
Alhambra • Altadena • Arcadia • City of Industry • College Hills • Crescenta Highlands • Cypress Park • Duarte • Eagle Rock • East Pasadena • East San Gabriel • El Monte • Flintridge • Glassell Park • Glendale • Happy Valley • Hastings Ranch • Highland Park • La Canada • La Crescenta • Lincoln Heights • Monrovia • Monterey Hills • Monterey Park • Montrose • Mount Washington • Pasadena • Rosemead • Rossmoyne • San Gabriel • San Gabriel Valley • San Marino • San Rafael Hills • Sierra Madre • South Pasadena • Temple City • Verdugo Viejo • Woodbury

Westside
Brentwood • El Segundo • Fox Hills • Lennox • Malibu • Mar Vista • Marina del Rey • Montana • Ocean Park • Pacific Palisades • Playa del Rey • Playa Vista • Santa Monica • Sawtelle • Topanga • Venice • West Los Angeles • Westchester • Westside

14 User Reviews
  • Overall Satisfaction
  • Quality of Work
  • Customer Service
  • Value for Price

Cynthia

Santa Monica - December 14, 2022

We hired a landscape architect to design our front and back yards, and we used Happy Earth to execute the project (which included hardscape, landscape and outdoor lighting). Happy Earth is amazing. Andrew and Ulysses are very professional; they follow-up on everything and are onsite to make sure things are done properly. They have a great crew that is careful in their work and clean up after themselves every evening. Andrew kept us up-to-date on progress with detailed summaries and budget reconciliations throughout the project. We have been very happy with Happy Earth's work and will be using them for on-going maintenance as well.

Raleigh Reich

Del Rey - December 29, 2020

I hired Happy Earth to do a complete landscape. Their work exceeded my expectations. They handled the plans for everything and all the plants. They subcontracted out the fence and the hardscape. Their work is excellent. They pay close attention to detail. Ulysses treats my landscaping like it’s his own, it’s his baby. He has a really good eye for design and color. I was astounded at how quickly the project happened. We met in May 2018. They started work in May and finished by July. I gave them a budget and they were right on target. Ulysses always checks in to see how things are growing. A small tree we planted out front didn’t do well, so we replaced it, but the second tree also did not thrive. Ulysses suggested we try something else. He gave me options and possibilities with pros and cons of each. He educates his clients. I can always get in touch with Andrew or Ulysses. The pump in my fountain stopped working and they responded right away and replaced it within a few days. Their pricing was fair — not inexpensive, but worth every penny. I have kept them on for monthly maintenance which is quite reasonably priced. I’m so happy to have them doing the maintenance. My garden always looks good. As a bonus, Andrew will sometimes bring me fig jam or marmalade from his garden!

Lisa Miller

Lake Sherwood - December 10, 2020

I can’t sing Ulysses and Andrew enough praise. I hired them to create a Japanese winter garden for me. Ulysses is an artist when it comes to landscape. His balance and design is excellent. He knew what plants worked and what didn’t. The crew was a pleasure to work with - they clean up after themselves, and completed the job on time. The whole process was so smooth.

Jake Lazere

Silver Lake - December 9, 2020

I really enjoyed working with Ulysses on the design of my garden. He is knowledgeable about plants and thoughtful about their design implications. Happy Earth did the planting and irrigation, and Ulysses maintains the property. I think the garden came out great, and a year in everything looks better than ever! I've also found Happy Earth to be very thoughtful on their pricing and to always meet me at my budget.

