Pond Construction Cameron Park

Verne Pershing has an uncommon ability to create landscaping environments that easily blend into and enhance natural settings. He and his wonderful crew created for us stepped waterfalls and adjacent plantings that aesthetically far exceeded anything we have seen from others who do this kind of work -- and at a very reasonable price for the work performed. Verne and his crew spent several days excavating by hand and maneuvering large rocks weighing many hundreds of pounds in an area that precluded use of heavy equipment. There was no easy way to do this work, and it would be an understatement to say that my wife and I are pleased with the result. Believe me, you will not go wrong with this guy.

We are very pleased with these guys. They are trustworthy, they really know the plants, & they go the extra mile. He treats his workers really well, and they show up on time.

I wanted to tell you yesterday how happy I am with the work you did cleaning out our pond. The water is crystal clear and the fish adjusted soon after returning them to the water. They like the new safe house you built for them, it gives them lots of room. Nice job, thanks. .

Verne was hired to shore up our back hillside that supports our deck and previously completed landscaping. I was extremely impressed with all the extra steps he took to insure that the job was done properly. He consulted with our engineer and even brought in his own specialists to come up with the best way to handle our degrading slope. He and his crew completed the work as scheduled and to our complete satisfaction. Verne continues to check on the status of his work even now - weeks after it was completed to make sure that everything is growing, watering cycles are correct, etc. I am so pleased to recommend Verne to anyone with a simple or complicated project.

Once again, thank you so much for the fine job you and your crew delivered last Friday. Such a pleasure for us spending time admiring both front and back yards. We look forward to working with you in the future. With gratitude & affection "

I have utilized Verne for two separate projects at my home. The first was the installation of irrigation infrastructure for a new garden the was built. The work was completed professionally and thoroughly. This project was several years ago and I've never had to do any adjustments or repairs to date. The second was the creation of a natural "fence" along the back of our property to shield the road. This project included plant selections, installation, and complete irrigation. I especially appreciated Verne's detailed knowledge of native California plants that we could utilize in line with our drought situation. After a several seasons we have a back area that is both beautiful to view but also functional in the intent to provide the requested privacy.

Having recently moved into a new home, I hired Verne to provide irrigation and to design a landscape the entire yard, front and back. The lot is very steep and had been completely stripped of almost all trees and topsoil to create a building pad. Included is a photo of the rock walls and lot prior to construction. Knowing the difficulty of designing an irrigation system sufficient for this oddly shaped, steep lot, I searched for a landscaper up to the challenge.

Verne and his crew came highly recommended and I couldn’t be happier with the results. It’s a plus that he deals almost entirely in California native plants … a bonus for drought stricken California! 40 varieties of plants, shrubs and grasses were used to completely transform this barren lot; I’m very anxious for the blooming season next Spring.

Verne and his crew are conscientious, hard-working and very knowledgeable. It was a pleasure to have them arrive every day and they were so very patient with my constant questions! Verne’s services are not the cheapest around town but worth it for the peace of mind that you are getting the best service with integrity. Additionally, Verne called in consulting expertise (at his expense) as he felt necessary.

The end result is an artistic approach returning this lot back into the wooded, natural setting it was before construction.

Verne created a woodland meadow on a sloping hillside that is essentially a small botanical garden. His spontaneous sense of design is accompanied by a highly skilled and painstakingly thorough execution. He uses the highest quality plants, materials, and craftsmanship. He is appropriately obsessive about irrigation and drainage and uses well engineered, state of the art methods to reduce maintenance responsibilities. He supervises the hardest working crew in show business and works onsite himself a good bit of the time. In summary, I would happily recommend this firm and will gladly do further business with them as projects present themselves down the line.

Verne and his crew installed pathways to our pool shed and in our back and side yards. Verne's crew did an excellent job with the installation work. Verne is extremely knowledgeable and very experienced and has the gift of converting plain yards into beautiful spaces. We had a difficult time getting him to commit to a start day, but once he started he and his crew were here daily.

