PermaDesign, Inc.

Working with Nate Downey of PermaDesign, Inc. has been an enjoyable, educational and inspiring adventure. We had a barren area over the septic tank within a juniper grove right outside our front door, with a depressing view from my office. Starting with Nate's AutoCAD description of the area, we worked through numerous iterations of landscape design until we got just what we wanted, and all within budget and in time to start planting. We learned a lot from his understanding of our terrain, the water and sunlight needs of desirable plants, the visual impact from different viewpoints, and how best to utilize the rain runoff from our roof. Now my retirement project is to bring Nate's and our plan to fruition, yielding a pleasing area with boulders and colorful flowers, shrubs and grasses with lots of wildlife. We appreciate Nate's efforts to give us a plan that we will live with for some time. We highly recommend him for your projects.

Design of water catchment system looks great but has yet to be "tested" by rains and success of plants in the area. Very professional and personal planning and execution on Garden and drip system. Most all plants thriving. For those not, excellent service recommending and installing replacements.

Since I live in the high mountain desert and every drop of water is like gold I decided to install a grey water system to maximize my water use (beats the heck out of schlepping buckets from the shower). I had read about Nate Downey and his book Harvest the Rain so I called him and we set a date for him to come and assess my needs. From beginning to end Nate was enthusiastic, professional, and kept me informed about cost, work, and expected outcomes - even today four years later Nate will check on my project to make sure things continue to work properly without additional cost. It was not cheap but as my late husband used to say "you get what you pay for" and I'm extremely pleased with the experience and I also love that every time I take a shower I am also watering the lace vines! Thanks Nate!

We met Nate and Melissa in 2005 and have loved them ever since! Aside from being amazing human beings, they both have great talents in landscape design, flora & fauna, and creating beautiful, livable, and sustainable spaces. We moved into a very rough side of a hill that needed a total overhaul, and that's exactly what they did. Our Santa Fe home which was once surrounded by dirt became a spiritual space surrounded by terraces and patios with pinon trees, pear trees, honey locust trees, rose bushes, Russian sage, and a plethora of colorful perennial flowers providing a gorgeous private space. It was such a gorgeous space that our landscaping (as created by PermaDesign) was featured on HGTV's "Bang for Your Buck" in 2011. All of their work is always within scope, schedule, and budget, and I HIGHLY recommend that you call them. Now.

Nate did an excellent job designing and installing hardscape landscaping in an area that had tricky drainage needs. He worked with me to adjust the design to fit my budget. The project involved flagstone areas, a dry drainage "river" and large ornamental rocks. The result is a beautiful outdoor space that we really enjoy. I highly recommend PermaDesign.

Nate Downey's firm (PermaDesign) designed and executed an ambitious arroyo restoration project in our back yard. The goals were to protect house foundations from monsoon runoff; minimize downslope soil loss; landscape with native plants, trees, and shrubs; and utilize roof runoff for irrigation. The result was functional, low-maintenance, and beautiful. Great job!

Mr. Downey is an extreme professional. We hired him to redesign our back area and the results are fabulous. It was everything my wife had expected. I would recommend PermaDesign, Inc for any landscaping design and implementation.