Josh Sandusky

Miracle Mile - November 13, 2017

Ulysses did two jobs for me. I had hired another landscape designer but she did not do installation so her design was not helpful to me. An architect friend of mine recommended Ulysses so I called him to design a seven-foot fence and the greenery along it. I liked what he did so much I hired him to work on the whole backyard. I have dogs and they dig up grass. Ulysses and his team installed a nice flagstone path with tiny plants interspersed and surrounded by greenery and decomposed granite and watered with new irrigation. Ulysses worked with me to figure out the design. He gave me a list of drought tolerant or native plants. He also gave me a choice of flagstones, different shapes, colors and sizes, and we worked together to shape the pathway the way I wanted it. He was keen on putting the plants in the right place per the sun they needed. He not only came up with the design, but he also implemented the design. And once they got going, it went very quickly. Ulysses is so easy to work with. Everything turned out absolutely great! My backyard is enchanting! The colors in the plants are amazing: bright reds, deep purples and blues, mixed with taller, bushier plants and ground cover. Ulysses’ pricing is very fair. He listed all the charges so I knew what I was paying for each part of the job. Ulysses has followed up to ask me about the backyard. It is doing great. I maintain the garden myself. I would definitely use them Ulysses and Happy Earth again.

Richard Kroon

Lake Balboa - November 13, 2017

We had been checking out various landscaping services for quite some time to help us replace our lawn and were relieved to meet Ulysses, who we clicked with right away. We gave him some parameters to work with, including budget, and he put it all together for us. We went for color and fragrance—things that would attract humming birds and butterflies, but not necessarily bees. We love the way our water-wise garden turned out. It's exactly what we had hoped for. It's also been great working with Ulysses, who is very responsive, has an excellent crew, shows up on time and completes things in a timely fashion. We feel lucky to have found him and recommend him whole-heartedly.

Michal M.

Hollywood - October 31, 2017

Ulysses is very good at bringing in ideas for his clients. I knew I wanted an English looking garden, so Ulysses brought pictures from previous projects with lots of suggestions. He was great at discussing the creative design elements of the work and was a careful communicator. I had been really concerned about my budget for the project, as well as the time-frame, and Ulysses was very accommodating on both accounts. Happy Earth brought in a whole variety of native plants and bushes that complemented the house well, a 1920's bungalow. They also planted trees along the driveway and built a beautiful seating area out of decomposed granite in the back. Ulysses oversees and executes the work himself. He is very hands-on and doesn't mind getting dirty. He and his crew finished everything within a week. He has come back several times since then to make sure everything is working properly. I found Ulysses through Neighbor2Neighbor. I had interviewed two other landscapers and chose Ulysses because I liked his energy the best. He has a kind manner and has been a pleasure to work with.

Kathleen Smith

Leimert Park - October 31, 2017

Ulysses transformed our front yard from a stagnant lawn into a colorful, flowering, dynamic, engaging landscape comprised of California natives complete with a sitting area and paths to walk and explore. We had worked through the LA City turf removal project and Ulysses was great at taking care of the whole process step-by-step. We had planned out the diagram together, giving Ulysses a few ideas of what we were looking for and putting most of it in his hands. We were very happy with the yard, not only for being water-wise, but also for improving the interface with the neighborhood and creating a sense of community. We've had him back annually to help maintain the garden, tweak the irrigation and switch out plants when necessary. We've had a great experience working with Ulysses. He was very hard to find, but once we did, we were very happy!

Nan Lieberman

Mar Vista - October 31, 2017

Ulysses helped us with a complete re-design of our front and backyard, which included pulling out the driveway, putting in a unique, flagstone patio and two walking paths. The result is beautiful—a colorful, textured drought-tolerant garden that is a pleasure to be in. We have been entertaining like crazy since then because we finally have a nice place to do it. Our friends absolutely rave about it. We initially found Ulysses because we were taking a walk through the neighborhood and stopped to admire a gorgeous yard that he had designed. Ulysses was a delight to speak with, had great references and we were so impressed with his work, that we quickly went with him for our project and have not regretted it one bit. Ulysses really listens closely and spent a lot of time asking specific questions about what we wanted. Was it certain colors we were looking for? Or a certain effect? How did we intend to use the yard? How much maintenance were we willing to do? He brought us a huge list of possibilities and photos so that we could clearly envision what it would all look like before he even put shovel to ground. He went out of his way to make his schedule fit ours so that we had plenty of opportunity to sit down and talk. He has also come back to teach us how to prune things properly and repair the irrigation system, so it's been a very complete experience. We have loved working with Ulysses.

