About
Beyond Gardens
Beyond Gardens is a minority-owned, woman-owned landscape design-build company, founded in San José in 2015 as Smart Yards Co-op. Led by founder Elizabeth Sarmiento, our crew designs, builds and cares for water-wise native gardens across the Bay Area: gardens that save water, bring back birds and pollinators, and grow more beautiful every season. In an industry where only about one in five landscapers is a woman, we are proud to do this work differently.
Why work
with us?
Eco-Friendly Approach: We are committed to sustainability and environmental stewardship. Our practices prioritize biodiversity, water conservation, and soil health, ensuring that your garden thrives while minimizing harm to the planet.
Expertise: With years of experience in ecological landscaping, our team has the knowledge and skills to bring your vision to life. From design conception to ongoing maintenance, you can trust us to deliver exceptional results.
Community-Oriented: We believe in the power of collaboration and community. By choosing Beyond Gardens, you’re not just investing in your garden – you’re supporting a local business that prioritizes people and planet.
Work with nature,
not against it.
Regenerative and permaculture design methods that work with nature to create resilient, living landscapes.
California native and drought-tolerant plants and ground covers, selected to support biodiversity while being safe and welcoming for children and pets.
Organic, natural and reusable materials that complement the landscape and minimize environmental impact.
Greywater systems designed and installed to safely reuse water from laundry, showers, bathtubs and bathroom sinks.
Ecological garden styles, including Mediterranean, Woodland, Contemporary, California Coastal, Zen and rainwater harvesting (passive and active).
Food-producing landscapes, including food forests, fruit trees, herbs and vegetable gardens.
Outdoor amenities and gathering spaces such as pergolas, play yards, patios, chicken coops, composting systems, and spaces designed for relaxation, connection and fun.
Valley Water Landscape Rebate Program: we work closely with Santa Clara Valley Water District, helping clients who convert their lawns enroll in the Landscape Rebate Program. We support you through the whole process and guide you to the materials and plants the program requires.
Every design begins on the ground, not on a screen. We walk the site, watch where water goes when it rains, find where the afternoon sun cooks and where the shade holds, and dig to see what the soil is actually made of.
What you receive:
Site analysis
sun exposure by season, drainage patterns, soil texture and structure, existing tree health, microclimates, views worth keeping and views worth screening.
Scaled layout plan
beds, pathways, patios, structures, and circulation, drawn so a contractor can build from it.
Plant palette
species selected for this specific site, with bloom sequence mapped so something is flowering nearly year round. Predominantly California natives and Mediterranean-adapted species, all child and pet safe.
Water strategy
how the yard will be irrigated, whether greywater or rainwater capture makes sense here, and what the projected water use looks like versus the current lawn.
Phasing plan
if the budget needs to be spread across two or three years, we sequence the work so each phase stands on its own and nothing gets torn out later.
Meet Elizabeth Sarmiento
Elizabeth Sarmiento is the founder of Beyond Gardens. Originally from Honduras, she holds a degree in Environmental Studies and is trained and certified by Greywater Action to design and install greywater systems. She is also a certified Bay-Friendly Regional Landscape Designer, a Santa Clara County Master Composter, a permaculture designer, and a Landscape Water Management Irrigation Training and Research Center (ITRC) Specialist.
“I was raised with the experience that water is planted:
we plant water so that we can grow food.”
Hear her story in her own words in the full interview, or meet the team.
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Yes. Beyond Gardens was founded in San José in 2015 as Smart Yards Co-op and has since taken the Beyond Gardens name. Founder Elizabeth Sarmiento still leads the company, which continues the same ecological, water-wise landscaping work. You will still see the old name on past newsletters and in our email address, info@smartyardscoop.com.
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Our mission is to transform outdoor spaces into thriving ecosystems that conserve water, restore biodiversity and support resilient communities. We design, build and maintain gardens that mimic natural ecosystems, give birds, pollinators and other wildlife a home, and reconnect people with the land. Education is part of the mission too, through workshops with our nonprofit sister organization, Beyond Gardens Education.
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Every Beyond Gardens design begins on the ground, not on a screen. We walk your site, watch where water goes when it rains, find where the afternoon sun and the shade fall, and dig to see what the soil is made of. Our practices put biodiversity, water conservation and soil health first, and as a local business we put people and planet first too.
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A Beyond Gardens design includes a site analysis, a scaled layout plan a contractor can build from, and a plant palette chosen for your site, with bloom times mapped so something flowers nearly year-round. It also includes a water strategy, covering whether greywater or rainwater capture makes sense, and a phasing plan if you want to spread the budget over two or three years.
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We design in several ecological garden styles, including Mediterranean, Woodland, Contemporary, California Coastal, Zen and rainwater harvesting gardens, both passive and active. Many projects also add food forests, fruit trees and vegetable beds, or amenities like pergolas, patios, play yards and chicken coops. Whatever the style, the planting centers on California native and drought-tolerant plants chosen with children and pets in mind.