We have had the pleasure of having Verne Pershing transform our unusable yard space into a beautiful, wonderful garden. Verne and his team are reliable, organized, dependable, and do what needs to be done the right way; which in today’s world is hard to find. He truly knows how to create living spaces that nourish all the senses. His expertise in the area of garden reconstruction and landscaping is truly remarkable. His knowledge of California native plants and which are the best plants for landscaping our garden made it look beautiful year around. He recently constructed a large stepped retaining wall for our house. There aren't many people who can say that they have a beautiful retaining wall; but I can, because he landscaped the wall to blend into the rest of the landscape. He truly is an artisan and really cares about his work. We recommend him without reservations, and will continue to use his services.

We have been so pleased this very professional garden artist. It begins with his overall creative talents, his fabulous crew, their punctuality, and Vern's continued accessibility and interest in coming back to give further advice!! I especially appreciated his decision to haul very large rocks from the outer edges of our property and include these natural features in our design. His suggestion to add a few rock walls completely enhanced our property.

Wow, the front is looking better & better. It's a thrill to turn into the sub-division these days! We, as a board & as a neighborhood want to thank you so much for the transformation you worked on the entrance to our neighborhood; you did a truly outstanding job.

I contracted with The Art of Gardening, in the winter of 2012/spring 2013 to landscape all sides of my house. Prior to Verne, my property was a hot, dry hillside that grew nothing but weeds. Now our house is surrounded by a native seasonally dry meadow with blooming flowers and shrubs that attracts and co-exists with wildlife. Verne's excellent crew installed irrigation, created pathways, moved rocks, amended the soil, and planted. They continue to provide periodic maintenance for me. They are not cheap, but the quality of their work and professionalism is excellent. I feel I got more than my money's worth.

Verne Pershing. The Art of Gardening, has created gardens of beauty for our property. The original project began in 2011 and several big projects later, we have a native plant paradise with walkways, waterfall, seating areas, and a beautifully fenced raised-bed garden...all with drip irrigation. Their monthly maintenance is always perfectly done. They are professional, hard-working and extremely reliable. My daughter and I highly recommend them.

We have been very happy with the quality of design and the quality of work from Verne. We moved into a house with no landscaping and he took steep inclines and dirt and turned them into a work of art. If you want quality work by someone with an artistic eye, you need to contact Verne.

I hired "The Art of Gardening" to design and develop the landscaping of my yard. Verne suggested using California native plants instead of the lawn I originally envisioned, and I am grateful for his advice. Verne's team is extremely hard working and dedicated. Verne brought a solid understanding of the engineering of the irrigation system to the project- he even solved some unrelated water pressure issues I had.

Verne Pershing has done a great job of rebuilding my irrigation system and maintaining my property twice a month after completion of the irrigation repairs. He is both reasonable in cost and has the highest quality of service. His employees are very professional and I am very satisfied with his service.

Verne designed and implemented a fantastic landscape for us in Pollock Pines. His crew worked from sunup to sundown. Such diligent and great workers. We wanted drainage for our front yard and a path with steps to our mailbox. Also lots of rocks and plants. Verne delivered in spectacular fashion. We intend to have him do other landscaping in the future. He has an awesome eye for landscape design. Everything he and his crew did looks completely natural and blends in with our forested property.

After remodeling our home we needed to re-landscape, & wanted to use CA natives. We found Verne through a local nursery. Verne connected us with a landscape designer, Marcia Scott. The installation was done Fall of 2011 through Spring, 2012. We've been extremely happy with the results and the support we've had from Verne & his excellent team. We still rely on them six years later for monthly maintenance and occasional changes.



The CA foothills are beautiful. If you want your home to fit into the landscape, using native plants is a natural solution. Using the expertise of someone like Verne & his team to help you makes sense too. I’d recommend Verne's The Art of Gardening to anyone considering this kind of project.

Verne Pershing and his crew designed and constructed a beautiful curving path with steps that is spectacular and beyond expectation. Verne and his crew are prodigious and diligent. They are now working on another project for us which I am sure will be just as extraordinary.

Verne Pershing has done a wonderful job for us. His crew is fast and skilled, and the job came in on time and on budget. They took a sloped back yard and made a beautiful and functional patio, and we love it. Next up...we are having him put in a waterfall feature next summer! I highly recommend Verne Pershing: The Art of Gardening for your next outdoor project.

Actually, they are in a Verne Pershing Pond Creation. Before the work ever began, Verne and his creative collaborator Cary Friar, sat, stood, & meandered around our backyard for days – at different times of the day – before ever moving any earth, as their minds formed this creation. Then they shared their plans with us, for which my non-visionary mind could not encompass. Luckily my wife could, and the unearthing began.