Tyler Nguyen

Wilshire Vista - December 11, 2013

My front yard was typical, boring, environmentally-unfriendly grass. I wanted something drought tolerant and low-water, and Ulysses completely redesigned the whole front of my house. It came out really nicely. He's really easy to work with and understands the wants and needs of his clients. I like that he worked with what I already had, saving some plants and incorporating them into his design, and he was really good about making sure the design and the plants were what I wanted.

Amy Salzmann

Culver City - December 11, 2013

Ulysses designed and installed my front yard and also helped spruce up my back yard. He was incredibly pleasant to work with, very reasonable, creative and knowledgeable about plants. I had an idea of what I wanted but I wasn't sure how to get there. Ulysses took what I wanted into consideration and helped get me there. I am thrilled with the result. I didn't want an elaborate setup with drawings because I was on a budget and that would cost a lot more. I wanted to keep it low key, so we corresponded using a word document that had pictures of things I saw and liked, and we cut and pasted for the look and feel we were going for, and fleshed out the details online -- so that worked out really well. His biggest strength is his plant knowledge. He did all the plant selection, purchased the plants, brought them over and worked with my regular gardener to install them. He did amazing work within my budget. I ended up voluntarily paying him extra because the value of the work he did so far surpassed what he had originally quoted me.

Weina Dinata

Culver City - December 11, 2013

Ulysses helped me design our front and back yard. I wanted it to look like a simple, natural, California landscape. Between his vast knowledge of California Natives and his good, clean design eye, I got just what I wanted. Ulysses is very cooperative, creative, resourceful and reasonable. He was also very accommodating of what I wanted and we were on the same style page. I like that he's very environmentally conscious. He doesn't use any chemicals and he repurposed existing brick into the new hard-scaping and broke up a concrete walkway and reused the pieces as pavers in another part of the yard. Even after the garden was done if I have any questions about something like pruning, he's available to answer them or come by. I have been recommending him to everyone I know.

Karenann Pousard

Glendale - December 10, 2013

Ulysses came over for a consultation and I knew he was for me when he kept running up and down the stairs to see my garden from all perspectives. He does really complex layering with plants. He's a visual artist and pays attention to details. Ulysses is not a plant snob. He certainly knows a lot of plants, and he doesn't like invasive species and he weeded those out, but he's got a really wide knowledge of plants and he has expanded my knowledge as well. We both knew we were going to do mostly natives, but there were a few non-natives I just couldn't give up and he incorporated them into the design. We have really good communication. I think there are very few plants he suggested that I said no to. My garden is a paradise now and its all thanks to Ulysses. I cannot say enough nice things about him.

Kathleen Sundmark

Tujunga - December 10, 2013

We met Ulysses a few years ago as a docent on a native garden tour hosted by Theodore Payne. We were looking for someone to work on our yards which were too small to be of interest to bigger landscaping companies. Ulysses has transformed our property. He's very flexible, knowledgeable and listens to what we have in mind. He has taught us about native plants. He's an artist, so has a real eye for plant combinations and design. We're very environmentally conscious and want to do all we can to restore the native Tujunga habitat. I love looking out my window and seeing birds and butterflies in our yard, even slugs and worms. And lots and lots of bees! It makes us happy. Also, if I can just say this, Ulysses is so cute, we love to make him laugh!

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  1. Go with a company that is open to your wants and needs for your project. Are they able to discuss what will work and what might not work given your objectives, budget and the conditions of your property?
  2. Make sure they understand what is best for the plants and will present solutions that accommodate the future success of the landscape.
  3. Look for a contractor with good experience who can explore in detail the best solutions for your project given that experience. Ask about irrigation, hardscape and proposed plants.
  4. Be sure the potential landscaper understands the conditions of your area. Climate can vary from block to block, if not from city to city. How your house is positioned in relation to the ocean or mountains, etc. also affects what will grow.
  5. There are many local considerations to be noted for a new landscape. City infrastructure such as water pressure might be specific to your neighborhood, while some areas particularly fire-prone. Soil itself also varies, which influences which plants grow well and where. Those that understand this will be best for success!

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