Meet the Team
Owner/Contractor, Designer
David Hvidsten
With a diverse background in environmental science (University of Puget Sound, 2008), art, mycology, permaculture, fine garden maintenance, and landscape construction, David's design aesthetic pushes the boundaries of what can and 'should' be in urban landscaping.
He started Mantis Gardens in 2017 providing environmentally-friendly and low-noise garden maintenance in the greater Sacramento area. Demand for his skills and expertise grew--by 2018, Mantis Gardens had expanded to offer landscape installation and design services with a focus on CA native, pollinator, and desert-adapted gardens.
David believes that all landscapes are gardens, and that all gardens should benefit the environment they exist within--from soil to insect to animal. He is a qualified designer with the City of Sacramento's lawn removal rebate program (2021), a ReScape Qualified Landscape Professional (2018), and is committed to the (daunting) task of transforming Sacramento's numerous lawn-filled yards into beautiful, intentional landscapes that will benefit generations to come. He currently lives in Arden-Arcade with his wife, Sarah, and two chihuahuas, Teela and Loki.
Install Foreman
Edgar Lopez
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Operations Manager
Ashley Manning
Favorite plant species:
Hybrid tea roses. I have 24 in my permanent collection, plus several more that I adopted. My favorite CA native plants are Pacific Dogwoods and Penstemon spectabilis.
Favorite part of working at Mantis Gardens:
We see everything that happens each season and as a result, I feel closer to the natural world. I also love helping with garden 'resets' --sometimes life gets in the way. When we have a client who needs help getting their garden back under control, it's a great feeling to be able to give them their space back.
Maintenance Lead Gardner
Brooke Wolf
Favorite plant species:
California valley oak, Quercus lobata
Favorite part of working at Mantis Gardens:
Brooke has a background in fine art, sculpture, and environmental restoration. She enjoys working in all garden spaces, but finds the most joy in aesthetic tree pruning. Her favorite parts of working at Mantis Gardens are being physically active and sculpting spaces in something beautiful, every day.
Maintenance Lead Gardener
Anna Murray
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