Many of the granite rocks showed up on site marked with yellow string, which designated a hand-selected rock with a specific placement in mind. It was amazing to watch the movement and dry setting of the rock, as Verne found the perfect spot for their final placement. Like a magician; a little abracadabra of the pond liner, and within days our pond was born.



All right, maybe a little more work than that; as his team worked for endless hours placing those rocks, moving the earth and finalizing our own unbelievable Verne Pershing Pond Creation. The California Native Habitat landscape capped off the design, many of the plants for which were propagated by Verne.



After having the pond for a week, we have had the opportunity to look closely at the detail. The rocks fit so naturally into the scene; even the hand-selected rock for the waterfall appears to have eroded by the streaming water over countless years, yet really only in place for a week.



We would highly recommend a Pond Creation from Verne Pershing, The Art of Gardening.

Our backyard needed a do over. It was all grass lawn, needing so much water that when the drought hit we had to stop watering it (Sadly the yard looked about the same). Verne Pershing and his team designed a beautiful garden that within one year is full of beautiful native California plants. They listened to our thoughts and ideas of what we wanted for our yard, then creatively and professionally put together an amazing plan. They were thoughtful about the ecology of the habitat, both plant and wildlife, as well as our budget. They have a full service of skills. Beyond landscaping, they have built a fenced in vegetable garden and installed sheds with concrete pads. I think my yard looks better then some of the worlds famous gardens. Just check out Verne Pershing, The Art of Gardening Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/VernePershingTheArtOfGardening”

We are so enjoying our "new" yard. We have our evening cocktail on the swing and talk about what's next. Thanks for giving us this beautiful oasis to enjoy.

Verne is conscientious and his team did a great job upgrading our landscape watering system.

Verne has an excellent crew that can create professional landscaping with an eye to native plants and environments. They have extensive experience in creating ponds and waterfalls that blend well with their surroundings. Getting him to commit to a hard start time for projects can be a challenge, but once he starts he is very dedicated to finishing.

It has been a pleasure to have worked with Verne Pershing and his exceptional "Art of Gardening" crew for a period of approximately four to five months. My landscaping project involved transforming an existing uncontrollable, very large plot of undeveloped ground into a natural wildlife habitat garden that now blends beautifully into the woodland natural setting I call my home. An eroding hillside was transformed into a true work of art by the incorporation of cobblestone retaining walls, a dry creek bed and native plantings. Verne and his crew transformed an ordinary dog pen into a now existing garden within a garden. I want to emphasize that Verne and his crew exhibited true professionalism and expertise every step of the way throughout my project. The completed outcome was far and above any expectation I had anticipated and I would highly recommend "The Art of Gardening" for your special project. The many compliments I have received from others and the true pleasure I experience every day from my new garden far surpass any ordinary landscape project. The special artistic approach and natural philosophy exhibited by Verne and his crew created something indeed very special.

I had an emergency winter repair. Verne came by quickly with an expert in the area of concern, who was able to diagnose the problem. It was a simple fix. Verne and his crew were able to do the repair very quickly and reasonably, with artistic flare. This could have been one of those situations where the contractor took advantage in order to make extra money, but that didn’t happen.

"I have been meaning to write this for some time... but didn't want to leave the garden to do it. I now actually have time to putter and enjoy the former "Hell's Half Acre", instead of fighting with the place. It's amazing - gardening with natives, drip irrigation, organics - the place is so much more enjoyable now. Mom went from not wanting to go outside for fear she'd trip over something (and let's face it -- it was ugly out there!) to loving the paths, views and plants. She's often outside now, has friends over, tries out the different seating areas and L-O-V-E-S the waterfall. The monthly maintenance means I don't get overwhelmed. My only problem now is a new name -- "Hell's Half Acre" is no longer appropriate.



We recommend Verne Pershing and The Art of Gardening Team to any and all. Thanks again."

We had a landscape that was suffering from lack of water and nutrients in the soil. Even the best landscape design does not look good when not properly cared for, in spite of our efforts. Verne Pershing and his crew were hired to bring back the health of our landscape. They installed new drip irrigation and fertilized the plants with organic fertilizer which the plants thrive on. Our landscape has never looked better! We have also had Verne install new bark mulch and we continue to work with him for ongoing maintenance, when needed. Verne and his crew are a pleasure to work with. We would recommend them to anyone!

