SHOPPING & SERVICES of Avilas join the company. Their work is just as long-lasting as Lincoln Logs (seriously, those things are indestructible). BEST ELECTRICIAN M. Bruno Electric 720 B Dias Ave., Sand City (831) 375-9643 Ever realize how many games simulate power grids? There’s Power Network Tycoon, Watch the Sparks Fly, Power to the People and more. Sorry, but you want someone who takes electricity seriously. Year after year, Weekly readers vote M. Bruno Electric the best place to find an electrician. Electrical work is nothing to play games with, so don’t DIY it. Making a call to M. Bruno Electric is the winning move. BEST TREE TRIMMER Tope’s Tree Service 26700 Rancho San Carlos Road, Carmel (831) 373-7765, topestreeservice.com The benefits of trees are numerous: They provide shade, help remove CO2 from the atmosphere, offer a habitat for birds and other creatures, and are a good place for a Barrel of Monkeys to hang. Oftentimes, they become too bountiful for their own good, and are not only a hazard to themselves, but for everything around them. Tope’s Tree Service knows how to shape up all kinds of trees, big and small, from pruning to fertilizing, and also removing them all together, stump included. Owner Andrew Tope knows that money doesn’t grow on trees—he started off as a groundskeeper at age 17 earning $4 an hour, after all—so he and his team work hard to earn money that does come from trees…through service. BEST GARDENER/ LANDSCAPER PM Landscaping 2611 Garden Road, Monterey pmlandscapingmonterey.com Back in the ’70s and ’80s, a good game of Jarts required a well-maintained lawn. If the soil was too compact, the lawn dart would just bounce off. If the grass was too tall, the projectile’s momentum might stall before barreling into the dirt. PM Landscaping began tending to home and corporate landscaping in 2008, long after Jarts were banned. But the company can keep a lawn and garden in immaculate condition. They give each customer personal attention, whether for a backyard pool or the Monterey County Fairgrounds. The quality of their work is reflected in this little tidbit: Readers have named PM Landscaping the best in the business every year since 2018. BEST NURSERY/GARDEN CENTER Griggs Nursery 9220 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel (831) 626-0680, griggsnursery.com That brightly flowering bed of perennials lining the driveway—not a good hide-and-seek spot. But the row of shrubs in the backyard or the shade tree up front would be perfect hiding places before the person who is “it” counts down from 10. But the value of plants goes beyond hide-and-seek. With the right advice (Griggs can provide it), trees can be a focal point, annuals bring seasonal color, shrubs can provide privacy. Griggs can help with fruits and vegetables, decor, even indoor plants. They also offer an array of native and drought-tolerant plants. Yes, roses, too. But a warning: Never hide in those. BEST CLEANING SERVICE Two Girls from Carmel (831) 626-4426, twogirlsfromcarmel.com When you’re locked into a game of Elden Ring, there is no way you want to step back from your device to sweep away the Cheetos crumbs. The best thing to do is call Two Girls from Carmel in advance and schedule a regular house cleaning. They customize their work to your needs. And there’s more. Two Girls can keep your vacation home tidy, give your home a good going over in the spring and get professional spaces in order for the next day. And, when you lose your job and apartment after spending so many hours on Elden Ring, they can candle the move out cleaning, too. BEST ECO FRIENDLY BUSINESS SPCA Benefit Shop 26364 Carmel Rancho Lane, Carmel (831) 624-4211, spcamc.org In the game of thrifting, you win by discovering an unexpected treasure and you win again when you donate your previously-loved items. Good news: Thrifters win again. This is an eco-friendly choice, too. Weekly readers feel this win-win-win is best appreciated at the SPCA Benefit Shop, where treasures for yourself are easy to find. All proceeds from this Best Eco-Friendly Business benefit the lifesaving programs for local pets and wildlife happening every day at the SPCA of Monterey County. Best General Contractor | Avila Construction Company 80 BEST OF MONTEREY COUNTY® 2025 montereycountynow.com/bestof
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