Verne is an artist when it comes to landscaping. He has done a major landscape job for us and still has more work to do. To look at what he has done is only half the story. Unless you saw the place before he started it is difficult to appreciate the end product. The major job was the steep hills. They had be cleared of weeds, and bush. One hill is on the up side of our house and visible from the street. The other hill is on the down side of our house. Each hill is approximately 200 yards long and 50 to 100 feet high with 45 to 60 degree slopes. Not only did they have to clear them, but they put a watering system underground and then planted trees and bushes. It was so steep that it was very difficult to walk and work on. So steep that most plants required rock retaining walls to be built, which are in themselves art work, to hold them in place and stop ground erosion. We are looking forward to the completion of the job.

Verne and his crew have been out twice to our place. First to clean up grasses and brush on our 10 acre parcel, and next to do summer pruning on our 60 fruit trees. These guys are hard workers and fast! They brought their own equipment, which is in working order, and left our place looking manicured. I highly recommend Verne Pershing and will contract with him again in the future.

After 22 years having a backyard with grass and a cinder block retaining wall holding back a hillside of blackberries and brush, Verne Pershing and his crew transformed our yard into a beautiful mountain-like setting. By incorporating large boulders and rocks, acquired from a local quarry, Vern and his team created a beautiful waterfall that cascades into a large pond. The pond design includes sitting rocks for dunking our feet, and a shallow area for the grandkids. To solve our flooding issues with the heavy rains, a dry creek bed was created following the natural drainage of our hill. The overall landscape included California native trees, plants and grasses. Our experience with Verne and his crew was very positive. They were extremely knowledgeable on waterfall and pond construction and were always professional, dependable, and trustworthy. Our yard now has a look and feel of the mountains, which reminds us of backpacking in the Sierras. We would highly recommend Verne Pershing for anyone looking for a beautiful landscape that incorporates water features and a natural looking setting.

We had tried for many years to have a lawn in our front yard, but it either failed to grow, or got eaten by deer and dug up by other animals. Then, Verne Pershing suggested planting California natives to create a meadow. This involved taking out everything that was growing, putting fresh compost down, and planting meadow plants to replace the old lawn. They also replanted the raised bed adjacent to the area. The result has been very successful, and gives a look to the house that is appropriate to its remote location. Verne and his crew have continued to care for the plantings and all the yard---doing hand weeding when necessary, adjusting the watering cycles with the season changes, spraying for weeds etc. I can only say that we have been extremely satisfied with their services.

Verne and his team are top notch! They do beautiful work and went above and beyond to make sure our project was exactly what we wanted. Verne is truly an artist and is full of great ideas. We had a very unattractive and illegal retaining wall that the county insisted on removing when we purchased the property. Verne made our vision of a stairway come true keeping it consistent with the rural landscape. He and his team were a pleasure to work with and we can't wait for our next project!!

Thank you, Verne! The backyard is amazing! You transformed a nearly barren yard into a Sierra oasis. It is tranquil and serene, offering an amazing variety of beautiful native plants. The meandering path to the picnic table is beautiful, as well as the complementary path to the side yard. The water feature is wonderfully highlighted by the plants you picked out for me. The irrigation system (on a timer), the drought tolerance of the plants and their ability to coexist, survive and thrive with the wildlife (deer!) is especially appreciated. Thank you very much, Verne!

I hired Verne to design a landscape for the entire yard, front and back, of my new home. The lot is very steep and had been completely stripped of almost all trees and topsoil to create a building pad. Knowing the difficulty of designing an irrigation system sufficient for this oddly shaped, steep lot, I searched for someone up to the challenge. Verne came highly recommended, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. It’s a plus that he deals almost entirely in native plants … a bonus for drought stricken California! 40 varieties of plants, shrubs and grasses were used to completely transform this barren lot. I'm very anxious for the blooming season next Spring.



Verne and his crew, are conscientious, hard-working and very knowledgeable. It was a pleasure to have them arrive every day and they were so very patient with my constant questions! Verne’s services are not the cheapest around town but worth it for the peace of mind that you are getting the best service with integrity. Additionally, Verne called in consulting expertise (at his expense) as he felt necessary. The end result is an artistic approach; returning this lot back into the wooded, natural setting it was before construction.